Afraid that her son would be too tired, Ms. Wendy would sometimes tell the boy to skip school, but each time, Fabian would insist on going to school.
“I don’t like it because when I return to school, I don’t know what’s going on,” the 12-year-old boy explained. He suffers for SMA－a neuromuscular（神经肌肉的）disease that leads to weakness in muscles－and gets around in a wheelchair.
Fabian’s determination to excel in his studies was evident when he was disappointed that he got a total score of 236 yesterday in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He was hoping for a score of at least 240, but his mother was full of pride. “I am happy with his results. He’s very motivated,” said Ms. Wendy.
When Fabian was two months old, he was diagnosed with SMA. Ms. Wendy, who used to go to other homes to teach piano lessons, started teaching lessons at home so she could take care of her son. Fabian proved to be a fighter. Ms. Wendy said, “ He would study every day on his own even though he was weak and his spine（脊柱）was already starting to curve quite badly.”
Fabian is also active in the Singapore Disability Sports Council, where he plays boccia（滚球）, a ball sport for those who require a wheelchair due to physical disability.
At just 133cm tall and weighing 14kg, he knows that he will have to rely on others all his life. “I’m afraid that when my parents grow older, they will not be able to carry me and that there will be nobody to carry me,” said Fabian. “But for now, I feel lucky that I get to go out and do a lot of things that I thought I couldn’t.”
His dreams aren’t lofty（崇高的）either－all he want to be able to do is work and provide for his parents. “I just want to study hard so that I can be a businessman, like my dad.” He is planning to apply to study at Victoria School.
【小题1】The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.
A. going to school.               B. being absent from school
C. studying hard.                   D. suffering from SMA.
【小题2】We can know from the text that Fabian ______.

Afraid that her son would be too tired, Ms. Wendy would sometimes tell the boy to skip school, but each time, Fabian would insist on going to school.

“I don’t like it because when I return to school, I don’t know what’s going on,” the 12-year-old boy explained. He suffers for SMA－a neuromuscular（神经肌肉的）disease that leads to weakness in muscles－and gets around in a wheelchair.

Fabian’s determination to excel in his studies was evident when he was disappointed that he got a total score of 236 yesterday in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He was hoping for a score of at least 240, but his mother was full of pride. “I am happy with his results. He’s very motivated,” said Ms. Wendy.

When Fabian was two months old, he was diagnosed with SMA. Ms. Wendy, who used to go to other homes to teach piano lessons, started teaching lessons at home so she could take care of her son. Fabian proved to be a fighter. Ms. Wendy said, “ He would study every day on his own even though he was weak and his spine（脊柱）was already starting to curve quite badly.”

Fabian is also active in the Singapore Disability Sports Council, where he plays boccia（滚球）, a ball sport for those who require a wheelchair due to physical disability.

At just 133cm tall and weighing 14kg, he knows that he will have to rely on others all his life. “I’m afraid that when my parents grow older, they will not be able to carry me and that there will be nobody to carry me,” said Fabian. “But for now, I feel lucky that I get to go out and do a lot of things that I thought I couldn’t.”

His dreams aren’t lofty（崇高的）either－all he want to be able to do is work and provide for his parents. “I just want to study hard so that I can be a businessman, like my dad.” He is planning to apply to study at Victoria School.

1.The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.

A. going to school.               B. being absent from school

C. studying hard.                   D. suffering from SMA.

2.We can know from the text that Fabian ______.

3.What do we know about Ms. Wendy?

4.Which words can best describe Fabian?

5.What is the best title for the text?

A. He Is Disabled but He Is a Fighter.

B. A Great Mother and Her Special Son.

C. How to Fight Against SMA.

D. A disabled boy’s dream.

Afraid that her son would be too tired, Ms. Wendy would sometimes tell the boy to skip school, but each time, Fabian would insist on going to school.
“I don’t like it because when I return to school, I don’t know what’s going on,” the 12-year-old boy explained. He suffers for SMA-a neuromuscular（神经肌肉的）disease that leads to weakness in muscles-and gets around in a wheelchair.
Fabian’s determination to excel in his studies was evident when he was disappointed that he got a total score of 236 yesterday in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He was hoping for a score of at least 240, but his mother was full of pride. “I am happy with his results. He’s very motivated,” said Ms. Wendy.
When Fabian was two months old, he was diagnosed with SMA. Ms. Wendy, who used to go to other homes to teach piano lessons, started teaching lessons at home so she could take care of her son. Fabian proved to be a fighter. Ms. Wendy said, “ He would study every day on his own even though he was weak and his spine（脊柱）was already starting to curve quite badly.”
Fabian is also active in the Singapore Disability Sports Council, where he plays boccia（滚球）, a ball sport for those who require a wheelchair due to physical disability.
At just 133cm tall and weighing 14kg, he knows that he will have to rely on others all his life. “I’m afraid that when my parents grow older, they will not be able to carry me and that there will be nobody to carry me,” said Fabian. “But for now, I feel lucky that I get to go out and do a lot of things that I thought I couldn’t.”
His dreams aren’t lofty（崇高的）either-all he want to be able to do is work and provide for his parents. “I just want to study hard so that I can be a businessman, like my dad.” He is planning to apply to study at Victoria School.

1. 1.

   The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.
   

   1. A.
      going to school.              
   2. B.
      being absent from school
   3. C.
      studying hard.                  
   4. D.
      suffering from SM
2. 2.

   We can know from the text that Fabian ______.

   1. A.
      got the disease at the age of 12.
   2. B.
      was proud of his exam results.
   3. C.
      has no interest in any sports.
   4. D.
      wants to be a businessman like his father.
3. 3.

   What do we know about Ms. Wendy?

   1. A.
      She insists that her son go to school.
   2. B.
      She used to be a piano teacher in a school.
   3. C.
      She is satisfied with her son’s performance at school.
   4. D.
      She fears that her son will be helpless when she is older.
4. 4.

   Which words can best describe Fabian?

   1. A.
      Sensitive and weak.
   2. B.
      Active and optimistic.
   3. C.
      Clever and strong.
   4. D.
      Stressed and concerned.
5. 5.

   What is the best title for the text?
   

   1. A.
      He Is Disabled but He Is a Fighter.
   2. B.
      A Great Mother and Her Special Son.
   3. C.
      How to Fight Against SM

Last week, Carol Hill wrote to us about her sleep problem:

       I am a 16－year－old high school student and ever since I was 11, I have had difficulty falling asleep. When I go to bed at night, I lie awake for hours. I hate the sound of my alarm clock going off in the morning, almost always falling asleep again after I hear it.

    During school, I feel sleepy all the time, and sometimes I have to battle to stay awake.

Although I am generally a straight-A student and my teachers are happy with my work, my   inability to sleep is seriously affecting my studies.

    By the time I get home from school, I am so worn out that I fall asleep while I’m doing my

homework, which just exacerbates the problem. People are very sympathetic, and always telling me that “counting sheep is a good way to fall asleep.” But it is not helpful at all. If you don’t have this problem, you don’t know how annoying it can be.

And this is what the readers answered:

Hello Carol!

I am 18 years old and I suffered in pretty much the same way as you in High School. I couldn’t concentrate or pay attention because I was always tired. At first, doctors thought I had learning difficulties! Thankfully, I met a specialist in sleep disorders and he gave me a simple herbal remedy（草药）which helped me a great deal. After just 10 days, my sleeping patterns were back to normal and it continued even after I stopped taking the remedy. My advice is to find a doctor who knows about sleep problems. Good luck!

Larry

Hi Carol!

Your symptoms are the same as my daughter’s. When she was 11, she started walking up with a start time and time again during the night. She was always worn out and often had black circles under her eyes. Finally we went to a sleep research laboratory and a doctor discovered that she had a problem with her tonsils which was affecting her breathing and suggested a tonsillectomy（扁桃体切除术）. It worked! Now she falls asleep seconds after putting her head on her pillow. I strongly advise you to look into your problem at a sleep laboratory! Good luck!

Janine

1．What is the most likely place for the passage to be found?

      A．In a science magazine                          B．In a news report on sleep.

       C．In a health and fitness book.                 D．In an advice section in a newspaper.

2．What is Carol Hill’s problem?

       A．She can’t sleep all night or stay awake during the day.

       B．She sleeps badly and falls asleep in class every day.

       C．She can’t stay awake in class or when she’s studying.

       D．She can’t fall asleep easily at night and tries to stay awake in class.

3．The underlined word “exacerbates” in the third paragraph means “      ”.

       A．prevents              B．reduces               C．worsens              D．removes

4．What advice do the readers give Carol?

      A．She should count sheep.                       B．She should see a sleep specialist.

       C．She should have her tonsils out.         D．She should take some sleeping pills.