A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the sad eyes of a little boy.

“Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies." 

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty- nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?”  

"Sure," said the farmer.

And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller.

Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy.

"No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."

The world is full of people who need someone who understands. It's National Friendship Week.

How many baby pups did the farmer have for sale?

  A. 3                                B. 4                             C. 5                             D. 6

Why did the farmer agree to sell the boy one of the puppies?

  A. The boy had the money to buy one.   

  B. There were few people wanting to buy a dog.

  C. The farmer felt sorry for the boy.             

  D. The farmer wanted to get rid of the dogs quickly.

Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “ hobbling”?

  A. strolling.                     B. crawling.                       C. limping.                 D. running.

Why did the boy finally choose the “ hobbling” pup?

  A. He feared the farmer would kill it.           

  B. He thought no one else would buy that pup.

  C. He believed it was the cutest of the pups.          

D. He could identify with this pup.

What would be the most suitable title for this passage?

  A. Man’s Best Friend                                        B. Puppy For Sale.       

  C. Perfect Match.                                                 D. Love at First Sight.

     I have recently completed my college degree. The last project was called “Smile”. The class was asked to go out to smile at three people and document their reactions（反應(yīng)）. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake.

    My husband, the youngest son and I went out to McDonald. We were standing in line when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away. As I turned around I smelled a horrible body odour（氣味） and saw two poor homeless men standing behind me. As I looked at the short blue-eyed gentleman closest to me, he was “smiling”. The second man fumbled（摸索）with his hands as he stood behind his friend.

    The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, “Coffee is all, Miss, ” because that was all they could afford.

    Then I really felt it—I almost embraced（擁抱）the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the lady for two more breakfast meals and gave them to the men.

    The blue-eyed gentleman looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you. ”

    I turned in my project. My teacher said, “Can I share this? ” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed.

    In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s and every soul that heard the story in the classroom. But, I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn.

55. The underlined part “a piece of cake” in Paragraph 1 means_______.

A. easy           B. embarrassing

C. moving         D. comfortable

56. Why did people around the author in the McDonald step back?

A. Because they were very polite to the two men.

B. Because they were moved by the two men.

C. Because the two men smelt terrible.

D. Because the two men seemed unfriendly.

57. Why did the two men only buy coffee?

A. Because they didn’t have enough money.

B. Because they didn’t feel hungry.

C. Because they knew others would help them.

D. Because they were looked down upon.

58. How did the teacher think of the author’s project?

A. Hard to believe.         B. Interesting to read.

C. Very puzzling.          D. Very satisfying.

A farmer found a wounded eagle (鷹) in his field. He was so   26   that he took it home and cleaned its wounds. After that he placed it  27  in the yard, in the hope that it    28    recover soon.
Strangely enough, the eagle soon got used to the    29   of all the chickens in the yard. It learned to    30    from side to side like chickens, and eat happily from a trough (食槽). For many years, the eagle    31    his new life on the farm.
Then one day, one of the farmer’s friends pointed to the playing    32   and asked, “  33   is that eagle acting like a chicken?” The farmer told him what had   34  , and the friend felt quite   35  .
“I can’t believe that!” said the friend. “It should fly in the    36   , not live here!” He picked up the eagle, and   37   it into the air. The eagle was  38  , and cried loudly. Then it just fell down on the ground.
That night, the friend could   39   sleep as he remembered the chicken-like eagle. The next morning, he headed back to the farm for another   40  . This time he carried the eagle to the   41   of a nearby mountain.
When he stood at the highest place of the mountain, he looked into its eyes and shouted, “Don’t you   42   ? You weren’t made to live like a chicken!” As he   43   the eagle up, he made sure it was facing into the bright   44   of the rising sun. Then he    45    tossed (拋) the bird into the sky. This time the eagle opened his wings, and disappeared into the clouds.

When a friend is sad about a tragedy(悲劇)，it’s hard to know how to comfort(安慰) him/ her. But the worst thing you can do is say nothing. It could mean that you don’t care. You don’t have to say much.. A single supportive phrase doesn’t require absolutely perfect words to break the ice. Here are some conversation starters when life difficult situations have your tongue tied.
1. A friend loses his baby.
Don’t say: “Don’t worry. You’re so young. You’ll have another baby.” Do say: “ I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to imagine what you are going through, but if you want to talk about it, call me anytime.”
2. A guy deserts（拋棄）your friend.
Don’t say: “I never liked that rat bastard (壞蛋) anyway!” ( If the couple winds up reconciling (和解)， you could end up losing your friend.) Do say: “Breaking up is always hard to deal with, but I’m here for you, whatever you need.”
3. A friend has a death in the family.
Don’t say: “It’s God’s will.” or “I know exactly how you feel.” Do say: “I’m sorry about your loss. What can I do to help?”
4. A friend loses a job suddenly.
Don’t say: “Work is always boring. Those bosses didn’t suit you!” Do say: “I’m sorry for that, but I know there’s an even better job waiting for you there. Let’s think about possibilities.”
5. Someone’s pet dies.
Don’t say: “Gee! It was only a cat!” or “My roommate doesn’t like her dog and she is getting rid of her dog. Do you want it?” Do say: “I’m sorry, she was such a great cat. How long did you have it?”
【小題1】Which of the following has the same meaning as the underlined part “have your tongue tied”?

A thief returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he had stolen from a woman after receiving 21 text messages from her, a local newspaper reported.
Pan Aiying, a Chinese teacher at Wutou Middle School in Qihe County, in East China’s Shandong Province, didn’t think her text messages would help to get her belongings(財(cái)物) back.
A young man riding a motorcycle robbed her of her bag, in which there was her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan, as she was riding her bicycle home on Saturday evening.
Pan said at first she considered calling the police, but then decided to try to persuade（說服）the young man to return her bag. Pan called her lost phone with her friend’s, but couldn’t get through. So she began sending messages.
“Hey, I’m Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you.” Wrote Pan in her first text message, which got no answer. “Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To make mistakes is human. Correcting your mistake is more important than anything.” Pan wrote in another message.
She gave up hope after sending 21 text messages without any answer and planned to call the police the next morning. However, as she left her home on Sunday morning, Pan found her stolen bag lying in the courtyard. Nothing was lost.
“Pan: I am sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. You are so kind even though I stole from you. I’ll correct my ways and be an honest person,” said a letter left with the bag.
1. Where was Pan Aiying robbed?
A. In the school.   B. At home.   C. In the courtyard.   D. on her way home
2. Why didn’t Pan Aiying call the police at first?
A. Because she thought the police wouldn’t help her.
B. Because it was too late at that time.
C. Because she wanted to communicate with the thief first.
D. Because her friend asked her not to.
3. How long was Pan Aiying’s bag missing?
A. About two days.                      B. About 12 hours.  
C. About one day and a half.               D. About 24 hours.
4. From the news we can learn that ____________.
A. the young man would not steal any more
B. Pan Aiying didn’t give up hope after sending 21 text messages
C. the young man would pay a visit to Pan Aiying personally
D. Pan Aiying teaches English in a middle school in Shandong Province

Bushwick is a tough place to grow up. This part of Brooklyn, in New York City, has a lot of crime. More than half of its 100,000 residents rely on aid from the government. Only 50% of students at Bushwick High School graduate in four years.
Some people might say, “We should help these poor kids who have so many challenges.” But Malaak Compton-Rock looks at the teens in Bushwick and says, “ Go to help kids who have even bigger challenges than you do.” She believes that once young people see the power they have to make things better, they can handle their own problems more easily. So her service group, the Angel Rock Project, took 30 Bushwick kids to Soweto, in South Africa, to help poor families there. Soweto is a township outside the city of Johannesburg. The effort, called Journey for Change, aims to show that any kid can change the world.
“Kids in Bushwick face pressure to drop out of school or become involved in gangs and drugs.” Says Compton-Rock. “We want them to live a life of purpose and service.”
In Soweto, many parents have died of AIDS, a deadly disease. When that happens, a grandparent or a child must lead the family. The Bushwick volunteers helped such families. They tended vegetable gardens, cared for babies and bought groceries.
“The saddest thing was when we visited an orphanage (孤兒院) and I helped a little boy who had been abandoned because he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS,” says Queen Clyde, 12. “It‘s been good to be on this trip. But what’s also important is what we do when it’s finished. That’s what counts.” “ I never appreciated what I had until I saw some people who had nothing,” says Sadara Lewis, 12 “It’s really changed my attitude. I want to make a difference.”
The trip was two weeks long. But the kids, aged 12 to 15, will spend all year speaking about their experience, fund-raising and more.
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

When a friend is sad about a tragedy(悲劇)，it’s hard to know how to comfort(安慰) him/ her. But the worst thing you can do is say nothing. It could mean that you don’t care. You don’t have to say much.. A single supportive phrase doesn’t require absolutely perfect words to break the ice. Here are some conversation starters when life difficult situations have your tongue tied.

1. A friend loses his baby.

Don’t say: “Don’t worry. You’re so young. You’ll have another baby.” Do say: “ I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to imagine what you are going through, but if you want to talk about it, call me anytime.”

2. A guy deserts（拋棄）your friend.

Don’t say: “I never liked that rat bastard (壞蛋) anyway!” ( If the couple winds up reconciling (和解)， you could end up losing your friend.) Do say: “Breaking up is always hard to deal with, but I’m here for you, whatever you need.”

3. A friend has a death in the family.

Don’t say: “It’s God’s will.” or “I know exactly how you feel.” Do say: “I’m sorry about your loss. What can I do to help?”

4. A friend loses a job suddenly.

Don’t say: “Work is always boring. Those bosses didn’t suit you!” Do say: “I’m sorry for that, but I know there’s an even better job waiting for you there. Let’s think about possibilities.”

5. Someone’s pet dies.

Don’t say: “Gee! It was only a cat!” or “My roommate doesn’t like her dog and she is getting rid of her dog. Do you want it?” Do say: “I’m sorry, she was such a great cat. How long did you have it?”

1.Which of the following has the same meaning as the underlined part “have your tongue tied”?

2.As a whole, what’s the suitable way to comfort your friend troubled with a tragedy?

3.Though your friend is deserted, you’d better not say dirty words about her/ his friend because _______________________ .

4.Which of the following might be suitable words when your friend’s dog dies?

A thief returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he had stolen from a woman after receiving 21 text messages from her, a local newspaper reported.

Pan Aiying, a Chinese teacher at Wutou Middle School in Qihe County, in East China’s Shandong Province, didn’t think her text messages would help to get her belongings(財(cái)物) back.

A young man riding a motorcycle robbed her of her bag, in which there was her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan, as she was riding her bicycle home on Saturday evening.

Pan said at first she considered calling the police, but then decided to try to persuade（說服）the young man to return her bag. Pan called her lost phone with her friend’s, but couldn’t get through. So she began sending messages.

“Hey, I’m Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you.” Wrote Pan in her first text message, which got no answer. “Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To make mistakes is human. Correcting your mistake is more important than anything.” Pan wrote in another message.

She gave up hope after sending 21 text messages without any answer and planned to call the police the next morning. However, as she left her home on Sunday morning, Pan found her stolen bag lying in the courtyard. Nothing was lost.

“Pan: I am sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. You are so kind even though I stole from you. I’ll correct my ways and be an honest person,” said a letter left with the bag.

1. Where was Pan Aiying robbed?

A. In the school.   B. At home.   C. In the courtyard.   D. on her way home

2. Why didn’t Pan Aiying call the police at first?

A. Because she thought the police wouldn’t help her.

B. Because it was too late at that time.

C. Because she wanted to communicate with the thief first.

D. Because her friend asked her not to.

3. How long was Pan Aiying’s bag missing?

A. About two days.                      B. About 12 hours.  

C. About one day and a half.               D. About 24 hours.

4. From the news we can learn that ____________.

A. the young man would not steal any more

B. Pan Aiying didn’t give up hope after sending 21 text messages

C. the young man would pay a visit to Pan Aiying personally

D. Pan Aiying teaches English in a middle school in Shandong Province

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the sad eyes of a little boy.

“Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies." 

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty- nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?”  

"Sure," said the farmer.

And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller.

Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy.

"No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."

The world is full of people who need someone who understands. It's National Friendship Week.

1.How many baby pups did the farmer have for sale?

  A. 3                                B. 4                             C. 5                             D. 6

2.Why did the farmer agree to sell the boy one of the puppies?

  A. The boy had the money to buy one.   

  B. There were few people wanting to buy a dog.

  C. The farmer felt sorry for the boy.             

  D. The farmer wanted to get rid of the dogs quickly.

3. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “ hobbling”?

  A. strolling.                     B. crawling.                       C. limping.                 D. running.

4.Why did the boy finally choose the “ hobbling” pup?

  A. He feared the farmer would kill it.           

  B. He thought no one else would buy that pup.

  C. He believed it was the cutest of the pups.          

D. He could identify with this pup.

5.What would be the most suitable title for this passage?

  A. Man’s Best Friend                                        B. Puppy For Sale.       

  C. Perfect Match.                                                 D. Love at First Sight.