Schoolwork is sometimes difficult，but I don’t think it’s  ever boring．We get lots of interesting projects to do．

  Sometimes，a project is just a long article．In English class，we write articles and speeches about things that happened in history．In science class，we once built bridges using only toothpicks(牙签)and candy! I love projects like that．

  Projects are a big part of our grades．So，it’s very important whether you are good at the project or not．I am bad at building things．So，when I was asked to build a model，my grade for that whole term Was low． However, when asked to draw a picture of myself, I Was able to save my terrible art grade.

  Projects can make people wonderful leaders，too．I was once working on a speech with another boy．I did most of the work，typed it up and printed the pictures．He didn’t do much．At first．I was very angry, but then I realized that I had never asked him for help or told him what to do!

  I've noticed that projects make people act in many different ways．Some people know clearly what to do．Others can end up having problems．The most interesting type of person I have seen．is someone who didn’t start working until a few days or hours before the project’s deadline(最终期限)．One of my friends didn’t write down his Birthday Project Speech；he made it up as he talked．It Was great! Not everyone can do that though！

1．T he writer thinks whether you can get good grades or not depends on    

  A．the skills that the projects ask for

  B．what you’ve learned from the books

  C．how much work you have put in

  D．both A and C

2．We can tell from the story that the writer is good at          ．

  A．making speeches B．building models C．drawing pictures D．making up stories

3．The main idea of the story is that      ．

  A．projects are always interesting   

B．projects are important and useful for students

  C. projects are important for one’s grades

D．projects’deadlines make people nervous

 4．The word“project” in the article means     ．

    A．成绩    B．方案    C．工程    D．专题研究

　　　　John doesn't like to go to school. His mother is worried about him.

　　　　One morning she goes into John's room, turns on the light and says to him, "It's time to get up. You can't stay in bed all day. "

　　　　But John doesn't want to get up. He turns the light off.

　　　　"Don't go to sleep again. You'll be late for school again, " his mother says.

　　　　Fifteen minutes later, John comes into the kitchen（厨房）and sits down at the table.

　　　　"Hurry, it's eight o'clock, " his mother says to him.

　　　　"There's no hurry, " John tells his mother. " I'm not going to school. "

　　　　"Why not? Is it a holiday? "

　　　　"No, it's not a holiday. "

　　　　His mother sits next to him and takes his hand.

　　　　"John, tell me what's wrong. Why do you hate（恨）school so much? "

　　The son doesn't say anything. A few minutes later he says, "The teachers don't like me, and neither do the students. "

　　　　"John, " his mother says, " I'm sorry about it, but you cannot stay at home. "

　　　　"Why not? "

　　　　"Because（因为）dear, there are two very good reasons（理由）.

　　First, you are thirty-five years old. Second. you are the school headmaster（校长）, " says his mother.

　　根据短文内容，选择最恰当的答案。

　　1. Why is John's mother worried about him?　　

[　　]

　　A. He cries a lot.　　　　B. He cannot do his homework.

　　C. He sleeps all day.　　 D. He does not like to go to school

　　2. Why doesn't John want to go to school?　　

[　　]

　　A. He is ill.　　　　　　　　B. He likes to stay in bed.

　　C. He is not happy there.　　D. It is a holiday.

　　3. When does John's mother leave his room?　　

[　　]

　　A. 8:00　　B. 7:45

　　C. 8:15　　D. Fifteen minutes later.

　　4. What does John do at the school?　　　　

[　　]

　　A. He is a student.　　　　　　　B. He is an English teacher.

　　C. He is the school headmaster.　D. He doesn't do anything.

　　5. How old do you think John is before you read the last part of the story?

[　　]

　　A. He is about ten.　　 　B. He is thirty-five.

　　C. He is two years old. 　D. He is over sixty.

The more books you read, the better your life will be. If you don’t believe me, please consider the following reasons to read more books.

You will have strong brain power .Studies suggest reading makes you smart. Unlike watching television, which requires no thought process（过程）, reading is an active learning experience that will keep your mind sharp (even in old age). 　　
You will travel to a new world .　Sometimes our daily life can start to get boring . At times like this, I like to dive into a good fiction book, where I can forget about whatever problems are stressing me out. I’ll come back refreshed after my mini-vacation to a fresh and exciting place in the world of words. 　　
You will improve your vocabulary .　The more words you’re able to use, the better you will become at expressing your thoughts and feelings. I couldn’t imagine how I would write articles like this if I didn’t actively aim to improve my vocabulary, because using the same few words to express myself would get awfully boring in a hurry. 　
You will entertain yourself at a low price .If you’re looking for entertainment without much money, reading is your best choice. Thanks to the popularity of electronic reading devices(设备), it’s never been easier to entertain yourself for hours at a time, for the low cost of a few dollars.
You will discover surprising new ideas.　　Reading introduced me to concepts （概念）like mindful eating, relaxation exercises, and the importance of loving yourself. If I didn’t read, I wouldn’t realize these ideas. If you don’t read, you will miss many surprising new ideas.　　
You will become an expert（专家） in your field .　Don’t you think reading articles and books by experts in your field might make you better at what you do? If you don’t learn more about your profession, then your lack of passion could be a sign that you’re in the wrong field. 　　
I firmly believe that reading has changed my life . I hope these reasons can encourage you to read more books.
【小题1】How many reasons are mentioned in the passage?