It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man．College, career, and life itself got in the way．In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams．There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son．He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him．

　　Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr．Belser died last night．The funeral is Wednesday．” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days．

　　“Jack, did you her me?”

　　“Oh, sorry, Mom．Yes, I heard you．It’s been so long since I thought of him．I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said．

　　“Well, he didn’t forget you．Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing．He’d reminisce(回忆)about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him．

　　“I told that old house he lived in,” Jack said．

　　“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr．Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said．

　　“He’s the one who taught me carpentry．I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him．He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important…Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said．

　　Busy as he was, he kept his word．Jack caught the next flight to his hometown．Mr．Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful．He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away．

　　The night before the had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered．Every step held memories．Every picture, every piece of furniture…Jack stopped suddenly．

　　“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked．

　　“The box is gone,” he said．

　　“What box?” Mom asked．

　　“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk．I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside．All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said．

　　It was gone．Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box, He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it．

　　“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly．

　　Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk．The return address caught his attention．

　　“Mr．Harold Belser” it read．

　　Jack tore open the package．There inside was the gold box and an envelope．Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside．

　　“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett．It’s the thing I valued most in my life．” A small key was taped to the letter．His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box．There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch．Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it．

　　Inside he found these words carved：“Jack, Thanks for your time!Harold Belser．”

　　“Oh, My God!This is the thing he valued most…”

　　Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days．“Why?” his assistant asked．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen…

　　“No air conditioning? How can you sleep? ” a friend asks, horrified．I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill．On this first night of our cost-cutting plan, it's only 85 degrees．We’re going to suffer, but the three kids complain anyway．

　　They have grown up in 72-degree comfort, protected from the world outside．

　　“It's too hot to sleep, ” my 13-year-old daughter complains．“I'm about to die from this heat, ” her brother complains down the hall．“Just try it tonight, ” I tell them．In truth I'm too tired to turn for long．My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of childhood．

　　The neighbor's dog howls．Probably a passing squirrel．It's been years since I took the time to really listen to the night．

　　I think about grandma, who lived to 92 and still helped with my mom's gardening until just a few weeks before she died．And then, I'm back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood．I move my pillow to the foot of grandma's bed and turn my face toward the open window．I turn the pillow, hunting for the cooler side．

　　Grandma saw me turn over and over．“If you just watch for the breeze(清风), ” she said, “you'll cool off and fall asleep．” I stare at the filmy white curtain, willing it to move．Lying still, waiting, I suddenly notice the life outside the window．The bug chorus．Neighbors, porch(门廊)-sitting late, speak in unclear words that calm me．

　　“Mom, did you hear that? ” my seven-year-old son cries, “I think it was an owl(猫头鹰)family．”

　　“Probably, ” I tell him, “just keep listening…”

　　Without the working air conditioner, the house is peaceful, and the natural night noises seem close enough to touch．I hope I'm awake tonight when the first breeze comes in．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)