People are so busy these days that many people have no time to cook．This becomes a problem，because most families love home cooking! The food they cook at home tastes good and warm，and a family meal can bring everyone together．In some families，everyone only can see one another when they have meals．

  Another reason why people enjoy home cooking is that it is often a way of showing love．Sometimes，our parents make some cookies for US，but they are not just satisfying our sweet teeth．They are sending a message．The message says，“I love you very much。”However,most of us can’t understand our parents’ behavior．How disappointed our parents are!

  There is also something about the smell of home cooking．The smell of home cooking pleases people of all ages．It makes most of us feel good and loved—even if we are the ones doing the cooking! After a11．it’s worth doing something for our relatives and friends．Next time you see someone making a cake，stop for a moment and pay attention to your mood(心情)．

1．Why do fewer people cook now?

    A．Because they don’t think it necessary.

    B．Because they are too busy．

    C．Because they don’t like cooking．

    D．Because they are so lazy．

2．A parent spends an hour making cookies    ．

    A．just to satisfy her or his child’s sweet teeth

    B．only to send a message

    C．often to show her or his love

D．to make her or his child understand her or him

3．The writer thinks the smell of home cooking    ．

   A．makes us pleased

   B．makes us interested in cooking

   C．makes us pay attention to our mood

   D．makes us love others

4．What’s the main idea of this passage?

  A．Family meals are important．    B．How to make cookies．

  C．People are too busy to cook．   D．Learn to cook．

There are many kinds of heroes. Even animals can be heroes. This passage tells about three amazing animals. Each one is a hero!
Thumper, the Dog

Thumper was a dog that lived with a family which had a three-year-old son named Benjamin. One day Benjamin wandered(闲逛) into a large field. The grass in the field was taller than he was, so he could not find his way out. Hundreds of people began to search for Benjamin. When they found him, they saw Thumper stayed with Benjamin and kept him warm. So Benjamin had stayed safe.
Lulu, the Pig

The Altsmans had a pet pig named Lulu. One summer the couple went camping and took Lulu with them. The husband went fishing one morning. The wife didn’t feel well, so she and Lulu stayed in the camper. Suddenly Mrs. Altsman fell to the floor. Lulu pushed the camper door open and climbed out for help. When a car came by, she lay down in front of it. When the driver got out, Lulu led him back to the camper. The man called for help and Mrs. Altsman was taken to hospital.
Sugar, the Cat

Sugar was a beautiful cat. Three years ago she wandered onto the Woods’ farm in California and Mrs. Woods began feeding her. Mrs. Woods noticed something wrong with the cat’s left leg, but this didn’t make Sugar any less special. Mrs. Woods loved Sugar. Later the couple moved to a new farm in Oklahoma. They gave Sugar to a neighbor who would take good care of her, because they knew she wouldn’t like riding in cars for days. However, Sugar walked across deserts and mountains and traveled more than 1,500 miles to the Woods’ new farm! Mr. and Mrs. Woods could hardly believe their eyes. No one knows how Sugar found her way to Oklahoma.
【小题1】How did Thumper help Benjamin?

There are seven continents﹙洲﹚in the world. Among them, Antarctica﹙南极洲﹚is the most special one. It is a world of snow and ice all year round. China has sent many scientists there. They try to find resources﹙资源﹚under the icy land and study climate change and sea biology.

What do they eat?

Scientists don’t have many choices on what they eat. About 60% their food is frozen food. It is easy to heat﹙加热﹚。Meat is common on the menu, while vegetables are not usual. Fresh vegetables are hard to grow in the cold weather. Therefore, people often eat dried and canned vegetables.

How do they sleep?

In Antarctica, summer lasts from November to March. During this time, Antarctica faces the sun and gets sunlight 24 hours of the day. In order to get some sleep,scientists cover the window with black cloth to make “night”.

How do they work?

People can wear warm clothes to be against the cold weather, but they can do little with the strong wind. Sometimes, the wind is even stronger than a typhoon. It can easily blow people away.

So there are ropes﹙绳索﹚that connect some research stations. People can hold these ropes to keep balance in strong winds.

How do they keep in touch with others?

There are no cables or Internet on the frozen continent. So mobiles and computers don’t work there. Scientists usually use two-way radios to communicate at work. If they want to say hello to family and friends, they can use the satellite phones.

1.What do scientists do in Antarctica?

A.They mostly study on the animals and plants there.

B.They mostly find resources and study climate change and sea biology.

C.They mostly find different kinds of lives under the ice and study them.

D.They mostly study on the ice and geography.

2.What kind of vegetables do they usually eat?

A.Fresh vegetables

B.Green vegetables only

C.Dried and canned vegetables

D.They go down the ice to work.

3.What do they do when the day lasts for 24 hours?

A.They work all day long.

B.They find a way to make “night”.

C.They stop working on those days.

D.They go down the ice to work.

4.How do the scientists work on the terrible windy days?

A.They use ropes to help themselves.

B.They just stay in the houses.

C.They use cars and ships to help.

D.They don’t think the wind brings trouble.

5.If scientist wants to say “I love you”to her daughter, what can she use?

A.Mobile phones B.Tow-way radios C.Satellite phones D.Iphones and Ipods.