Monkeys That Lend a Hand
Have you ever dropped something while both your hands were full and wished you had another hand to pick it up? Some people cannot use their arms or hands to do simple jobs because they have been hurt or are sick. Usually they depend on other people to help them. This problem made two women think about how they could help people who cannot do everyday things for themselves.
In 1979 Dr. M. J. Willard and Judi Zazula began looking at some small, friendly monkeys called capuchin monkeys. These monkeys have hands like people’s hands, and they like to be around people. Could the monkeys be trained to do things that people could not do for themselves? The women wanted to find out if their idea would work. So they spent a long time training some capuchin monkeys, and they found that these animals made great helpers.
Today the first step in training a young capuchin monkey is to have it stay home with people and watch how they live. The monkeys learn how to behave around people. Then the monkeys go to a special school in Boston. There they learn how to do many easy chores. They are taught how to carry food and pick up dropped objects. They learn how to open doors and turn light switches on and off. They even learn how to use CD players and VCRs.
After a monkey finishes its training, it goes to live with a person who needs help. If the person wants a light turned on, the monkey does it. If the person needs a glass of water, the monkey brings it. If the person wants to watch TV, the monkey turns it on. The monkey becomes a very important part of that person’s life. In fact, the monkey often becomes the person’s good friend.
1.Capuchin monkeys are people’s great helpers because ______________.
A. they learn more quickly than other monkeys
B. they have hands like people’s hands
C. they like to watch how people live
D. they are small, cute and naughty
2.The underlined word “behave” means to______________.
A. learn skills B. act well
C. avoid hurts D. provide help
3.What is the passage mainly about?
A. How capuchin monkeys can help people do things.
B. Why capuchin monkeys’ hands are like people’s hands.
C. Where scientists train capuchin monkeys to help people.
D. When people found capuchin monkeys were helpful.
Michael’s birthday was coming soon, so he asked his dad for a bicycle so that he would not need to walk to school anymore. However, Michael’s dad had lost his job and did not have much money. Michael got a book instead.
One bright and sunny day while Michael was walking past a store on his way to school, he saw a big boy on a bike. The bike was too small for the boy. As the boy was turning around a corner, the bike skidded （侧滑）on a small pool of water and he fell off the bike.
The boy was also in Michael’s school. The boy’s name was William. William seemed to have broken his leg. Michael picked up William’s bike and rode to the nearby hospital to get help. A few minutes later, an ambulance came and brought William to the hospital. Michael rode William’s bike to school so he would not be late for class.
After school, Michael quickly rode the bicycle to William’s house with a book and a magazine. William was not too seriously hurt. He went home after his leg was put in a cast （石膏）.
To Michael’s surprise, William was getting a new bike on his birthday in two months’ time and Michael could have William’s old bike. Michael was very happy. From then on, Michael and William became good friends. Michael visited William every day till William’s leg got well again.
1. What did Michael get on his birthday?
A. A bike. B. A magazine.
C. A book. D. A friend.
2.Which of the following is true?
A. William hit Michael on his way to school.
B. William gave his old bicycle to Michael.
C. Michael broke his leg in the accident.
D. Michael was late for school.
3.From the story, we know that Michael is__________________.
A. brave B. active
C. hard-working D. warm-hearted
Tom has received four messages today. Read and find what they are.
1.Marcos leaves the message to
A. share a book with Tom
B. get Tom’s phone call soon
C. tell Tom his story in France
D. ask Tom to look after his mum
2.Where is Jess going to meet Tom?
A. At the bar. B. At the restaurant.
C. At his home. D. At Room 314.
3. Who wants to see Tom soon?
A. Marcos. B. His mother.
C. David. D. Hans.
My mother says she probably wouldn’t love butterflies（蝴蝶）today if it weren’t for Mr. Patti.
When my mother Ada was a kid, she loved playing baseball and she wanted to for the New York Yankees. Then her brother Howie pointed out that there weren’t any women playing major league baseball（棒球联赛）. Ada realized he was right. That made her so angry that she started throwing baseballs into the air and hitting them as as she could.
One day Ada hit a ball through Mr. Patti’s window. She was about to run away when a bright yellow butterfly flew through the hole in the window. A blue butterfly . Then a lot of colourful butterflies flew out like a rainbow（彩虹）. Ada to open her arms and catch the butterflies.
It was too bad she didn’t she heard Mr. Patti shouting, “Hey! You there!” Ada almost jumped 12 feet. When she landed, Mr. Patti handed her a net and a box. He pointed to the butterflies. “One hundred butterflies. We need to get them all back. Go!”
Running with the net, Ada began to catch some of the butterflies. By the end of the day, her
was filled with butterflies ― including the bright yellow butterfly. There were still 13 butterflies missing. Mr. Patti showed Ada pictures had taken of the missing butterflies. The photographs were so beautiful that she could hardly catch her breath.
“ do you get them to stay still（静止的，不动的）?” Ada asked.
“I’ll show you,” Mr. Patti replied.
And he did. He taught my mother everything he knew about photographing butterflies. That’s her now. It is good because there still aren’t any women playing in the major leagues.
“I’ll never forget that day,” my mother says. “Breaking that window changed my .” Then she goes into her workroom, which is filled with swirling butterflies.
1.A. cheer B. play C. work D. act
2.A. carefully B. high C. hard D. proudly
3.A. appeared B. joined C. followed D. reached
4.A. offered B. wanted C. agreed D. refused
5.A. so B. because C. after D. though
6.A. net B. box C. room D. yard
7.A. she B. they C. I D. he
8.A. How B. When C. Why D. Where
9.A. job B. hobby C. pleasure D. way
10.A. project B. purpose C. life D. Plan
The teacher asked me____________.
A. when did I finish my work B. when I finished my work
C. when I finish my work D. when do I finish my work
―Can you tell me ____________the prize, Tom?
―Last year.
A. when you got B. when did you get
C. when will you get D. when you will get
