My father woke me up early one summer morning when I was fourteen and announced, ^u Get up,you're going with me to cut grass."

The idea that my father actually thought I was old enough to help him in his business made me feel proud and excited. From sunrise,my father,my younger brother and I worked in the large yards,in a rich part of Atlanta,Georgia. By the end of the day I was tired out,but I felt well. I had put in a day's hard work and had earned $6.

One day my father found some leaves I'd missed and pulled me aside. ^uClear away these leaves," he said seriously, "and don't make me have to tell you to do it again."The message was clear. Today I value the importance of doing a job right the first time. It will never fail to impress (給. 留下印象) the person you are working for.

After two years my father told my brother and me that he felt we were old enough to do lawns (草坪) on our own. Every Saturday during my last year of high school,when I was 18 ,we set out early in the morning every day.

Taking care of lawns was not exciting or highpaying,but that didn't matter. It taught me that any job's a good job and that whatever I was paid was more than I had before.

A newspaper reporter once asked me how someone could possibly live on a forty-hour-a-week minimum (最低) pay, "My father never worked just forty hours a week,and neither have 1 ," I replied, "If you're only working forty hours a week,you probably don't want to do any better than you are doing."In every job I've had,from doing lawns to washing dishes,I have learned something that helps me in my next job. If you work hard enough,you can learn from any job you do.

(   ) 11. Why did the writer feel proud and excited when asked to cut grass?

   A. Because he was old enough to help his family.

   B. Because he became important to his father's business.

   C. Because he was able to take care of large yards.

   D. Because he could earn $6 that day.

(   ) 12. The word "message" in the third paragraph probably refers to         .

   A. not leaving behind

   B. giving no excuse for your mistakes

   C. doing a job good at the very beginning

   D. missing things which can be found out

(   ) 13. What does the underlined sentence "My father never worked just forty hours a week,and neither have I" in the last paragraph mean?

   A. My father worked more than forty hours a day and so have I.

   B. My father didn't work forty hours a week and neither have I.

   C. My father worked less than forty hours a week and neither have I.

   D. My father worked more than forty hours a week and so have I.

(   ) 14. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

   A. My Father and I

   B. Jobs and Pay

   C. Experience is Wealth

   D. Jobs and Life

(   ) 15. Which of the following is the most important thing that the writer has learned from his father?

   A. Be strict with yourself while doing any job.

   B. Set out early for work.

   C. Keep learning from any job you do.

   D. Work over 40 hours every week.

When he was small,Hill was widely known as a bad boy.

At the age of 9,his father married his stepmother. At that time they lived poor in the countryside while his stepmother was from a wealthy family.

His father introduced Hill to his stepmother as he said, "Dear,I hope you notice in the whole country this is the worst boy,who has made me have no other way. Maybe before tomorrow morning,he will do a bad thing you will never imagine."

To Hill's surprise,his stepmother went up to him with a smile,held up his hands and looked at him carefully. She said to her husband, "You're wrong. He is not the worst boy,but the most intelligent and creative boy. Only he doesn't find a place to let out his passion."

His stepmother's words warmed his heart,tears almost rolling down. With this,he started building friendship with his stepmother. And this became the drive of his life,making him create 28 successful golden rules,which helped thousands of ordinary people set foot on the road to success.

Before his stepmother came,no one had ever praised him smart. However,his stepmother's words changed his life.

When Hill was 14 years old,his stepmother bought him a used typewriter and said to him, "I believe you will become a writer. " Hill accepted her gift and expectation,and started contributing to a local newspaper. He understood and enjoyed his stepmother's love while he saw with his own eyes she had changed his family with her love.

The strength from his stepmother led to Hill's imagination,inspired his creativity,helped him link with a lot of wisdom and made him a rich man and famous writer in the United States and one of the most influential persons in the 20th century.

Praise will never be unnecessary,especially for children. A sincere praise may be better than 10 ,000 severe blame.

(   ) 6. What surprised Hill was that         .

   A. his father told his stepmother he was a bad boy

   B. his stepmother had a great deal of money

   C. his stepmother praised him when they first met

   D. his father looked down upon him

(   ) 7. According to the passage,the underlined phrase "let out" is the closest in meaning to         .

   A. finish   B. express

   C. describe   D. cry

(   ) 8. Which of the following was one of Hill's achievements?

   A. He created 28 successful golden rules for the wealth.

   B. He became a famous writer in theUnited Kingdom.

   C. He became a wellknown typist.

   D. He was one of the most important writers in the 20th century.

(   ) 9. From the passage we can see that         .

   A. Hill's stepmother didn't regard him as what other people thought of him

   B. It was Hill's mother that led him to become a famous writer

   C. Hill's family was very rich all the time

   D. Hill was always full of wonderful imagination and creativity

(   ) 10. Which is the best title of the passage?

   A. Hill―a Famous Writer

   B. What Great Mother's Love

   C. The Praise That Changed the Life

   D. A Bad Boy Who Turned over a New Leaf

Your school has planned a visit to Lions Nature Education Centre. Here is what you should know about the centre. Please read it.

Lions Nature Education Centre Lions Nature Education Centre opened in 1991 on what was once a government farm is Sai Kung. Both the government and the Lions Club own it now. Aims The aim of the centre is to show visitors everything to do with rural (鄉(xiāng)下的) Hong Kong. We also hope to educate people about the environment. For this reason,it's really a popular place for school trips and outings.

Facilities (設施) The centre has a large number of indoor and outdoor facilities and exhibitions (展品" The outdoor facilities include a garden,vegetable fields and a place where trees are grown for study. Indoor exhibition halls provide different kinds of plants,fishes and other things from land or sea. The Farmers' Market is open at weekends.

Rules for visitors

. Wear proper clothes,shoes and hats.

. Bring some water and food,but take your rubbish away with you.

. Do not break any natural appearance or plants,and do not make the water dirty.

. Care for other visitors and wildlife (;野生動植物) ，and do keep quiet wherever you go-Opening hours We are open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Exhibition halls are open from 9 ：30 a.m. to 4 ：30 p.m. The centre is closed every Tuesday. Address：Hiram's Highway,Sai Kung Phone: 2792 2234 Website：http：// www. hknature. net/ Ineci

(   ) 1. You can visit Lions Nature Education Centre         .

   A. in the city centre   B. at Hiram's Highway   C. on a government farm   D. inside the exhibition halls

(   ) 2. In the centre,visitors can learn about         .

   A. rural clothes and shoes

   B. different kinds of seafood

   C. outdoor lions in nature

   D. the environment around us

(   ) 3. Before your school go to the centre,you should tell them         .

   A. not to visit the Farmers's Market

   B. not to make a noise or wear hats

   C. to care for the wildlife and water

   D. to look for rubbish and take it away

(   ) 4. Lions Nature Education Centre is closed         .

   A. at weekends   B. after 4:30 p.m.

   C. during weekdays   D. before 9:30 a.m.

(   ) 5. For more information about the centre,you'd better.

   A. call at 2792 2234

   B. ask other visitors

   C. study the facilities

   D. provide the website

Summer holidays give us more time for r 1       books. Children are more interested in reading books than adults (成人) .We can fly in the world full of imagination (想象) ，v 2       great people and enjoy wonderful stories. Books are our w 3       to the world.

Today many children like to watch TV,play computer g 4       or go on the Internet. These things let children 1 5       imagination. If you ask any child about a famous writer,you will get an answer like "I don't know anything about him        (or her) . " But if you ask them about a hot TV program or a popular computer game,they will tell you e 6       about it.

Books are people's best f 7       . But today's children don't read books often. They lose the habit (習慣) of reading. Reading is one of the best h 8       a person should have. We can get pleasure (快樂) and k 9       from good books.

"Children should have the habit of reading," an education official (官員) says. "Books can become a beautiful net. They help children save their purity (單純) ，happiness and courage (勇氣) ."

Parents can help. They can read bedtime stories to children. If parents have the habit of reading books,children will be likely to f 10       them.

1. r       2. v       3. w       4. g        5. 1         

6. e       7. L      B. h        9. k       10. f       

In American schools there is something called Homecoming (校友會) Day. Many high schools and colleges with a football team have a homecoming game. This can be the most important event of the year except graduation (畢業(yè)) or commencement (畢業(yè)典才L) day. Students plan homecoming day for many weeks in advance.

Several days before Homecoming,students start to decorate (裝飾) the school. There are signs to wish good luck to the team,and many other signs to welcome all the graduates. Many people still come to Homecoming twenty or thirty years after their graduation.

The members of school clubs build booths (攤位) and sell lemonade (檸檬汁) ，apples and sandwiches. Some clubs help to welcome visitors.

During the day people like to look for teachers that they remember from long ago. Often they see old friends and they talk together about those happy years in school.

Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When the game is half over,the band (樂隊) comes onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the Homecoming Queen or King appears. All the students vote a most popular student Homecoming Queen or King. It is a great honor to be chosen.

Homecoming is a happy day,but it is not perfect unless the football team wins the game. Even if the team loses,the students still enjoy Homecoming. Some stay at the school to dance,and others go to a party. For everyone it is a day worth remembering.

(   ) 11. The most important event of the year in high schools and colleges is         .

   A. homecoming   B. the football game

   C. graduation   D. winning the game

(   ) 12. When do students begin to arrange everything for homecoming?

   A. The day before Homecoming.

   B. Many weeks before the day.

   C. When the guests arrive.

   D. In the days before Homecoming.

(   ) 13. Which of the following is not done on Homecoming?

   A. To see old friends.

   B. To call on teachers they remember.

   C. To watch the football game.

   D. To go home to see their family.

(   ) 14. The underlined word "vote" in the fifth paragraph means         .

   A. attend a meeting   B. elect or choose

   C. hold a celebration   D. have a football match

(   ) 15. Who can probably become Homecoming Queen or King?

   A. The student who is liked most by the others.

   B. The guest who is most popular with the students.

   C. The students who is most liked by the guests.

   D. We don't know.

Tomorrow was a young man's girlfriend's birthday and he was having a difficult time deciding on a present for her. He had a very special reason for a right gift: tomorrow he was going to make an offer of marriage to her.

He finally decided on perfume (香水) .All girls liked perfume. But what kind did she prefer? He couldn't ask her,because that would spoil the surprise.

At last he had an idea. That afternoon,pretending to take Fritz for a walk,he went to his girlfriend's house and got the little dog. Together,they went directly to the perfume counter of the town's biggest department store. He asked a clerk to open a large number of bottles and wave the stoppers (瓶塞) under the dog's nose.

Resting in the young man's arms,Fritz began to get tired and bored as this game went on. Then he suddenly became frisky (活蹦舌Li^的) ，wiggling in the young man's arms and barking excitedly,as the clerk waved one stopper under his nose. "I'll take that one," said the young man.

"My favorite perfume！”said the delighted girl the next morning. "How did you know?" she asked,putting some perfume behind each ear.

"Intuition (直覺) ，I guess," said the young man,deciding that it wasn't exactly wrong to tell a lie. One day,after they were married,he would admit that his intuition had really been a little dog.

(   ) 6. Fritz is the name of         .

   A. the young man   B. the young man's girlfriend

   C. a dog   D. a department store

(   ) 7. The young man felt difficult to choose a present for the girl because .

   A. he didn't have much money

   B. the present would be very important to him

   C. he didn't know what his girlfriend preferred

   D. he lived in a small town

(   ) 8. The birthday present was actually decided on by         .

   A. the young man's intuition

   B. the store clerk

   C. the young man himself

   D. the little dog

(   ) 9. When she received the gift,the girl felt         .

   A. glad but surprised   B. thankful but disappointed

   C. surprised but unhappy   D. delighted but unsatisfied

(   ) 10. The underlined sentence "he was going to make an offer of marriage to her" in the first paragraph means         .

   A. he would send her a beautiful gift

   B. he was going to give her a surprise

   C. he would ask her to marry him and be his wife

   D. he was going to hold a party to celebrate her birthday

★ The biggest shopping center KRF will open on April 18th. Everybody with today's newspaper will get a small present that day. You are welcome. Address：No. 6Bridge Street.

★ English Newspaper is looking for English speakers as editors. He ( She) should study news in college. The salary is $8,000 a year. Please send your application form in ten days.

Tel: 3343216 Address：No. 5Long way Street E-mail：englishnewspaper@ yahoo,com

★ Traditional Chinese doctor treatment. RMB 200yuan/hour. I'll go to your home. Mobile: 13212434026

★ New Madrid Vs Chinese Dragon Team Time: 7:00 p.m. Sunday,April 17th Place：Star Stadium Ticket Price; RMB 300yuan,RMB 200yuan,RMB 130yuan,RMB 'M) yuan Hotline：34124 URL; http://www. sports

(   ) 1. If anyone has the newspaper of today,he will get a small present         .

   A. on April 14th   B. on April 24th

   C. on April 17th   D. on April 18th

(   ) 2. Bob wants to be an editor,which of the following stops him achieving his dream?

   A. He is fromBritain.

   B. He send his application on May 25th.

   C. He is very short.

   D. He studies news in college.

(   ) 3. If Mr Green wants to watch the match with his two sons,the cheapest tickets will cost        yuan.

   A. 110   B. 30   C. 90   D. 350

(   ) 4. Where and when will the football match be?

   A. In New Madrid on Sunday.

   B. In Star Stadium at 7:00 p.m.

   C. In Star Stadium on April 17th.

   D. In Longway Street at 7:00 p.m.

(   ) 5. Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. The shopping center is at No. 6Longway Street.

   B. The mobile number of the Chinese doctor is 13212434026.

   C. You can order football tickets by calling 34124.

   D. You can find the information about the football ticket on http://www. sports.

I wanted to do something very special for my fifteen-year-old son,who has always been the perfect child. He worked all summer to make enough money to buy a used motorbike. Then,he spent hours and hours on it until it looked almost new. I was so proud of him that I bought him the shiniest helmet (頭盔) and a riding outfit (裝備) .

I could hardly wait for him to open up his gift. In fact,I could hardly slept the night before. As soon as Iwoke up the next morning,Iwent to the kitchen to start the coffee,tea,and morning goodies (好吃的東西) .In the living room was a beautiful keyboard (鋼琴鍵盤) with a note："To my wonderful mother,all my love,your son."

I was so surprised. It had been a longstanding joke in our family that I wanted a piano so that I could take lessons. "Learn to play the piano,and I'll get you one" was my husband's reply.

I stood there shocked (震驚的) ，asking myself how my son could afford this expensive gift.

Of course,the house awoke,and my son was thrilled (激動的) with my reaction (反應) . Many kisses were exchanged,and I immediately wanted him to open my gift.

As he saw the helmet and outfit,the look on his face was not exactly what Iwas expecting. Then I realized that he had sold the motorcycle to get me the keyboard.

Of course Iwas the proudest mother ever on that day,and my feet never hit the ground for a month.

The next day,my husband and I bought him a new "used" shiny motorcycle.

(   ) 6. What did the mother think of her son?

   A. He was good in many ways.

   B. He was helpful though a little lazy.

   C. He did well in everything he did.

   D. He cared his parents more than himself.

(   ) 7. Why did the mother buy her son a helmet and a riding outfit?

   A. In order to send her son something in return.

   B. In order to encourage her son to learn to ride a motorbike.

   C. In order to show she loved him.

   D. In order to make sure he could ride safely.

(   ) 8. The writer said "It had been a longstanding joke in our family"，she meant         .

   A. what her son said was a joke to her

   B. her son played a joke on her

   C. it was impossible for her to get a piano

   D. she should learn to play the piano first

(   ) 9. When the mother knew her son had sold his motorcycle to buy the keyboard,

   A. she thought she should stop him to do that

   B. she saw the look on her son's face changed

   C. she decided to buy him another motorbike

   D. she felt proud of her son

(   ) 10. From the passage we can know that         .

   A. there were deep love between the mother and the son

   B. her son could do something her husband couldn't do for her

   C. the son liked used motorbike more than new ones

   D. the mother had some trouble with her feet

Young Scene Concert 

Young musicians from all overGermanyperform at Young Scene Concert at Berlin's famous Quasimodo music hall. The concert is part of the Berlin Festival.

Time; 15 ~20 Nov.                                             Place：45,18756 Berlin,Germany 

Cost; Various 

Email;info @ quasimodo. de 

Phone: +34(0) 45 839 5986

Craft (工藝) Show 

You can come to the show twice a year,in spring and at Christmas. There are hundreds of artisans (工匠) from across Canada selling jewellery,pottery,glass,ironwork and clothing.

Time：26 Nov.〜7 Dec.    Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.〜10p.m.  Sat. 10 a.m.〜8 p.m.    Sun. 9 a.m. ~6 p.m.                                           Place：Direct Energy Centre 

Phone: +7 658 198 3245 

Email：askus@oneofakindshow.com 

Canada Blooms Toronto Garden and Flower Show 

The Canada Blooms Show every year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre is the Time：Sat. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun. I I a.m. ~5 p.m. Place：Metro Toronto Convention Centre 

(   ) 1. People can enjoy the music during the Berlin Festival from         .

   A. 1 -20 Mar. B. 15-20 Nov.

   C. 26 Nov.〜7 Dec. D. 1 Mar.〜20 Nov. 

(   ) 2. The musicians are from         .

   A. Berlin   B. German

   C. Germany   D. all over the world

(   ) 3. You can buy        at the craft show.

   A. glass,ironwork and clothing

   B. different kinds of flowers

   C. classic music CDs

   D. some books about film

(   ) 4. If two adults and two boys of 9 want to see the flower show and the craft show,it will cost them         .

   A. $40   B. $56   C. $76   D. $112

(   ) 5. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. Young musicians from all overGermanyperform at Quasimodo music hall.

   B. People can enjoy the music at Young Scene Concert at different prices.

   C. People can enjoy the craft show from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

   D. Toronto Garden and Flower Show is the world's largest garden show.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this a long way?" she asked. The God said, "Yes,and the way is hard. You will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy,and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children,and gathered flowers for them along the way,and bathed them in the small rivers,and the sun shone on them,and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came,and the storm,and the path was dark,the children shook with fear and cold,and the mother drew them close and covered them with her coat.

The morning came,and there was a hill ahead,and the children climbed and grew tired,and the mother was tired,too. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there."When they reached the top they said, "Mother,we would not have done it without you."

The mother said to herself, "My children have learnt courage in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today,I've given them strength."

The days went on,and the weeks and the months and the years,and the mother grew old. But her children were tall and strong,and walked with courage. At last they came to a hill,and beyond they could see a shining road and a golden gate. The mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning,for my children can walk alone."

Mother is the place you came from,your first home. She's your first love,your first friend,even your first enemy,but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time,not space ― not even death！

(   ) 11. The young mother drew her children close and covered them with her coat to         .

   A. protect them from fear and cold

   B. prevent them from storm and darkness

   C. gather them together

   D. give them warmth

(   ) 12. Why did the mother say "A little patience and we are there" at all times?

   A. To tell her children to climb the hill slowly.

   B. To give her children courage in front of difficulty.

   C. To let her children learn the patience.

   D. To offer her children her patience.

(   ) 13. When the young mother grew old,her children were         .

   A. brave and patient with strength

   B. tall and strong without patience

   C. patient and strong with bravery

   D. tall and strong with courage

(   ) 14. From the passage,we can learn that         .

   A. mother's love is unselfish

   B. children grow faster with mother's love

   C. mother can never be separated from us

   D. mother always appears when we have difficulties

(   ) 15. What does the underlined sentence "I have reached the end of my journey" mean?

   A. I don't want to continue the journey.

   B. I have arrived at my destination (目的地) .

   C. Fm old and will get to the end of my life.

   D. I can't go with you and you are old enough to take care of you.