阅读理解

    Henry was a carpenter (木匠). Once I asked him to make a dinner table for my wife. He made it just the right size (尺寸) to fill the space between the two windows. When I arrived home that evening, Henry was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill (账单) for this work.

    My wife said to me quietly, "That's his ninth cup of tea today." But she said loudly (大声地), "It's a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?"

Henry laughed and gave me his bill for the work. It said:

    When I was looking at the bill, Henry said, "It's a fine day, isn't it? Quite sunny."

    "Yes," I said. "I'm glad it is only the 10th of June."

    "Me, too." said Henry. "You wait … it'll be a bit (有点) hotter by the end of the month."

    "Yes. Hotter… and more expensive (昂贵的). Dinner tables will be$20 more expensive on June 30th, won't they, Henry?" I gave his bill back to him.

    "Please add (加) it up again. You can forget (忘记) the date." I said.

    Henry looked hard at me for half a minute. In the end, I paid (付钱) him$26.50 and there was a little smile in his two blue eyes.

    There are three airports in New York. When you arrive at one of them, you can take a bus or taxi to any place in New York.

    In New York there's a good bus and subway . If you are planning to take the subway a lot, you'd better buy a subway ticket for ten journeys because it's cheaper. The New York taxis are a part of the city experience~ so you should take a taxi one time during your visit.

    There aregood hotels in New York. The best is The Plaza on 5th Avenue, but you don't have to pay a lot to live in the city. There are lots of smaller hotels.

    Shopping in New York is fun. There are many big shops on 5th Avenue. They are open seven days a week. When you go shopping, you should take more money because you have to pay a special 8% tax(税) for  you buy in New York.

    He comes from a small village far from any big town. He is the son of a farmer. He is Wu Yulu, an ordinary1from a village.

    Even when he was a child, he took a great interest2robots. He made his first mini-electrical machine at the age of 8. He worked on robots all day. Local villagers thought Wu Yulu was crazy.3, he never gave up his dream. He4most of his time on robots and didn't care about farming.

    He has made more than thirty robots with different functions. Some clean, some wash the dishes, and5light cigarettes, pour water or serve food.

    "I will never stop6robots and I'm glad that I have7," said Wu Yulu. "In 2009, I was invited to an exhibition in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province, with my robots. I am8that my robots were on show along with Shenzhou Ⅶ."

    Influenced by Wu Yulu, his son Wu Wangyang loves robots9. The man is a college student, majoring in robot design, and always helps his father make robots.10, he and his father Wu Yulu will surely invent more and more useful robots.

    I was travelling alone through the UK. To reach places that were off the public transportation map, I bought an old car, which cost most of my money. I couldn't afford to stay in the hotel, so I had to camp in my car for the rest of the trip.

    One morning I awoke in my old car on a country road in Ireland and saw a single house. The water in my thermos(保温杯) had gone cold, so I knocked on the door of the house. A woman opened it. I asked her for some hot water. But she wouldn't let me get away with just that! I was invited indoors. She asked me to sit at the table and have breakfast with her family. They filled my thermos before I left.

I was greatly moved. And I decided to pass the kindness on. The other day I met a young man who had been driving around to look for a parking lot. He looked increasingly upset. I was glad that I was able to point one out to him. His thankful smile was the hugest reward(奖赏) for me.

As prices and building costs keep rising, the DIY in big cities of China becomes more popular.

"We needed furniture for our living room," says Li Ling, "and we just didn't have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs." Li Ling got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they tried their best to make a home by themselves because the cost of living is very high. Li Ling and his wife took a two-week course for 1,280 yuan at a training school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.

Mr. Wang has three boys and his wife has died. He has a job in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for 900 yuan. "I was deeply upset(沮丧的)about it. Now I've finished a car repair course. I should be able to fix the car by myself."

Li Ling and Mr. Wang are common people. Most families in our country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a "do-it-yourselfer, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don't have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things by yourself.

    Mr. White works in a post office. His wife can't read or write. It's not easy for her to find work in their town. The man is busy all the time. But he can't  get enough(足够) money for his family. He has to mend(修理) bikes in the street after work.

    In the evening two men drink too much in a bar. At this time Mr. White is mending a bike near a shop and they hit（撞） him. They're afraid and drive away fast. They tell his wife about it then. The woman is very sad（伤心） and has to  look after him in the hospital. The boy is five but the girl is only three. . So she finds five cakes in the box and gives them to Tom. Then she says, "Look after your sister. When you are hungry（饿）, you can have them. "

A. Later the policemen come and take him to a hospital.

B. So she stay at home to look after their son Tom and daughter Betty.

C. But she is worried about Tom and Betty.

D. They can't stay at home.

E. They drive their car fast.

Simon is my friend. He lives with  grandparents near a street in the city. His grandparents are very old. They can't walk very fast(快). The traffic is  in the street every day, so he is afraid (害怕) that the cars may hit(撞) his grandparents. He tells his father about this.

Simon's father says, "We  a farmhouse in the country, and your uncle lives there. There are not many cars there, and it is quiet in the country. Your grandparents can live there. I think they must be happy to  there."

Now Simon's grandparents live in the farmhouse with his uncle. Simon goes to see them with his parents  bus every week.

Dale is an active boy. He likes all kinds of sports, especially mountain climbing. He hopes to go climbing this weekend.

Wang Fang will study in Australia next term. She'd like to make some Australian friends.

Jack wants to sell his house. It has three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bath room. It's near a subway station.

Cindy wants to do something for people who are still poor and can't afford their education in the countryside.

Alice is a student. She likes beautiful clothes, but she doesn't have much money to buy them.

Last weekend, our family went to have the Christmas diner in a restaurant. We were the only family w a baby in the restaurant. Suddenly, my baby Erik became excited when we were e our meal. I looked around and saw an old man with old clothes and dirty old shoes. He was smiling at my Erik. "He may hurt my Erik, "I thought. E in the restaurant looked at us and the old man. Then we d to leave. The old man sat between the door and us.

A I walked closer to the man, I turned my back. Suddenly, Erik reached out both arms in a baby's pick me up position (姿势) . Before I could s him, Erik got away from my arms to the man's. Soon the very old man and my y baby had a kind of friendship.

Erik put his little hand on the man's face. The man closed his e, and I saw tears (眼泪) running down his face. His hands held my baby so gently. A moment l, the old man opened his eyes, passed me my baby and said, "Thank you, madam. You've given me the best Christmas gift. "

A child saw a soul (灵魂) . H, a mother saw only a kind of clothes. I cried, with my face burning hot.

What a Kid!

Tad is a very special boy. He is confined to a wheelchair. He was born with an illness that made him unable to walk. Some boys would be sad or angry about that, but not Tad. Instead, he looks for ways to make people happy. He called the Green Oaks School for the blind and asked if he could volunteer. They said, "Sure!" Tad went to the school and quickly made friends. Every day, he reads books to the children. He plays games with them. Sometimes he helps them do their schoolwork. The children at the school nicknamed him Lucky because they feel so lucky to have him as a friend. That makes Tad happy!

It's easy to make you embarrassed (尴尬的) in your life. You may run into the wrong classroom and everyone looks at you. Or you may have a piece of cabbage in your teeth!

People in England may feel embarrassed if someone asks them some personal questions, such as: "How old are you?" or "How much money do you make?" They will get unhappy. It's also impolite of you to talk about your own things too much when you meet someone for the first time. You'd better talk about weather.

Young people in America will feel embarrassed if they still use their parents' money to buy things or they often ask their parents before making a decision.

Sometimes we may get embarrassed in public（公众）, for example: You find that you don't have enough money when you pay at the supermarket. Don't worry! Just put some things back, then no one will look at you. So, to be honest is the most important. If you forget the name of a person or don't know how to clean the toilet after using it at your friend's home，just ask them about it．

Mr. Smith lives in a small town, but he1in an office in a big city. He goes to work by2in the morning because the train station is near his home.

One morning, he is3his newspaper in the train. A man taps(轻拍) him on the shoulder(肩膀)from behind. Mr. Smith thinks, "Who is he? I didn't4him before. "So he looks at the man in surprise. The man says5to him and then begins to talk to him. The man says, "Your life isn't6.You get on the same train at the same station at the same time every morning. And you always sit in the same7and read the same newspaper."

When Mr. Smith hears this, he is8.Then he puts his newspaper down, turns round, and says to the9angrily (生气地), "how do you know all this about me?"

"Because I am10sitting in the same seat behind you. "The man answers.

    Do you want to know what our life will be like in the future? Let′s have a look. You may get a surprise!

    You′ll go to the kitchen when you′re hungry. The robot will cook the food for you in a few minutes. Then it will bring the food to you.

The food machine will tell you what your body needs. It will help you eat healthily. The food machine will be connected (连接) with the kitchen robot.  

After having a meal, you can go to your home office.  

You′ll have a special information screen. When you get a message from a friend, your information screen will be turned on automatically (自动地). Then you can talk with your friend easily.

    On a bright autumn night，my friend David and I were watching meteors (流星) in the yard. We saw a large triangular(三角形的) thing flying across the sky. It was traveling from south to north. It seemed to have orange light. It only took 5 to 8 seconds for the thing to travel across the sky and disappear. The most amazing thing was that it was very quiet when it traveled. We live near the airport and often hear the sound of planes. However, this one was really quiet. We were both surprised and we began to describe it to my father. What we said about the strange thing was the same. Then we went into the house and drew what we saw. We believed that someone must be looking at the sky at that time and see what happened.

I'm Leo. There is a great artist in my family. She is Lisa. Lisa likes drawing a lot. Here are her three drawings.

There is an animal in the first drawing. It has two big eyes, a big mouth and two small ears. It has long arms and long legs. It is black and white. There are some apples in its hands. It looks very happy. What is it? I don't know, but Lisa says it is a panda.

There is a woman in the second drawing. She is thin. She has straight blonde hair, a small mouth, a big nose and two big eyes. She looks angry. Who is she? Lisa says she is our mom. But Mom has curly blonde hair, small eyes and a small nose.

There is an animal in the third drawing, too. Its head is an apple. Its hair and tail are leaves(树叶). It has a long mouth, and it is a banana. Its two legs are carrots. What is it? Lisa says it is a horse, but it doesn't look like a horse.

Lisa is really a great artist, isn't she?

    Few words are spoken more often every day on the streets of Britain than "I'm sorry." This phrase has become such a common response（反应）that it has taken on a lot of meanings.

Saying "Sorry" means to apologize（道歉）. This is simple and easy to understand. We learn it both as a native speaker and as a student of foreign languages.

But in Britain, it takes on another meaning. It is a cultural expression. Imagine this: a man walks down the street, looking down at his phone. A woman is walking in the opposite direction, towards the man. She sees him, but she can't get out of the way in time. The man knocks into the woman. Who should say sorry? Naturally, the man should say sorry because it was he who wasn't looking where he was going. Yet in Britain, it is common for both to apologize.

It is known that British people, like most people, do not enjoy fight. So to quickly calm the situation, British people will apologize to each other.

Other times it may sound funny to hear "sorry". Some of my friends say it at restaurants, as they ask the waiter, "Sorry, but can I order another drink?" It is not to apologize, but just to express that we need the waiter. In Britain, sorry doesn't always mean exactly what you think.

As a well-known Chinese TV hostess, Dong Qing is now hosting two cultural shows, Chinese Poetry Conference and The Reader. The two shows are encouraging people to love traditional culture and find the beauty of life.

Dong was born in a highly educated family in 1973. She had a great love for traditional literature (文学) from an early age. In 2015 when she was about to study in the US, Dong received an invitation from the director of Chinese Poetry Conference asking her to be the hostess. Because of her passion for traditional literature, Dong accepted the job.

"The contest interests me very much. Hosting it is a process of learning about poetry and performing," said Dong. To her great joy, the show has become more and more popular.

Under the slogan (口号) "Reading touches people's hearts", the new TV show The Reader has become a success. It invites famous guests from all walks of life to read something. Dong works as both the hostess and producer.

The Reader became a turning point in Dong's 21 years of hosting. She said it brought her "quite a huge challenge".

"There is no shortcut (捷径) in this world. If you want to be a good host, you need to make thorough preparations," said the beautiful hostess. "The charm of life lies in its unknown, so we just have to try and keep going. "

Chinese movies have become one of the favorites among the youth in Malawi. Because lots of Chinese movies are available in the country, many people can now enjoy them in video show halls, homes and through the Internet.

Luis Ndalama, 38, is a businessman who has been doing a videodisc（影碟）business for over 15 years. He told Xinhua Agency his customers have been watching Chinese movies for a long time. However, because they didn't understand Chinese, many of them used to have difficulties in following the movies. "But with time, we have seen many Chinese movies with subtitles（字幕）, and this helps many of my customers to understand them even better because the Chinese language is new to most of us," Ndalama said.

In an interview with Xinhua, many young people were able to explain things they learned from movies about China. "It's always fun watching Chinese movies. At first it was very hard to understand them because everything about them and us was different in terms of language, food, dressing, dances and many other cultural values. But now, there are a lot of things that I know about China through movies. For example, I know about Kung Fu, the Great Wall, food like BiangBiang noodles and many other interesting things about China," Khama said.

A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.

Later the boy lost his way in the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn't find him. The mother felt very sad and didn't know how to face her husband.

When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said," I love you, darling."

The son was missing. If she had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There was no point in blaming(责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That was what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family's relationship became stronger over that time.

Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive(原谅), selfishness and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful.

Mr. Green is a dentist who cares about young men's. He has some student patients and here he gives an example to tell us that we pay attention to (注意) the students' health.

Jim is a 15-year-old boy. His parents are so that they can't look after him well. Last week they saw Jim in the bedroom and found that he had a toothache. Then they took him to the . Mr. Green checked him carefully and was to see that he had 16 cavities(蛀牙). When he heard that Jim ate too much , he suggested that he must give up eating it. He also gave another that Jim should brush his teeth every day

At last, the dentist to Jim's parents, "You must take him to see a dentist 3 months."