It was midday when I got the call that my grandfather was not well and he was quickly getting worse. My family did not know how long he would stay in the world. I knew I had to get to the hospital to tell him how much I loved him. As I drove to the hospital, I pictured him before I got to tell him how much he meant to me. Trying to fight back the tears, I wanted to stay calm when I saw him.
When I got to the hospital, I hurriedly looked for his hospital room. I found him in a semi-conscious state(半清醒状态). On my knees, I said softly, “Hello, Grandpa.”
Still feeling shy, I decided not to leave his bedside without letting him know. While I asked about how he was, he told me, “I’ll be fine, Henry.” although we both knew that wasn't true. Then he asked me with a smile how I was doing.
Hearing what my grandpa said, I was much moved. I made the decision that I had to show my gratitude for him. As I found all the courage (勇气) I had, I hold his hand tightly. I cried out, “Grandpa. I just want to let you know how much I love you. I hope you already know that yet I just want to make sure.” By this time, tears were rolling down my face. All those years of love that I had shut and not let him know, became free.
Smilingly, he said, “I know. Thank you for telling me that. All I have on this planet is my family and my love for them. If there is anything I could ask of you, I want you to be good to your family, your mother, your father, and your brother. That’s all I want of you.”
What I learned that day changed my whole life.
From then on, I began telling people how much I love them, care for them, and respect them. I get in touch with, for example, my babysitter, my barber, to show my appreciation. I go down into the city once a week and serve pizza to the homeless. I wake up every morning and list everything I’m thankful to in my life.
1.The author got the news of Grandpa’s illness________.
A. in the morning B. at noon C. in the evening D. at midnight
2.The author didn’t tell Grandpa his love because _______ to say love to Grandpa before.
A. he was too shy B. he was too frightened C. he was too busy D. he had no chances
3.The underlined word “gratitude” (in Paragraph 4) means _________ in Chinese.
A. 兴奋B.惊讶 C. 害怕 D. 感激
4.The author wrote this passage to tell readers mainly about ________.
A. how to think highly of others
B. how to help others get out of trouble
C. how to get in touch with others
D. how to share feelings with others
5.The story develops with the changes of __________.
A. the author’s life B. Grandpa’s feelings C. the author’s emotion D. Grandpa’s illness
You’ve probably heard of working dogs that help police officers, or horses that help farmers. Did you know that carrier pigeons（信鸽）can be trained to help people too? Here are some examples.
Mailman
Carrier pigeons can be trained to carry messages to people. The note is placed into a small can. The can is tied to the pigeon’s leg. Then the pigeon flies off with the note.
Lifeguard
From high up in the sky, specially trained pigeons can find orange life jackets in the ocean. Sometimes it is difficult for humans to find people lost at sea, especially when the weather is bad. However, pigeons can fly quickly over a large area of water to look for people.
Spy
Many years ago, carrier pigeons were used to help our country during wars (战争). “Spy pigeons” had small cameras that were tied to their feet. As a pigeon flew over enemy (敌人)land, the camera took photos of the land below. This would allow our soldiers to see where the enemies were and what they were doing.
So next time you see a pigeon, stop and watch it closely. What might look like an ordinary bird to most people, might actually be helpful.
1.Which part of the carrier pigeon is the can tied to?
A. The pigeon’s back. B. The pigeon’s head.
C. The pigeon’s neck. D. The pigeon’s leg.
2.What kind of people can the carrier pigeons find?
A. The people in orange life jackets at sea
B. The people in red jackets in the boats.
C. The people swimming in the ocean.
D. The people lost in the mountains.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. A pigeon could predict what the weather would be like.
B. A pigeon was tied with a small camera around its leg.
C. A pigeon could help us to know the number of the enemy.
D. A pigeon carried the camera to take photos of the enemy land.
4.What kind of jobs are mentioned for a carrier pigeon?
A. A mailman, a lifeguard and a spy.
B. A trainer, a spy and a police officer.
C. A soldier, a police officer and a mailman.
D. A farmer, a weather reporter and a lifeguard.
5.What is the purpose of writing this article?
A. To make readers like pigeons more.
B. To teach readers about the lives of wild pigeons.
C. To tell readers about real jobs held by carrier pigeons.
D. To share science fictions about pigeons helping people.
1.Who is this postcard sent to?
A. Peter. B. Gemma. C. Kim. D. Tom.
2.Which country does this postcard come from?
A. Canada. B. China. C. England. D. Australia.
3.How did Tom go to Holiday Cove?
A. By plane. B. By ship. C. By car. D. By train.
4.Why does Peter want to go to the aquarium instead of the crocodile farm?
A. Because he has visited it before.
B. Because he is afraid of crocodiles.
C. Because he is interested in dolphins.
D. Because he has no tickets to the crocodile farm.
5.Where is Tom going on Friday?
A. Holiday Cove. B. Rest Harbor. C. Mill Hill. D. Golden Beach.
A little boy named Harry became very ill. He had to lie in bed all day, unable to move. He spent his days feeling and blue.
There wasn’t much he could do except look out of the . Time passed, and his illness frustrated him. Until one day he saw a strange in the window. It was a penguin eating a sausage sandwich. The penguin got in the open window, and said “good afternoon” to Harry, turned around, and __ quickly.
Of course, Harry was very . He was still trying to work out what had happened. Outside his window he saw a monkey busy blowing up a balloon. At first Harry asked himself that could possibly be, but after a while, as more and more crazy-looking appeared outside the window, he couldn’t help and found it hard to stop.
An elephant jumped on a stone, or a dog wore a pair of glasses and acted in a way. The little boy didn’t tell anyone about this. Those strange characters ended up putting joy back in his heart, and in his body. Before long, his health had so much that he was able to go back to school again.
There he told his classmates all that he had . While he was talking to his best friend, he saw __ coming out of his friend’s school bag. Harry asked his friend what it was, and he was so insistent (坚持) that his friend had to show him what was in the bag.
There, inside, were all the things that his best friend had been using to try to the little boy!
And from that day on, Harry always did his best to make sure that no one felt sad and alone.
1.A. happyB. sadC. excitedD. cool
2.A. roofB. holeC. windowD. wall
3.A. photoB. paintingC. signD. shape
4.A. aboveB. belowC. overD. through
5.A. leftB. sleptC. flewD. drove
6.A. annoyedB. surprisedC. boredD. tired
7.A. whatB. whichC. whenD. where
8.A. peopleB. studentsC. childrenD. characters
9.A. crying B. laughingC. runningD. coughing
10.A. funnyB. rudeC. dullD. strict
11.A. grownB. improvedC. increasedD. developed
12.A. actedB. heardC. experiencedD. dreamed
13.A. somethingB. anythingC. nothingD. everything
14.A. quickly B. suddenlyC. immediatelyD. finally
15.A. cheer upB. give upC. make upD. put up
— Are you confident about the English Speech Contest, Sally?
— __________. I’ve got everything ready!
A. Of course not B. It’s hard to say C. Sure, I am D. I am afraid not
— Can you guess _______ the new Nike sports shoes?
—Yes, maybe he asked his grandpa for the money, I think.
A. how he paid for B. where he bought C. when he paid for D. why he bought
