It's easy to see how to help others, but what about those whose needs aren't so obvious? This story
may have happened a while back, but it was a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.
It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my parents at a shelter for the poor. We stood behind
the counter dishing out hot food to whoever came in. most of our dinners looked like they had been
having hard times, their clothes old, worn and dry. In short, they looked poor!
     Then, a man came in, who looked anything but poor. He was well dressed, wearing an expensive suit.
I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw dropped in amazement when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station, the more I muttered. What was this man doing? I wanted to
know. Surely he wasn't gong to take food.
     Then my mother quietly took me to one side. She said, "You have assumed that the needs of the
people who come here must be purely physical: hunger, inadequate shelter and needs are emotional?
What if he needs comfort, friends, or just to be among other human beings?" her words hit me like a ton
of bricks! I felt like I should apologize to the man, but I didn't.
     About a week later the shelter received a large donation from an anonymous source. I can't help but
wonder if it came from that man.
     Now, whether I meet others, I remember my mother's words and try to send kindness and blessings
to them, regardless of how they look.
     Needs aren't always visible. But kindness always makes a difference.

1. The task of the author at the shelter was to_______.

A. decide whether dinners looked poor      
B. learn life experience there
C. serve hot food to the poor                
D. help parents order dishes

2. When the man waited in line, how did the author feel?

A. Surprised        
B. Pitiful            
C. Excited      
D. Angry

3. The author felt he should apologize to the man, because he_______.

A. was asked to do so by his mother  
B. gave the man food much less than others
C. realized something was wrong with the man
D. knew later that the man went there to donate

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. We should show others kindness whatever their needs are  
B. Some needs can't be known clearly at times
C. Needs can always be met by kindness
D. We should find out others' needs 

     My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she
works hard.    1    Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.
My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the
morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon.    2    She treats them with patience and
teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a
model teacher several times.
       3  .  Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping
the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems
to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But
she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often
buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us.    4    She just eats a plain meal outside when she is
too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.
     Often she says to us, "work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy
and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society". What a piece of good
advice this is!    5  .  This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great
indeed, and I always feel proud of her.
A. She enjoys listening to classic music.
B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.
C. She loves her students and cares for them.
D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.
E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.
F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.
G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

     There lived a king who liked art. One day an artist offered to paint the most beautiful picture
in the world on the wall of his palace.
     So the king said,"All right,you may work on one of the walls in the new hall."
     Just then,another artist said, "Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I shall make
exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover,I shall do so without looking
at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so
that either of us cannot see the other."
     Everyone in the king's court,including the king and the first artist was intrigued. So the king
decided to give the second artist a chance.
     The following day,a thick curtain was put in place and both the artists got to work. The first
artist brought a regular supply of paint,oil and water. But the second one would come with a cloth
and a bucket of water every day.
     A month later the first artist said that his work was completed and invited the king to come.
     So the king sent a message to the second artist,saying he was coming to see their works that
evening.
     After seeing the first artist's wall,the king was very impressed with the painting and gave him
a huge sum of money as a reward. He then asked some people to remove the curtain.
     The same painting was seen on the opposite wall too! It was exactly like the one on the first
wall. But the second artist had not seen what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.
     The king gave the second artist a double reward,and then asked,"I am indeed very happy with
your work. But how did you do it?"
     The man said simply,"It's very easy!I just polished(擦亮) the wall every day!"
     It was a wall made of white marble(大理石)! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror.
The reflection of the painting across the room showed up in it!

1. A thick curtain was put up between the two walls to ________.

A. help them concentrate on their works
B. keep the first artist's painting secret
C. prevent their paintings from being seen by the king
D. make it hard for them to exchange ideas

2. Why did the king give the second artist more money?

A. He promised to give him a reward.
B. His painting was the best ever seen.
C. He painted better than the first artist.
D. The king thought he was very clever.

3. How was the king feeling when he saw the second wall?

A. Satisfied and curious.
B. Fascinated(著迷的) and doubtful.
C. Surprised and excited.
D. Delighted and excited.

4. The best title of the text is "________".

A. Two Artists
B. A King Who Loved Art
C. Whose Painting Is Better
D. The Paintings on the Wall

     After their 15-year-old dog Bailey died in 2007, Ron and his wife, Ann, looked for months to find the
right new pet. "I love dogs," says Ron, a worker at a health club in Waukesha, Wisconsin. "I can't imagine not having one."
     Finally, the couple spotted a young dog at the Humane Society in Milwaukee. His name was Oscar.
"He was very attractive," says Ron, 65. Oscar quickly made himself at home, sleeping on his new owners' bed at night.
     A diabetic(糖尿病人) for 25 years, Ron faithfully took his medicine four times a day and generally
had no problems. But on March 17, at about 3 a.m., he got out of bed to use the bathroom. Suddenly, he
fell down to the floor. "I must have taken the wrong amount of medicine before I went to sleep, because
my blood sugar was dangerously low," he says.
     "Normally, Oscar is very quiet and well-behaved," says Ron. "But when I hit the floor, he let out
sounds like a wild animal."
     "Honestly, it sounded like the dog from hell," says Ann, who was awakened by the sound." I didn't
know what the sound was. Then I saw my husband lying on the bathroom floor. He was cold." She ran
for the phone and called an ambulance.
     Ron spent several hours in the hospital. By 6:30a.m., he was well enough to go home. "You would
never suspect Oscar of any heroism." says his grateful owner. "He's a wonderful little guy. We are lucky
enough to own him."
     Even before Oscar's heroic action, the couple had given their pet a new nickname(昵稱). "We felt the
name Oscar wasn't good enough," says Ron, "so sometimes we call him Eduardo"-more suitable, they
think, for their dog.

1. What was Ann doing when Ron went to the bathroom?

A. She was sleeping.
B. She was watching TV.
C. She was taking care of Oscar.
D. She was talking with someone on the phone.

2. Why did Ron fell onto the floor in the bathroom?

A. He forgot to take his medicine.
B. The floor in the bathroom was too wet.
C. He took the wrong amount of medicine.
D. He is a diabetic and accidentally ate some sugar.

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Oscar was 15 years old when he was found.
B. The sound of Oscar was usually like a wild animal.
C. Ron got diabetes when he was 40 years old.
D. Ron had to take his medicine three times a day.

4. From the passage we can learn that Oscar_______________.

A. is a little noisy at home
B. sleeps with his owners at night
C. got his new nickname after the story
D. was found at a health club in Waukesha

     The island Fiji has always been around me in my life. My parents met in Fiji when my father was a
teacher as a Peace Corps volunteer and my mother a student. They taught me about its people, culture,
foods and religious beliefs.
     At the age of two, I made my first trip across the Pacific Ocean to Fiji. My mother and I made that
trip unexpectedly because my grandma was ill and longed to see her American granddaughter. Although
I have few memories of that first trip, I do remember grandma braiding(編辮子) my hair every day. The
brush gliding through my hair is a feeling I will treasure forever because she passed away soon. I returned
to America when I was five years old. This time I had a brother, Martin, who was two.
     I resisted my third trip to Fiji when I was 15, being a teenager who did not want to spend the summer
away from friends. It was this trip, however, that made me realize that Fiji is not just a place to visit but a
part of who I am. The smells and sounds and sights came back to me, but the best part was getting to
know my relatives.
     Vishal was one cousin I quickly bonded with(與…合拍). Born two days before me, I had only
known him through pictures before. Though raised oceans apart in different cultures, we talked and
laughed about everything from American sports to Fijian dancing. I was able to form close ties with all
my cousins, and when I talk about them now, it's as if I have known them my whole life. Spending time
with them helped me understand the traditions and values my mother grew up with. Hospitality (熱情)
and care and respect for family members are central values in Fijian culture.
     I truly enjoyed learning about my roots during this trip. Fuji is just like a second home, and I will never
forget the time I have spent there.

1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A. the author's parents had been classmates before
B. the author had lived in Fiji for about five years
C. the author had no memories of her grandma
D. people value family in Fijian culture

2. The author resisted her third trip to Fiji because_________.

A. she didn't want to separate from her brother
B. she didn't know her cousins there very well
C. she didn't want to separate from her American friends
D. her grandma had passed away

3. Which of the following is TRUE about Vishal?

A. He is younger than the author.
B. The author had met him on her first trip to Fiji.
C. He and the author had lots of common interests.
D. He and the author held different opinions about Fijian culture.

4. What's the best title for the passage?

A.  My Trips to Fiji
B. Discovering My Fijian Origins
C. My Understanding of Fijian Culture
D.  My Memories of Fiji