The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?

     First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人) and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.

     On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.

1.The aim of the mother’s plan was to _________.

   A. take them to visit the museum

 B. introduce them to the world of art

   C. ask them to read about artists

D. show them different painting styles

2.What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?

   A. She came to feel her mother’s love.

B. She liked many paintings.

   C. She hardly enjoyed herself.

D. She could understand the pictures of fat babies.

3.What made the writer go through a change that summer?

   A. One of Mary's paintings.            

B. A strange way of painting.

   C. Artists in the Middle Ages.           

D. Her mother’s instruction.

4.From the text, we can see _________.

   A. the importance of curiosity         

B. the effect of art

   C. the value of learning                  

D. the power of family education

5.The writer and her brother had thought that they could ___________ in their summer vacation.

   A. visit some art museums              

B. go to Egypt for a visit

   C. take drawing or painting classes      

D. play with their friends.

The child is old enough ________.

1. A.
   to feed
2. B.
   to feed itself
3. C.
   feeding itself
4. D.
   for feeding itself

A kindergarten teacher decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she cannot forgive（宽恕）.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3, while some had up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry the potatoes with them wherever they go (even to the toilet) for one week. With days passing by, the children started to complain because of the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten (腐烂) potatoes they were carrying.

Those children who have 5 potatoes really began to feel the weight of the heavier bags. After one week, the children were happy to hear that the teacher had finally ended the game. The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for one week?" The children started complaining of the trouble that they had to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred（仇恨）for somebody inside your heart. The burden（负担）of hatred will pollute your heart and you will end up carrying an unnecessary burden with you wherever you go.

If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what a burden it would be to have the hatred in your heart for your lifetime?"

1.According to the teacher, if a Child hates three persons, he or she needs to carry ________.

A．one potato        B．two potatoes       C．three potatoes     D．four potatoes

2.The underlined word “tolerate ” in the last paragraph probably means _____________.

A．carry             B．hate              C．receive           D．stand

3.In fact, the teacher wants to ______________.

A．play a game with the students              B．teach the students a lesson

C．make the students more tired              D．play jokes on the students

4.What is the main idea of the story?

A．It’s best to learn to forgive and forget.

B．Students should love people around them.

C．Children should carry less rotten potatoes.

D．Rotten potatoes are really a heavy burden.

The chemist handed me my prescription(处方药)，apologized for the wait,and explained that his register had already closed.He asked if I would 36  using the register at the front of the store.

I told him not to worry and walked up to the front, 37  one person was in line ahead of me,a little girl no more than seven, 38  a bottle of Children’s Motrin on the counter.She 39  a little green and white striped(有条纹的) coin purse closely to her chest.

The purse 40  me of the days when,as a child,I played dress-up in my grandma’s closet.I’d march around the house in  41  clothes,wearing costume jewellery and hats,talking “grownup talk”to 42  who would listen.I remembered the thrill one day when I  43  a pretend dollar to someone,and he handed back some 44  coins for me to put into my special purse.“Keep the 45 !”he told me with a wink(眨眼).

Now the clerk rang up(用收银机记录)the little girl’s 46  ,while she shakily pulled out a coupon(优惠券)，a dollar bill and some coins.I watched her face becoming red as she tried to 47  her money,and I could see right away that she was about a dollar  48  .With a quick wink to the checker,I drew a dollar bill onto the counter and  49  the clerk to ring up the sale.The child put her  50  change into her coin purse,grabbed her 51 and hurried out of the door.

As I  52  for my car,I felt a pull on my shirt.There was the girl, 53  up at me with her big brown eyes.She gave me a  54 ,wrapped her arms around my legs for a long moment,and then stretched out her little hand.It was full of coins.“ 55 ,”she whispered.

“That’s okay,”I answered.I flashed her a smile and winked,“keep the change!”