Bobby was sitting out in his back yard in the snow. There were a few holes in his shoes. He thought hard, but he could not come up with an idea for his mother’s Christmas gift.
Ever since his father had died three years ago, his mother worked nights at the hospital, but the small money she made could hardly be enough for their needs.
Although the family lacked in money and material things, they got more love in the family. The children ran the family when their mother was absent. All three of Bobby’s sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.
It was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Bobby started to walk down to the street. He walked from shop to shop. Everything seemed so beautiful and so far away. It was getting dark. Suddenly he found a shiny dime (一角硬币) on the ground. Never has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby did at the moment. It was enough to buy a rose with one dime.
He went inside a flower shop. When the owner asked if he could help him, Bobby took out the dime and asked if he could buy one flower. The shop owner looked at Bobby, then said, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”
The shop owner returned holding a dozen of red roses in his hand. Bobby’s heart sank (下沉) as the owner put them gently into a long white box. “That will be a dime, young man,” said the shop owner, reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime.
Then the shopkeeper’s wife appeared. “Where are the red roses?”
The shop owner said, “A strange thing happened to me this morning. I thought I heard a voice telling me to leave a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was.”
【小题1】The underlined phrase “lacked in” means _____.

Bobby was sitting out in his back yard in the snow. There were a few holes in his shoes. He thought hard, but he could not come up with an idea for his mother’s Christmas gift.

Ever since his father had died three years ago, his mother worked nights at the hospital, but the small money she made could hardly be enough for their needs.

Although the family lacked in money and material things, they got more love in the family. The children ran the family when their mother was absent. All three of Bobby’s sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.

It was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Bobby started to walk down to the street. He walked from shop to shop. Everything seemed so beautiful and so far away. It was getting dark. Suddenly he found a shiny dime (一角硬币) on the ground. Never has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby did at the moment. It was enough to buy a rose with one dime.

He went inside a flower shop. When the owner asked if he could help him, Bobby took out the dime and asked if he could buy one flower. The shop owner looked at Bobby, then said, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

The shop owner returned holding a dozen of red roses in his hand. Bobby’s heart sank (下沉) as the owner put them gently into a long white box. “That will be a dime, young man,” said the shop owner, reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime.

Then the shopkeeper’s wife appeared. “Where are the red roses?”

The shop owner said, “A strange thing happened to me this morning. I thought I heard a voice telling me to leave a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was.”

1.The underlined phrase “lacked in” means _____.

     A. had less            B. gave up      C. had more     D. looked down upon

2.Bobby slowly gave the dime to the shop owner because _____.

    A. he wanted to buy other things

    B. he needed to give the dime to his mum

    C. the roses were too expensive

        D. he could hardly believe what had happened

3.From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the shop owner _____.

    A. was moved by the boy’s voice

    B. was ready to help others

    C. knew the boy before

   D. was good at telling stories

Alicia was a young woman who liked to exercise for her health. In fact, she walked five kilometers before    26   every morning, and went swimming once a week at the swimming pool. She didn’t smoke and never    27   . She didn’t eat chocolate. She didn’t eat sweet and

fatty food,    28   . She weighted herself every day.

One day Alicia was on her daily walk when she saw a    29    sitting in a rocking chair under a tree. He looked very old and his hair was white. He looked thin and weak, and his hands were shaking,   30    he looked very happy.

He smiled at her and said, “Good morning! Lovely day, isn’t it?”

He had a wide smile    31    his face, and his eyes shone with happiness. But Alicia saw that he did not have teeth.

“Good morning!” replied Alicia. “Yes, it is a lovely day.”

Alicia thought he    32   very old and wise. She thought he must be at least 90 years old! She decided to ask him about the    33    of a happy old age.”

“I hope you don’t    34    me asking,” she said, “but what is your secret for being so happy at your age? I hope I can look as happy as you do    35    I am your age.”

The man in the rocking chair said, “My secret for   36   ? I smoke twenty packets of cigarettes every week, and drink three bottles of wine every day. I eat hamburgers and chocolates whenever I want. I never eat vegetables. I never walk anywhere and I never play sports. I sit at home every day.”

Alicia was    37   . She didn’t expect the man to give her an answer like that. She wondered how the man got to be so old when he did    38    wrong. She thought he should be    39    and unhappy. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe, she thought, people could live a long happy life    40    eating well or doing lots of exercise.

“How old are you?” she asked.

“It’s my birthday today,” said the man. “I’m forty-seven!”

1. A. lunch         B. breakfast    C. dinner           D. supper

2. A. exercised         B. drank        C. worked           D. slept

3. A. too               B. also         C. either           D. still

4. A. man               B. woman        C. boy          D. girl

5. A. so            B. but              C. and          D. or

6. A. in            B. with         C. at               D. on

7. A. saw               B. looked           C. listened         D. found

8. A. secret        B. dream        C. plan         D. future

9. A. stand         B. mind         C. allow        D. enjoy

10. A. when         B. since        C. though           D. for

11. A. health           B. success          C. happiness   D. life

12. A. surprised        B. worried          C. excited          D. relaxed

13. A. something        B. anything     C. everything       D. nothing

14.A. angry             B. serious     C. quiet        D. sick

15. A. through          B. from         C. without          D. by

Alicia was a young woman who liked to exercise for her health. In fact, she walked five kilometers before    26   every morning, and went swimming once a week at the swimming pool. She didn’t smoke and never    27   . She didn’t eat chocolate. She didn’t eat sweet and

fatty food,    28   . She weighted herself every day.

One day Alicia was on her daily walk when she saw a    29    sitting in a rocking chair under a tree. He looked very old and his hair was white. He looked thin and weak, and his hands were shaking,   30    he looked very happy.

He smiled at her and said, “Good morning! Lovely day, isn’t it?”

He had a wide smile    31    his face, and his eyes shone with happiness. But Alicia saw that he did not have teeth.

“Good morning!” replied Alicia. “Yes, it is a lovely day.”

Alicia thought he    32   very old and wise. She thought he must be at least 90 years old! She decided to ask him about the    33    of a happy old age.”

“I hope you don’t    34    me asking,” she said, “but what is your secret for being so happy at your age? I hope I can look as happy as you do    35    I am your age.”

The man in the rocking chair said, “My secret for   36   ? I smoke twenty packets of cigarettes every week, and drink three bottles of wine every day. I eat hamburgers and chocolates whenever I want. I never eat vegetables. I never walk anywhere and I never play sports. I sit at home every day.”

Alicia was    37   . She didn’t expect the man to give her an answer like that. She wondered how the man got to be so old when he did    38    wrong. She thought he should be    39    and unhappy. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe, she thought, people could live a long happy life    40    eating well or doing lots of exercise.

“How old are you?” she asked.

“It’s my birthday today,” said the man. “I’m forty-seven!”

1. A. lunch         B. breakfast    C. dinner           D. supper

2. A. exercised         B. drank        C. worked           D. slept

3. A. too               B. also         C. either           D. still

4. A. man               B. woman        C. boy          D. girl

5. A. so            B. but              C. and          D. or

6. A. in            B. with         C. at               D. on

7. A. saw               B. looked           C. listened         D. found

8. A. secret        B. dream        C. plan         D. future

9. A. stand         B. mind         C. allow        D. enjoy

10. A. when         B. since        C. though           D. for

11. A. health           B. success          C. happiness   D. life

12. A. surprised        B. worried          C. excited          D. relaxed

13. A. something        B. anything     C. everything       D. nothing

14.A. angry             B. serious     C. quiet        D. sick

15. A. through          B. from         C. without          D. by