My father got his first job at eleven years old. cleaning up the garbage outside of the bowlingalley（保龄球场）． Two years later his dad died. and my fatber worked odd jobs to help put food onthe table during the Depression. Ten years after that. Dad fell in love. married Mom and had ababy girl. Eight more children followed. During those years, Dad slipped into a routine he neverbroke He woke up before six. took the train to work and wouldn't get home until after five thirly.After supper, Dad spent the rest of the evening in the basement making dental parts for extra    

Two years ago, at the age of sixty-four, Dad retired. When I was young, Mom and Dad did well to hide the fact that we were poor. All nine of us attended Catholic schools and we always had plenty of school supplies. We slept in wooden beds, shared one bathroom and watched television from a tiny black-and-white set in the living room. Mom and Dad never bought anything for themselves. They clipped coupons, wore the same pair of sneakers for twenty years and sewed wom clothing together every Saturday afternoon.

    At his retirement party. I wanted to thank Dad for all his hard work and sacrifice by buying him the best present I could think of. As I shopped though. l realized there was nothing I could buy for Dad. Dad taught me through his own faith that the greatest gifis come from the heart Finally. I left my present on the kitchen table for Dad to find before he Ieft for his frnal day at work.

1.How did Dad get extra money besides his daytime routine work?

A. Collecting garbage outside the alley.

B. Making dental parts in the basement.

C. Putting food on the table in a hotel.

D. Working oddjobs on the train.

2.What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A. Dad retired after sixty-four years of hard work.

B. Dad and Mom could afford their children good education.

C. Parents made every effort to save for chcir children

D. The family was once poor but became well off later.

3.After reading the text. what would be the author's present for his Dad?

A. A big-screen television.

B. A vacation schedule.

C. A letter of grateful words.

D. A great retirement party.

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. Thank You. Dad.                                 B. Dad's Expenence.

C. A Hardworking Dad.                              D. Dad. a Breadwinner.

Many people have to work on the weekend. Some people do not mind. Other people think it is terrible.

One man thinks that working on the weekend can be dangerous. He is Graham Coates. Mr. Coates worked in an office in Brighton, England.

On Saturday, May 24, 1986, he went to the office to do some work. When he got in the elevator to go home, it stopped between floors. Mr. Coates could not get out of the elevator. He was trapped! He started to shout, but no one heard him. Then Mr. Coates remembered that it was a holiday in England. No one was going to come to work until Tuesday!

There was nothing for Mr. Coates to do. He had to wait until one his coworkers came to work and found him. With nothing to eat or drink, Mr. Coates ended up sleeping for most of the time.

Early on Tuesday morning, the vice president of the company came into work and found the elevator was not working. When the elevator was opened, Mr. Coates came out cold, weak, and tired. He had been in the elevator for sixty-two hours!

Now Mr. Coates says, “I only uses elevators if they have telephones in them.”

1. Mr. Coates could not get out of the elevator because ______.

A. it was broken            B. it was a weekend

C. it was a holiday           D. it stopped on a wrong floor

2. How long did he stay in the elevator?

A. Twenty-four hours.        B. From Saturday to Tuesday.

C. More than sixty-four hours.     D. From Thursday to Saturday.

3. What did he do in the elevator most of the time?

A. Shouted and screamed.      B. Slept and waited.

C. Telephoned his boss.        D. Ate and drank.   

4. How did he make his way out in the end?

A. The vice-president found him.

B. Some one opened the elevator.

C. The elevator began to work on Tuesday.

D. He found a door in the elevator.

5. What is the best title for this story?

A. An Interesting Elevator       B. A Busy Weekend

C. Elevator Safety             D. Trapped in an Elevator

Eight times eight ____ sixty - four.

Most Americans have a city they like best. Over the years, American songwriters have described these feelings in music. More songs have been written about America's biggest city, New York, than about any other city. Many others dream about leaving their small towns to go there. They want to become rich and famous. Frank Sinatra sings about this dream in the most popular song written about New York. 

    Almost three-million people live in the middle western city of Chicago, Illinois. It is now America's third largest city. It used to be the second largest city. So, of course, it needed its own song. Judy Garland sings the song, "Chicago, Chicago. "

     One of America's most exciting cities is Las Vegas, Nevada. In nineteen-sixty-four, Elvis Presley starred in a movie called "Viva Las Vegas." Here is the song from that movie. It is sung by the group Z-Z Top.

As we all know, one of the most beautiful cities in America is San Francisco, California. The most popular song about the city is called "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony Bennett recorded it in nineteen-sixty-two. It sold more than three-million records.

Many people love Los Angeles, California. It is now America's second largest city. Los Angeles is popular because the weather is warm and the sun shines almost all the time. Randy Newman sings about his feelings for the city in the song, "I Love L.A." Not everyone, however, loves Los Angeles. Some people do not like all the big roads around the city. They like living in a smaller place. A place like San Jose, California. Dionne Warwick sings about going back to this city. The song is, "Do You Know The Way To San Jose."

Songs about American Cities

States       

1.__________    Features                       Songs                              Songwriters/ Band

         New York  America's biggest city        A song about New York     

2.____________

Illinois       Chicago,   

3. America's ____________ city        "Chicago, Chicago"             Judy Garland

4.________     

5._________      America's second largest city                              6._________            Randy Newman

San Francisco   

7.___________        "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."    

8.____________

9.________     

small          "Do You Know The Way To San Jose  

Dionne Warwick

Nevada    

Las Vegas 

exciting    A song from "Viva Las Vegas."   

10. the group ___________

Many people have to work on the weekend. Some people do not mind. Other people think it is terrible.
One man thinks that working on the weekend can be dangerous. He is Graham Coates. Mr. Coates worked in an office in Brighton, England.
On Saturday, May 24, 1986, he went to the office to do some work. When he got in the elevator to go home, it stopped between floors. Mr. Coates could not get out of the elevator. He was trapped! He started to shout, but no one heard him. Then Mr. Coates remembered that it was a holiday in England. No one was going to come to work until Tuesday!
There was nothing for Mr. Coates to do. He had to wait until one his coworkers came to work and found him. With nothing to eat or drink, Mr. Coates ended up sleeping for most of the time.
Early on Tuesday morning, the vice president of the company came into work and found the elevator was not working. When the elevator was opened, Mr. Coates came out cold, weak, and tired. He had been in the elevator for sixty-two hours!
Now Mr. Coates says, “I only uses elevators if they have telephones in them.”
1. Mr. Coates could not get out of the elevator because ______.
A. it was broken            B. it was a weekend
C. it was a holiday           D. it stopped on a wrong floor
2. How long did he stay in the elevator?
A. Twenty-four hours.        B. From Saturday to Tuesday.
C. More than sixty-four hours.     D. From Thursday to Saturday.
3. What did he do in the elevator most of the time?
A. Shouted and screamed.      B. Slept and waited.
C. Telephoned his boss.        D. Ate and drank.   
4. How did he make his way out in the end?
A. The vice-president found him.
B. Some one opened the elevator.
C. The elevator began to work on Tuesday.
D. He found a door in the elevator.
5. What is the best title for this story?
A. An Interesting Elevator       B. A Busy Weekend
C. Elevator Safety             D. Trapped in an Elevator