On Saturday nights, A.J.Coston doesn’t get a lot of sleep. Usually three or four times a night, a loud bell rings, a red light flashes, and he has to jump out of his bed. That’s because he’s a weekend volunteer firefighter（消防员）with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Station 13 in Northern Virginia. During the week, he lives at home with his mom, dad and sister and does his main job which is going to high school.
“I have always wanted to get into firefighting since I was a little kid watching fire trucks go by,” he says. “One day on the Internet I noticed that Loudoun County offered a junior firefighter program.” He was only 16, but he got it.
Fighting fires is dangerous work. Firefighters never stop practicing the skills they need to stay safe. Once Coston learned those skills, he was allowed to work inside burning buildings.
“Teamwork is most important,” he says. “It’s the whole team that puts the fire out.”
Firefighters feel great about helping people. “My most unbelievable call was probably the time four kids were struck by lightning,” says Coston. He will be off to college next fall, building on his dream job. “I’ll get my degree in emergency（紧急情况） medical care. and then work in a fire and rescue company for a while. I want to be a flight doctor on a helicopter in the end, but I will never forget the days as a firefighter. These are my unforgettable experiences,” he says.
【小题1】 Coston can’t sleep well on Saturday nights because _____.

A．he has to work part-time at weekends

B．he has some sleeping problems

C．he has to do his job as a volunteer firefighter

D．he always worries that there may be a fire

A．Coston wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid

B．Coston tried several times before he became a volunteer firefighter

C．firefighters feel proud that they can help people

D．firefighters have to practice skills all the time to stay safe

Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”
“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”
“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”
“How silly you are!” cried the Miller. “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”
Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”
“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”
“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.  
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”
“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
【小题1】From the passage, we can learn that Hans ______.

假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的一篇作文。文中共有10处语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），在其下面写上该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不记分。

A visitor visits an island where two tribes live. One tribe always tells the truth and an other always lies. The truth tellers live on the western side of the island, and those which lie live on the eastern side. The visitor wants determine whether the native beside he is a truth teller or not by ask only one question. He asks the native, “Go or ask the native in the distance which side of the island he lives to.” When the messenger returned, he says, “He said he lives on the western side of the island.”

Is the messenger a truth teller or not one? How can the visitor be surely?

When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we wear quite out off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital.

    However, I soon discovered that one big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and  the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it became of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.

    Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever you tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

    Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens(十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.

1.

 What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child ?[来源:]

   A. Staying on the farm.                B. Moving to the countryside.

   C. Leaving home for the city.           D. Running away from the school.

2.

Which of the following is true about the writer?

   A. He is very old now.                 B. He is in good health.

   C. He prefers driving a car.             D. He lives in the city now.

3.

 In the passage, the writer tries to __________.

   A. express his opinions about way of life  

B. describe his life in the countryside

   C. an interest in the outside world      

D. persuade the reader to live in the city

4.

 How is the passage mainly developed?

   A. By inferring.  B. By comparing. C. By listing examples. D. By discussing.

阅读短文，回答问题。

Stress occurs all the time in most people’s lives. Too much stress, however, can seriously affect physical and mental well-being.

Stress decreases the quality of life by reducing feelings of pleasure and accomplishment. At some point in their lives, almost all people will go through stressful events or situations that limit their ability to cope.

Financial concerns are one of the main stressors for a man. He is supposed to be able to “support” his family. In today’s economy, a family living on a single income is rare. Most often the woman is working outside the home also. Job-related stress may increase the risk of heart disease. It appears to have a greater effect on a man’s arteries(动脉) than on a woman’s. Men who report the most stress have almost five times the risk of having more serious artery disease.

One temporary treatment for job stress may be stress-reduction exercises. Sometimes these techniques can be quite easy and simple. Taking a few minutes to practice relaxation or meditation can help to ease some of the stress. Taking a vacation, developing interests outside of work, and finding supportive friends who will listen can help to relieve stress. Sometimes, changes in the workplace or renegotiation of the demands of the job may be needed. This may require joining with other workers to document stress conditions.

More and more marriages are ending in divorce now. It is not uncommon for a man to find that he is the primary caregiver for his children, or that he has joint custody(联名保管(户)). This may involve a lot of changes for him. It can be very stressful until a routine is formed. This is especially true for a man who has not been able to be involved much in raising his children because of his job.

There are support groups that a man can join to help him deal with these changes. Changes a man goes through in middle age may increase stress. If he is not active, he may gain weight. Staying active, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of sleep will help to decrease the stress. In addition, exercising and talking to someone can also help to relieve the stress.

Getting rid of stress from life is impossible. However, stress management techniques can decrease some of the harmful effects of stress.

1. Almost all people are affected by stress sometimes in their life because __________.

A. they are lacking in the stress management techniques

B. they will unavoidably come across things beyond their ability

C. they are too busy working to do physical exercises

D. they are so selfish that they think family is a burden

2. If a man feels stressful, he can try the following means EXCEPT ________.

A. having a chat with friends

B. doing some physical exercises

C. changing the workplace

D. working harder to make more money

3. According to the passage, a middle-aged man may feel even more stressful when he __________.

A. finds that his wife still has to work

B. notices that his weight remains the same

C. realizes that he doesn’t have to change his job

D. deals with a lot of changes negatively.

4. Judging from the context, the underlined word “ease” most probably means __________.

A. making more comfortable               B. making less difficult

C. making less serious                         D. making less complicated

5. From the passage we can infer that __________.

A. it’s dangerous for a man to be under stress from work for a long time

B. it’s likely for a man to be free from stress if he lives a healthy life

C. it’s very stressful for a working man to share the care of children with his wife

D. it’s common for a man to be the only wage-earner in a family nowadays