Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table, reading his book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you, but I don’t understand it, and I forget what I understand as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the book do?”
The grandpa quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandpa laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned. Out of breath, he told his grandpa that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, so he went to get a bucket instead. The grandpa said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.” The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandpa the basket was empty again. Out of breath, he said, “Grandpa, it’s useless!”
“So, you think it is useless?” the grandpa said, “Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean.
“Grandson, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you’ll be changed, inside and out.”
1.What puzzled the grandson most was _________.
A.why he forgot what he read soon B.whether it was useful to read books
C.what kind of book he could understand D.how he could read books like his grandpa
2.Why did Grandpa ask his grandson to fetch a basket of water?
A.To get him to realize the use of reading books. B.To punish him for not reading carefully.
C.To clean the dirty basket in the river. D.To train him to run faster.
3.What lesson can we learn from the story?
A.The old are always wiser than the young. B.It is foolish to carry water with a basket.
C.You can’t expect to remember all you read. D.Reading books can change a person gradually.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Grandpa and Grandson B.Carrying Water in a Basket
C.Baskets and Books D.Reading for Total Changing
It was while she was sleeping in her bedroom that a thief ______ the house.
A.broke down B.broke out C.broke into D.broke up
In the last few years, China ___ great achievements in environmental protection.
A.has made B.had made
C.was making D.is making
Jack Smith earns ______his wife Jane while they do the same amount of work, which is unfair.
A.twice as many as B.as twice much as
C.twice more money as D.twice as much as
Young drivers are far more ______ to have accidents than old drivers.
A.likely B.impossible C.probable D.possible
Oh，it’s you，Jane！I didn’t ___ you. Where have you been these years?
A.realize B.recognize C.admit D.know
