1 . An old man lived with his little grandson. Every day the old man got up early to read books.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I want to read books as you do. But I always forget what I read. What are the advantages of reading?”
The grandfather didn’t answer him, but said, “Take this little basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did as his grandpa said, but all the water leaked out before he got back home. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to walk faster next time.”
The next time the boy ran faster, but the basket was still empty before he returned home. The boy said, “See, Grandpa, it’s no use!”
“Is it no use?” the old man said. “Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and found that the basket was different. It was cleaner, inside and out.
“That’s what happens when you read books. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read them, you will be changed, inside and out.”
1. What did the old man do every day?| A．He carried water. | B．He wrote something. |
| C．He read books. | D．He did some chores. |
| A．was too busy to do it | B．got up late |
| C．he slept late | D．always forgot what he read |
| A．Twice. | B．Once. | C．Three times. | D．Four times. |
2 . Scientists have long known that a crow （乌鸦）native to New Caledonia is able to use tools. The birds use them to remove food from deep holes. Now, American researchers have discovered a second species of crow with the same ability. They reported on their experiments with Alala crows, which are from the Hawaiian Islands.
In the experiment, the researchers placed pieces of food in holes inside the wood. The holes were too deep for the crows to reach with their beaks(鸟喙). But, by using small pieces of wood held in their beaks, Alala crows quickly got the food. They used small objects as tools, sometimes changing them by shortening too-long sticks. They also made tools from plant materials.
“The crows use their beaks as people use thumbs on their hands. Tool use is rare in the animal kingdom. ” said Chritian Rutz of University of St. Andrews. “Current evidence strongly suggests that tool use is part of the species’ natural behavioral pattern(行为模式). These birds had no special training in the study, yet most of them were skilled at handling stick tools. ”
Bird experts claim finding out that the crows use tools is important discovery. “It makes us rethink how to look at the whole tool-use idea now and encourages us to go out and look for things that we may have ignored before. ”
All the Alala crows left in the world live in Hawaii. There were less than 20 Alalas left in the late 1990s when scientists decided to bring them into a protected area. Now, it is reported that there are over 100 birds living there. Scientists plan to release a small number of the birds back into the wild later.
1. What are the findings of American researchers?| A．Alala crows can also use tools. |
| B．It’s difficult for birds to look for food. |
| C．New Caledonia is home to some crows. |
| D．The Hawaiian Islands are full of rare birds. |
| A．The holes were very big and wide. |
| B．Alala crows could only use short sticks. |
| C．Alala crows got the food by working together. |
| D．Alala crows would deal with tools if necessary. |
| A．Using tools comes naturally to Alala crows. |
| B．Using stick tools is not easy for Alala crows. |
| C．Alala crows’ beaks look like people’s hands. |
| D．Alala crows won’t use tools without being trained. |
| A．Move all of them out of Hawaii. | B．Increase the population of them. |
| C．Set some of them free in nature. | D．Build more protected areas for them. |
3 . I grew up five minutes from Clapham Junction station in south London. Our house backed onto the railway, so the regular sound of passing trains was a sound I found noisy. Clapham Junction was famously busy, but it felt separate from the rest of London, as if its purpose was to carry people away from the capital. I felt I stood on the edge of the city.
During my last year at primary school, I spent every afternoon going across the road with my mum to eat white toast with drinking sugary tea. My mum would argue with the Greek Cypriot owner about politics. They disagreed about everything, but laughed a lot while arguing. Our life seemed uneventful.
But as time passed by, our area changed. The town became modern, and I changed a lot too. I went from a state primary school to a private secondary school. I stopped drinking sugary tea. I cared less about branded skirts but more about books. I spent less time hanging around the common but more travelling to the libraries where I found my interest.
It was then that I discovered Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle and Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado. After that I scanned the shelves of bookshops for some writing. In this way I found so many writers who have influenced me: Barbara Pym, EM Delafield and so on.
Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People wasn't like any other book I'd read. For more than sixty years the rock solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now this previously revised and updated bestseller is available in trade paperback for the first .time to help you achieve your maximum potential throughout the next century! I read it as a guide anyway. And in a way it was.
1. How did the author feel about her childhood?| A．Meaningful. | B．Unsatisfied. | C．Unforgettable. | D．Colorful. |
| A．She often felt lonely. | B．She usually drank sugary tea. |
| C．She began to become modern. | D．She started to like reading. |
| A．The world. | B．A dream. | C．The inspiration. | D．A plan. |
| A．My Colourful Life | B．Reading Changed Me |
| C．My Hometown Raised Me | D．My Learning Experience |
