Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪)；someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter —a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
【小题1】Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?

John was so sleepy that he could hardly keep his eyes ______.

A. open　　B. to be opened　　C. to open　　D. opening

So sleepy_______ that he could hardly keep his eyes______.

Mother’s Day was coming，but John had been visiting customers．He was now in a small town just outside a flower shop and he knew what to do．
He went into the shop and saw a young man  26  the clerk to sell him some roses for six dollars，but the clerk just explained that roses were  27 ．
The clerk looked up at John， 28  her head．Something inside of John was  29  by the boy’s voice．John had been  30  in his business，and he looked at the clerk and  31 mouthed that he would pay for the roses．
The clerk looked at the young man and told him to get the roses for six dollars．The young man almost jumped into the  32  and ran from the store with the  33 ．It was worth the extra dollars just to see that kind of  34 ．
John ordered his own flowers and made sure that the  35  would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her．He drove away from the shop，feeling very  36 ．He caught a light about two blocks away．As he  37  at the light，he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk．He watched him cross the street and enter a park through two huge gates．Suddenly，he  38  that it wasn’t a park but a cemetery(公墓)．
The light  39 ，and John slowly crossed the intersection．He  40  and on an impulse(冲动)got out and began to fclllow the boy．The young man stopped by a small monument and went to his  41 ．He began to cry after he carefully  42  the roses on the grave．He stared at the little boy’s heaving(起伏的) body and listened to his crying．
John turned with  43 ，and walked back to his car．He drove  44  to the shop and told the clerk he would  45  the flowers personally．He wanted to tell his mother one more time just how much he loved her．

Years ago, there lived a wealthy man named Mr. Cooper who, with his dearest young son John, loved art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, collecting the finest art treasures.

One winter, war came to the nation, and John left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram reading that John had died while saving a fellow soldier. Filled with sadness, the old man cried. On the coming Christmas morning, a soldier called on him and gave him a picture of John.

The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. According to his will, all of his works of art would be auctioned (拍卖) on Christmas Day, when he had received the greatest gift of his life. The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to buy some of the world’s greatest paintings. The auction began with a painting of the old man’s son. “Who will open the bidding (出价) with $100?” the auctioneer (拍卖人) asked. Minutes passed, but no one spoke. Finally, a neighbor of the old man’s spoke. “Can I take the painting for ten dollars? It is all I have, and he is a good man.”

“Will anyone go higher?” called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice, gone.” The gavel(槌) fell. “Now we can get on to the real treasures,” someone shouted angrily. But the auctioneer said that the auction was over. Someone asked,“It’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of some old guy’s son. There are millions of dollars worth of art here!”The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son ... gets all.”

Why did they travel around the world?

A. They wanted to visit some well-known artists.

B. They had their own companies around the world.

C. They wanted to visit all kinds of places of interest.

D. They wanted to collect the world’s finest art.

When did the old man die?

A. The morning when the solider visited him.

B. Several months after John died.

C. A few days after John served in the army.

D. The day he received the news of John’s death.

The underlined words “the greatest gift” in Paragraph 3 refer to ________.

A. a picture of John                                     B. the painting John collected

C. the finest work of art                               D. the telegram about his son

A neighbor of the old man’s bought the painting of John ________.

A. because he knew the will of the old man

B. to pick up the world’s greatest paintings

C. in honor of John, who was worth respecting

D. because no one else was willing to buy it

It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. the old man and the auctioneer were good friends

B. no art collectors wanted to buy Mr. Cooper’s collection of art

C. John was a successful art collector and an excellent artist

D. the old man, Mr. Cooper, loved his son very much