One day an old woman was traveling alone in the mountains. Suddenly she saw something shining（发光） in the stream. When she came close, she found it was a precious（宝贵） stone. She put the stone into her bag and went on with her trip.
The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, “The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?”
“Sure. Why not?” the woman said, and handed the stone to him.
The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag.”
The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, “I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious — the joy of giving!”
The young man felt ashamed（羞愧） and left silently.
【小题1】How did the young man find the precious stone?

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor, scientist and businessman who invented many things that greatly influenced life around the world, such as the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Edison has been recognized as the creator of the first industrial research laboratory. It is he who came up with the concept of providing electricity for home. His first power station was on Manhattan Island, New York.

Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan. He was the seventh and last child of his family. When he was young, Edison stayed at home and was taught by his mother. Edison recalled later, “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint.” During his childhood, he suffered from scarlet fever which affected his hearing.

Young Edison sold candy and newspapers on trains running from Port Huron to Detroit, and he sold vegetables to supplement his income. These jobs, though insignificant, inspired him greatly. He realized that he had a talent for business. These talents eventually made him founder of 14 companies, including General Electric, which is still in existence and is the largest publicly traded company in the world.

Edison started as a telegraph operator and this was the field in which he came up with the first invention. The invention which first gained him fame was the phonograph in 1877. The invention seemed magical, as nothing similar had ever been thought of before. Funded by the successful sale of the telegraph at a price of $10,000, Edison built his own research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

The laboratory expanded rapidly over the decade. In 1892, it was confirmed that Edison was the official inventor of the carbon microphones, which was used in all telephones. Although he attempted to make use of X-rays to take radiographs, he quit the project and admitted his fear of X-rays in public.

Thomas Edison died of diabetes at his home in New Jersey, on October 18, 1931 and in honor of his contributions, Life magazine (USA), in a special double issue in 1997, placed Edison first in the list of the “100 Most Important People in the Last 1000 Years”, noting that the light bulb he promoted “lit up the world”.

Title: Thomas Edison—an influential person in the American history

Saturday 28 April, 2001: Dennis Tito was setting off on his holiday. Mr. Tito’s journey was  certainly unusual! So was the transport he chose, and the price of his trip.

       The 60-year-old multi-millionaire from New York was sitting on board a Russian spaceship.  He was on a journey to the International Space Station. It might have been a routine trip for the  two astronauts who were traveling with him, but for him it was certainly no ordinary journey.  Dennis Tito was the first tourist ever in space, and he had paid the sum of $20 million to go there.  As the spacecraft left the earth’s atmosphere, Tito drank a glass of fruit juice to celebrate and  looked down at the earth’s blue-green surface. Two minutes later, he was sick. Luckily it was  only a minor problem. He soon recovered, and from then on enjoyed a smooth journey. When he  arrived at the space station, there was a big smile on his face. “A great trip!” he commented． “I  love space.”

       For a long time space travel was something for heroes. But all this is going to change.  Companies like ProSpace are investing large amounts of money in space travel. They want space  and space travel to belong to the public, not just governments. There are other plans, like voyages  through space from one side of the world to the other. Maybe we will be able to depart from New  York at nine o’clock in the morning, and arrive an hour later-- in Tokyo! Such a schedule would  allow the business traveler to return to New York on the same day, and still have eight hours for a  meeting!

Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

       A．Business Travelers B．Space Tourists C．A Space Exploration D．A Frightening Adventure

According to the passage, Dennis Tito    .

       A．enjoyed his trip very much    B．was too sick to eat anything in space

       C．suffered a lot during the trip   D．didn’t think the trip was worthwhile

Which of the following statements is tree according to the passage?

       A．Tito was the first American tourist in space.

       B．Tito contributed all of his wealth to his space trip.

       C．Tito visited the Russian Space Station during his trip.

       D．Space travel has become a routine for Tito since then.

It can be expected from the passage that    .

       A．space travel will belong to the public instead of governments

       B．airplanes will some day reach the speed of space vehicles

       C．can will be able to circle the earth within less than an hour

       D．travel between two places on earth will be made through space

Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. “I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!” said Jason.

“You will have to follow some rules,” said his grandmother. “You can only ride in the park — never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet (头盔). If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?”

“You bet!” Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet.

On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things.

Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps (坡道). They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared.

Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided (滑行) along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee.

It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine!

Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. “Excellent!” said a girl as she passed him. “Extreme!” laughed Jason to himself. “Not quite.”

1.Jason’s grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _____.

A．he finished his homework                 B．he liked the sport

C．he observed some rules                  D．he won a bet

2.Jason jumped off the sofa because _____.

A．he was allowed to go skateboarding

B．he was angry at his grandmother

C．he was going to play outside

D．he was given a board and a helmet

3.The girl praised Jason for his _____.

A．skill              B．honesty           C．courage           D．kindness

Dr. Glenn Tisman, a cancer specialist, knew his young neighbor, Ray Bateman, had an unusual mind. But he had no idea at the time that 12 - year – old Ray had the ability to become his partner in cancer research.

Ray’s parents remembered that at age four, Ray surprised them by fixing a broken vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）. When he was ten, he speedily constructed the family color television from a kit. Later, he succeeded in assembling（组装） a complex stereo system after two experts had failed to do the job.

When Ray was ten, he convinced his parents to buy him a computer. In a short time, Ray was able to do amazing things with the computer. Ray shared his enthusiasm for computers with Dr. Tisman, who used a computer for his research. The two discussed computers and medicine frequently. Amazingly, Ray understood the biology and chemistry related to Dr. Tisman’s medical research without any previous instruction.

Ray then worked with Dr. Tisman after school. He helped conduct research with the equipment and kept it in working order. The purpose of the research was to test the effectiveness of mixing an old cancer drug with certain vitamins. Ray analyzed patient test results by computer, while Dr. Tisman handled all patient contact. Together, they came up with solid research that helped advance cancer treatment.

In 1988, 14 - year - old Ray went with Dr. Tisman to a meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research（AFCR）, where Ray presented their initial research findings. Using terminology（术语） beyond the grasp of most kids his age, Ray told the scientists how the new drug mixture caused fewer and milder side effects for cancer patients.

A year later, Ray returned to the meeting to update the findings of his and Dr. Tisman’s research. By then, he had become well - known for his devotion to finding cures for sick patients. Stories about him appeared in hundred of newspapers around the world. He appeared on television newscasts and talk shows.

Ray continued to spend most free hours working with Dr. Tisman. The two began studying the effects of vitamins on babies inside the womb（子宫）. However, Ray’s main interest remained cancer treatment, and he continues his research today.

1.According to the passage, Ray______.

A. is a boy of many gifts

B. is very helpful to his parents

C. learned fast under Dr. Tisman’s instruction

D. stopped working with Dr. Tisman after his success

2.What do we know about Dr. Tisman?

A. He succeeded in finding cures for cancer.

B. He made a new discovery in cancer treatment.

C. He convinced Ray to become a partner of him.

D. He taught Ray knowledge related to his research.

3.What made Ray first known to the medical world?

A. His presentation at AFCR.

B. His great skills in computer.

C. His devotion to cancer research.

D. His appearance on television newscasts.

4.Dr. Tisman’s research is aimed at ______.

A. providing different cancer treatments

B. proving the effects of vitamins on babies

C. finding the side effects of a cancer drug

D. testing the effectiveness of a new drug mixture