Balzac(巴尔扎克) was a great French writer. But he was very poor before he became famous. He lived in a dirty, wet room and was often worried about food. All his friends were very poor and they could not help him.

  One night it was very cold. The wind blew and it was snowing heavily. Balzac went to bed early but couldn’t fall asleep. He didn’t get any food before he went to bed. He thought and thought, but he couldn’t have a good idea. At midnight he saw a man climb in through the broken window. The man began to steal something on his bookshelf. Balzac got up quietly and said, “Don’t waste time, my friend! I couldn’t find any money in the daytime. How can you find some in the dark?”

1.Balzac was a ________.

A. worker          B. writer            C. doctor           D. cleaner

2.Balzac lived in a dirty, wet room because ________.

A. he was very poor             B. he wanted to live there

C. it was cold                  D. he was a famous man

3.Why didn’t he ask his friends for some food? Because __________.

A. he had no friends

B. his friends didn’t want to help him

C. all his friends were very poor

D. his friends didn’t like him

4.How was the weather that night? It was ___________

A. rainy          B. cloudy       C. sunny            D. snowy

5.Could the thief find any money? __________

A. Yes, he could.                       B. No, he couldn’t.

C. Maybe.                            D. I don’t know.

Mike works very long hours every day. He usually gets up at 17:00. He has a shower and makes his breakfast. What a funny time to make breakfast! After breakfast he practices his guitar, then he puts on his jacket and goes to work. To get to work, he takes the number17 bus to the Star Hotel. The bus usually leaves at 19:15. He works all night. People love to listen to him! He gets home at 7:00, and he watches the early morning news on TV. He goes to bed at 8:30, a tired but happy man. Can you think what his job is?

1.How long does Mike work?

A．7 hours           B．8 hours           C．about 9 hours      D．all night

2.He ____________ and makes his breakfast.

A．gets up                               B．takes a shower

C．works                                D．washes his face

3.What does Mike do after breakfast?

A．He goes to work.

B．He puts on his clothes.

C．He practices his guitar, then puts on his jacket and goes to work.

D．He practices his guitar.

4.Maybe he is ________________________.

A．a worker          B．a singer           C．a writer           D．a teacher

5.How does he go to work?

A．By car            B．By bikes           C．On foot           D．By bus

My mother was a housewife. She thought that successful people spent a lot more time reading than watching TV. So she asked my brother and me not to watch too much TV, but to read two books every week in our free time. She would check them with marks, though she couldn’t read the book at all.
When I went to high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted cool clothes and hung out with friends. I became a C-student, but I didn’t care. One night I complained about not having enough Italian shirts. Then my mother gave me all the money and said I could get the money left to buy shirts if I finished buying all the things the family needed. I was pleased with that, but after I bought those things, there was no money left. I got to know how difficult it was for my mother to do all these. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. Finally, my dream came true and I became a doctor.
My story is really my mother’s story----a woman with little education greatly changed my life as a parent. So I believe there is no job more important than parenting.
【小题1】What did the writer’s mother do?

My mother was a housewife. She thought that successful people spent a lot more time reading than watching TV. So she asked my brother and me not to watch too much TV, but to read two books every week in our free time. She would check them with marks, though she couldn’t read the book at all.

When I went to high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted cool clothes and hung out with friends. I became a C-student, but I didn’t care. One night I complained about not having enough Italian shirts. Then my mother gave me all the money and said I could get the money left to buy shirts if I finished buying all the things the family needed. I was pleased with that, but after I bought those things, there was no money left. I got to know how difficult it was for my mother to do all these. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. Finally, my dream came true and I became a doctor.

My story is really my mother’s story----a woman with little education greatly changed my life as a parent. So I believe there is no job more important than parenting.

1.What did the writer’s mother do?

A．A worker.         B．A housewife       C．A teacher         D．A writer

2.Why did the mother ask her children to read books in their free time?

A．Because she thought successful people spent more time reading.

B．Because she thought books were interesting.

C．Because she wanted her children to be happy.

D．Because she wanted her children to be doctors.

3.Which was NOT the reason for the writer’s falling behind(落后)?

A．He only cared about clothes and didn’t study.

B．He spent more time hanging out with friends than studying.

C．He didn’t care that he went from being an A-student to a C-student.

D．He spent much time reading storybooks.

4.What was the writer’s dream?

A．To be a doctor.                         B．To be a teacher.

C．To be an A-student                      D．To find a good job.

5.The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______.

A．mothers with little education change their children more.

B．his mother is cruel and unhelpful

C．there is a job more important than parenting.

D．his mother has an important influence（影响）on him.