Edward Sims was born in 1892. He was the fifth child and only son of Herbert and Dora Sims. Herbert was a blacksmith(铁匠), and had a thriving trade making horseshoes. He was determined that his first-born son would follow him into the blacksmith. For this reason, Edward had to leave school at the age of 12,and worked with his father.
However, Edward was not cut out to be a blacksmith. Although he has an athletic body, he didn't have strong arms like his father, and he felt dizzy in the heat of the smithy.  When he tried to find alternative employment, he found it difficult because he had never learnt to read or write.
One day, he went for an interview at a solictior’s office. The job was a runner, taking documents from the office to other offices in the city. The solicitor was pleased to see that Edward was physically fit, but when he discovered that the young man couldn't read or write, he decided against employing him. "How can you deliver documents to other offices," he asked, "if you can't read the addresses on them?"
Bitterly disappointed, Edward left the building and went to wait for a tram to take him back to the suburb where his father’s smithy was. Next to the bus stop, a man was selling newspapers from a stand .
"Excuse me, son?" he said. "Would you look after my stand for a moment?"
For the next 20 minutes, Edward sold newspapers, lots of them. When the man came back, he was so delighted with his new assistant's honesty, that he offered him a job. Edward took it immediately.
In the next few months, the two men progressed from working on newspaper stands to selling newspapers, tobacco,confectionery（糖果点心）and other goods in a shop. Then they opened a second shop, and a third. Eventually, they had a chain of 25 shops in three cities.
Edward became very rich, so he employed a tutor to teach him to read and write. The tutor  was amazed at what Edward had achieved. "Imagine what you could do if you’d been able to read and write when you were younger!" he said.
“Yes!” said Edward. “I could have run myself to exhaustion delivering documents for a solicitor!”
【小题1】What would be the best title for the text?

Edward Sims was born in 1892. He was the fifth child and only son of Herbert and Dora Sims. Herbert was a blacksmith(铁匠), and had a thriving trade making horseshoes. He was determined that his first-born son would follow him into the blacksmith. For this reason, Edward had to leave school at the age of 12,and worked with his father.

However, Edward was not cut out to be a blacksmith. Although he has an athletic body, he didn't have strong arms like his father, and he felt dizzy in the heat of the smithy.  When he tried to find alternative employment, he found it difficult because he had never learnt to read or write.

One day, he went for an interview at a solictior’s office. The job was a runner, taking documents from the office to other offices in the city. The solicitor was pleased to see that Edward was physically fit, but when he discovered that the young man couldn't read or write, he decided against employing him. "How can you deliver documents to other offices," he asked, "if you can't read the addresses on them?"

Bitterly disappointed, Edward left the building and went to wait for a tram to take him back to the suburb where his father’s smithy was. Next to the bus stop, a man was selling newspapers from a stand .

"Excuse me, son?" he said. "Would you look after my stand for a moment?"

For the next 20 minutes, Edward sold newspapers, lots of them. When the man came back, he was so delighted with his new assistant's honesty, that he offered him a job. Edward took it immediately.

In the next few months, the two men progressed from working on newspaper stands to selling newspapers, tobacco,confectionery（糖果点心）and other goods in a shop. Then they opened a second shop, and a third. Eventually, they had a chain of 25 shops in three cities.

Edward became very rich, so he employed a tutor to teach him to read and write. The tutor  was amazed at what Edward had achieved. "Imagine what you could do if you’d been able to read and write when you were younger!" he said.

“Yes!” said Edward. “I could have run myself to exhaustion delivering documents for a solicitor!”

1.What would be the best title for the text?

A．Success of illiterate newsboy

B．Local blacksmith becomes famous

C．The thriving trade of the blacksmith

D．Reading and writing-the road to success

2.What can you infer from the underlined expression “not cut out to be” in the second paragraph?

A．Edward Sims did not like being a blacksmith.

B．Edward Sims did not like working with his father.

C．Edward Sims was not strong enough and it made him feel ill.

D．Edward Sims was good at it but wanted to do another job.

3.When Edward applied for the job as a runner for a solicitor,        .

A．the solicitor turned him down because he wasn’t intelligent enough

B．the solicitor offered him the job because he was so fit

C．the solicitor gave him the job but told him he had to learn to read

D．the solicitor didn’t offer him the job because he couldn’t read

4.Which of the following is NOT ture about Edward Sims?

A．He was such a good salesman that he went on to own 25 newsagent shops with another man.

B．The newspaperman liked him so much he gave him a job.

C．He ran himself into exhaustion delivering papers.

D．He learnt to read and write.

Ruben lived in a small village. There was no school there and he had to study in a school in the town. It was nearly five kilometres away from his village. His father couldn't buy a bike for him and he had to go to school on foot. He got up early in the morning. Usually he had to run there in order not to miss the first class. He kept running every day and it was helpful to him. He's strong and tall now and he ran faster than any other man in his village. He took part in several sports meetings and won some medals. The young man is proud of（以……自豪）it and always wants to have a race with others.

One day his mother was ill and his father told him to buy some medicine for headache in the town. The young man got there soon. There were many people in the chemist's shop while he was waiting there. And when his turn came, he could't find his money. An old woman hinted（暗示）a young man had stolen it. He saw the thief had already left the shop. He ran towards him quickly. The thief found it and began to run. He was happy and tried to catch up with him.

“Let's have a race and see who will run faster, ”Ruben called out behind.

Soon after that he caught up with the thief. But he didn't stop and went on running. At a crossing one of his friends asked, “What are you running for, Ruben? ”

“I'm running after（追）a thief. ”

“Where's the thief, then? ”

“He wants to show that he'll run faster than me, but he's fallen behind!”

Ruben had to run to school because ____.    [    ]

A. he had no bike

B. he hoped to win some medals

C. his village was a little far from the school

D. he was afraid to be late for class

____ , so he won some medals.     [    ]

A. Ruben is good at running

B. Ruben went to school on time

C. Ruben often took part in the sports meetings.

D. Ruben likes to have a race with others

The phrase “a chemist's shop”in the story means ____.  [    ]

A. 化工商店  B. 药店  C. 化工厂    D. 制药厂

Ruben's money was stolen ____.   [    ]

A. on his way to the town

B. before he went in the shop

C. when he was waiting in the shop

D. after he had left the shop

Ruben was happy because ____.   [    ]

A. he could easily catch the thief

B. he had a chance（机会）to have a race

C. he knew who had stolen his money

D. he would win another medal that day

Ruben lived in a small village. There was no school there and he had to study in a school in the town. It was nearly five kilometres away from his village. His father couldn't buy a bike for him and he had to go to school on foot. He got up early in the morning. Usually he had to run there in order not to miss the first class. He kept running every day and it was helpful to him. He's strong and tall now and he ran faster than any other man in his village. He took part in several sports meetings and won some medals. The young man is proud of（以……自豪）it and always wants to have a race with others.

One day his mother was ill and his father told him to buy some medicine for headache in the town. The young man got there soon. There were many people in the chemist's shop while he was waiting there. And when his turn came, he could't find his money. An old woman hinted（暗示）a young man had stolen it. He saw the thief had already left the shop. He ran towards him quickly. The thief found it and began to run. He was happy and tried to catch up with him.

“Let's have a race and see who will run faster, ”Ruben called out behind.

Soon after that he caught up with the thief. But he didn't stop and went on running. At a crossing one of his friends asked, “What are you running for, Ruben? ”

“I'm running after（追）a thief. ”

“Where's the thief, then? ”

“He wants to show that he'll run faster than me, but he's fallen behind!”

59. Ruben had to run to school because ____.   

A. he had no bike                            B. he hoped to win some medals

C. his village was a little far from the school       D. he was afraid to be late for class

60. ____ , so he won some medals.    

A. Ruben is good at running                   B. Ruben went to school on time

C. Ruben often took part in the sports meetings.   D. Ruben likes to have a race with others

61. The phrase “a chemist's shop”in the story means ____.   

A. 化工商店   B. 药店   C. 化工厂   D. 制药厂

62. Ruben's money was stolen ____.  

A. on his way to the town              B. before he went in the shop

C. when he was waiting in the shop      D. after he had left the shop

63. Ruben was happy because ____.    

A. he could easily catch the thief          B. he had a chance（机会）to have a race

C. he knew who had stolen his money      D. he would win another medal that day

Ruben lived in a small village. There was no school there and he had to study in a school in the town. It was nearly five kilometres away from his village. His father couldn't buy a bike for him and he had to go to school on foot. He got up early in the morning. Usually he had to run there in order not to miss the first class. He kept running every day and it was helpful to him. He's strong and tall now and he ran faster than any other man in his village. He took part in several sports meetings and won some medals. The young man is proud of（以……自豪）it and always wants to have a race with others.
One day his mother was ill and his father told him to buy some medicine for headache in the town. The young man got there soon. There were many people in the chemist's shop while he was waiting there. And when his turn came, he could't find his money. An old woman hinted（暗示）a young man had stolen it. He saw the thief had already left the shop. He ran towards him quickly. The thief found it and began to run. He was happy and tried to catch up with him.
“Let's have a race and see who will run faster, ”Ruben called out behind.
Soon after that he caught up with the thief. But he didn't stop and went on running. At a crossing one of his friends asked, “What are you running for, Ruben? ”
“I'm running after（追）a thief. ”
“Where's the thief, then? ”
“He wants to show that he'll run faster than me, but he's fallen behind!”

1. 1.

   Ruben had to run to school because ____.

   1. A.
      he had no bike
   2. B.
      he hoped to win some medals
   3. C.
      his village was a little far from the school
   4. D.
      he was afraid to be late for class
2. 2.

   ____ , so he won some medals. 

   1. A.
      Ruben is good at running
   2. B.
      Ruben went to school on time
   3. C.
      Ruben often took part in the sports meetings.
   4. D.
      Ruben likes to have a race with others
3. 3.

   The phrase “a chemist's shop”in the story means ____.

   1. A.
      化工商店
   2. B.
      药店
   3. C.
      化工厂
   4. D.
      制药厂
4. 4.

   Ruben's money was stolen ____.

   1. A.
      on his way to the town
   2. B.
      before he went in the shop
   3. C.
      when he was waiting in the shop
   4. D.
      after he had left the shop
5. 5.

   Ruben was happy because ____.

   1. A.
      he could easily catch the thief
   2. B.
      he had a chance（机会）to have a race
   3. C.
      he knew who had stolen his money
   4. D.
      he would win another medal that day