Look at the light and beautiful snowflakes (雪花) falling. Ever wanted to hold them in your hands?
They are always lost when they meet your hands.
     Well, this isn't just a problem for you. It was a problem for Wilson Bentley, too.
     In the 1870s, Wilson Bentley was just a teenager. His family lived in a small town in northeast America.
Winters there were long and hard. Bentley's mother was once a school teacher. She taught him at home.
Bentley didn't go to school until he was 14. He was a quiet boy, and loved reading his mother's books.
     But it was his mother's microscope (显微镜) that interested him. When the other boys were playing
with balls, little Bentley was studying things like drops of water, flowers and snowflakes. Bentley loved
watching snowflakes. For the next two years young Bentley spent many winter days in a cold room
watching these ice crystals (晶体) under his microscope.
    The boy thought they were so beautiful that he started to draw pictures of them. But there were so many
snowflakes that he couldn't draw them all.
     How could he keep their beauty forever? Bentley thought of buying a camera.
     The boy and his mother asked his father to buy one. But, his father didn't agree. He thought the whole
thing was a bad idea. He thought the only thing a farmer should do was farming.
     But finally Bentley did get a camera. For more than a year he tried to take pictures of snowflakes. On
January 15, 1885, during a snowstorm, Bentley took the first ever photo of an ice crystal with his camera.
"It was the greatest moment of my life," Bentley said later.
     For 13 years, Bentley worked quietly and took thousands of photos of ice crystals. Later he became
known as "Snowflake" Bentley.

1. The best title for this passage is ____.

A. Snowflake Photos
B. Snowflake Boy
C. Long and Hard Winters
D. Teenage Photographer

2. We can tell from the story that Bentley's father was ____.

A. a farmer
B. a funny man 
C. an athletic man
D. a school teacher

3. Which of the following statements about Bentley is true?

A. He didn't get any kind of education as a child.
B. He was born into a rich family.
C. He was the first person to take photos of snowflakes.
D. He was fascinated by the beauty of snowflakes.

4. What kind of person do you think Bentley was?

A. He was outgoing.
B. He was too serious.
C. He was interested in learning.
D. He was very warm-hearted.

5. The "ice crystals" in the third paragraph refers to "____".

A. water drops
B. rain drops
C. flowers
D. snowflakes

     Mr. Seidman treated all his servants (仆人) kindly. Among his servants were two men, named John
and Joseph. John received four dollars a week, and Joseph ten dollars.John's work was always hard.
Joseph's work was much easier. John didn't know why Joseph received more money while doing easier
work. So he decided to ask Mr.Seidman.
     Mr.Seidman listened and said, "I will tell you the reason. But first, do you see that wagon (马车) in
the streets? Please ask the driver what is in his wagon."
     John went out to the street and returned quickly, saying that the wagon was full of wheat (小麦).
     "Where is the wheat going?" asked Mr.Seidman. Again John went out to the wagon.
     "The wheat is to be taken to Brod," he said. Then Mr.Seidan wished to know from where the wheat
came and how much wheat there was in the wagon. Therefore, John made four trips in order to answer
all the questions.
     Then Mr.Seidan called Joseph. "Joseph," he said, "ask the driver what is in his wagon." Joseph quickly
ran out to the street and came back quickly.
     "The driver comes from the town of Sinyava," said Joseph, "but the wheat comes from Svod, and he
is taking it to Brod. Since early morning he has been on the road, and wants to reach Brod before night.
He tells me the wheat crop has been large this year, and we may expect a lower price soon. Is that all, sir?"
     At that moment, John understood, "Joseph thinks while he works."

1. Mr. Seidman treated his servants ______.

A. badly
B. the same
C. kindly
D. terribly

2. The difference between John and Joseph was that ______.

A. John's work was easier but Joseph's work was harder
B. John got four dollars a week but Joseph got ten dollars a week
C. John was a servant but Joseph was the boss
D. John was cleverer than Joseph while he worked

3. John went to the wagon to ask the questions ______.

A. twice.
B. three times.
C. four times.
D. five times.

4. Mr.Seidman told John and Joseph to ask the same question ______.

A. because John and Joseph had nothing to do then
B. because Mr. Seidman was a funny person
C. because he wanted to tell John why Joseph got more money in this way
D. because John didn't get the right answer, he had to ask again

5. According to the passage, which is the reason why Joseph got more money?

A. Joseph was clever and creative while working.
B. Joseph was Mr. Seidman's good friend.
C. Mr. Seidman was a bad person.
D. We don't know.

     A jobless man wanted very much to be an "office boy" at Microsoft. The manager interviewed him and
then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. "You have passed the test." he said. "Give me your e-mail
address and I'll send you the form (表格) to fill in and the date when you may start." The man replied. "But
I don't have a computer, neither an e-mail." "I'm sorry," said the manager. "If you don't have an e-mail, that
means you are not living. And anyone who isn't living cannot have the job."
     The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do with only $10 in his pocket. He thought and
thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10 kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door
to door. In less than two hours, he had 20 dollars. He did this again and again for three times, and started to
go early every day, and returned home late. At last, he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles (运货车队). Five
years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers (零售商) in the US.
     One day, one of his friends asked him for his e-mail. He said, "I haven't got one." His friend couldn't
believe his ears. "Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" The man thought for a
while and replied, "Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!"

1. What did the man do for the test?

A. tie sent e-mails.
B. He did the cleaning.
C. He sold computers.
D. He filled in forms.

2. The man didn't get the job because he            .

A. disliked such a job
B. didn't pass the test
C. didn't have an e-mail
D. knew nothing about computers

3. The man             after he left Microsoft.

A. went home directly
B. asked for food from door to door
C. thought up an idea to make money
D. bought a computer and got an e-mail

4. Why could the man become one of the biggest food retailers in the US?

A. Because he had many friends to help him.
B. Because he worked very hard.
C. Because he had his own e-mail.
D. Because he wanted to show Microsoft he was living.

5. What does the story want to tell us?

A. Computers are very important in our daily life.
B. Everyone can make a lot of money with only $10.
C. The manager didn't like the man.
D. Nothing in the world is impossible if we work hard.