“Hey, Dad，” one of my kids asked the other day, “what was your favourite fast food when you were growing up？”

“We didn't have fast food when I was growing up，” I informed him. “All the food was slow.”

“Come on, seriously. Where did you eat？”

“It was a place called ‘home’” I explained.“Grandma cooked every day and when Grandpa got home from work, we sat down together at the dining table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I liked it.”

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it：

I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza. It was called “pizza pie”. When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, and plastered itself against my chin. It's still the best pizza I ever had.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home. But milk was. Bread and rolls came from the Omar man. All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers. I delivered a newspaper, six days a week even when the snow was 18 inches deep. It cost 7 cents a paper, of which I got to keep 2 cents, I had to get up at 4：00 a．m. every morning. On Saturdays, I had to collect the 42 cents from my customers.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

1. Hearing what the author said, his child probably thought ________.

A. he was lucky to have fast food

B. it was unbelievable to live without fast food

C. how happy his own life was

D. his father was joking with him

2. When he used to have meals with the adults, the author ________.

A. had to watch his table manners

B. could choose what he liked

C. was not given much freedom

D. had to eat everything offered to him

3. What do we know about the first pizza the author had?

A. It left a good memory on him.

B. The author didn't like it at all.

C. It was too poorly made.

D. He didn't know how to eat it.

4. Why did the author talk about his experience of delivering newspapers?

A. To show that his family used to be quite poor.

B. To show that children before had to make a living by themselves.

C. To show that he had gained a lot from the experience.

D. To show that growing experience was quite different before.

5. What's the author's attitude towards today's children?

A. He thinks they are spoiled.

B. He thinks they are too obsessed with fast food.

C. He thinks they should go through some hardship.

D. He doesn't give his personal opinion.

One day in Israel government officials were rebuilding a barn(谷仓). While working, they found a (n)  1   hole in a corner, so they used smoke to force the mice inside the hole to    2  . A while later they indeed saw mice running out, one after another.
Then, everyone thought that all the mice had  3  . But just as they were just about to start to clean up, they saw two mice squeezing out at the _4 of the hole. After some endeavor, the mice finally got out. But _5  , they did not run away immediately. Instead, one chased after the other near the exit of the hole. It seemed that one was trying to bite the _6 of the other. Everyone was puzzled, so they stepped_7_to take a look. They realized that one of the mice was 8 and could not see anything, and the other one was trying to allow the blind mouse to  9 _on his tail so he could pull the blind one with him to escape.
After witnessing what happened, everyone was  10 and lost in thought. During meal time, the group of people sat down and started to chat about what had happened to the two mice. One serious Rome official said, “I think the relationship between those two mice was that of emperor and   11 .” The others thought for a while and said, “That was why !”A smart Israeli said, “I think their relationship was husband and wife.” The others felt it made sense, so they   12  . A Korean, who was accustomed to the firm tradition of loyalty to _13_ , said, “I think the relationship between them was that of mother and son.” Once again the others felt this was more reasonable,     
At that moment, one Samaritan who sat behind them resting his chin in his palms,  14  looked at other people, and asked, “Why did those two mice have to have a certain relationship?” Suddenly, the atmosphere froze. The group   15  at the Samaritan and remained silent. In fact, the true love is not established on benefit, friendship and loyalty or blood relationship. Instead, it is based on no relationship.

We were on the way from Hutchinson to Chicago for a short spring break. For many years I had wanted to take my family on the train. We all had been to Chicago four years ago, and the kids loved it. Chicago is one of my favorite cities, too, so the thought struck me again last fall to ride the train to Chicago. Of course, flying would have been faster. But I don’t think flying is easier, especially these days, with all the security and waiting in lines at airports.

Though we were tired in the middle of the night, the kids got on the train with the exhilaration of this adventure. “We’re moving,” my son William shouted happily with big eyes as the train began to pull away from the Hutchinson station.

I removed my shoes and lay down to try to finish my night’s sleep. The sleeper car would have better enabled that, but the ordinary train seats were not too bad. An airline flight is a more miserable experience for me: not enough room, two hours of pain with my knees almost touching my chin, the hard seatback in front cracking my kneecaps (膝盖) with every move of the body planted in front of me. On the train I could almost outstretch all of my 6-foot-2-plus body in the generous legroom.

The journey didn’t feel at all as long as it was. We all found the train ride a joy. The car ride would have felt every minute of 13 hours. But on the train you are free to walk around, sit in the observation carriage for a while and enjoy the scenery out the windows, have a nice meal in the dining car, read a book, or play a board game.

In short, the train is all about enjoying the trip, which isn’t something I do so much when traveling by airline or by car, when the trip seems more of a mission (任务) to get there than an experience to enjoy along the way.

Chicago offers much to do for a family. This time, getting there was half the fun.

1.We can learn from the first paragraph that _____.

A．the kids love the train journey

B．Chicago is one of the kid’s favorite cities

C．the author didn’t enjoy the long train journey

D．it was the first time that the kids were taken on the train

2.What does the underlined word “exhilaration” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Excitement.        B．Relaxation.         C．Tiredness.         D．Worry.

3.In the third paragraph, an airline flight experience is mentioned to show _____.

A．an airline flight is easier                  B．a train ride is too long

C．an airline flight is miserable                D．a train ride is more comfortable

4.Which of the following words best describes the whole family’s feeling about the train journey?

A．Moved.           B．Delighted.         C．Disappointed.      D．Nervous.

It was just getting dark. There was a touch of fog and I was on a lonely stretch of road.   36

I was going along cheerfully, thinking about the dinner I would eat when I got to Salistury.

I was going along   37  at about thirty-five miles an hour when suddenly I heard a scream, a  38  scream--- “ Help! ” I looked round, but the only   39  of life was a large, black, rather suspicious-looking car just   40   a bend in the road about a hundred yards away. That was where the cry had come from. I   41   speed and went after it. I think the driver saw what I was doing, for he did the same and began to draw   42   me. As I drew near, the girl’s voice came again, a lovely voice but trembling with   43   .

“Let me go, you coward; you’re hurting me. Oh ! Oh ! ”

I felt my   44   boil. The fog was coming down   45   now, and the countryside was lonelier. I had no  46  that the murderous guy in the car noticed this. Again came a cry.

“Drop that knife, you fool. Oh ! ” Then a cry and a groan（呻吟）.

 If I was to save her, it was now or   47  . Perhaps even now I was too late. But if I couldn’t save the girl, I would at least try to bring the murderer to   48  . The car was only a couple of yards away now. I drove the bike right across its   49  , and its brakes screamed as the driver tried to pull it over and   50   into the ditch（沟）at the side of the road. The door of the car was pushed open angrily and a dark, evil-looking fellow stepped out .

“You fool!” he shouted as he came towards me with his fist raised to hit me. But I was   51   than he. I put all I could into   52   that would have knocked out Joe Louis. It   53   him right on the point of the chin; his   54   slowly bent under him, and he dropped to the ground without a sound. I rushed to the car,   55   open the door and looked inside. There was no girl there. Suddenly from the back of the car came a voice.

“You have been listening to a radio play, Murder in Hollywood, with Mae Garbo and Clark Taylor. The news will follow immediately . ”

1.A. And                B. Though           C. Therefore            D. But

2.A. quietly            B. quickly          C. carefully            D. nervously

3.A. boy’s             B. man’s               C. woman’s         D. driver’s

4.A. person         B. sign             C. sound                D. form

5.A. turning            B. crossing         C. going                D. driving

6.A. slowed down        B. put on               C. added to         D. took up

7.A. right behind       B. close to         C. away from            D. near by

8.A. joy                B. sorrow               C. fear             D. anger

9.A. tears              B. heart                C. face             D. blood

10.A. slighter          B. thicker              C. lower                D. harder

11.A. need              B. effort               C. trouble              D. doubt

12.A. never             B. late             C. ever             D. then

13.A. justice           B. court                C. lawyer               D. sentence

14.A. direction         B. path             C. front                D. nose

15.A. drove             B. ran              C. crashed          D. sped

16.A. slower            B. quicker          C. taller               D. heavier

17.A. an anger          B. a fist               C. a beat               D. a blow

18.A. caught            B. struck               C. knocked          D. beat

19.A. chin              B. fists                C. knees                D. body

20.A. hit               B. brought          C. pushed           D. pulled

One day in Israel government officials were rebuilding a barn(谷仓). While working, they found a (n)  1   hole in a corner, so they used smoke to force the mice inside the hole to    2  . A while later they indeed saw mice running out, one after another.
Then, everyone thought that all the mice had  3  . But just as they were just about to start to clean up, they saw two mice squeezing out at the _4 of the hole. After some endeavor, the mice finally got out. But _5  , they did not run away immediately. Instead, one chased after the other near the exit of the hole. It seemed that one was trying to bite the _6 of the other. Everyone was puzzled, so they stepped_7_to take a look. They realized that one of the mice was 8 and could not see anything, and the other one was trying to allow the blind mouse to  9 _on his tail so he could pull the blind one with him to escape.
After witnessing what happened, everyone was  10 and lost in thought. During meal time, the group of people sat down and started to chat about what had happened to the two mice. One serious Rome official said, “I think the relationship between those two mice was that of emperor and   11 .” The others thought for a while and said, “That was why !”A smart Israeli said, “I think their relationship was husband and wife.” The others felt it made sense, so they   12  . A Korean, who was accustomed to the firm tradition of loyalty to _13_ , said, “I think the relationship between them was that of mother and son.” Once again the others felt this was more reasonable,     
At that moment, one Samaritan who sat behind them resting his chin in his palms,  14  looked at other people, and asked, “Why did those two mice have to have a certain relationship?” Suddenly, the atmosphere froze. The group   15  at the Samaritan and remained silent. In fact, the true love is not established on benefit, friendship and loyalty or blood relationship. Instead, it is based on no relationship.