高中英语故事类阅读试题

阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Previously, I heard a story about a mother who had two daughters. She loved them very much, but two girls would fight with each other from their earliest years. As they grew older, they became total strangers. They had no contact with each other when they were adults.
This caused the mother great pain. Then, later, she had an idea. She decided to write a letter to them. In this letter, she told them how much she loved them, and how she wanted them to love each other in this way. She also gave them news of herself, and some guidance on how they might live happier lives.
When the letter was ready, she wrote out one copy for each daughter, but these copies were special. Each copy contained only every second sentence of the original letter. The copy for one daughter had only the even(偶数的) sentences, and the other daughter’s copy contained only the odd sentences. Neither copy made sense on its own. Neither contained the fullness of the mother’s message.
When the two daughters received their letters, they were puzzled. If they really wanted to know what the letters said, they would have to put the two letters together, and read them as one. That meant they must approach one another again in mutual(彼此的) love and respect.
For a long time, the mother waited in vain. Both daughters tried to understand the half-letter, but they each blamed the other for not helping them. Each daughter thought she knew her mother better.
Then one day, when the mother had almost given up hope, there was a knock at the door. There they stood, together. “We’ve come home,” they said at the same time. “We’ve finally put our letters together, and we’ve come to say how much we love you, Mum.” Then she hugged them both, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, and welcomed them back home.
Why did the mother give her daughters incomplete letters?

A．She wanted to tell them her good news and bad news.

B．She hoped they would ask her for more information.

C．She hoped they would approach each other and make up.

D．She thought she could change their attitude towards her.

It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A．love can neither be bought nor sold

B．faults are thick when love is thin

C．without respect, love can’t go far

D．love can help enemies become friends

What is the best title for this passage?

A．An Unusual Letter

B．A Mother’s Endless Love

C．Special Daughters

D．Deep Love from Daughters

阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said,“Let’s do something to pass the time.”
“What do you want to do?” the businessman asked. “We can ask each other riddles.” The farmer said,“You start.”“Let’s make the rules first,” the businessman said. “That’s not fair. You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer.”
“That’s true.” The businessman said. “What do you want we should do?” “If you don’t know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50.” The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, “OK. That’s fair. Who will go first?”
“I will,” The farmer said. “Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” The business man repeated the riddle, “What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that’s a good one. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.” He gave the farmer $100, then said, “Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?”“I don’t know.” The farmer said and gave him $50.
The story happened ____________.

A．on a farm

B．in a shop

C．before a long plane journey

D．between two passengers

What does the word “riddle” mean in this story?

A．A difficult question to find the answer to.

B．Something to help to make rules.

C．Something to win money.

D．a kind of game on doing business.

Why did the businessman agree to give more money if he lost?

A．He made much more money than the farmer.

B．He thought he knew more than the farmer.

C．He was interested in making riddles.

D．He was better at playing riddle games.

Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The two men made rules for their riddle.

B．The farmer was much cleverer than the businessman.

C．The two men made their riddle game more interesting by paying it for money.

D．The businessman knew the answer to his riddle.

阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
I had just gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was a strange farmer. I had never met him before although I had heard people talk about him. He sounded quite nervous and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understood anything. Even then all I could understand was that someone called Milly had had an accident. I hadn’t the slightest idea who she was but I obviously had to go.
It had been snowing heavily that day and I didn’t know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there, waiting for me. “She meant more to me than anyone.even my own wife!” he said. I could see that he had been crying. I thought something terrible had taken place, a possible scandal(丑闻). I was even more shocked when he told me he had put her in the barn (厩). “I wouldn’t leave her out in the cold!” he said.
Milly had clearly been a secret lover of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door. He lifted his candle and I saw a dark figure on the ground. “She was such a good cow! I wouldn’t let anyone but a doctor touch her!” he said, and burst into tears again.
What do we know about Milly from the story?

A．She was the farmer’s wife.

B．She had an accident.

C．She was hidden somewhere.

D．She had caused a scandal.

The farmer wished that the writer might    .

A．free him from a scandal

B．keep the whole things a secret

C．look into the matter

D．bring Milly back to life

The person who told the story is probably a    .

A．country doctor	B．farmer
C．newspaper reporter	D．policeman

阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was to catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the frogs and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading (传播) diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
From Paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers __________.

A．worked very hard for centuries

B．were poor but satisfied

C．dreamed of having a better life

D．lived a different life from their forefathers

Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?

A．The frogs made too much noise.

B．They needed money to buy medicine.

C．They wanted to please the visitors.

D．The frogs were easy money.

What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?

A．There were too many insects.

B．The crops didn’t do well.

C．The visitors brought in diseases.

D．There were too many frogs.

What is the main idea of the text?

A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country.

B．Health is more important than money.

C．The harmony (和谐) between man and nature is important.

D．Good old day will never be forgotten.

阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
For 52 years my father got up at 5:30 am every morning, went to work, and returned home at 5:30 pm. I never saw my father stayed home from work ill, nor did I ever see my father lay down to take a nap. He had no hobbies, other than taking care of his family. All he asked from me, his daughter, was to help him while he was repairing something, so we could have some time to talk.
For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me at 9:00 am every Sunday. Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea. Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swing set for my daughter.
On the morning of January 16, 1996, my sister telephoned me: my father was in the hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤) in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way I realized that I hadn't communicated with him as much as I'd always wanted to. I vowed(发誓) that when I arrived, I would have a long talk with him. I arrived in Florida at 1:00 am, only to find that my father, at the age of 76, had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.
From the first paragraph we can infer (推断) that the author's father ______.

A．was a good driver	B．had many hobbies
C．sometimes fell ill	D．was in good health

The underlined phrase "other than" in the first paragraph has the same meaning as "______".

A．without

B．including

C．except

D．due to

According to the last paragraph, we can know that the author's father was born in ______.

A．1920

B．1918

C．1916

D．1922

The author wrote the article in order to ______.

A．praise her father

B．remember her father

C．show her father was healthy

D．let her father be known

Lisa Pina never thought she would need the fire safety training she received during her apprenticeship (学徒期) as a union painter and dry waller. On Friday morning，she was thanking God she had it.
On Thursday night，while Pina was babysitting her granddaughter，nephew and two nieces in her sister’s apartment，she smelled smoke and realized the apartment building was on fire. When her 4­year­old granddaughter Ilean Garcia began saying，“We’re going to die，”she knew she had to act.Pina,39，first sealed the door，and then told all four children to get on the floor. After calling 911，she told the children to start singing and promised them all treats as soon as they reached safety. “I said，‘OK，we’re going to lie down and we’re all going to play a game，’” Pina said. “We all started singing our ABCs and 123s.I was just trying to make it fun.” Pina patiently waited，and a few minutes later，Riverside County sheriff’s deputies (治安官的助手) arrived. Pina，Ilean,8­year­old Gabriel Parga,5­year­old Aubreyana Parga and 4­year­old Meriyah Parga were all trapped on the second floor as flames filled the first story.  Pina did the only thing she could. She opened the window and dropped the children，one­by­one，into the arms of the sheriff’s deputies about 15 to 20 feet below. “I just needed to keep the kids calm so they wouldn’t be afraid，”Pina said.“I was deathly afraid inside，but I couldn’t let them know that.”[Not long after dropping the children out of the window，firefighters arrived with a ladder and rescued her. Ten people were treated at the scene for suffering smoke，but nobody was seriously injured.
The text is mainly about________.

A．a big fire without serious injury

B．an urgent call 911

C．a brave babysitter

D．a babysitter rescuing kids from a big fire

The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refers to________.

A．a union painter

B．a dry waller

C．the fire safety training

D．the apprenticeship

Before Lisa Pina called 911，in order to prevent the fire，she________.

A．let children get on the floor

B．opened the windows of the second floor

C．closed the door hard

D．had children start singing

According to the text，we know that________.

A．Lisa Pina was the last one to be rescued

B．the fire didn’t cause any injury

C．the children were sent to hospital after the fire

D．during the fire Lisa Pina wasn’t afraid at all

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
Why did the author follow her son?

A．Because there might be danger.

B．Because her son was doing a good deed.

C．Because she was curious.

D．Because she intended to help.

Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?

A．Rain was in great need.

B．Billy carried water with his small hands.

C．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again.

D．There were few trees in the woods.

Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.

A．⑤③②①④	B．③②⑤①④
C．④①③②⑤	D．⑤②①③④

Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Importance of water	B．The water of life
C．How to save animals	D．Animals in danger

Children’s lives have changed greatly over the last 50 years. But do they have a happier childhood than you or I did?
It’s difficult to look back on one’s own childhood without some element of nostalgia(怀旧的). I have four brothers and sisters, and my memories are all about being with them, playing board games on the living room floor, or spending days in the street with the other neighborhood children, racing up and down on our bikes, or exploring the nearby woods. My parents scarcely appear in these memories, except as providers either of meals or of severe blame after some particularly risky adventure.
These days, in the UK at least, the nature of childhood has changed dramatically. Firstly, families are smaller. It is common for both parents to work outside the home and there is the feeling that there just isn’t time to bring up a large family, or that no one could possibly afford to have more than one child. As a result, today’s boys and girls spend much of their time alone. Another major change is that youngsters today tend to spend a huge amount of their free time at home, inside. This is due to the fact that parents worry far more than they used to about real or imagined dangers, so they wouldn’t dream of letting their children play outside by themselves.
Finally, the kind of toys children have and the way they play is totally different. Computer and video games have replaced the board games and more interesting activities of my childhood. The irony(讽刺) is that so many ways of playing games are called “interactive”. The fact that you can play electronic games on your own further increases the sense of loneliness felt by many young people today.
Do these changes mean that children today have a less relaxing childhood than I had? I personally believe that they do, but perhaps every generation feels exactly the same.
What is the purpose of the direct question given in the first paragraph?

A．To get people’s attention and lead in the topic.

B．To gather people’s opinions on childhood.

C．To show who the passage is written for.

D．To compare the childhood lives of two generations.

Which is NOT a reason for the changes?

A．Families are smaller today.

B．Parents worried too much about their children.

C．Toys can be played by children alone at home.

D．It’s too dangerous to play outside.

What has the writer focused on in the fourth paragraph?

A．Young people today shouldn’t play electronic games.

B．Some games that young people play today aren’t really good.

C．Computer and video games have replaced the board games.

D．Board games are much more interesting than computer games.

The writer’s attitude towards the childhood changing is ________ .

A．approving	B．unconcerned
C．objective	D．optimistic

A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town, but it was raining hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village.
On his way home he saw a person lying on the ground. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking his baskets.
The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked, “Are these yours? ” “Yes, sir. ” The farmer answered timidly（胆怯地）. “Have you killed the man?” “No, no, sir.” The farmer said in a hurry. “When did you see the dead man?” “About seven last evening. ” “Did you see who killed the man?” “No, sir. ” The officer brought out a knife and asked, “Have you seen it yet?” “No, sir. ” The officer became angry and told the policemen to beat him up and sent him into prison(监狱)。
That evening the officer went on trying. Pointing to the knife, he asked again, “Have you seen it yet?” “ yes, sir.” The officer was happy and asked, “When and where?” “I saw it here this afternoon, sir.”
Why did the farmer decide to sell the vegetables?

A．To go to the market.

B．To go to see the doctor.

C．To buy some food for his family.

D．To buy some medicine for his wife.

The farmer didn’t sell out his vegetables until the evening because ________.

A．they were too bad

B．they were very expensive

C．it rained hard that morning

D．people wouldn’t go out on such a bad day

Why did the farmer run quickly?

A．He was afraid to see a dead man.

B．His wife was waiting for him at home.

C．The policemen were coming towards him.

D．It was so late and he had to buy some medicine.

The officer tried（审讯）the farmer to _______.

A．ask if he had seen the knife

B．know who had killed the man

C．ask when he saw the dead man

D．know if he had seen the dead man

I fell in love with England because it was quaint (古雅)—all those little houses, looking terri­bly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good man­ners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good man­ners—people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public trans­port after 10 p. m. I used to use it , but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbor who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.
The writer doesn’t like London because she ______.

A．is not used to the life there now

B．has lived there for seventeen years

C．prefers to live in an old-fashioned house

D．has to be polite to everyone she meets there

Where do people usually meet their friends in England?

A．In a cafe.	B．In a restaurant.
C．In a nightclub.	D．In a pub.

The underlined part “it” (in Para. 4) refers to______.

A．a taxi	B．the money
C．a bomb	D．public transport

The writer took her neighbors to France for Christmas because he ______.

A．felt lonely in England

B．had never been to France

C．was from a typical French family

D．didn't like the British idea of family

Samuel Osmond is a 19-year-old law student from Cornwall, England. He never studied the piano. However, he can play very difficult musical pieces by musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven just a few minutes after he hears them. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in parts. Then he thinks about the notes in his head. Two years ago, he played his first piece Moonlight Sonata（奏鸣曲）by Beethoven. He surprised everyone around him.
Amazed that he remembered this long and difficult piece of music and played it perfectly, his teachers say Samuel is unbelievable .They say his ability is very rare, but Samuel doesn’t even realize that what he can do is special. Samuel wanted to become a lawyer as it was the wish of his parents, but music teachers told him he should study music instead. Now, he studies law and music.
Samuel can’t understand why everyone is so surprised. “I grew up with music. My mother played the piano and my father played the guitar. About two years ago, I suddenly decided to start playing the piano, without being able to read music and without having any lessons. It comes easily to me ---I hear the notes and can bear them in mind---each and every note,” says Samuel.
Recently, Samuel performed a piece during a special event at his college. The piece had more than a thousand notes. The audience was impressed by his amazing performance. He is now learning a piece that is so difficult that many professional pianists can’t play it. Samuel says confidently,” It’s all about super memory---I guess I have that gift.”
However, Samuel’s ability to remember things doesn’t stop with music. His family says that even when he was a young boy, Samuel heard someone read a story, and then he could retell the story word for word.
Samuel is still only a teenager. He doesn’t know what he wants to do in the future. For now, he is just happy to play beautiful music and continue his studies.
What is special about Samuel Osmond?

A．He has a gift for writing music.

B．He can write down the note he hears.

C．He is a top student at the law school.

D．He can play the musical piece he hears.

What can we learn from Paragraph 2 ?

A．Samuel chose law against the wish of his parents.

B．Samuel planned to be a lawyer rather than a musician.

C．Samuel thinks of himself as a man of great musical ability.

D．Samuel studies law and music on the advice of his teachers.

Everyone around Samuel was surprised because he _________.

A．received a good early education in music

B．played the guitar and the piano perfectly

C．could play the piano without reading music

D．could play the guitar better than his father

Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．The Qualities of a Musician

B．The Story of a Musical Talent

C．The Importance of Early Education

D．The Relationship between Memory and Music.

While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to complete. It would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to race against, even though the time on the clock is important.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold—his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
A clear minute past the average swimmer, this young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. You would have thought that he had won the gold, and should have. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to Sydney.
In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals feeling they have somehow been cheated out of gold, or when they act so proudly in front of their competitors, it is nice to watch an underdog.
The crowd changed their attitudes because _______.

A．they felt sorry for the young man

B．they wanted to show their sympathy

C．they were moved by the young man

D．they meant to please the young man

From the passage we can learn that the young man _______.

A．made his turn to start back pitifully

B．was skillful in freestyle in the game

C．swam faster than the average swimmer

D．was not capable enough to win the medal

According to the passage, “it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means _______.

A．it’s amusing to watch a man with awful swimming skills

B．it’s amazing to watch an ordinary man challenging himself

C．it’s cheerful for athletes to act proudly before their competitors

D．it’s brave enough for some athletes to remove the silver medals

What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Go for it!	B．Try again！
C．Compete for Gold!	D．Break a Record!

One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me．"What’s a colander(漏勺)?" he asked．
I could only blame myself．In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own．But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for．
As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers．I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course．I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no．For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine．One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting．Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven．
I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping．"I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day．Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless．
Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family．That’s what I call a man．I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law．
Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?

A．Because he was not well behaved．

B．Because he refused to help with dinner．

C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools．

D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools．

In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______．

A．building up children’s confidence

B．telling kids what is right and wrong

C．preparing children for their future life

D．making children live a hard life

After learning to do housework, Ray _______．

A．fell in love with sewing

B．did other work in the house

C．began to be more hardworking

D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts

We can infer from the text that Ray _______．

A．made great progress in cooking．

B．always thought housework interesting．

C．preferred sewing to cooking．

D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first．

What would the author like to convey in the text?

A．Useful education for boys

B．The importance of housework

C．Boys should be involved in housework．

D．Cooking and sewing make boys masculine．

We once had a poster competition in our fifth grade art class.
“You could win prizes,’’ our teacher told us as she wrote the poster information on the blackboard. She passed out sheets of construction paper while continuing, “The first prize is ten dollars. You just have to make sure that the words on the blackboard appear somewhere on your poster.”
We studied the board critically. Some of us looked with one eye and held up certain colors against the blackboard, rocking the sheets to the right or left while we conjured up our designs. Others twisted their hair around their fingers or chewed their erasers while deep in thought. We had plans for that ten-dollar grand prize, each and every one of us. I’m going to spend mine on candies, one hopeful would announce, while another practiced looking serious, wise and rich.
Everyone in the class made a poster. Some of us used parts of those fancy paper napkins, while others used nothing but colored construction paper. Some of us used big designs, and some of us preferred to gather our art tidily down in one corner of our poster and let the space draw the viewer’s attention to it. Some of us would wander past the good students’ desks and then return to our own projects with a growing sense of hopelessness. It was yet another grown-up trick of the sort they seemed especially fond of, making all of us believe we had a fair chance, and then always — always — rewarding the same old winners.
I believe I drew a sailboat, but I can’t say that with any certainty. I made it. I admired it. I determined it to be the very best of all of the posters I had seen, and then I turned it in.
Minutes passed.
No one came along to give me the grand prize, and then someone distracted me, and I probably never would have thought about that poster again.
I was still sitting at my desk, thinking, What poster? when the teacher gave me an envelope with a ten-dollar bill in it and everyone in the class applauded for me.
What was the teacher’s requirement for the poster?

A．It must appear in time.

B．It must be done in class.

C．It must be done on a construction sheet.

D．It must include the words on the blackboard.

The underlined phrase in paragraph 3 most probably means ________.

A．formed an idea for

B．made an outline for

C．made some space for

D．chose some colors for

After seeing the good students’ designs, some students ________.

A．loved their own designs more

B．thought they had a fair chance

C．put their own designs in a corner

D．thought they would not win the prize

We can infer from the passage that the author ________.

A．enjoyed grown-up tricks very much

B．loved poster competitions very much

C．felt surprised to win the competition

D．became wise and rich after the competition

I have happy memories of trips to Europe, but my trip to Romania (罗马尼亚) was unique. When I was there as recalled, it was like being in a “James Bond” movie. My husband was born there, but his family sent him to study in Italy. Before he left, his mother told him, “As long as I write in pencil, don’t come back. When I write to you in pen, it’s safe to return.” But she never wrote in pen.
My husband lived a poor life in Italy. He applied to go to America, but there was a limit in number and he was rejected. He was accepted by Canada, though, and from Calgary he jumped onto a train to San Francisco. There he stayed —illegally. He became a US citizen when we got married. By then he was a charming European with a Romanian accent and the manners of a prince.
With seven years’ experience in America, a US passport, and two children later, he felt it was safe to visit Romania. He hadn’t seen his mother, two sisters, and two brothers since he was sixteen. We flew to Munich, Germany; picked up the German-made car we had purchased in the States; and drove to Romania via Austria and Hungary. When we reached Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, his family was waiting outside his sister’s house to greet us. After a long time of hugging, kissing, and crying, his family also hugged me, the American wife with two young children. They had great interest in me. Few Americans visited Romania at that time, and most Romanians had little chance to travel. I had brought an English-Romanian dictionary with me and managed to communicate, using only nouns, with no verbs. My Romanian improved, and the family’s stock of English words increased, but mostly I spoke in broken, New York-accented Romanian. The sisters loved their gifts of skirts and purses, the brothers loved the radios, and the children loved the candy. We made side trips to the Black Sea and enjoyed sightseeing in beautiful mountains. Dining at outdoor cafes to the music of violins was fantastic with fancy flavor, but nothing was as special as family dinners.
Romania didn’t have many dry cleaners. Most homes had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers, and it was a hot summer. My husband’s relatives didn’t want to risk dirtying their clothes. Their solution was as simple as it was shocking: the women only wore their bras(胸罩) and slips (衬裙) at dinner table. The men were eating without shirts. They all had jobs, so time was precious. Having dinner without proper clothes was a small inconvenience compared with the effort of washing clothes —at least in my husband’s home, perhaps all across Romania. I, of course, having just met them, ate fully clothed. I washed my clothes by hand and hung them outdoors to dry.
On the last night of our three-week stay, we had a large family dinner. I was tired of washing my clothes. So I pulled my dress over my head and placed it on the chair behind me. All men and women applauded for my action. Even with my poor Romanian, I understood that they were saying, “She’s part of our family now.”
My children were 4 and 5 at the time, but they still have memories of that trip. They know how to say, “Good morning.” and “There are apricots (杏子) on the tree.” I can still say, “Do you speak Romanian?” and “I swim in the Black Sea.” But most of all, I remember sitting at a long dining-room table in my bra, enjoying meatballs with fresh garlic (大蒜).
From Para.1, we learn that ________.

A．a trip to Europe would be dangerous

B．the mother didn’t want to see her son

C．Romania might be unsafe at that time

D．the mother didn’t like to write in pen

The writer’s husband became an American citizen through ________.

A．experiences	B．application
C．illegal stay	D．marriage

What made the writer feel special about the family dinner in Romania?

A．The way people dressed .

B．The way people spoke.

C．The fantastic violin music.

D．The fancy food flavor.

The writer was completely accepted by her husband’s family when ________.

A．she offered gifts to the whole family

B．she spoke her husband’s language

C．she washed all the clothes by hand

D．she had dinner in bra like other ladies

The writer shared her story to say ________.

A．“East or west, home is the best”

B．“When in Rome do as the Romans do”

C．“Marry a dog and follow the dog forever”

D．“The course of true love never runs smooth”