Betty and I are best friends. Our birthdays are on the same day, so every year we have a birthday party together. But this year, we had a costume party instead.

While we were writing the invitations, my mum came in and asked, “Why not invite John?” John had been in our class for only a few months, but he was already getting better grades in math than anyone else in class. I wrinkled(皱起) my nose, “Mum, he wears the same pants to school every day. How could he even afford a costume?” Mum said nothing. The next day, mum gave me an envelope with a shopping certificate(凭证) in it. “I thought it would be nice for you to give this to John.” Mum said. But how? We didn’t want to make John embarrassed. We discussed it for a long time. Finally, Betty and I had a good idea.

On the day of our party, kids arrived, dressed differently. John arrived, in an old sheet(床单), but still in the same brown pants as usual. We danced, ate snacks and played games in groups. Before eating the birthday cake, Betty said in a loud voice, “Now it’s time for the great prize game. It’s the following riddle…” It was a math game. None of us was surprised when John came up with the right answer first and walked off with the envelope.

Everything went on well as we planned. John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt the next week. He felt happy. So did we.

When we help others, we need to find a proper way, or we may hurt them in another way.

1.The two girls and John were in the same _________.

A. group   B. family    C. team     D. class

2. John’s family may be very _________ according to the passage.

A. far         B. poor      C. rich       D. small

3.How did John get the prize during the party?

A. By helping others

B. By asking for help.

C. By getting good grades in study

D. By winning the math game.

4.John _________ with the shopping certificate after the party.

A. watched a basketball match

B. saw a movie

C. bought something to wear

D. made a phone call

5.Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?

A. John wasn’t good at math.

B. The two girls helped John in a proper way.

C. The two girls felt angry when John won the great prize.

D. John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt to the party.

Betty and I are best friends. Our birthdays are on the same day, so every year we have a birthday party together. But this year, we had a costume party instead.
While we were writing the invitations, my mum came in and asked, “Why not invite John?” John had been in our class for only a few months, but he was already getting better grades in math than anyone else in class. I wrinkled(皱起) my nose, “Mum, he wears the same pants to school every day. How could he even afford a costume?” Mum said nothing. The next day, mum gave me an envelope with a shopping certificate(凭证) in it. “I thought it would be nice for you to give this to John.” Mum said. But how? We didn’t want to make John embarrassed. We discussed it for a long time. Finally, Betty and I had a good idea.
On the day of our party, kids arrived, dressed differently. John arrived, in an old sheet(床单), but still in the same brown pants as usual. We danced, ate snacks and played games in groups. Before eating the birthday cake, Betty said in a loud voice, “Now it’s time for the great prize game. It’s the following riddle…” It was a math game. None of us was surprised when John came up with the right answer first and walked off with the envelope.
Everything went on well as we planned. John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt the next week. He felt happy. So did we.
When we help others, we need to find a proper way, or we may hurt them in another way

1. 1.

   The two girls and John were in the same _________

   1. A.
      group
   2. B.
      family
   3. C.
      team
   4. D.
      class
2. 2.

   John’s family may be very _________ according to the passage

   1. A.
      far
   2. B.
      poor
   3. C.
      rich
   4. D.
      small
3. 3.

   How did John get the prize during the party?

   1. A.
      By helping others
   2. B.
      By asking for help
   3. C.
      By getting good grades in study
   4. D.
      By winning the math game
4. 4.

   John _________ with the shopping certificate after the party

   1. A.
      watched a basketball match
   2. B.
      saw a movie
   3. C.
      bought something to wear
   4. D.
      made a phone call
5. 5.

   Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      John wasn’t good at math
   2. B.
      The two girls helped John in a proper way
   3. C.
      The two girls felt angry when John won the great prize
   4. D.
      John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt to the party

0ur village carpenter(木匠)，John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife.  He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two window.  When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill( 账单) for his job.
My wife said to me quietly, “That’s his ninth cup of tea today. ”But she said in a loud voice, “It’s a beautiful table, dear, isn’t it?” “I’ll decide about that when I see the bill,” I said.  John laughed and gave me his bill for the work.  I read:
One dining table                 10^th November, 2011
Cost of wood                    $ 17:00
Paint                           $1. 50
Work, 8 hours($1 an hour)          $8. 00
Total                           $36. 50
When I was looking at the bill, John said,” It’s been a fine day, hasn’t it? Quite sunny. ”
“Yes,” I said.  “I’m glad it’s only the 10^th of November. ”
“Me, too,” said John, “you wait—it will be a lot colder by the end of the month. ”
“Yes, colder—and more expensive! Dining table will be $20 more expensive on November 30^th, won’t they, John?”
John looked hard at me for half a minute.  Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.
“If it’s not too much trouble, John,” I said,“Please add(加) it up again, You can forget the date-------”
I paid him $26. 50 and he was happy to get it.
【小题1】Why did John talk about the weather when the writer was looking at the bill?