Dear Abby,

I'm a helpless mother. My son Tom is 15 years old. I find that the older he grows, the less we talk. I feel very sad and I really need help.

My first problem is about his hobbies. He spends almost all his spare time on computer games. When he gets home, he always turns on the computer and closes the door. I'm getting worried about him, especially when his English teacher tells me he always gets low marks in the English exams.

Second, he likes new technology, but I don't have enough money and I can't afford all the things he wants.

Recently, I've found that he is always alone. I've never seen him talking to his friends on the phone or going out with anyone on weekends. That is the last problem I have.

What should I do to help him? Please give me some advice.

A helpless mother

1.The helpless mother has         problems.

2.Tom           for almost all his spare time at home.

3.From the passage we know that Tom's mother           .

4.The helpless mother asks Abby to             

5.Which of the following is TRUE about Tom？

An armless pianist who plays with his toes has won the first series of China’s version of the internationally popular TV talent show, “China’s Got Talent.”

Liu Wei, a 23-year-old Beijing-born pianist, who lost both his arms at the aged of 10 when he was electrocuted（触电）during a game of hide-and-seek. Liu Wei stayed in rehabilitation（康复）centre for 2 years. When he got out, he was introduced to Beijing’s disabled swimming team, and he managed to take 2 gold medals in the National Disabled Swimming Championship at the aged of 14. But soon he was told not to do too much sport by the doctor.

Liu Wei was very sad. Luckily, the door was shut on sports, but it opened in music. At the age of 18, he started to learn the piano. He could not find a teacher to lead him to play with his toes, so he began teaching himself. Liu said, “I knew if I tried, I might get a chance at success. If I didn’t try, I would lose my future.”

He carried on a daily 7-hour practice, his improvement gave him hope. He kept practicing and made progress gradually. In early 2011, he gave a memorable performance in Vienna’s Golden Concert Hall. In 2012, he received the award “Top Ten People Who Moved China”.

1.Liu Wei lost both his arms when he was______ years old.

    A. 10                       B. 14                       C. 23

2.Besides playing the piano, Liu Wei is also good at _______.

    A. playing games

B. learning from others

C. armless swimming

3.Liu Wei was taught by ________ to play the piano with toes.

    A. his teacher                  B. his mother                   C. himself

4.The sentence “The door was shut on sports, but it opened in music” means that Liu Wei ______.

    A. lost the future of music

B. got other chances at success

C. couldn’t do sports

5.The best title of this passage is “_________”

    A. One is never too old to learn

    B. Time and tide wait for no man

    C. Where there’s a will, there’s a way

I am a Chinese boy. My name is Li Lei. I am twelve. My sister’s name is Li Mei. She’s Fourteen. Li Mei and I are students. We like school.   My mother is a teacher. She is a teacher of English. My father is a policeman. My young brother’s name is Li Hong. He is only four. We all like him.

1. Li Lei is _________.

        A. Japanese     B. English      C. American     D. Chinese

2.Li Lei’s sister is__________.

        A. four               B. twelve           C. fourteen     D. eleven

3.Li Lei’s mother and father are__________.

        A. student and teacher              B. policeman and student

        C. all teacher                      D. teacher and policeman

4._________like school.

        A. Li Mei and Li lei                B. Li Hong and his mother

        C. Li Lei and his father                D. Li Mei and his mother

5.How many brothers does Li Lei have?

A. Three.           B. Two.         C. One.         D. Four.

When I was ten, my mother worked all day so I had to take care of my younger brother. At that time my little brother was about four years old and he missed mum all the time.

One day, after I had given him his dinner, he started crying for mum. He was so young and really needed mum. So I dressed him, put on his shoes, carried him on my back and walked out. Soon he fell asleep. About half an hour later, I found that he had lost a shoe while sleeping. I took him off my back and put him down. I knew we needed to find that shoe, for our mother couldn’t afford new shoes. We had to go back to find it, so I told my brother to wait right there. A man heard it and stopped me just before I walked off. He asked me, “You are leaving your brother here to find the shoe? What would you do if he is not here when you return?” I did not know how to answer that question. He continued, “It’s OK if you can’t find the shoe, but it is not OK to lose your brother.” Then he sent us to mum’s workplace by taxi.

My whole life I have depended on (依靠) the kindness of many strangers, I feel regretful that I cannot find them and say thank you. I do not even remember what the man’s face looked like, but he taught me a lesson—people are more important than things.

1.Why did the younger brother cry for his mother?

A．Because he was hungry.                  B．Because he missed his mother.

C．Because he wanted to sleep.               D．Because he wanted to play outside.

2.What does the underlined word “regretful” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Sorry             B．Happy            C．Excited           D．Angry

3.What did the man mean by saying “It’s OK if you can’t find the shoe, but it is not OK to lose your brother.”?

A．People are more important than things.

B．Things are more important than people.

C．Both the shoe and your brother are important.

D．The shoe is more important than your brother.

4.According to the passage, which word can best describe the man?

A．Rude.            B．Funny.            C．Silly.              D．Kind.