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.

2. After the grandson read books, he 　　　.

A．was too busy to do it	B．got up late
C．he slept late	D．always forgot what he read

3. How many times did the grandson go to the river to get some water?

A．Twice.

B．Once.

C．Three times.

D．Four times.

2 . When my teenaged son became seriously ill, terrible times for my family began. Our once-happy home became tense and depressed. My husband and I were exhausted under the great stress of caring for my son. It was as if we forgot how to communicate-we couldn’t have a simple conversation without a fighting. Our marriage was on the point of breaking up.

One evening, my son and I were talking about gifts. I recalled my first Valentine’s present from my husband, a kazoo. I was awkward when I received it because I couldn’t get it to make a sound although I am a professional saxophone player. However hard I tried, it just never worked. The kazoo eventually got packed away and forgotten. But my son was interested and insisted on seeing it. After some trouble, I found it.

“You couldn’t get a sound? What’s so hard about it?” my husband asked, amazed. He took the kazoo and blew. Nothing happened. Surprised, he tried again. Still there was no sound. Frustrated, he tried again, only to produce a funny sound like an angry bumblebee trapped in the mouth of a bear. We burst into laughter. My son took a turn to play the kazoo. He did no better than us, causing more laughing.

Seeing his face light up, we felt as if the darkness had lifted and a ray of sunshine was let in. It was the best ten minutes of the past couple of years. The mood stayed light for the rest of the evening. It didn’t solve anything. But this experience with the kazoo brought some change in our hearts that always reminds us that there are still things to laugh at and enjoy, and that we can still connect as a family.

1. What affected the relationship of the couple?

A．Quarrels between the couple over marriage.

B．Different values they shared towards everything.

C．Stress and chaos arising from their son’s serious illness.

D．Lack of money needed for their son’s medical treatment.

2. Why did the husband blow the kazoo personally?

A．He had a love for playing the kazoo.	B．He meant to make his son delighted.
C．He wanted to ease a feeling of depression.	D．He didn’t think it that hard to play the kazoo.

3. What is the turning point of the story?

A．My failure to get the kazoo to make a sound.

B．The involvement of my husband in playing the kazoo.

C．My memory about the Valentine’s present from my husband.

D．The failed but funny playing of the kazoo by my husband and son.

4. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．Every cloud has a silver lining.	B．Parents are the best teachers.
C．Music can cure the hurt souls.	D．Misfortunes test the true love.

4 . Where does the conversation take place probably?

A．In a taxi.

B．On a train.

C．On a bus.

6 . 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.

2. What can we learn from the study?

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.

3. What do Chritian Rutz’s words mean?

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.

4. What do scientists plan to do with Alala crows?

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.