"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the baby was lying in her arms and she moved the cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped(吃力地喘着气). The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Luckily, time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. Though the misfortune(不幸)happened to him, he grew into a handsome boy. Yet he felt ashamed when he communicated with others.
“You should get in touch with other young people,” his mother told him, with a kindness in her heart. The boy’s father talked with the family doctor about his ears. “Could nothing be done?” the father asked. “I believe I could give him a pair of outer ears, if they could be got,” the doctor replied.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need, but it’s a secret.” The operation is a big success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交的)service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.”
“You could, my son,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but one of the darkest days did come. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材). Slowly, the father stretched forth(伸出) a hand
and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"
【小题1】Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?

A famous study was done in a school by a professor （教授） from a university. At the start of the school year, the teachers were given the names of five children. They were told that these five were the most excellent students in the class. But the fact was that these students were only average(中等)，and they were not the best students at all. Well, guess what? At the end of the year, all the five average students scored among the highest in the class.

　　What made these average students change so much to become top students？The only difference was the change in their teachers’ attitude(态度). Because the teachers believed that these five kids were the top students，they expected(期望) more from them. And so these five average students began to believe and expect more from themselves. So they worked harder to do as well as they could.

　　Do you know why? If you expect the best from people, they’ll usually want to give you their best. A great leader said, “Treat(对待) a person just how he appears to be on the outside, and you’ll make him even worse. But treat a person like he’s already a success，and you’ll help make him the best he can be.”

　　Like the true story of 7-year-old Johnny, his teacher got so angry with him that one day she said，“Johnny，you’re the naughtiest(最顽皮的) boy in this class. I’m sure you’ll never change.” The next year Johnny had a new teacher. And on the first day of class，she met with Johnny after school and said，“Johnny, I’ve heard a lot about you! But do you know that I don’t believe a word of it.” And every day after that, this new teacher treated Johnny as if he was one of the smartest students even when Johnny did naughty things. Later on, Johnny became a school leader. Because that’s the power of our belief(信任) and attitude(态度) toward children.

1.The professor started his research(研究)by _______.

A. teaching the five children himself

B. asking the five children to find a new teacher

C. telling the five students to work harder than ever before

D. telling the teacher the five students were the best in the class

2.The five average students became top students mainly because of ________.

A. the professor’s study              

B. the teachers’ hard work

C. the change in the teachers’ attitude       

D. the change in the professor’s attitude

3.Why did the writer tell us the story of 7-year-old Johnny？

A. To let us know how good his new teacher was.

B. To show the importance of encouragement.

C. To show that the boy was clever enough.

D. To let us know the famous boy.

4.The writer writes the passage mainly by ______.

A. giving reasons and result               

B. giving result and examples

C. describing what he thinks               

D. asking and answering questions

5.What does the passage mainly tell us？

A. If you want to get more，you should have new teachers.

B. A professor’s study can help you score highest.

C. Only teachers can make you a top student.

D. Attitude and belief can change a person.

When I was about 12 years old, I really wanted a new bike! I __31__ my parents my birthday wish, but I knew there was little hope because my family could __32__ have that money.
　　On my birthday my parents told me they had my __33__ outside in the back yard. At once, I __34__ out to the yard. There was my bike, __35__ it wasn’t the bike that I thought it would be. This one was pink, old and worn with age. It was so __36__! I thought I __37__ my parents’ feelings because I could see the disappointment __38__ their faces and I was sure they could see it on mine. I __39__ the old bike and rode it, feeling __40__ that I had made my parents feel this way. So I put on a smile, rode as fast as I could and didn’ t __41__.
　　As time went by, I began to understand my parents gave me __42__ much more than just a rusty（生锈的）old bike. They gave me a life lesson about __43__. When you give something out of love, it doesn’ t matter what it is in fact. What matters is the love that is in it. I like to remember this __44__ because giving a gift is not about money. It’s about how much love you can feel from it. Do remember, a gift that __45__ two dollars isn’t any less valuable（有价值的）than one that costs one hundred dollars, or even more.

Prana was a beautiful dog, whose name means “breath of life”. Although he died several years ago, I can still remember the days we spent together and what he has taught me about love.

I have two apple trees in the garden. Prana loved apples. When he went outside, he’d catch an apple and take it into the house to eat later. The apples had been on the ground and were often dirty so I wasn’t always happy that Prana had brought them into the house.

It was an autumn day in America, but it was very cold. A big snow fell and we had not done anything for its coming. On that special day, Prana went outside and I watched him through the window. I noticed that he was madly digging(挖) holes and bringing the apples to the ground so they could be seen above the snow. I did not know why he was doing this. He seemed to want to do something special.

When I called him back, he had his usual one apple in his mouth. About five minutes later, I looked outside. The garden was completely covered with birds. Prana had dug up all those apples for his bird friends to eat. He knew that they wouldn’t have stored enough food for the coming winter!

1.Prana was                .

2.I wasn’t always happy because                .

3.On the snowy day, Prana                .

4.The birds flew to the garden to                .

5.The topic of the story is about                .