25、One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.

However, he lost his nerve (胆量) when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe (欠) you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” With these words, Howard Kelly left that house.

Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Dressed in his doctor’s clothes, Dr. Kelly went into her room and recognized (认出) her at once. From that day on, he gave special attention to her, and determined to do his best to save her life.

At last the woman was saved. Dr. Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words:

“Paid in full with a glass of milk. Dr. Howard Kelly”

Tears of joy flooded her eyes…

1. The boy sent newspapers door to door in order to________.

A. continue his schooling

B. become a famous doctor

C. thank the woman for her kindness

D. support his poor family

2. Which is TRUE about the boy and the woman?

  A. He became too shy to ask her for a drink of water.

  B. She thought he was not hungry but thirsty.

  C. She wanted him to pay for the glass of milk.

  D. She never thought he would save her life later.

3. After Dr. Kelly knew who the woman was, he_______.

A. began to take good care of her himself

B. told her she once gave him a glass of milk

C. made up his mind to try his best to save her

D. asked for her bill and paid it off at once

4. The word “positive” can be replaced (替换) by “________”.

  A. excited                                               B. sure

C. embarrassed                                        D. sorry

5. The best title for this passage is ________.

  A. A Glass of Milk                             B. A Warm-hearted Woman

  C. The Final Bill                   D. A Famous Doctor

24、

1. Jesica ________.

A. wonders how to make new friends

B. wishes to be on the Olympic team

C. is afraid to tell her mom about her failing a test

D. keeps worried about what other people think about her

2. ________loves playing soccer best.

  A. Erica           B. Eva            C. Ashley           D. Jesica

3. Erica’s dad doesn’t support her because he thinks she________.

A. is a little shy and can’t do it well         B. didn’t start at a very early age

C. is too young to be on the team                  D. doesn’t work hard

4. According to Dr. Molly, Eva should ________.

  A. hold on to her dream                   B. always tell the truth

  C. be brave to say hello to others            D. be confident of herself

5. Which is the correct order of Dr. Molly’s answers to the four letters?

  A. ①④③②          B. ④②③①             C. ②③①④            D. ④①③②

23、In a 2005 survey of 2,500 schoolchildren in six cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, it was found that about 77% of them were short of sleep. Should school hours be cut? In a new survey taken by the China Daily website, almost 70% of the 1,133 people online agreed with cutting school hours, while 22% disagreed and 10% gave no answer.

Liu Xing (12-year-old, 6-grade student): I get up at 5:50 every school day, have breakfast at 6:15, leave home at 6:30 and, after a 30-minute bus ride, arrive at school at 7:00, a full hour before lessons start. Besides, I spend my weekends taking classes in math and English, as well as learning to play the piano.

Wang Qun (Liu Xing’s mother): My son is still not doing enough to win a place at a top high school, as it is so competitive (竞争的). They want students with good English and math and also special skills.

“Craig” (netizen (网民)): The best way for children to learn is through play. Through play, they can develop their characters, learn to be independent (独立的) and improve all kinds of skills.

“Skylark” (netizen): Young parents have little time to play with their children, so letting them go home early is not a good idea. I think schools should have more activities for children after class.

Qi Zhen (high school teacher): People might take some time to accept shorter school hours. It will also take time to change people’s traditional mind that going to college is the only way to a good job.

1. The China Daily website took a new survey to ________.

A. see how many schoolchildren are short of sleep

B. see what people think of cutting school hours

C. give schoolchildren more time to play

D. help Liu Xing with his math and English study

2. ________probably disagree with shorter school hours.

A. Wang Qun and “Skylark”                  B. Liu Xing and “Craig”

C. Liu Xing and “Skylark”                 D. “Craig” and Qi Zhen

3. When do Liu Xing’s school lessons start?

  A. At 7:00.                              B. At 7:30.

C. At 8:00.                              D. We don’t know.

4. Which is NOT true about Wang Qun?

A. She wants her son to have many kinds of skills.

B. She has little time to play with her son every day.

C. She believes a happy childhood means a failed adulthood (成年).

D. She’s quite sure her son will be able to get into a top high school.

5. What can we learn from Qi Zhen’s words?

  A. Schools should have more activities for children after class.

  B. All the schools will take shorter school hours soon.

  C. There’ll be a long way to go to change people’s traditional mind.

  D. Through play children can develop well in different ways.