Kyra Komac，28 years old，now has 25 furniture stores all over the country．The new store，in London’s Camden High Street，takes her back to where it all started．She tells us about how the business began．

    When I was little，my mother began selling flowers in Camden Market．She couldn’t leave me at home on my own，so I had to go to the market with her．

    To begin with，I didn’t have to do anything．I just sat there，and my mum told me jokes and stories so I didn’t get bored．When I got older，I gave my mum a hand and I really enjoyed it．

    Then，one year，my grandma gave me a book for Christmas．It was all about making candles and I loved it．I was 14．and I didn’t have to go to the market any more because mum could leave me at home on my own．I spent my free time making candles of all shapes and sizes．I made hundreds of them．

    One day，my mother was ill so I had to go to the market on my own．I decided to take some candles with me and see if I could sell them．They were sold out in twenty minutes !The next week，my mum gave me some money to buy some wax （蜡） to make more candles．They sold out really quickly，too．

    Nine months later，we decided to stop selling flowers．My mum and I couldn’t make enough candles during the week，so some of my school friends started to help us．I paid them one pound for every candle，and we used to sell them for three or four times that．It was fun and my friends worked with me in the market．

    At the age of 22，my uncle lent me some money and I opened my first shop in Portobello Road．Since then，I’ve never looked back，even in difficulties．In the first store，we only sold candles，but now we sell everything from designer furniture to paintings．Oh，and candles，of course．

1．How many furniture stores does Kyra Komac have now?

2．Where did Kyra’s mother sell flowers?

3．What did Kyra do in her free time when she was fourteen?

4．Did the candles sell well on the first day in the market?

5．Who helped Kyra and her mum when they couldn’t make enough candles during the week?

6．How did Kyra’s uncle help her to open her first shop?

 He helped her ________________________________

7．What do you think of this story? 

    I think ______________________________

阅读理解

　　Laws(法律)for children are good things. One hundred years ago in some countries, children worked eighteen hours a day in a factory at age seven. The factory owner could beat a child who fell asleep or was not fast enough. Both parents and teachers could do the same.

　　Today, there are many laws about children all over the world. Some people think if children do something wrong, they should be punished(惩罚). Other people do not agree. The Inuits or Eskimos in Alaska almost never punish their children. The parents do not beat them. If the children go too far, their parents will punish their children by making fun of(取笑)them.

　　Children in other parts of the world are not as lucky as Eskimo children. American parents can beat their children at home, but a teacher can’t beat a child in school. This is also true in Germany. Instead, in Sweden it is against the law for anyone to beat a child. Swedish parents can’t beat their children. The children also have a government official(政府官员)who works for their rights(权力). There is even a plan(计划)for children to leave their parents, though this is not a law yet!

1．Which is the best title(题目)for the passage(段落)?

[　　]

A．Children In Different Countries

B．Children In Different Times

C．Laws About Children

D．Laws In Different Countries

2．Where and when did children work eighteen hours a day?

[　　]

A．In factories all over the world now.

B．In some countries a hundred years ago.

C．On farms in America hundreds of years ago.

D．At the age of seven in Germany today.

3．“If the children go too far”means ________.

[　　]

A．if the children make so many mistakes

B．if the children are far away from home

C．if the children do something against the law

D．if the children walk farther than others

4．From the passage, We know parents can beat their children ________.

[　　]

A．all over the world

B．in Eskimo families in Alaska

C．in Sweden

D．in Germany

Three men came to London 　1　 a holiday. They came to a large hotel and took a room there. 2　 room was 　3　 the fifteeth floor.

　　In the evening the three men went to a cinema and came 　4　 very late.

　　“I’m sorry,” said the assistant of the hotel, “Our lifts (电梯) are not 　5　 tonight. If you 6　 want to walk up to your room. We shall make up a bed for you 　7　 the hall.”

　　“No, no,” Tom, one of the three 　8　 , said, “No, thank you We do not want to sleep in the hall. We shall walk up to our room.”

　　Then he turned to his 　9　 friends and said, “It is not easy to walk up to the fiftieth floor, but I know how to make it 　10　 . On our 　11　 to the room. I shall tell you some jokes (笑话), then you, Andy, sing us some songs, then you, Peter, 　12　 us some interesting 　13　 .”

　　“All right, that’s a good idea.” the friends both agreed.

They began to walk up to their room Tom told many jokes. Andy 　14　 some songs. 　15　 they came to the thirty eighth floor. They were tired and wanted to have a rest.　　

“Well,” said Tom. “Now it’s 　16　 turn, Peter. After all those jokes we 　17　 and songs we listened to. Tell us a long and interesting story with a sad ending.”

　　“All right,” said Peter, “I shall tell you a story. It is not long, 　18　 it is 　19　 sad: We 　20　 the key to our room in the hall.”