通读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后在各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出一个最佳选项。

One afternoon, my son Adam asked me, “Are all people the same even if they are different in color?” 　 　I thought for a while, and then I said, “I’ll explain, 　31 you can just wait until we make a quick stop at the grocery store. I have something interesting to show you.”

　 　At the grocery store, we 32 some apples—red, green and yellow ones. Back home, I told Adam, “It’s time to 　33 your question.” I put one apple of each type on the table. Then I looked at Adam, who had a 　34 look on his face.

“People are like apples. They come in all 　35 colors, shapes and sizes. On the 　36 , some of the apples may not 　37 look as delicious as the others.” As I was talking, Adam was 　38 each one carefully. 　 Then, I took each of the apples and peeled them, 　39 them back on the table, but 　40 a different place.

　 “Okay, Adam, tell me which is which.”

　 He said, “I 　41 tell. They all look the same now.” “Take a bite of 　42 . See if that helps you decide which one is which.”

　 He took big bites, and then a huge smile came across his face. “People are 　43　 like apples! They are all different, but once you 　44 the outside, they’re pretty much the same on the inside.”

　　 He totally 　45 it. I didn’t need to say or do anything else.

31. A. although　　 　　 B. so　　　 　　　　　　 　 C. because　 　　　　 D. if

32. A. bought　　　 　　 B. ate　 　　　　　　　 　 C. saw　　　 　　 D. found

33. A. check 　　　　　　　　　 B. tell　　 　　　　　　　　　　 　 C. answer　 　　　　　 D. improve

34. A. worried　　 　　 B. satisfied　 　　　　 　 C. proud　 　　　　　　 D. curious

35. A. usual　　 　　　　　 B. normal　 　　　　 　 C. different 　　　　　 D. same

36. A. outside　　 　　　　　　 B. whole　　 　　　　 　 C. table　　 　　　　　　 D. inside

37. A. still　　　　 　　　　 B. even　　 　　　　　 　 C. only　　 　　　　　　 D. ever

38. A. examining　 　　 B. listening 　　　　 　 C. drawing 　　　　　 D. picking

39. A. keeping　　 　　 B. placing　 　　　　 　 C. pulling　 　　　　　　 D. giving

40. A. on　　　　 　　　　 B. towards　　 　　　　　　 　 C. for　　 　　　 　　D. in

41. A. mustn’t　　 　　 B. can’t　　　 　　　　 　 C. shouldn’t 　 　 D. needn’t

42. A. each one　　 　　 B. each other　 　　 　 C. the other 　　　　　 D. one other

43. A. just　　　　 　　　　 B. always　　　 　　　　　　 　 C. only　　　　　　　　　 D. never

44. A. put away　 　　 B. get down　　 　 　 C. hand out　 　　　　 D. take off

45. A. made　　　 　　　　 B. took　　　　 　　　　　　 　 C. got　　 　　　　　　　 　 D. did

Dear Frank,

New Year is coming. I’ll have a big 　 31　 in my house. It’s on Saturday afternoon. I really 　 32　 you can come, but I’m sorry I can’t go to 　 33　 you. Here is a 　 34　 and it can help you 　 35　 my house.

Look at the map. 　 36　 you go out of the Train Station, 　 37　 down Sun Street for about 5 minutes. You can see Hilton Hotel. The No.11 　 38　 station is in front of it. Take the bus and get off at the third stop. Then you’re on Bright Street. Go 　 39　 the street and you’ll see a supermarket on your left. My 　 40　 is behind it.

I hope everything goes on well.

Cindy

31. A. exam　　　　 B. party　　　　 C. apple　　　　 D. cake

32. A. hope　　　　 B. need　　　　 C. like　　　　　 D. know

33. A. see　　　　　 B. hear　　　　 C. tell　　　　　 D. meet

34. A. map　　　　　 B. book　　　　 C. TV show　　　　 D. car

35. A. look　　　　 B. find　　　　 C. learn　　　　　 D. clean

36. A. In front of　 B. Behind　　　 C. After　　　　　 D. Before

37. A. put　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. take C. sit D. walk

38. A. street　　　 B. bus　　　　　 C. TV　　　　　　 D. police

39. A. with　　　　 B. on　　　　　 C. along　　　　 D. to

40. A. mother　　　 B. photo　　　　 　C. bike　　　　 D. house

　　“The Big Apple”stands for New York City.

　　The phrase was first used in a 1909 book called“The Wayfarer in New York”It was used to show how rich New York is.

　　They said each city in America was an apple on a tree. But New York city, where most fans of their music lived, was“the big apple”. It was there they got the most pay.

　　In the 1970s, the city wanted to make itself more popular with tourists. It started to use an apple as its symbol.（象征）

　　Apples are also hot in the computer world. Apple Computer, a big company in America, uses a picture of an apple with a bite taken out of it as its logo. Some say that the bite（一口）means“learning knowledge”. Also,“bite”sounds similar to“byte（字节）,”a unit（单位）in computer science.

A．The apple can be used for city names.

B．“The Wayfarer in New York”came out in 1909.

C．New York people like eating big apples.

A．The use of“Big Apple”as another name for New York.

B．The Wayfarer in New York.

C．Jazz musicians.

(5) The word“hot”in the last paragraph（段落）means ________.