Tomorrow is August fourth. It is Peter’s grandfather’s birthday. It is his 73rd  birthday. Peter and his two sisters, Sally and Tina buy some things for their grandfather this afternoon. Sally buys a nice birthday card. And she writes “Happy birthday” on it. Tina buys a blue shirt from a clothes store. It is $29. Peter buys some fruit and a set of books. They are $39 .The name of the books is Harry Potter. His grandfather likes reading a lot. Peter hopes he will like the books.
【小题1】How old is Peter’s grandfather?

Nora is an American girl. She studies in a middle school. She has a little sister. Her name is Kate. Kate is only four. Nora likes Kate very much. 
Today is Sunday. Nora wants her pen. She takes out her pencil box. “ Oh , dear! Where’s my pen?” She can’t find her pen. She goes to ask her sister in her bedroom.
“Kate! I can’t find my pen. Can you see……Oh, what are you doing with (用) my pen?”
“I’m writing to my friend, Betty.” Kate answers. “But how can you? You don’t know what to write.”
“It doesn’t matter (没关系). Betty can’t read.” Kate says.
(  ) 6. Who are sisters? _______________
A. Nora and Kate.            B. Nora and Betty.
C. Betty and Kate.            D. Nora, Betty and Kate.
(  ) 7. _________ can’t find her pen.
A. Kate       B. Nora       C. Betty       D. Nora’s friend
(  ) 8. Where is Kate? _______________
A. In the school.          B. In a shop.  
C. In her bedroom.       D. In her father’s car.
(  ) 9. Which is not right? ________________
A. Nora finds her pen in Kate’s room.       B. Kate can’t write.
C. Kate is writing with her sister’s pen.      D. Betty is older than（比）Kate.
(  )10. Betty and Kate are not ________________.
A. sisters        B. Americans       C. at home       D. schoolgirl

Mr. Hunt came from a poor family. He had three brothers and two sisters. His father worked hard but wasn’t paid much. And his mother did all the housework at home. They were both able but they couldn’t get enough money for their family.

Mr. Hunt was in school for only three years and he had to stop to help his parents though he was good at his lessons. When he was sixteen, he came to the city and began to work in a small factory. He learned from an old worker and became a skilled worker. The old worker liked him and married his daughter to him. The young man did not have his own house and had to live with his parents-in-law. His mother-in-law always thought he was poor and often chattered. So the young man tried to save everything and hoped to have his own house.

It was one fine Sunday. The old woman wanted to have a picnic on the top of the hill. She told Mr. Hunt to drive her car. But sometimes she told him to turn left and sometimes to turn right. The young man had to listen to her. At a crossing the lights were red but she made him turn left. The policeman stopped them and told the young man to give his license to him.

“If I did wrong, sir,” said Mr. Hunt, “It was my mother-in-law’s fault(过错). She was driving the car though she sat behind me!”

1.The Hunts were poor because ____.

       A. they were lazy B. they were too weak to work

       C. they couldn’t make enough moneyD. they weren’t able enough

2.Mr. Hunt left the school because ____.

       A. he didn’t like studying           B. his family was poor

       C. he wasn’t clever                 D. he hoped to stay at home

3.____, so the old man married his daughter to him.

       A. Mr. Hunt became a skilled worker 

B. Mr. Hunt was friendly to him

       C. Mr. Hunt was paid much in the factory                

D. Mr. Hunt worked for six years there

4.The old woman was ____ to Mr. Hunt.

       A. good           B. bad             C. friendly         D. useless

5.Which of the following is wrong?

       A. The old woman herself drove the car that day.

       B. It was the old woman’s fault.

       C. Mr. Hunt hated his mother-in-law.

    D. The old woman told Mr. Hunt to run the red lights.

Angela Chang (张韶涵) didn’t know it would be so hard to turn singing into a career (失业). She went to many different record companies. But she was always turned down for looking too young and small.

“I’d never had such difficulties before,” Chang said. But Chang’s talent was finally accepted in 2002. When she got a piece of work, she cried.

She soon became a star. Her first album Over the Rainbow sold very well. She won many awards.

“You wouldn’t believe such a beautiful voice could come from such a small body,” said one musician after hearing Chang sing. “She has a special voice. You can’t forget it.”

But the 25-year-old girl has other talents too. Chang is also an actress. She has played a role in the popular TV plays, My MVP Valentine and At Dolphin Bay. Many people remember her common-girl parts in the plays. But acting is difficult. Chang once acted so badly that she was nearly fired (解雇). Another time it took her 27 tries to get a scene (一场戏) right.

“I cried when I got back home,” Chang said. “But I knew that I wouldn’t always fail. You only fail when you give up.”

Now with four albums behind her - Over the Rainbow, Aurora, Pandora and Flower in the Wonderland, it’s clear that Chang and music were made for each other. As she sings in one song, “I have a pair of invisible wings (隐形的翅膀). They fly me to the skies and give me hope.”

1.The phrase “turned down” in the first paragraph means “______”.

         A. 承认                             B. 拒绝                             C. 开除                      D. 雇用

2. Many record companies refused to co-operate (合作) with her because ______.

         A. she looks very common                                          B. she is too young

         C. she doesn’t sing very well                                 D. she looks young and small

3. Although acting is difficult for her, she never gives up because ______.

         A. she is strong-minded                                          B. people like her films 

         C. she is interested in acting                                               D. she acted in the popular TV plays

4.Which do you think is the best title of the passage?

         A. The Small Girl.                                                           B. Four Albums.

        C. I have a Pair of Invisible Wings.                 D. A Poor Actress.

Mary with her sisters ________ Chinese in China.