Finally Home
Last year, my parents moved to this town. I had to go to a new school and found no one to be friends with because I wasn’t interested in the topics most of my classmates liked.
“Maybe I’ll never have real friends,” I thought.
I closed my eyes and imagined playing my drums. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a guitar.
I followed the sound and found out that was a band. I recognized the guitar player at my first sight and so did he.
“Hey, you’re Cassie from my class!” his voice surprised me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just haven’t heard any live music in this town before! You sound great—did you guys write that song?”
“Yeah—well, we’re still working on it. I’m Matt.” He stood up and held out his hand.
“Mind if I listen in?” I asked in a low voice.
“Not at all,” Matt said, smiling. “Maybe you can give us some suggestions!”
The song was pretty good and I could really improve it with my drum skills. Behind my drum set was the one place I felt completely like myself. But I wasn’t sure if I wanted to open that door to the world.
“Hey, do you play drums?” Matt asked suddenly.
His question surprised me. How did he know? And then I followed his eyes to my hands, which had been beating a rhythm(节奏) on the floor. I tried to say no, but my heart stopped me from refusing. “Sure, I’ve been playing for a few years,” I said finally.
“Oh, wow! You’ve got to join us!” Matt said. “I have some drums over here.”
I looked at their shiny faces. “Absolutely. I would love to play!” I replied.
“One, two, three, four!” Matt counted and began singing, and I knew I was finally home.
1.When the writer first went to a new school, she _____.
A. joined a music club B. had no close friends
C. could play the guitar D. developed a new hobby
2.How did the writer feel when Matt asked if she played drums?
A. Surprised. B. Scared. C. Worried. D. Excited.
3.The writer said she was finally home because______.
A. she learned to play the drums
B. she decided to leave the town
C. she loved her home very much
D. she made some friends finally
Tonya Andrews is a math teacher in Texas. For 16 years, she loved her dear pet cat Blondie very much and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. It is totally understandable that she had a special feeling for Blondic because she’d saved her from a building in Forth Worth. But recently, shortly after she and her husband had realized that Blondie seemed to be getting sick, the elderly cat died in her arms on her way to the pet hospital. Naturally, Mrs. Andrews was heartbroken.
After Blondie’s death, Mrs. Andrews went to work every day, feeling upset. She couldn’t help but share the sad news with some of her students at Joshua High School in Joshua, TX, and shortly after, a few of the girls in her class came up with a few surprises to cheer her up.
As one student filmed the moment, the girls first gave her some white roses, followed by cupcakes and balloons to express their care. Mrs. Andrews seemed touched, but it was their next surprise that deeply moved her and that everyone was talking about.
All that the shocked teacher could seem to say was,“Are they for me?”as she held the baby cats named Missy and Girlie.
“I knew something was going on when only half of my class was in my room, second period the next day when the bell rang,”Andrews told the Huffington Post, feeling thankful. “Then she held them out to me and said they were mine. My heart can now experience happiness again.”
What the high school students did is really meaningful, especially for people who have gone through loss, like Tonya Andrews. The good news is that it certainly looks like it was worth all the efforts. Tonya Andrews finally was happy when her students did kind things for her.
1.Why did Mrs.Andrews have a special feeling for Blondie?
A. Because Blondie got sick.
B. Because she was always lonely.
C. Because Blondie was her first pet.
D. Because she saved Blondic from a building.
2.What did Mrs.Andrews do after Blondie died?
A. She shared the sad news with her students.
B. She bought two baby cats, Missy and Girlie.
C. She got into an argument with her husband.
D. She gave up her job at Joshua High School.
3.According to the passage, what are Mrs.Andrews’ students like?
A. Confident and honest. B. Understanding and caring.
C. Humorous and active. D. Brave and strong-willed.
Money in the Bank
“Jamila, I just found a five-dollar bill on the table,” said Mrs.Johnson. “Is that your money?” Jamila looked up from the book she was reading. “Oops. I emptied my pockets before I left for soccer practice yesterday. I was running late, so I didn’t have time to take the money up to my room.” Jamila’s mom handed her the bill and watched as her daughter placed it in her book.
Jamila went back to read. A moment later, she heard her mother give a deep sigh(叹息). “Jamila, you just put that money in your book. I’m quite sure that you won’t be able to find it when you need it. You are working so hard to save for a new bicycle. I don’t want you to lost any of your hard-earned(辛苦挣得的) money. Don’t you have a piggybank?”
Jamila nodded. “I have one, but the key doesn’t work and I can’t get the money out. Some of my money is in a jar(罐子) on my desk. Some is in a box on my bed. I might also have some in other books.”
Mrs.Johnson smiled at Jamila. “It looks like it’s time for you to get your own bank account(账户)，” she said. “Do you want to go to the bank with me?”
Jamila jumped up. “Will the account be in my own name?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course,” answered her mom. “You might be surprised by how much you have when your money is all in one place. At least you’ll know where it all is.”
At the bank, Jamila and her mother opened a savings account. The banking manager explained how the money in the savings account would earn interest. The longer the money stayed in the account, the more interest it would earn.
Jamila was surprised to learn that she could earn money just by saving her money in a savings account. “I wish I had done this a long time ago,” she winked at her mom. “Maybe I’d have already saved enough to buy my bike.”
1.Where did Jamila put the money after her mother handed it to her?
A. In her pocket. B. In a piggybank.
C. In a jar. D. In her book.
2.Mrs.Johnson thought Jamila should have a bank account because _______.
A. it could encourage Jamila to work harder for her new bicycle
B. Jamila put money everywhere and might lose some of it
C. the money in a savings account could earn interest
D. Jamila spent much more than she earned
3.How did Jamila feel when she knew she could earn money by sawing money in the bank?
A. Sorry. B. Proud. C. Surprised. D. Confused.
California
Hollywood
You can stand in the footprints of Johnny Depp at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and then meet his model（蜡像）, along with Hugh Jackman, Lance Armstrong, and Brad and Angelina, all at Madame Tussauds.
Santa Cruz
Go to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, which is in a lighthouse, and see surfboards including one eaten by a shark. Next stop, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for a ride on the Giant Dipper roller coaster.
Venice Beach
This is where skateboarding started, so you must visit the famous skate park right on the beach. Also watch the bodybuilders at Muscle Beach Gym, which is where Arnold Schwarzenegger started his career.
Los Angeles
Have you ever wanted to record yourself? Now you can visit the fantastic Grammy Museum. You can also learn how to dance like Michael Jackson, and find out about the connection among different music styles.
1.If you want to stand in the footprints of Johnny Depp, where can you go?
A. Los Angeles. B. Hollywood. C. Venice Beach. D. Santa Cruz.
2.People must visit the skate park on Venice Beach because ______.
A. skateboarding was started there
B. many famous people go there
C. they can learn how to dance there
D. there are roller coasters to ride on
3.The passage is probably a(n)_______.
A. bedtime story B. letter from an old friend
C. school notice D. introduction for tourists
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1.The company offers free hard rubbish collection service for each family _____.
A. once a week B. twice a year
C. three times a year D. once a month
2.What can be collected as hard rubbish?
A. Glass. B. Fridges. C. Clothes. D. Chemicals.
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— Kitty, you are a good dancer. — __________.
A. Sure B. Thank you
C. You’re right D. No, I’m not
