John lives on a farm. The farm is not very big. His parents grow rice and corn. They don’t use animals to do farm work any more. Today they use a tractor(拖拉机). It works faster and better. After he does his work in the fields, he likes to sit and look at the blue sky and the green hills. He thinks the country is more beautiful than the city. In the city, he can’t hear the animals. In the country, he can hear birds singing. He likes to play with his dog, Cody. Cody is a very interesting dog. He likes to follow people. When they stop, he stops.

When they walk, he walks. John thinks Cody is the best dog of all.

1.John’s parents are ________.

2.They use a tractor to _______.

3.What does John do after his work?

4.John likes to live in the country because ______.

5.John’s dog is very ______.

A man was walking along the street when he saw a woman carrying a large box. It was half in and half out of her car. So the man went up and said, “The box looks very heavy. Let me give you a hand.”

“That’s very kind of you,” the woman said, “I’m having a lot of trouble with it. Maybe it sticks (卡住) in the car door.”

“Together we’ll soon move it,” the man said. “I’ll get in and take the other end.” And he got in the car.

“Right,” the man said. “I’m ready,” and he began to push the box hard.

For several minutes, the man and the woman tried to move the box. Soon they felt very tired.

They rested for a moment. Then the woman said, “Let’s try again. One, two, three!” They went on moving the box.

At last, when they were exhausted, the man said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think there’s any way to get it out of your car.”

“Get it out?” the woman cried. “I’m trying to get it in! You know?”

1.Where did this story happen?

A. At a bank.????????????? B. In a shop.

C. In the street.????????????? D. In a hotel.

2.Who got in the car to move the box?

A. The woman.????????????? B. The man.

C. Both of them.????????????? D. Neither of them.

3.Which of the following is TRUE about the story?

A. The man stuck in the car door.????????

B. The woman asked the man for help.

C. The man refused to help the woman.????

D. The woman tried to get the box into the car.

4.What do you think of the man?

A. He is a warm-hearted man.?????????????

B. He looks very strong.

C. He is funny and stupid.?????????????

D. He likes to play jokes on others.

5.Which sentence can sum up（概括） the story?

A. Kindly do bad things.?????????????

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D. Think twice before you do.

My father likes to play     badminton, but my mother likes to play      piano.

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are a lot of expressions about cats. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries (金丝雀). If someone looks very proud and satisfied with himself, we say “he looks like the cat that ate the canary.”
Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you “play cat and mouse” with someone, it means that you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a girl might offer something sweet to her little brother and then take it away when he reaches for it.
Americans might say that something is “the cat’s miaow” or “the cat’s pajamas(睡衣)” to describe something that is the best or finest. “A copycat” is someone who acts just like someone else or copies another person’s work. “A fat cat” is a person with a lot of money.
If you tell about something that is supposed to be a secret, we say you “let the cat out of the bag”. If you are not able to speak or answer a question, someone might ask you if “the cat has got your tongue(舌头)”
Have you ever watched children in a classroom when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” means people sometimes act badly when there is no supervision (监管).
You may have heard the expression “curiosity killed the cat”. This means caring too much about things that are not your business might cause problems.
If you have ever had cats as pets, you know it is difficult to train them or to get them to do something. Cats are not like Sheep or cows that can be moved in a group. So we say a difficult or impossible job is like “herding (放牧) cats “
【小题1】 What can we learn from the passage?