Mark Twain was a great writer. He was born in 1835 in the USA. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people like to listen to his talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.

One day, Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”

After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.

Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.

But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night. 

28. That day Mark Twain went to the town _________.

A. to see one of his friends

B. because he wanted to do something there for his writing

C. because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there

D. to see one of his relatives

29. All the people present laughed heartily because ________.

   A. the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room

   B. the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number

   C. Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents

   D. Mark Twain made a joke

30. From the story we know ____________.

   A. no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night

   B. the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night

   C. Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night

   D. there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer

31. Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. Mark Twain liked to tell interesting stories to make people laugh

   B. Mark Twain went to the small town for his writing

   C. He slept well because the mosquitoes didn’t come into his room

   D. The waiters felt sorry, for there were many mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room

Our Summer Pix 16 competition has been on for a week and we have already had hundreds of entries (参赛作品). Keep the entries coming in: the contest still runs for three more weeks. So seize the moment and join us now!

How to enter

We want your best photographs of the summer. Send your pictures to summerpix16@ irishtimes. com to be in with a chance of winning our prize - a Canon digital camera，which is sold at a price of /span>549 in shops. Each Friday, we’ll display the best photos sent in that week, and at the end of August we’ll print the winning photograph. The photos can be taken with any kind of camera or phone. We regret we cannot respond to each entry, but we will be in touch with you if your photograph is going to be published.

Terms & conditions

• The photos must be taken this summer.

• 5 photographs may be submitted by any individual person at most.

• Employees of The Irish Times and their families or other persons connected with the organizer are not suitable to enter.

• All entries without an e-mail address are disqualified.

• By handing in your photograph, you give The Irish Times the right to use your photograph to promote the competition within the newspaper and online in printed and electronic formats. The Irish Times may also use the photograph for the promotion of any other photographic competition with The Irish Times both in print and online.

21. How long does the contest last in all?

A. Only a week.                  B. Two weeks.                           C. Three weeks.                D. Four weeks.

22. What will a winner of the competition enjoy?

A. /span>549.                                                                      B. His photo being printed.

C. A Sony digital                                                           D. A job offer from the organizer.

23. Which may meet Terms & conditions?

A. Anyone has access to the competition.

B. Over 5 photos can be submitted by any person.

C. Entries without e-mail addresses are not accepted.

D. You can send pictures taken at any time.

24. What can The Irish Times use participants’ photos to do?

A. Promote itself as a better newspaper.

B. Advertise other photographic competitions.

C. Display all of the photos each Friday.

D. Sell the photos for money.

 “Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It’s Friday, and we don’t have any 21      .Can I, please?” Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was 22      next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could 23      that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

“I’m so sorry, James,” she said.

“I’m never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?” James asked sadly, almost in 24      .

“I know it’s 25       for you,” Mum said softly. “But I’m just worried other people might think we’re a little… strange. And then they would make fun of you.”

“No, they wouldn’t, Mum,” James protested. “We’re not 26     at all. We’re just ordinary people.”

Mum sighed heavily. “To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it’s given me a heavy 27      . And your poor father –he doesn’t feel 28      . He really needs a rest.”

“I can help, Mum!” James said. “29       I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?”

“Well…”Mum began.

“Great! Thanks, Mum!” James almost shouted. “Just sit there, don’t move.” He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and  30       what he needed –two spanners（扳手）.

“Hang on, Mum,” he said. “This won’t take a second.” After some 31      , James was finished. With a smile of 32       on his face he said, “There! How does that feel?” “Oh, James,” Mum said. “That’s much better! How did you do it?”

“Easy,” James said 33      .” Dad had tightened your neck bolts (螺栓) too much! I just 34      them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school.”

“What about you father? Can you 35       him?” asked Mum.

“I’ll try,” James replied. He 36      up Dad’s hair at the back of his neck and plugged the electric wire into Dad’s head. Then he turned the 37      on. Dad opened his eyes and 38       immediately. “He just let his 39      run too low, that’s all,” James said, “Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?”

“I guess so,” replied Mum. “Your friends will just have to 40       that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!”

21.  A. chance        B. message      C. homework       D. difficulty

22.  A. asleep     B. reading    C. alone       D. standing[Z-X-X-K]

23.  A. explain    B. see      C. agree         D. doubt

24. A. terror     B. tears     C. surprise    D. silence

25. A. fair      B. easy      C. good      D. hard

26. A. strange    B. normal     C. popular     D. anxious

27. A. headache    B. loss      C. task      D. day

28. A. ill      B. funny     C. sorry      D. well

29. A. As       B. If       C. Since      D. Before  

30. A. kept      B. controlled   C. found      D. returned 

31. A. requests    B. thoughts    C. repairs     D. instructions 

32. A. sympathy    B. satisfaction  C. bitterness   D. politeness 

33. A. embarrassedly B. gratefully   C. impatiently   D. proudly  

34. A. adjusted    B. collected   C. produced    D. covered  

35. A. greet     B. accompany   C. help      D. ask  

36. A. lifted     B. caught     C. gave      D. filled 

37. A. television   B. power     C. light      D. gas  

38. A. grew up    B. lay down    C. broke down   D. sat up  

39.  A. food      B. temperature  C. battery     D. blood 

40. A. prove     B. expect     C. suspect     D. accept

Speaking Up

    I never looked up when my friends were talking and joking about the retarded (智障的) boy a few tables away. It didn’t even cross my mind that he might feel __41__ when people whispered about him. So I just let them talk.

    Then came the day when I learned my brother Captain’s testing for autism (自闭症) came out positive(阳性). I had never thought about him like that. I broke __42__, crying. Everything had just changed. He was no longer a(n) __43__ little boy.

    Over time, I was able to accept his __44_ a little more. We had to __45__ because Captain needed treatment. So Captain and I both started at a new school. One day, I was standing in the bus line waiting when a “short” bus (for the retarded) came and __46__ some kids up. The children in the other line started making __47_ about the “retarded” on that bus and I felt a __48__ feeling in my heart. I said quietly that those comments weren’t very nice, __49__ no one listened.

    My family moved again. In the new school I got a __50__ to speak up pretty soon. That day, in a band class, my teacher __51__ our playing to make some comments, “… Guys, we’re playing like the kids on the short bus! Come on!”

    The entire room was laughing loudly. I felt very __52__. Then, I raised my hand. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say but I wanted to be heard.

    The whole class __53__ down. My mouth opened and this came out:“I don’t think we should make fun of the short bus, because there are people on that bus who have a lot in common with us and have the same feelings as we do.” I could feel my __54__ getting louder. “So I would __55__ it if you didn’t make fun of them.”

    The room was very quiet and everyone stared at me. My teacher __56__ for the words and then started the song again. At the end of the class, everyone was giving me strange looks. But I didn’t __57__, because I knew three things: I had spoken the __58__. I had taught everyone something, and while everyone in the classroom was being a follower, I had __59_ to take a different path since I wanted to become a __60_ and a role model. 

41. A. amazed               B. hurt                  C. uncertain           D. cold

42. A. off                     B. in                      C. down                D. away

43. A. normal                      B. noisy                 C. outstanding        D. impressive

44. A. pain                    B. interest              C. opinion             D. illness

45. A. change                B. move              C. quit                   D. study

46. A. set                 B. took                  C. brought             D. picked

47. A. jokes                  B. complaints         C. choices             D. discoveries

48. A. violent                B. strange            C. confusing         D. clear 

49. A. because                     B. if                C. but                   D. so

50. A. chance                B. position             C. topic                D. point

51. A. encouraged       B. bothered            C. enjoyed             D. stopped 

52. A. bad                   B. embarrassed      C. tense                 D. guilty

53. A. sat                   B. slowed             C. quieted              D. looked

54. A. pace                   B. voice                C. pulse                 D. breath

55. A. excuse                B. appreciate        C. stand         D. permit 

56. A. apologized           B. fought          C. allowed           D. argued 

57. A. understand          B. notice                C. return               D. care    

58. A. wisdom                   B. importance      C. matter               D. truth

59. A. helped                 B. decided             C. agreed               D. hoped

60. A. reporter                   B. thinker              C. leader                D. trainer

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

      2 只允许修改10处。

  We were just leaving the house at dinner, when the telephone rang. He was Uncle Jim, who had a bad news for us. Grandmother took a turn for the worse and was struggling breathe. I was such sad that I began to cry. I didn’t want Grandmother to die because I loved her. We forgot about our hungers and left at once to see Grandmother. She had become thin and weak. Her eyes were opened, but she could not recognize us. I sang a song, “A Little White Boat”, which Grandmother had taught me whenever I was small. Slow, her lips moving, and then she called my name.

 This pop star is very ______ with young people, who like his songs and style.

   A. familiar                            B. similar        

  C. particular                            D. popular

The loneliest chimp(黑猩猩)in the world just got the best surprise------a hug from a new friend．Ponso has been by himself for nearly three years，finding himself alone after his wife and children died on the island where they were abandoned by a medical testing company many years ago．

For years a nearby villager named Germain has been Ponso’s only company，visiting him so often to bring bananas and bread—the chimp’s only source of food on the tiny island．It was clear how much Ponso missed companionship when he was recently visited by Chimpanzee Conservation Centre Director Estelle Raballand．The chimp immediately embraced Estelle Raballand in a huge hug and laughed as she reached out for him，with his smile from ear to ear．

For those who know Ponso’s backstory，his immediate ease and trust in humans might be surprising．Ponso was one of 20 chimps，all between the ages of 7 to 11 years old，relocated to an island off the Ivory Coast after being used for testing by the New York Blood Centre．After the tests were completed in 2005，the lab reportedly transferred the chimps to a string of islands，occasionally dropping off food and water because there was none in the chimps’ new homes．

Disease and hunger soon left only Ponso，his mate and their two children standing．But at the end of 2013 they died within days of each other and Ponso was now completely alone．

A group called SOS PONSO is trying to raise money for the poor lonely chimp，already achieving its goal of $20,000 - all of which will be used for Ponso’s care．

32．What do we know about the chimp Ponso?

A．He was deserted by his family．        B．He found many sources of food．

C．He came to the island for a test．       D．He suffers from loneliness greatly．

33．How did Ponso feel about the visit of Estelle Raballand?

A．Excited．       B．Frightened．    C．Embarrassed．      D．Confused.

34．What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The chimps’ new settlement．         B．How Ponso came to the island．

C．Why Ponso was used for a test．       D．The medical test about chimps．

35．What can be inferred from the text?

A．Germain won’t visit Ponso any more．    B．A new lab will be built on the island．

C．Many people show concern for Ponso．   D．More chimps will be brought to the island．

Tips for cooking on a Tight Schedule

From my experience, there are three main reasons why people don’t cook more often: ability, money and time.  8   Money is a topic I’ll save for another day. So today I want to give you some wisdom about how to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen. Here are three tips for great cooking on a tight schedule:

1. Think ahead. The moments when I think cooking is a pain are when I’m already hungry and there is nothing ready to eat. So think about of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials ready?  9 

2. Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread?  10   It takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for a future meal.

3.  11  This may surprise you, but one of the best tools for making cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well with your appetite and schedule. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule.

Hopefully that gives you a good start.  12  and don’t let a busy schedule discourage you from making some great changes in the way you eat and live!

A. Try new things.

B. Ability is easily improved.

C. Make three or four instead.

D. Understand your food better.

E. Cooking is a burden for many people.

F. Let cooking and living simply be a joy rather than a burden.

G. A little time planning ahead can save a lot of work later on.

 More and more people began to realize that nothing could be equal to the ________ of parents for their children in the world.

  A. appreciation              B. intention          C. invitation          D. affection

 Kate was very sad over loss of the photos she had shot in China, ____this was a memory she especially treasured.

A. if    B. when

C. as    D. which

During the recent vacation I visited Dusseldorf, a city in the former West Germany. The nine- day trip left a deep impression on me. I arrived at Dusseldorf airport at six. It was already dark outside. The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to  36 . I decided to telephone the youth hotel. But to use the  37  I needed some coins(硬币). I asked a lady for  38 . To my surprise, she 39   me three coins to use. But all the phones in the  40  needed phone cards. And phone cards could only be  41  at post-office during the daytime. I was afraid I  42  be able to call the hotel. An old gentleman helped me. He couldn’t speak English but  43  that I needed to make a phone call. He showed me where the  44  was and inserted(插入) his phone card. I called the youth hotel and found a place to stay that night. The kindness of  45  made me feel that I was not far from  46 . And my first day in Germany wasn’t as  47  as I expected.

   Whenever I went, I asked people for 48  . It surprised me that almost every young German could speak English 49 . Older Germans  50  speak English very well, but they would try to help me whenever they could. One middle-aged man I  51 directions even drove me to the place I was looking for. My experience in Germany completely changed my 52 of Germans. Before, I thought they were unfriendly to foreigners. In many World War II films Germans are 53  . But things have changed  54 . And the people couldn’t be 55  friendly.

36. A. live          B. stay            C. work             D. visit

37. A. hotel         B. taxi            C. phone            D. money

38. A. help          B. advice         C. the telephone       D. the youth hotel

39. A. lent          B. shared          C. borrowed         D. gave

40. A. station        B. airport         C. hotel             D. Germany

41. A. bought        B. found          C. used             D. called

42. A. couldn’t       B. should         C. wouldn’t          D. will

43. A. mistook       B. heard          C. wondered         D. understood

44. A. phone         B. hotel          C. card              D. post-office

45. A. lady          B. old man        C. help             D. the German people

46. A. Germany      B. home          C. the hotel          D. them

47. A. unforgettable   B. interesting      C. bad              D. good

48. A. directions      B. advice         C. English           D. way

49. A. often          B. fluently        C. a little            D. much

50. A. could also      B. couldn’t        C. can              D. did

51. A. didn’t         B. lost            C. asked for         D. showed

52. A. love          B. life             C. impression        D. interest

53. A. friendly       B. enemy          C. bad manners       D. unfriendly

54. A. by then       B. since then        C. later             D. before

55. A. still          B. much            C. too              D. more

Not far from the club, there was a garden, ________ owner seated in it playing bridge with his children every afternoon.

A. whose  B. that  C. which  D. its

  “Sorry, but I don’t agree with you…” This is usually followed by unbearable silence and angry tears. I’ve always found it difficult to disagree with someone because I don’t want to lose a friend. I’ve found it even harder to accept it when someone disagrees with me, because my ego (自尊心) is hurt.

  Before the other person gets a chance to explain why she disagrees with me, my usual response would be, “If you aren’t able to see my point of view, then what you think isn’t worth my time or consideration, either.” But now I’ve come to realize that when a friend disagrees with me, sometimes she is simply saying, “I don’t agree with the way things are done.” She still respects me as a person, and is only pointing out a better way to look at a matter. However, there may be times when my friend disagrees with me because I’m against the truth. That’s when I need to listen to what she says.

  I’ve learned that for me one way to help my friend is to be open and honest with the other to voice my thoughts and listen to the other carefully. While we can’t control how a person will respond to our views, we must learn to disagree with our friends in love. We will never feel that we are better than the other person. And that will help us to be less emotional, and more objective in the way we express our opinions. In the same way, we can also stay open to feedback (反馈) from others, knowing that our friends may be correcting us in love.

  Good friendships build each other up, sometimes through disagreements and honest opinions. Though I don’t like being disagreed with, I’m starting to see the value of such disagreements.

28. The author has found it difficult to disagree with someone because _______.

   A. he is a friendly person

   B. he usually hides his ideas

   C. he has no mind of his own

   D. he wants to keep the friendship

29. When a friend disagreed with him, the author used to _______.

   A. be unhappy                     B. argue with the friend

   C. break up with the friend           D. explain things calmly

30. The author will listen to a friend when _______.

   A. he is against the truth             B. he doesn’t tell the truth

   C. he is respected by the friend        D. he does things in the wrong way

31. What does the author mainly talk about in the text?

   A. How to keep friendship.

   B. How to avoid hurting a friend.

   C. How to express disagreements.

   D. How to deal with disagreements.

It is a _______ for me to have the chance to admire such beautiful scenery.

   A. privilege            B. potential            C. promotion            D. possibility

  When you’re on the go, your best friend and resource can be your phone. In the age of smart phones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, list expenses, send postcards, and much more. When used together, these apps can be the basic travel tool, placing a wealth of information at your fingertips no matter where you are on the planet. U.S. News Travel has picked the essential travel apps, known for their utility and reliability. Best of all, they cost absolutely nothing.

Trip It

Your Personal Travel Agent

     Be your own travel agent and plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to accommodating restaurants—with Trip It. You can make travel schedule by hand, or simply forward the email confirmations of your flight, rental car, train tickets, and hotels to plans.

Weather Free

Your Go-To Meteorologist (气象学者）

     Stop trying to explain the weather forecast on the evening news (particularly when it's in a foreign language). The Weather Free app informs you (in English) of the climate in various locations, ft features the local weather, and other key factors that will inform your decision about what to wear before stepping outside.

Goby

Your Event Guru

When you're  in a   city,   you sometimes  look  around and ask:Where are all the

people? Goby  has the answer. This app  pinpoints (定位）the neighborhood hot sports

(include museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in  your  neighborhood. But its true  value comes  in  findmg nearby events. You'll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the  corner.

21. What is the advantage ofusing travel apps picked by the U.S. News Travel?

 A.They can solve any problem you come across.

 B.They reduce your travel budget.

 C.They exercise your fingertips.

D. They are reliable and free of charge

22. With the help of the travel 叩ps used together, travelers can do the following things EXCEPT______.

A. rent a car                           B.  decide what to wear

C. look for a friend while traveling    D.  find the nearby museums

23. Where are the readers likely to read the passage above?

A.In a geography textbook.  B.  In a science and technology magazine.

C.On a popular website.     D.  In a business report.

Like it or not, there will be difficult times in our lives. You might lose your job, fail in your exams or have an illness. ___16___ Here are some ways not to lose hope during difficult times.

1.1Have faith.

___17___ No matter how bad the situation is, things will turn out to be good in the end. Several years ago I failed to get my master’s degree. It was a really bad experience.___18___ It was of much better quality than my previous university. Experiences like this strengthen my belief that having faith is important during difficult times.

2.Be around supportive people.

Going through difficult times is hard, and going through them alone is even harder. You need a group of positive people who can support you. ___19___ If you don’t, my suggestion is to start looking for one. Don’t wait until you need it, because it will be too late by then. You need the community before difficult times come.

3.Help others.

An additional benefit of being in a good community is that it encourages you to think about other people. It pushes you to help others and, therefore, think about other people. ___20___ As a result, your situation won’t look as bad as it would be otherwise. Often the situation looks worse than it really is because we give too much attention. Shifting（移开）some of your attention away will put the situation in a better view.

A.Your community helps a lot.

B.Whatever it is, it’s important not to lose hope.

C.However, I changed my attitude towards failure.

D.In this way you shift your focus away from yourself.

E.But I got a scholarship at an overseas university later.

F.You must believe that things will work out well eventually.

G.You should become part of a community that cares for one another.

It happened to me several years ago when I was with my parents and sister on  41  on a farm close to Medellin. We were in a car, and it was 2:00 in the morning. We came across a car  42

As is known to all, it is   43 in some places in Colombia to stop and help strangers because it can be risky (危险的)；you can be   44 . Actually, I have heard of so many   45 in which people have been robbed just because they stopped and tried to help people who   46  to need help from the passers-by.

   47  , we didn't know whether to stop or not ; but in the end ,   48  , we decided to do it. They had really had a car accident and some of them were   49  . We took them to the hospital. They were really   50 , and we also felt very good about helping them.

   I remember the next day when we   51 my grandfathers and uncles about that, they said we shouldn’t have   52 because it was too dangerous. They thought we were   53  because we were  able to tell the   54 and still take a vacation on the farm. They   55  us never to do that again.

   I think it was risky, but it was worth taking the   56  . Otherwise, we would always have   57  if it was real. Also, if we hadn’t helped them, who knows what would have   58  to them.

  I believe that one of the reasons why we made up our mind   59 to stop was the fact that we were four people in the car. Maybe if I had been by myself   60   I wouldn’t have stopped.

41A. duty            B. time          C. show           D. vacation

42A. robbery         B. accident       C. trade           D. race

43A. convenient       B. dangerous      C. kind           D. difficult

44A. robbed          B. praised         C. appreciated      D. punished

45A. passers-by        B. cars           C. cases          D. problems

46 A. refused          B. offered         C. pretended     D. decided

47 A. However         B. So             C. Otherwise     D. Yet

48 A. unluckily         B. unwillingly      C. unexpectedly    D.luckily

49A.caught          . B.wounded      C. killed            D. injured

50. A.thankful         B. risky           C. peaceful       D. frightened

51A.told              B. spoke          C. informed      D. reminded

52A.survived          B. stopped         C. driven          D. run

53A.brave             B. kind            C. lucky           D. stubborn

54A message           B. report           C. joke            D. story

55 A. advised           B. suggested        C. persuaded    D. forced

56 A. advice            B. trouble          C. risk              D. trip

57 A. wandered          B. wondered       C. remembered     D.regretted

58 A. happened          B. faced           C. meant          D. given

59 A. brains              B. decisions       C. intentions      D. minds

60A. in the future       B. at that time   C. at times         D. time and again

My son was a second-grader. He went to school by bus every day. He was the first student on in the morning, as we were farthest from school, and the last student off in the evening. I was a teacher myself and it was a comfort to realize the school staff (职员) were all working as hard as I was to provide a safe learning environment.

One day I came home from work and waited for my son to get home for a long time. Then I called the school. “Perhaps he’s just a bit late,” said the secretary. “I will call the driver to see if those children are home.” A few minutes later, I answered the phone to hear that the other students were home. Then I called his friends’ parents, to see if perhaps he had gotten off at their stop to play. The answers were all “No.”

By that time, it was dark and I was scared. My home was in the mountain areas, and it was said that a wolf had come up somewhere. My husband wasn’t at home, so I forced myself to calm down and decided to go out to look for him. I was about to go out when the telephone rang; it was from the driver. “He’s okay,” I heard. “He was asleep on the seats in the back, under a couple of jackets. Since it’s dark, can he spend the night with my family?”

      I was relieved and agreed. Since my son had a great adventure, the school started giving a copy of the list to the driver, so he could check off the children’s names when they got off the bus. I think highly of the school for taking the cautionary (警戒的) step ahead; it is a sign of their concern for students, parents, and staff.

5. From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________. 

A. the author’s son went home by bus every afternoon

B. the author’s son came to school earlier than other students

C. the author’s home was farther than that of any other student

D. the author was a teacher in her son’s primary school

6. At first the secretary thought ________.   

A. the author’s son was still at school 

B. the school bus would arrive in a while

C. the author’s son was at his friend’s home

D. there might be something wrong with the school bus

7. The author’s son probably spent the night _________.   

A. in the bus      B. at his own home   C. at the driver’s home    D. in the secretary’s office

8. The author wrote the text to ________. 

A. praise the school for its quick action           B. thank the bus driver for his kindness

C. complain about the secretary of the school  D. show her concern for kids safety

    My father, at the death of his father, was six years old, and he grew up without education. He moved from Kentucky to Indiana when I was seven. We reached our new home about the time the state came into the Union. It was a wild area, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. I grew up there. There were some so-called schools, but what was required of a teacher never went beyond “reading, writing, and adding.” If a stranger supposed to understand Latin happened to live for a time in the area, he was looked on as wizard (奇才). There was simply nothing to excite a desire for education. Of course, when I grew up, I did not know much. Still, somehow, I could read, write, and add, but that was all. The advance I have now made is on this store of education, which I have picked up under the pressure of necessity.

21. When the writer was a child ____ .

   A. his grandfather died in the state of Kentucky

   B. his family had to move from place to place  

   C. Kentucky joined the Union as a member state

   D. his family settled down in the countryside of Indiana

22. When the writer was seven, his family moved to an area where ____ .

   A. educated people were greatly respected

   B. only a few had a knowledge of Latin

   C. the land had yet to be farmed

   D. people were often killed by wild animals

 23. The schools in the area ____ .

   A. were of poor quality (质量)        B. offered all kinds of subjects

   C. respected those who knew Latin     D. had teachers good at reading, writing, and adding

24. How did the writer look at his early education?

   A. He believed he met the school requirements.

   B. He thought it was not satisfactory.

   C. He thought he was well-educated.

   D. He believed he was poorly educated.

25. At the time he wrote, the writer ____ .

   A. had to learn to read, write and add

   B. was probably fairly well-educated

   C. found it necessary to receive advanced education

   D. was dissatisfied with his level of education

Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness? ___28__. The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.

※ Make a plan for attaining goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.

※Surround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by people who think that way. ___29___.

※When something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow setbacks to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the circumstances back to their favor.

※__ 30_  . These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.

※   31   . Whether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously (下意识地) putting yourself in a better mood.

※Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.

※Keeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness.   32  .

A．What makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy.

B．On the contrary, if you are around people who are happy, their emotional state will be infectious.

C．Being overweight or not eating nutritious foods can have a negative effect on your mood．

D．These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves.

E．Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy.

F．There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.

G．It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.