A girl complained to her father about her hard life．She didn't know what she had to do and wanted to give up．She felt tired of fighting and fighting．One problem had been finished but another came over．
Her father，a cook，took her into the kitchen．He poured water into three pans and boiled(煮沸) them．After boiling，in the first pan was put some carrots，the second was put some eggs and the last was put with coffee．
The girl waited impatiently (不耐煩的)，confused by what her father did．About 20 minutes later，her father took out the carrots and put them in a bowl．He took the eggs and put them in a bowl．After that the coffee was poured into a cup．“My sweet heart，what do you see？” he asked．
“Carrots，eggs and coffee，” she replied．
Her father told her to close her eyes and asked her to touch the carrots．She did so and felt that the carrots were soft．After that he asked her to take the eggs and break them．After peeling (剝開) them，she got the eggs，cooked and hard．The last，the father let her smell the coffee． She asked，“What did you do this for，F(xiàn)ather？” He explained that each had the same unlucky experience—the boiling water，but each had a different result． The strong and hard carrots had become soft and weak．The fragile eggs became hard after being cooked． The coffee was very special，they could change water．“Who are you？” asked her father．“When bad luck knocks at your door，what is your decision? Are you carrots，eggs or coffee？”
【小題1】The girl complained about her hard life because she didn't ________．

A．want to give up	B．finish one problem
C．know what to do	D．get tired of fighting

【小題2】The girl's father took her to the kitchen to ________．

A．a(chǎn)sk her how to boil eggs

B．show her how to make coffee

C．teach her how to be a cook

D．tell her how to face difficulties

【小題3】After about twenty minutes，the carrots became ________．

A．soft

B．hard

C．salty

D．sweet

【小題4】The underlined word “fragile” in the passage means “________”．

A．美味的

B．易碎的

C．特別的

D．可憐的

【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?

A．The girl's father liked to eat some kinds of food．

B．Bad luck always knocks at strong people's doors．

C．Boiled carrots，eggs and coffee had the same result．

D．People should make right decisions when in trouble．

A fish that lives in America can live out. of water for months at a time, similar to how animals got used to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a kind of little fish, lives in small pools of water. When their living place dries up, they live. on the land, said Scott Taylor, a researcher in Florida.                        
The fish can grow as large as three inches. They group together and breathe air through their skin before they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came during a trip.
"We were travelling for fun. and one day I kicked over a log (圓木) and the fish came out," Taylor told reporters by telephone. He said he would make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish(肺魚) found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in a not active(活波的)way. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and keep active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at a Canadian University.
More studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
"These animals live in conditions similar to those millions of years ago, when animals began to move from water onto land," Wright said.
【小題1】The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that_________.

A．lives on land in Africa

B．can stay alive for months out of water

C．prefers living in dry places

D．is the longest living fish on earth

【小題2】Who will write a report on Mangrove Rivulus?
A, Scott Taylor.                     B. Some reporters.
C. Patricia Wright.                   D. Scientists from Europe.
【小題3】According to the passage, lungfish can___________.

A．breathe through its skin	B．be found in Asia
C．keep alive out of water	D．keep alive and walk on land

【小題4】Which one of the sentences below is not true?

A．The Mangrove Rivulus fish can live out of water as long as other animals if it has something to eat.

B．Millions of years ago, animals began to live onto land from water.

C．Lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water in a not active way.

D．The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time.

【小題5】What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?

A．ft was made by Scott Taylor, a researcher in New york.

B．It was helped by an American magazine.

C．It was helped by Patricia Wright.

D．It was made by a researcher while travelling.

A passenger told an air hostess that he needed a cup of water to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes.
The air hostess was kept so busy that she forgot to give him the water. As a result, the passenger was held up(延誤) to take his medicine. Thirty minutes later, when the passenger’s ring for service sounded, she hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused.
In the following hours on the plane, each time the air hostess passed by the passenger, she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never answered a word..
When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the air hostess to hand him the passenger’s booklet. She was very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp words, but with a smile she handed it to him.
Off the plane, she opened the booklet, and smiled, for the passenger put it, “On the flight, you asked me whether I needed help or not for twelve times in all. How can I refuse you twelve sincere smiles?”
That’s right! Who can refuse twelve sincere smiles from a person?
【小題1】Ten minutes later, the passenger didn’t get the water, because _______.

A．the plane didn’t take off.

B．the air hostess was kept busy and forgot it.

C．it’s not allowed to take medicine during the flight.

D．there aren’t enough water on the plane.

【小題2】The underlined word “it” in Paragrouph 4 refers to the _______.

A．medicine

B．water

C．cup

D．booklet

【小題3】At the end of the story, we knew the passenger was _______ with the air hostess.

A．satisfied

B．unhappy

C．a(chǎn)ngry

D．bored

A lot of teenagers are good at art at school, but how would you feel if people called you “the new Picasso(畢加索)” or if presidents and other famous people collected your paintings?
Alexandra Nechita was ten when her paintings became famous all over the world. She visited Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and her family’s native place (祖籍) Romania where 5,000 fans came to see her at the airport. Alexandra said, “When it all started, I was moved. It was very exciting and I loved the traveling, but I got very tired. And I missed home.”
Alexandra is a good student. Her studies always come first. She only starts painting after she’s done her homework. She works on two or three paintings at a time. The paintings sell for thousands and Alexandra’s parents have given up their jobs to work for their daughter. Life for the Nechita family is very different from what it was like a few years ago.
Alexandra’s father Niki left Romania for political reasons in 1985. At first he tried his best to learn English and had different kinds of low-paid jobs. In 1987, he brought his wife and Alexandra, who was then 18 months old, to America. The family was very poor. Alexandra began to draw at the age of three.
She was drawing for four or five hours a day. Soon people offered to buy her paintings and she had her first art show at the age of eight. Stories about this child appeared in the newspapers and television. They now live in a large house with a swimming pool. Her mother said, “We started without anything, but thanks to Alexandra, we have everything we ever dreamed of.”
【小題1】Alexandra became well-known all over the world for her paintings at the age of _______.

A．18months

B．three

C．eight

D．ten

【小題2】Which country does Alexandra live?

A．America.

B．Britain.

C．Romania.

D．France.

【小題3】 Alexandra’s painting _________.

A．took her a lot of time at school

B．made her drop out of school

C．didn’t influence her studies at school

D．made her fall behind others in studies at school

【小題4】 When her family arrived in America in 1987, _________.

A．their life was very hard

B．they lived by selling Alexandra’s paintings

C．Alexandra began to draw her painting

D．her parents left their jobs and worked for her

【小題5】 From the passage, we can learn ________.

A．Alexandra was not interested in travelling

B．Alexandra’s success changed her family’s life

C．Alexandra’s parents were good at English

D．Alexandra’s stories appeared often on the radio and TV

In the United States, parents usually encourage their children to develop their potential (潛能). They pay attention to what their kids can do, not what they can’t. As a result, US boys and girls hope to be actors, athletes and doctors; many even want to become presidents when they grow up.
US parents often encourage their children to take part in all kinds of activities at school. They believe that joining in these activities can make their children mature(成熟). Schoolwork is important, but they think that social skills are important as well.
But things in China are different. Chinese parents often tell their children to study hard and pass exams. They think that, for a student, staying away from schoolbooks means wasting time. This puts a lot of pressure on Chinese students, so leaders in China’s education department have called for less homework at the lower grades. Only healthy kids can become healthy adults.
【小題1】American parents think that           .
?

A．Schoolwork is as important as social skills ?

B．Schoolwork is more important than social skills ?

C．Schoolwork is less important than social skills ?

D．Passing exams is the most important for their children

【小題2】Why do many American children have their dream jobs?
?

A．Because they start school earlier than Chinese children. ?

B．Because they study hard. ?

C．Because their parents encourage them to do less homework. ?

D．Because their parents usually pay attention to what they can do，not what they can’t.

【小題3】Chinese parents think that          .
?

A．taking part in all kinds of activities at school can make their children mature ?

B．staying away from schoolbooks means wasting time ?

C．their children should do what they want to do ?

D．social skills is necessary for the students at lower grades

【小題4】According to this passage the writer thinks         .
?

A．China’s education is better than America’s ?

B．America’s education is better than China’s ?

C．Chinese students at the lower grades should have more homework ?

D．Chinese students have less pressure than America’s