I used to live in Kobe in Japan. On my way home on the bus every evening I used to look for an old man who often played his saxophone (萨克斯管) near the river. I couldn’t hear his music because the windows were closed on the bus but I imagined it to be loud and clear. I wanted to be like that man.

One night I went to Himeji, a city not far from Kobe. As I walked with my family along the river I saw a statue. It was a young man who looked just like me. He was wearing a cap and smiling. Around his neck was a leather strap (皮带) and in his hands was a saxophone. He was lifting the saxophone to his lips and he was just about to play. I stayed there for a long time by the statue dreaming of playing a saxophone on TV.

Two weeks later it was my birthday. Imagine my joy when I opened my present from my parents and found that it was a saxophone! I put it to my lips to play, but it wouldn’t make a sound. Then Dad told me to read the instruction book to find out what to do. After about 15 minutes the saxophone was ready to play. I raised it slowly to my lips as my family watched. But still there was no sound. I blew and blew but I couldn’t get the saxophone to play. I was almost crying when suddenly the saxophone made the most beautiful sound—loud and clear like I imagined the music of the man by the river in Kobe. I blew again, I moved my fingers on the saxophone and I made more sounds. I was happy because I was playing very interesting sounds. But I wasn’t playing music yet.

Then came the lessons. Night after night, week after week my teacher made me practice. Slowly I started to improve and at last there came the magic day when I started to play music. Now I’m in the TV studio with my saxophone strapped to my neck and my cap on my head. I’m always thinking of the man by the river in Kobe and the statue smiling at me in Himeiji. I’m a happy man.

1.On the bus, the writer couldn’t ________.

A．find an old man with a saxophone           B．see a river

C．hear the old man’s music                D．imagine the sound

2.The statue along the river made the writer think of ________.

A．having a saxophone

B．the old man near the river

C．having a cap and a saxophone as the boy

D．playing the saxophone on TV

3.The writer could get the saxophone to play ________.

A．as soon as he got it

B．after he read the instruction

C．after he tried many times

D．after his father taught him

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The magic day.                         B．My birthday present.

C．The old man and the statue.               D．My dream of playing saxophone.

My life is always filled with sadness and little joy．However, no matter what happens, I can always face it bravely．

    Last year, I couldn’t believe the   1   that I was allowed to enter the only key high school in my hometown．Then I rushed to my home and told my parents．But my father didn’t seem as  2   as I was．He just kept smoking without saying a word and my mother put her head down and couldn’t help   3  ．

    I knew very well what my family was   4  ．My mum had been ill in bed for 2 years．We lived a hard life and I couldn’t continue my schooling．I felt so upset but I could say   5   to my parents．I decided to help my father with his work   6   my family．

    To my surprise, things completely changed   7   the beginning of the new term．My head teacher came to my family with some money, which had been   8   by my schoolmates．He encouraged me, “Always have a dream．” With tears in my eyes, I stepped into the key high school．

    I have been studying hard since I entered the high school．Whenever I meet difficulties, I always  9   my teacher and schoolmates．I have a college dream and I must work hard for it, no matter  10   hard life is．Just as a great man says, “When one door shuts, another opens in life．”

1． A． idea                   B． story                     C． news                    D． thought

2． A． nervous                B． excited                  C． interested              D． worried

3． A． crying                   B． laughing                C． saying                   D． shouting

4． A． about                    B． before                   C． against                  D． like

5． A． nothing                 B． something             C． anything                D． everything

6． A． support                 B． to support             C． supporting             D． supported

7． A． after                     B． since                     C． before                   D． on

8． A． raised                   B． spent                    C． planned                 D． saved

9． A． dream of            B． think of                 C． hear of                  D． talk of

10． A． what                   B． which                   C． that                      D． how