A baby camel asked his mother, "Why do we have such large hooves (蹄) on our feet?" She turned him
and began her explanation.
     "The big hooves are to keep us from sinking into the sand."
     "Oh! So why do we have long eyelashes (睫毛)?"
     "It's to protect our eyes from the sand."
     "Why the big humps (驼峰)?"
      "That is to store fat and have enough energy to go long distances in the hot desert!"
     "I see!" The baby camel stretched his neck and looked up at his mother,"Then what are we doing in this
cage in the middle of a zoo?"
     Like the baby camel, I had asked the same kind of questions. When my blindness set in, I at first locked
myself in a cage of self-pity and bitterness. I was tired to waling out of that dark cage.
     Heavens! What was I thinking? Those bars were self-imposed (自我强加的). Finally, eagerness to leave
it inspired me to open my ears to hear a reassuring whisper-I was created for much more.
     I broke down those bars and stepped out into the desert of life. I walking difficultly through the heat with
determination. And the hooves of confidence kept me from sinking into the sand of danger.
     Each time I reached another point in my journey, my eyes saw a whole new world with opportunities to
make a difference. Best of all, I was pleased the I was indeed created for much more! Bars come in all sizes
and shapes. But none can hold up the force of determination that breaks them down.
     Step back and peek at what bars limit you. Take a deep breath, break them down, and come out into the
freshness of a new life!

1. The dialogue between the baby camel and his mother is quoted to _____.

A. show the hard life of camels
B. encourage readers to ask questions
C. introduce the topic of the passage
D. make the passage interesting

2. Which question was most probably asked by the author?

A. What am I doing in such a cage of self-pity?
B. Why do I live in the world?
C. What are we doing in this cage in the middle of a zoo?
D. How can I deal with the bad situation around me?

3. In the passage, the underlined "bars" refers to _____.

A. the cage for the author to stay in
B. the cage for the camels to stay in
C. the bad self-imposed situation around the author
D. something lying here and there in the desert

4. According to the passage, we know that the author _____.

A. feels sad about the baby camel
B. seems to like the mother camel's situation
C. still can't recover from the bitterness
D. once felt hopeless in his life

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. A young camel
B. Enjoy the desert of life
C. The force of determination
D. The importance of freedom

     Step into Pat Lundin's home and you'll be greeted by 500 smiling faces of dolls. Lundin, 82, describes
herself as "doll crazy". And she's not alone.
     As a member of Timeless Treasures Doll Club of Largo, she frequently meets with 25 other women who
share her hobby. Once a month, they gather at the Palms of Largo to show off their latest finds and catch
up on news in the world of doll collecting.
     On Saturday, the club will hold the Palms of Largo Fifth Annual Doll Show. The program will include 37
vendors (卖主) with both classic and contemporary dolls for sale.
     "Timeless Treasures is a club that's open to doll lovers regardless of the age of the doll," said Judy Smith,
president of the organization."Some doll clubs require members have a certain number of antique dolls, but we
don't. we make sure we are not terribly formal."
     Smith, 71, is a retired schoolteacher who owns Judy's Doll Hospital, a part-time business she operates out
of her home. She will have a table offering repair and appraisal (鉴定) services. Smith firs began studying and
collecting dolls in her early 20s,in Glassboro, New Jersey, she does not know how many dolls she owns, or
how many repairs she has made over the years. But she does know the age of her oldest doll.
     "She's 129," Smith said."It is a German-made doll that belonged to my grandmother, and it sits in my living
room."
     The show is for both the beginner as well as the experienced collector, said Anita Munson, one of the
show's organizers.
      Over the years, Munson, 82, has learned how to identify a valuable doll. "Generally speaking porcelain
(瓷制的) dolls are the most valuable," she said. "But the porcelain will not be shiny."
     Smith believes many people will attend to find out how much their dolls are worth. She wants them to
know more.
     "Because the dolls reflect what the children were wearing and doing at a particular period of time, they can
be a great history lesson for children now," she said.

1. According to the passage, Timeless Treasures is _____.

A. a club for doll lovers
B. a company selling dolls
C. a group of retired teachers
D. an organization repairing toys

2. We can infer that the show has been held _____.

A. twice
B. four times
C. six times
D. eight times

3.What can we learn about Smith?

A. She owns the oldest doll in the world
B. She has collected about five hundred dolls
C. She has studied dolls for about fifty years
D. She worked as a businesswoman before retirement

4. Smith wants people to know _____.

A. porcelain dolls are not valuable
B. collecting dolls is a way to make money
C. dolls have nothing to do with tradition
D. dolls may help children learn about history

5. The passage is written mainly to _____.

A. describe the colorful life of a group of elderly women
B. explain why some people like collecting old dolls
C. introduce a recent doll show and its host organization
D. offer knowledge and experience about doll collecting

     As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break
through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find
their light.
     A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week.
One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could
not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap.
     One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and
the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase,"Oh, yes!" Vanessa liked to put her hands
together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping
together. She never said or sang a word.
     One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye,
clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words "Oh, yes!" I opened my mouth and for that moment I was
the one who could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection. Several years later, I came across
Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on
her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking (模仿) the song we had performed in our music
class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last
forever. Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child's light.

1. The author thinks music _____.

A. can make children calm down
B. can connect heart to heart
C. is difficult for pre-school students
D. is a good means to find a job

2. According to the second paragraph, Vanessa ______.

A. got used to singing songs
B. was too shy to speak
C. was the youngest in the class
D. enjoyed the author's class

3. When Vanessa spoke the words "Oh, yes!", the author felt ______.

A. surprised
B. pleased
C. frightened
D. upset

4. What message does the author want to convey to readers most?

A. Music is the universal language of mankind.
B. Disabled children are natural music lovers.
C. Teachers should find a way to discover students' light.
D. A good educator ought to help students learn through music.

     On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the New York railway station, playing his violin.
The music was so great that many people stopped to put some money into the hat of the young man.
     The next day, the young artist came to the same place, and put his hat on the ground gracefully. Different
from the day before, he took out a large piece of paper and laid it under his hat. Then he began to play the
violin. It sounded more pleasant than ever.
     Soon he was surrounded with people who were attracted by the words on that paper. It said, "Last night,
a gentleman named George Sang put an important thing into my hat by mistake. Please come to claim (认领)
it soon."
     After about half an hour, a middle-aged man rushed through the crowd to the violinist and said, "Yes, it's
you. I knew that you were an honest man and would certainly come here." The young violinist asked calmly,
"Are you Mr George Sang?" The man nodded. The violinist asked, "Did you lose something?""It's a lottery
ticket," said the man.
     The violinist took out a lottery ticket on which George Sang's name was seen. "Is it?" he asked. George
nodded and took the lottery ticket and kissed it, then danced with the violinist. The violinist was a student at
an arts college and had planned to attend advanced studies in Vienna. Later his classmate asked the violinist,
"At that time you needed money to pay the tuition and you had to play the violin in the railway station every
day to make money. Why didn't you keep the lottery ticket for yourself?"
     The violinist said, "Although I don't have much money, I live happily. But if I lose honesty I won't be
happy forever." Through our lives, we can gain a lot and lose so much. But being honest should always be
with us.

1. What did the young artist do at the railway station on Friday?

A. He played the violin to make some money.
B. He waited for the train to Vienna.
C. He came to buy a train ticket to Vienna.
D. He walked around the New York railway station.

2. Which sentence below best explains the underlined sentence in paragraph two?

A. Because the violinist loved to play the violin at the station.
B. Because the violinist felt happy when people surrounded him.
C. Because the artist felt happier when he did a good thing.
D. Because he felt happy to attend advanced studies.

3. According to the words on the paper, which sentence below is TRUE?

A. It asked a gentleman named George Sang to claim his hat.
B. It asked a gentleman named George Sang to claim his important thing.
C. It was a lottery ticket and he needed to find the owner.
D. It was a lottery ticket and the owner is unknown.

4. The artist didn't take the lottery ticket for himself because he ____.

A. we should share with others if we find something valuable
B. we should know the importance of honesty and lead a happy life
C. keep the lottery if you find one
D. playing the violin could make you feel happy