It was Mr. Hill’s birthday that day. He was one hundred years old and many people came to1.  ( he ) birthday party. A reporter (记者) came to the party and asked him a few questions.“Many people want 2.   ( know )to know how you live so long,”the reporter said,“Could you tell us3.  it ?”“That is, I always get up at six in the morning,”said Hill.“And have three 4.  ( meal ) a day. Never drink.” “But,”said the reporter,“my uncle also did so, and he only lived to be eighty. 5.   do you think of that ?”“He didn’t keep it long enough,”the old man answered.

I heard the bees long before I saw them.

It was a very hot afternoon, and we decided to cool off in the river near my home. As we climbed down a small rocky hill toward the water, my boyfriend John suddenly started to shout then jumped into the water below. Peter and Mary quickly followed but I was too far away to jump. I was trapped.

I heard a low hum(嗡嗡声)，which was growing louder. From a distance, the group of bees looked almost like a cloud of smoke. As it got closer, I realized it was actually thousands of bees flying towards me.

All I could do was cover my face with hands. Crazily, I thought that if I sat very still, the bees would think I was just another rock.

After a few minutes, I knew my plan hadn’t worked. The bees were attacking me. I could hear my friends shouting at me to get down to the pool fast.

But it wasn’t so easy. I was in great pain and the only way I could get away was to use my hands to climb down the rocks. However, I was afraid to do that at first because my face would be unprotected. The noise the bees made was so loud and frightening, but I had no choice.

I rushed down the rocks and jumped into the pool, but I don’t remember doing it. I was just so happy to be free from the pain. I was safe, and the water felt wonderful.

But we still weren’t out of danger. Every time we tried to climb out of the pool, the bees flew back over our heads. We spent the next three hours in the water, putting our heads under the water from time to time to avoid the bees until they finally lost interest.

1. How many people went swimming that day?

2.The underlined word “it” (in Paragraph 3) refers to        .

3. At first why didn’t the writer want to climb down the rocks?

4. How did the writer escape the bees?

5.In what order are the following mentioned in the story?

a. The writer rushed down the rocks.

b. John jumped into the water.

c. The low hum grew louder.

d. The bees flew back over their heads.

e. The bees were attacking the writer.

0ur village carpenter(木匠)，John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife.  He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two window.  When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill( 账单) for his job.
My wife said to me quietly, “That’s his ninth cup of tea today. ”But she said in a loud voice, “It’s a beautiful table, dear, isn’t it?” “I’ll decide about that when I see the bill,” I said.  John laughed and gave me his bill for the work.  I read:
One dining table                 10^th November, 2011
Cost of wood                    $ 17:00
Paint                           $1. 50
Work, 8 hours($1 an hour)          $8. 00
Total                           $36. 50
When I was looking at the bill, John said,” It’s been a fine day, hasn’t it? Quite sunny. ”
“Yes,” I said.  “I’m glad it’s only the 10^th of November. ”
“Me, too,” said John, “you wait—it will be a lot colder by the end of the month. ”
“Yes, colder—and more expensive! Dining table will be $20 more expensive on November 30^th, won’t they, John?”
John looked hard at me for half a minute.  Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.
“If it’s not too much trouble, John,” I said,“Please add(加) it up again, You can forget the date-------”
I paid him $26. 50 and he was happy to get it.
【小题1】Why did John talk about the weather when the writer was looking at the bill?

I heard the bees long before I saw them.

It was a very hot afternoon,and we decided to cool off in the river near my home.As we climbed down a small rocky hill toward the water, my boyfriend John suddenly started to shout,then jumped into the water below. Peter and Mary quickly followed but I was too far away to jump. I was strapped.

I heard a low hum (嗡嗡声), which was growing louder .From a distance,the group of bees looked almost like a cloud of smoke.As it got closer,I realized it was actually thousands of bees flying towards me.

All I could do was cover my face with hands.Crazily I thought that if I sat very still( 安静的 ),the bees would think I was just another rock.

After a few seconds,I knew my plan hadn’t worked.The bees were attacking me. I could hear my friends shouting at me to get down to the pool fast.

But it wasn’t easy.I was in great pain and the only way I could get away was to use my hands to climb down to the rocks.However, I was afraid to do that at first because my face would be unprotected.The noise the bees made was so loud and frightening ,but I had no choice.

I rushed down the rocks and jumped into the pool,but I don’t remember doing it.I was just so happy to be free from the pain. I was safe,and the water felt wonderful.

But we still weren’t out of danger. Every time we tried to climb out of the pool,the bees flew back over our heads.We spent the next three hours in the water, putting our heads under the water from time to time to avoid the bees until they finally lost interest.

1.How many people went swimming that day?

2.The word “it”(in paragraph 3) refers to ______.

　　　A. a rock     B. a hill      C the river     D.the group of bees

3.At first why didn’t the writer want to climb down the rocks?

4.How did the writer escape the bees?

5.In what order are the following mentioned in the story?

a.The writer rushed down the rocks     b,.John jumped into the water.

c.The low hum grew louder.           d.,The bees flew back over their heads

e.The bees were attacking the writer.

During his college years, Sherman Rogers spent a summer in logging(伐木) camp. When the boss had to leave for   41  days, he put Rogers in charge(掌管).
“What shall I do if the men   42  to follow my orders?” Rogers asked. He thought of Tony, a worker who complained all day, gave the other men a   43  time.
“Fire（解雇） them,” the boss said. Then, as if reading Rogers’ mind, he added, “I suppose you are going to fire Tony if you get the   44 . I’d feel badly about that. I have been logging for 40 years. Tony is one of the best workers I’ve ever had. I know he hates everybody and   45 . But he comes in first and leaves last. There has not been an   46  for eight years on the hill where he works.”
The next day, Rogers went to Tony, “Tony, do you know I’m in charge here today?” Tony said yes. “I was going to fire you the first time we quarreled,   47  I want you to know I’m not,” he told Tony, adding   48  the boss had said.
When he finished, Tony dropped the things in his hand and tears went down his   49 .
“Why didn’t he tell me that eight years   50  ?”
That day Tony worked   51  than ever before – and he smiled!
Rogers went back to   52  after that summer. Twelve years later he met Tony again who was now boss for one of the largest logging companies in the West. Rogers asked him how he came to California and happened to be so   53 .
Tony replied, “Were it not for the one minute you talk to me back that day, I would kill somebody some day. One minute   54  my whole life.”
Have you got one minute to thank someone? One minute to appreciate(欣赏) her or him? One minute. It can make a   55  for a lifetime.