Like many people, I have no clear idea about heroes. At some point, we all wonder if we need a hero and what a hero really is.
Although there are a lot of differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics (特点) which give us courage and make us want to learn from them. 
A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a special story to tell and people think highly of it. But a hero is not just the person with great fame (声誉) .
A hero has powers (力量) larger than himself. Some people want to live like a hero, and they have to experience life with new and further meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom they serve. What do they want to live and die for? If the answer suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes.
A hero has a vision from the mountaintop. He has the power to move people. He creates new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of Britain. Without Martin Luther King, Jr., Americans might take different buses, eat in different restaurants, go for walks in different parks, and shop in different stores because of the different colors of their skin.
There might be changes in society without a hero, but the speed of change would be rather slow. Thanks to heroes in history, they make the society develop so rapidly.
【小题1】According to this passage, a hero is a person who always __________.

Like most cultures around the world, the Zulu people of Africa tell stories that have animals as heroes. These stories are meant to entertain, but they are also used to teach important lessons to children. This is one of those stories.
One hot afternoon, Jackal was walking along the rocky road sniffing (嗅) the ground. He was hoping to smell a mouse or a lizard (蜥蜴), or something else that would be good to eat. He was so much lost in sniffing that he wasn’t really paying attention to what was around himself.
Suddenly, Jackal looked up to see his neighbor, Lion, walking straight toward him. He did not have enough time to get away. Jackal had played many tricks (捉弄) on Lion over of something quickly.
“Help! Help!” cried Jackal as he quickly jumped upon a large rock hanging over the road. “The rocks are falling down, and I can’t hold them much longer. We shall both be crushed (压碎) if you do not do your best to hold these rocks back, Lion”
At once, Lion pushed his strong shoulder against the rocks to keep them from moving any further. “I’ll just run over here to get something to stop the rocks,” shouted Jackal as he ran away to safety. Lion stayed leaning against the unmoving rocks for quite a long time before he realized that Jackal had tricked him yet again!
【小题1】Why was Jackal sniffing the ground?

Like most cultures around the world, the Zulu people of Africa tell stories that have animals as heroes. These stories are meant to entertain, but they are also used to teach important lessons to children. This is one of those stories.

One hot afternoon, Jackal was walking along the rocky road sniffing (嗅) the ground. He was hoping to smell a mouse or a lizard (蜥蜴), or something else that would be good to eat. He was so much lost in sniffing that he wasn’t really paying attention to what was around himself.

Suddenly, Jackal looked up to see his neighbor, Lion, walking straight toward him. He did not have enough time to get away. Jackal had played many tricks (捉弄) on Lion over of something quickly.

“Help! Help!” cried Jackal as he quickly jumped upon a large rock hanging over the road. “The rocks are falling down, and I can’t hold them much longer. We shall both be crushed (压碎) if you do not do your best to hold these rocks back, Lion”

At once, Lion pushed his strong shoulder against the rocks to keep them from moving any further. “I’ll just run over here to get something to stop the rocks,” shouted Jackal as he ran away to safety. Lion stayed leaning against the unmoving rocks for quite a long time before he realized that Jackal had tricked him yet again!

1.Why was Jackal sniffing the ground?

   A. To play with Lion.                 B. To push upon a rock

   C. To run after a mouse               D. To look for something to eat.

2.What does the underlined word ‘leaning’ mean?

   A. supporting         B. sleeping    C. running       D. sitting

3.Why did Jackal cry for help?

   A. Because Lion was rushing to him.

   B. Because he was caught under a rock.

   C. Because he got an idea to get away from Lion.

   D. Because he saw a large rock moving toward him.

4.What lesson does the story teach us?

   A. Trust your friend, trust yourself.

   B. Work hard, and you’ll succeed.

   C. Help others when they are in trouble.

   D. Try to find a quick way out when in trouble.