This is a story about a boy called Sparky. For Sparky， school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He got a zero in physics. It made him the worst physics student in the school’s history. He didn’t do much better in sports. Although he tried to join the school’s golf team， he quickly lost the only important match.
He didn’t have friends， either. Other kids didn’t care about him. If a classmate said “Hello” to Sparky outside of school， he would feel very surprised. Sparky was a loser and everyone knew it. So he accepted (承认) it.
But one thing was important to Sparky-drawing. He was proud of his artwork. In senior high school， he sent some cartoons to the editors (编辑) of the yearbook but he was refused. Sparky was hurt. But he didn’t lose hope because he believed in his ability and he stuck to drawing. He decided to become a professional (专业的) artist.
He wrote a letter to the Walt Disney Studios after graduating from high school. The studio asked him to draw some cartoons on a certain subject. Sparky spent a lot of time on the cartoons. Finally， the reply came from Disney Studios； they aren’t like cartoons.
Was it time to stop drawing? Sparky didn’t think so. He started to put his own life in the cartoons. He created his childhood self-a little boy loser； Charlie Brown. He wasn’t good at football. But Charlie Brown would soon become famous worldwide. Sparky， the boy who used to fail in school and who was refused again and again， was Charles Schulz. He created the Peanuts comic strip and the world-famous cartoon characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
1.Which of the following about Sparky is True?
A. He did well in his subjects.
B. He got a good grade in physics.
C. He didn’t accept he was a loser.
D. He didn’t lose the hope of drawing
2. The underlined words “stuck to drawing” (in paragraph 4) most probably mean _____.
A. Stopped drawing
B. Gave up drawing
C. Kept on drawing
D. Refused to draw
3.Who is Charlie Schulz according to the passage?
A. An editor of Walt Disney studios.
B. The boy who used to fail in school.
C. The boy who was good at everything.
D. The boy who was weak in everything.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Stick to Your Dream.
B. A Cartoon Character.
C. A Professional Artist.
D. How to Be an Artist.
Seed（种子）of Kindness
Jim， a successful businessman， told the experience of his childhood.
When he was 12， his parents died. He was alone and didn’t get on well with others. People always laughed at him. No one showed kindness to him.
His only friend was a dog named Tige. He gave his dog enough to eat and drink， but sometimes he was not polite to it. He didn’t know that an unkind work sometimes could cut one’s heart like a knife.
One day as he walked down the street， a young lady was walking in front of him. Suddenly one of her bags dropped from her arms. As she stopped to pick it up， she dropped other bags. He came to help her. “Thank you， dear! You are a nice little boy!” she said kindly， smiling.
A special feeling came to him. These were the first kind words he had ever heard. He watched her until she went far away， and then he whistled （吹口哨）to his dog happily and went directly to the river nearby.
“Thank you， dear! You are a nice little boy!” he repeated the woman’s words. Then in a low voice he said to his dog， “You are a nice little dog!” Tige raised its ears as if it understood.
“Uhum! Even a dog likes it!” he said， “Well， Tige， I won’t say unkind words to you anymore.” Tige waved its tail happily.
The boy thought and thought. Finally he looked at himself in the river. He saw nothing but a dirty boy. He washed his face carefully. Again he looked. He saw a clean nice boy. He was amazed. From then on， he had a new life.
After telling this， the businessman stopped for a while， and then he said， “Ladies and gentlemen， this is the very place where that kind woman planted in me the first seed of kindness. All of us should learn about kindness. What a great power it has!”
1.Who was Jim’s only friend?
A. The dog.
B. The businessman.
C. The young lady.
D. The gentleman.
2.One day as Jim walked down the street， ______ .
A. he said kind words to the lady
B. he looked at himself in the river
C. he saw a young lady dropped her bags
D. he told the experience of his childhood
3.Jim was feeling ______ when he whistled to his dog.
A. funny B. excited C. sad D. lonely
4.Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A. Jim usually had many friends around him.
B. Jim often washed his dirty face in the lake.
C. Jim never took good care of his friend， Tige.
D. Jim thought the woman planted in him the first seed of kindness.
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The Weekend By Rosie | June 6， 2016 Hi! I’m on vacation here in London… and it’s fantastic! On Saturday I was in the British Museum for three hours. On Sunday I visited Tower Bridge. Where were you over the weekend? Tell me your news! | ||
| DISCUSSION | |
| Sophia·9；30 Glad you’re having a great vacation. I was in the Summer Palace in Beijing on Saturday. I was there for a flower show. It was amazing! And there were lots of people. But on Sunday it was rainy and I wasn’t very well. I stayed in bed for a whole day. | |
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| Steve·10；10 It was cloudy the whole weekend in Paris. On Saturday I was at a football game with my classmates. It was exciting! On Sunday I was at the shops with Ann for four hours. |
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| Jack·11；00 I wasn’t at home over the weekend. On Saturday I was in Scotland for a trip. It was a lovely， warm day and I had a picnic with friends. It was great! Sunday was boring. It took me five hours to get back home. It was a long journey. | |
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| Kate·11；20 On Saturday I was at Heathrow Airport. I met a friend there and we talked together for two hours. I was very happy. On Sunday I was in Sydney for a concert. It is winter in Australia， and it was windy and cold! | |
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1.On Saturday Rosie was ______.
A. in the Summer Palace
B. in the British Museum
C. at Tower Bridge
D. at Heathrow Airport
2.What was the weather like when Sophia was in Beijing on Sunday?
A. Cloudy. B. Warm. C. Rainy.D. Cold.
3.Kate talked with her friend for______.
A. Two hours
B. Three hours
C. Four hours
D. Five hours
4.Jack was in Scotland for ______.
A. a flower show
B. a concert
C. a football game
D. a trip
Christmas Gifts
On last Christmas Day， our parents’ home was full of joys of a close family relationship but this year things are different. Our father had gone on November 26， and this was our first Christmas without him. Mother was doing her best to be good， but I could tell this was especially ______for her. I’m not sure if I should give her my planned Christmas gift.
A few months earlier I had painted two pictures of my parents. I’d planned to give them as ______gifts.
While painting one day， I was surprised by the doorbell ringing. I opened the ______. My father came. I showed ______the paintings. Finally， with tears running down his face， he said， “I don’t believe it. Look， how beautiful your mother is. Will you let me decorate them with frames(相框)?”I______offered to send them to the frame shop the next day.
Several ______had passed after my dad died. It seemed all happiness was taken away from my mother and me. I finally remembered to call about the paintings and was glad that my father had got a chance to see the pictures before he died. I was surprised when the shopkeeper told me my father had visited the shop，______the frames and had them wrapped(包起来).
As I ______my mother’s sad eyes and unsmiling face， I ______to give her Daddy’s and my gift.
After looking at the paintings and the card， with tear-filled eyes and a wide smile， she said， “I knew Daddy would be______us on Christmas Day!”
I looked at the gift card with my father’s handwriting. “Mother； Our daughter reminded me why I am so lucky. I’ll be looking at you always. Daddy.”
1.A. interestingB. hardC. easyD. proud
2.A. Mother’s Day B. birthdayC. New Year D. Christmas
3.A. door B. windowC. boxD. present
4.A. it B. herC. himD. them
5.A. happily B. sadly C. quickly D. strangely
6.A. minutesB. hours C. weeks D. years
7.A. heard of B. paid for C. shouted at D. gave up
8.A. looked atB. looked afterC. looked for D. looked out
9.A. happenedB. forgot C. promisedD. decided
10.A. forB. with C. on D. at
— Can you tell me ______?
— He lives in Shanghai.
A. where Mark lives B. where does Mark live
C. where Mark lived D. where did Mark live
He ______ in this factory for 20 years already.
A. worksB. will work C. has worked D. is working
