Look out for others before yourself
Farmer John and his wife lived on a farm. They raised a pig, a cow and a chicken.
One day, a mouse saw that John had set a mousetrap. He went around the farm and warned all of the other animals about the trap. “There is a mousetrap in the house!”, the mouse said to the chicken. “That’s bad news for you, but it doesn’t bother me”, the chicken said.
Then, the mouse went to the pig and the cow. But the pig and the cow did not care either.
They said they didn’t have to worry about it and wished the mouse good luck.
One night, a snake got caught in the mousetrap. John’s wife thought the snake was dead and tried to remove it. But the snake was still alive and bit her hand. She became very sick and had a bad fever. The farmer decided to make some chicken soup to treat her sickness—so he killed the chicken.
As John’s wife continued to become sicker, many of her friends came to visit her. The farmer killed the pig and used it to make food for the visitors. Sadly, John’s wife died from her illness.
The farmer killed the cow as a sacrifice for her funeral. The mouse watched all of this with great sorrow.
When we learn that someone is facing difficulties or danger, all of us can be at risk. It is better to help and encourage one another instead of leaving others alone with their problems.
1. Did Farmer John and his wife raise a pig, a cow and a mouse?2. What did the mouse do after it saw that John had set a mousetrap?
3. What happened to John’s wife before she died?
4. The mouse isn’t lucky enough to be alive, is it?
5. From the story, which animal would you like to be? Why?
Once upon a time there lived a farmer. He earned money by selling the products from his farm. He gave all his money to the poor people. So, the whole village respected him. But he had a big problem in his farm. Whenever he spread seeds (种子) in his farm, the crows (乌鸦) would come and eat them up. He was worried about this trouble as he got less money from his farm.
“I must do something about these crows. I will be in deep trouble if I do not stop these crows,” he thought. He complained about this problem to his friends. They gave him an idea to get rid of the crows. “Go to the town and buy a large net. Trap (设陷捕获) the crows in the net with some grains (谷粒).”
So the next day, the farmer bought a net and some grains. He placed the net on the farm and spread the grain over it. Then he went away and hid himself.
Soon the crows came to the fields to pick the grains. They shouted, “More grains! That farmer is indeed a fool, he does not seem to learn,” the farmer was standing over the crows. “Aha! Finally, I have got you all. For the loss you have caused me, I will put you all to death.”
Suddenly the farmer heard a weak voice among the noises of the crows. There was a pigeon (鸽子) among the crows. Both the pigeon and the bad crows were in the net. The pigeon said, “Mr. Farmer, please let me go. You are angry with the crows, not with me.”
The farmer said, “But you too have been caught stealing from my farm. I will not let you go,” said the farmer. The pigeon had to pay a heavy price for being in the wrong group. The farmer killed all the birds in his net including the pigeon. After that day, he was happy with his farm and he earned as much money as before.
1. How did the farmer make a living?2. What would happen to the seeds after he spread them?
3. Who suggested a way to catch the crows?
4. The farmer didn’t kill the pigeon, did he?
5. What do you think of the farmer? Why?
It was Saturday that day. Luke was wearing his basketball clothes, waiting for his chance to play but until last week, nobody asked him to play. Although the 18-year-old student does well in playing basketball, his coach wouldn’t like to bring Luke into play. This is because it isn’t easy for Luke to see things even when he wears glasses. He has to try his best to aim at the basketball hoop① by focusing on the right corner of his glasses. His mother said that he was born with cerebral palsy②.
On the high school’s Senior Night last week, Luke’s coach finally called him to play during the final minute of the game. With the teammates already coming to give him a warm welcome, Luke got into position as the crowd cheered him up.
“I want to get him in. It was Senior Night, the most important moment for every player in the team.” the head coach told the reporters, “If there was a chance for him, I would want to take advantage of it.”
Once the game was back in play, one of Luke’s teammates passed him the ball. Though he had been practising shooting hoops since he was in the third grade, this was the first time he had ever taken a shot on his high school basketball team. He took a deep breath to release the nervous feeling.
As the watchers waited, Luke took the shot and dropped the ball. It fell through the net, hardly touching the hoop. He made it! In fact, his score helped the team win the game. All his teammates came to hug him, showing great admiration③ and respect.
“I heard the watchers calling my name,” Luke told the news reporters. “They were jumping and shouting. I still can’t believe I was awarded the title of MVP (Most Valuable Player) of this game.”
| ① basketball hoop n. 篮筐 ② cerebral palsy n. 大脑性麻痹 ③admiration n. 钦佩 |
1. Is it easy for Luke to see things?
2. How does Luke aim at the basketball hoop?
3. Why did Luke’s coach want to give him the chance of playing on Senior Night?
4. How did Luke feel after one of his teammates passed him the ball?
5. What did the watchers do after Luke took the shot?
6. Did Luke deserve the title of MVP? Give two reasons.
A nine-year-old boy with a keen eye for both fashion and business is taking the bakery world by storm. Cory Nieves, from New Jersey, who uses the business name “Mr Cory”, not only wears tailored suits and silk ties from trendy grown-up stores, but he’s also the CEO of his very own cookie company called Mr Cory’s Cookies.
On his Website, which has 3,000 fans, Cory shows his perfect fashion sense. In one photo, he stands in front of his cookie stand in white shorts, a dark jacket, wearing fashionable glasses and a stack of bracelets to look more attractive.
Cory wrote on his website that he first came up with the idea to start a business when he and his mother moved to New Jersey from New York City in 2009, and he decided they needed a car.
He initially began selling hot cocoa in front of his home, eventually expanding into the cookie business. Not only has he developed a fan base for his scrumptious desserts, but he has also won over followers who admire his impressive fashion sense.
In the comment section on his page, fans have expressed their love, with one person writing, “This boy is really smart.”
The venture may have begun as a way to buy his mom a car, but Cory says he now has even higher hopes.
“I’m going to do it to raise money for college and for learning how to run a business,” he told NorthJersey.com.
1. What is the name of Cory Nieve’s cookie company?2. How many people show interest in Cory on his website page?
3. Why did Cory have the idea to start a business after he moved to New Jersey?
4. What actually helps Cory win over so many fans, his delicious cookies or his fashion sense?
5. How is Cory probably going to use the money he earns?
6. What kind of boy do you think Cory is after reading the passage? And why do you have that kind of impression?
I think
Every day when Mike and Sally play outside, they see a man walking with a white stick. He is blind. It always puzzles (使困惑) them. “How can he walk on such a busy street?” asks Mike. “It must be very dangerous,” says Sally.
The boy and girl watch as the man walks. He walks slowly to the traffic lights, and then stops. When the light turns green, he starts walking again. He does not hit anything as he walks. “It’s amazing. And it must be terrible, too,” says Sally. “He knows where to go and where to stop as if he could see.”
One day, as the blind man was passing by, he heard the children talking. He stopped in front of their house. “Hello, kids,” he said, “I hear you talk about how I walk.”
“Yes, we always want to know how you know where to go and when to stop on such a busy street. It is safer to stay indoors.”
The man smiled, “I trained myself to listen very well. I listen with my ears for every sound when I am out of the house. I also use my stick, which is just like my eye, to help me. When my stick hits something, I know where to stop and go around it.”
The man continued, “Yes, it is safer to stay indoors. But I love to walk. I love the warm sun. I love the smell of flowers. I love to hear the birds singing. Most of all, I love to get some exercise.”
Sally said, “Thank you. We have learned something today. We think you are a brave man. We can see. We can walk. We will get some exercise, too. You are a good example for us to follow.”
1. Mike and Sally find it strange for a blind man to walk on such a busy street.2. It’s terrible to see the blind man walk on the busy street because he often hits something.
3. The blind man knows where to go and when to stop by listening to others’ instructions.
4. The blind man thinks walking outside is more enjoyable and safer than staying indoors.
5. Mike and Sally have learned that they should enjoy life even when they meet some difficulties.
A rich man was once riding along the road and saw an old man digging in his garden. On the ground lay a young tree, ready to be planted. The rich man called out to the old man, “What kind of tree are you planting there, my good man?”
“This is a fig tree, sir.” He said.
“A fig tree?” the rich man was very surprised. “Why, how old are you, may I ask?”
“I am ninety years old.”
“What!” cried the rich man. “You’re ninety years old. You are planting a very young tree now and it’ll take years to give fruit. You certainly don’t hope to live long enough to get any fruit from this tree.”
The old man looked around the garden. Then he said with a smile, “Tell me, sir. Did you eat figs when you were a boy?”
“Sure,” the man did not know why he asked this question.
“Then tell me this,” he said. “Who planted the fig trees?”
“Why-why? I don’t know.”
“You see, sir.” went on the old man. “Our forefathers(祖先) planted trees for us to enjoy and I am doing the same for the people after me.”
The rich man was quiet and said, “You are right, my good man. We should do some things for the people after us. Thank you very much.” Then he rode away.
1. What kind of tree was the old man planting when the rich man saw him?2. How old was the old man?
3. The old man was planting the tree to get himself some fruit to eat, wasn’t he?
4. Did the rich man eat figs when he was a boy?
5. What have you learned from the story?
7 . Many young people want to be pop stars. Pop stars are rich. Many people think they are leading a happy and easy life. Is that true? The answer is definitely no. In fact, they have very hard lives. They spend much of their time on travel. Sometimes the travel is interesting, but in most time it is boring to pop stars. The following chart is a day’s life of a pop star.
| Feb. 9th, 2023 | |
| 5:00 | Woke up and had breakfast. Packed bags. Took a taxi to the airport. |
| 7:30 | Plane took off half an hour later than usual for the bad weather. |
| 8:30 | Plane landed. Waited for luggage (行李)for half an hour. Signed for fans at the airport. |
| 9:45 | Arrived at the hotel and had a short rest. |
| 10:00 | Started out to attend the meeting with fans and gave an interview to the local reporters. |
| 11:00 | Went to the radio station to attend the live show. |
| 12:00 | Had lunch with the local producer (制片人). |
| I3:00 | Went to the theatre and prepared for the night’s show. The lighting of the theatre was good, but the band(乐队) did poorly. |
| 17:00 | Back to the hotel. Tried to have a rest. Still worried about the band. |
| 18:00 | Had supper, but ate little. |
| 18:30 | Went to the theatre again and got ready for the show. |
| 19:30 | Sang very well, and audience gave a warm welcome. The band improved（改善） a little. |
| 22:00 | The show was over. Very tired from it. |
| 23:00 | Back to the hotel. Took a bath. Too excited to sleep, so watched TV. |
| 0:00 | Fell asleep, with TV on. |
| A．once | B．twice | C．three times | D．four times |
| A．singing | B．dancing | C．making faces | D．playing the piano |
| A．tired | B．excited | C．sad | D．warm |
| A．better in the show than | B．worse in the show than |
| C．in the show as bad as | D．not tell us how the band did |
| A．pop stars are not rich in fact |
| B．young people had better not be pop stars |
| C．there are many young people wanting to be pop stars |
| D．pop stars don’t have an easy life as they seem to have |
In the1800s, the steam locomotive (蒸汽火车头) was considered by many to be a symbol of the new Industrial Age. It was, in fact, one of the most important inventions of the time. Over the years, there have been many changes to the locomotive. One of the most important has been its source of power.
The first railroads used horses for power, but the development of the steam locomotive made railroads a practical way of transportation. The first steam locomotive was built in 1804 in Britain by Richard Trevithick. It could pull 50,000 pounds, but it was not very successful because it was so heavy that it caused the rails to fall apart. However, it encouraged other engineers to try to build steam locomotives. Two of the most important men to accept the challenge were George Stephenson and his son, Robert. Robert once won a contest to build the best locomotive. The Rocket, as he called it, had an average speed of 20 miles per hour, and the top speed was 29 miles per hour.
In America, developments in steam engines were close behind those of the British. In 1830, Peter Cooper’s tiny locomotive, called Tom Thumb, lost a famous race against a horse-drawn coach. Although Peter Copper failed, it still made railroad officials believe that steam power was more practical than horse power.
Just before the turn of the century, the electric locomotive became widely in use. Its most successful period was the 1940s when U.S. railroads had 2,400 miles of electric routes.
The diesel (柴油) locomotive was invented in the 1890s by Rudolf Diesel, a German engineer. The power of this locomotive came from a diesel fuel engine. The diesel locomotive is still in use today. It costs about twice as much as a steam locomotive to build but it is much cheaper to operate.
1. The steam locomotive was one of the most important inventions in the 1800s, wasn’t it?2. Who built the first steam locomotive?
3. What does the underlined phrase “fall apart” in paragraph 2. mean?
4. How fast could the Rocket go?
5. Why do you think different people have continued working hard to develop the locomotive?
9 . The students were having their chemistry(化学) class. Miss Li was telling the children what water was like in class. After that, she asked her students, “What’s water?” No one spoke for a few minutes. Miss Li asked again, “Why don’t you answer my question? Didn’t I tell you what water is like?”
Just then a boy put up his hand and said, “Miss Li, you told us that water has no colour and no smell. But where can we find such kind of water? The water in the river behind my house is always black and it has a bad smell.” Most of the children agreed with him.
“I’m sorry, children.” said the teacher, “Our water is getting dirtier and dirtier. That’s a problem.”
1. The students were having a(n) ________ lesson.| A．English | B．chemistry | C．Chinese | D．maths |
| A．rivers | B．air | C．water | D．weather |
| A．Clean | B．White | C．Dirty | D．Black |
| A．thought the boy was polite in class | B．thought what the boy said was right |
| C．agreed that the boy was not right | D．agreed that the boy was not polite |
| A．colour | B．fish | C．smell | D．both A and C |
10 . My dream school
At 10 a.m., we go to the music room for the first lesson of the day. My friends and I have fun singing our favourite songs. After music, it is time to go to the computer room. The teacher shows us some new games. Then it is time for lunch. There is an English Day in the dining hall, so we talk in English and eat English food. I have roast chicken with potatoes and peas. It is very good. Then I have some strawberry ice cream and a bottle of orange juice. School food is really good.
After lunch, I go to the gym for sport. A famous basketball player shows us a film and teaches us how to play basketball. Then we play a game. I think I can get an A for basketball — though, of course, football is my number one game.
Then we go to the school cinema. We watch Jurassic Park, to help us with our homework on dinosaurs. After the film, it is time to get on the school bus home. I talk to my family and have some noodles. Then I do my homework: reading some Harry Potter.
“Please hand in your writing now on My dream school.”
1. Which is the first lesson? English, music or computer?2. What does the writer have for his English lunch?
3. When do they go to the gym?
4. What is the writer’s favourite sport?
5. Who says the last sentence?
6. Do you like the writer’s school? Why or Why not?
