阅读下面短文，掌握其大意。然后从36-55各题所给的选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Mark was seven when he joined his father and two other elder brothers at sunrise in the fields. __36__ the time he was eight he was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He was given a cent for every nail he __37__ out of old boards.

He got his first __38__ job at BT’s Restaurant in town, when he reached twelve. His main tasks were__39__tables and washing dishes, __40__sometimes he helped cook.

Every day after school he would __41__ to BT’s and work till ten. Even on Saturdays he __42__ from two till eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and __43__ his friends run off to swim or play. He didn’t necessarily like work, but he loved what working __44__ him to have. Because of his __45__ he was always the one buying when his friends and he went to the local shop. That made him __46__.

Word that he was trustworthy and hard-working __47__ around the town. A local clothing shop offered him credit（赊帐）__48__ he was only in Grade 7. He immediately __49__ a $ 68 sports coats and a $ 22 pair of shoes. He was__50__ only 65 cents an hour, and he already owed the shopkeeper $ 90! So he learned __51__ the danger of easy credit. He paid it __52__ as soon as he could.

The first job taught him self-control, responsibility and brought him a __53__of personal satisfaction few of his friends had experienced. As his father, __54__worked three jobs, once told him, “If you__55__sacrifice and responsibility, there are not many things in life you cannot have.” How right he was!

Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously, Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.

“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer.” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”

“He won’t find out,” Mark said. “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”

Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.

It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.” “Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead.” A new message appeared on the screen: “ENTER NAMES

VOYAGER 1:…

VOYAGER 2:…”

Mark’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.

 “INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED (自动回收程序已启动).”

The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.

“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.

But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒) , until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.

“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION (目的地)：MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025.”

1.Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?

A. He wanted to take a voyage.                   B. He wanted to practice his skill.

C. He was so much attracted by it.  D. He was eager to do an experiment.

2.Where did the boys’ father most likely work?

A. In an electronic factory.

B. In a computer company.

C. In a scientific research center.

D. In an information processing center.

3. Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of______.

A. a computer game                                     B. a company website       

C. a software producer                                 D. an astronomy

4.Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?

A. He was afraid of being scolded.

B. He didn’t like the loud noise and light.

C. He didn’t want to play games any more.

D. He was afraid something dangerous might happen.

5. What happened to the boys at the end of the story? 

A. They were blown into the air.

B. They were sent to another planet. 

C. They were hidden in the strong light.

D. They were carried away to another country.

Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loves experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.

“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”

“He won’t find out,” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”

Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.

It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colours, shifting and changing, and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”

“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead!” A new message appeared on the screen:

“ENTER NAMES

VOYAGE　１

VOYAGE　２

Mark’s finger flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.

“INPUT ACCEPTED.

START  TRANSPORT  PROGRAM.

AUTO-RETRIEVE  INITIATED(自动回收程序已启动).”

     The screen turn even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.

“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled out in terror, reaching for the power switch. A beam(光束) of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed：

“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL．

DESTINATION:  MARS.

RETRIEVE DATE:  2025

1.Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?

A. He wanted to take a voyage.

B. He wanted to practice his skills.

C. He was so much attracted by it.

D. He was eager to do an experiment.

2.Where did the boy’s father most likely work?

A. In an electronic factory

B. In a computer company

C. In a scientific research center.

D. In an information processing center.

3.Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.

A. a computer game                                       B. a company website

C. a software producer                                           D. an astronomy program

4.Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?

A. He was afraid of being scolded.

B. He didn’t like the loud noise and light.

C. He didn’t want to play games.

D. He was afraid something dangerous might happen.

5.What happened to the boys at the end of the story?

A. They were blown into the air.

B. They were sent to another planet.

C. They were hidden in the strong light.

D. They were carried away to another country.

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
Mark went home after leaving Bill at his house. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school, where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long-awaited senior year came. Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide(自杀). But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”
【小题1】What happened to Bill on his way home from school?