Maria lives in the beautiful countryside．She usually gets up early in the morning， 16  she’s never late for schoo1．After getting up，she often showers and has a good breakfast．Then she  17  for school at around 6：30．  18  her home is very far from school，she likes riding her bike better than  19 the bus．It takes her about an hour   20  her bike．It’s so long! On the way，she sings and sings so she always feels  21 ．Also she thinks that it’s good for her health   22  to school by bike．
After school she usually goes back   23  with her friend，Linda．Linda’s home is nearer than Maria’s． It’s only three miles from her home   24  schoo1．Linda likes riding，too．And she also thinks that it is a good  25 of transportation．

 It snowed again. My seventh Christmas was round the corner. I dreamed of getting the present from Father Christmas until my elder sister dropped the bomb, “There is no Father Christmas.”

  I ran to my grandmother’s house, for she always told the truth. Grandma was at home. I told __11___ everything. “No Father Christmas?” she was a little ___12____. “Don’t believe it. Put on your coat, and let’s go.”

  “Go? Where, Grandma?” I asked.

  “Kerby’s Store.”

  As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars and said, “Take the __13___ and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of the Kerby’s.

  For a few seconds I just stood there, holding the money, wondering ___14___ to buy, and who to buy it for.

  I thought of ___15___ I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors … I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker, a __16___ with bad and messy hair. He sat right behind me ___17____ Mrs. Pollack’s class.

  Bobbie ___18___ went to any party during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, ___19____ we all knew that he didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I decided to buy Bobbie a red warm coat ___20____ he would like.

  That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and ___21___ “To Bobbie, From Father Christmas” on it. Grandma told me Father Christmas never let people know that he ___22___ them. Then she drove me over to Bobbie’s house, telling that I was helping Father Christmas ____23___ the presents.

Grandma parked the car along the street, and we hid behind the trees near Bobbie’s house. Then Grandma said to me, “All right, Father Christmas, get going.”

  I took a deep breath, rushed to his front door, put the present down. ____24___ the door, rang the doorbell and flew back to the safety of the ____25_____ and Grandma. We waited breathlessly in the dark for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie.

  That night, I realized that Father Christmas was alive and well, and we were on his team.

1.A. him  B. her   C. them   D. you

2.A. angry   B. happy   C. tired   D. afraid 

3.A. book   B. coat   C. present   D. money

4.A. what   B. when   C. where   D. how

5.A. everybody   B. nobody   C. somebody   D. anybody

6.A. girl   B. boy   C. man   D. woman

7.A. for   B. on   C. in    D. with

8.A. always   B. often   C. sometime   D never

9.A. so   B. if   C. but   D. and

10.A. where   B. that   C. who   D. why

11.A. read   B. say   C. write   D. spell

12.A. helped   B. believe   C. taught   D. made

13.A. give up   B. give away   C. put up   D. put off

14.A. on   B. behind   C. outside   D. over

15.A. shop   B. cars   C. door   D. trees

Maria lives in the beautiful countryside．She usually gets up early in the morning， 16  she’s never late for schoo1．After getting up，she often showers and has a good breakfast．Then she  17  for school at around 6：30．  18  her home is very far from school，she likes riding her bike better than  19 the bus．It takes her about an our   20  her bike．It’s so long! On the way，she sings and sings so she always feels  21 ．Also she thinks that it's good for her health   22  to school by bike．

After school she usually goes back   23  with her friend，Linda．Linda’s home is nearer than Maria’s． It’s only three miles from her home   24  schoo1．Linda likes riding，too．And she also thinks t．hat it is a good  25 of transportation．