A thief entered the bedroom of the 30^th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment.
The event happened in the early morning hours on one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August,1923. He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had moved in several years before. The former President’s wife was still living in the White House.
Coolidge woke up to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain.
Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn’t take that.”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why?”
“I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠). Take it near the window and read the words on its back, ” the president said.
The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge.”
“Are you President Coolidge?” he asked.
The president answered, “ Yes, and the House of Representatives（众议院）gave me the watch charm. I’m fond of it. It would do you no good. You want money. Let’s talk this over.”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I’ll take this and leave everything else.”
Coolidge, knowing there was 80 dollars in it, asked the young man to sit down and talk. He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill.
Coolidge added up the roommate two rail tickets back to the college. Then he counted out 32 dollars and said it was a loan (借款).
He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor(走廊).” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered.
【小题1】What caused the thief to meet the President?

A man decided to take off early from work and go drinking. He stayed there until the bar closed at three in the morning, and he was drunk at that time. After leaving the bar, he returned home on foot. When he entered his house, he didn't want to wake his wife, so he took off his shoes and started tiptoeing(用脚尖走) up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, he fell down. That wouldn't have been so bad, but he had some empty bottles in his back pockets, and they broke. The broken glass hurt his back terribly. He was so drunk that he didn't know he was hurt. A few minutes later, when he was taking off his clothes, he noticed the blood, so he looked himself over in the mirror. He found his back was hurt terribly. He repaired the damage as best as he could and then he went to bed. The next morning his head was hurting, his back was hurting, and he was trying to think up a good story when his wife came into the bedroom. He told his wife his story. “Well, you really tied one on last night,” she said, “and where did you go?” “I worked late,” he said, “and I stopped for a cup of beer.” “A cup of beer? That’s a joke,” she replied, “and you were drunk last night. Where did you go?” “What makes you so sure I got drunk last night?” “Well,” she replied, “my first big clue(线索) was when I got up this morning, I found many Band-Aids(创可贴) on the mirror.”

54. The man didn't want to wake his wife because 　　　　　　 .

A. he loved his wife very much　

B. he was afraid that he would be hurt

C. he was afraid his wife would find him drunk　

D. his wife liked him doing so

55. How did the wife find her husband got drunk?

A. She was very clever.　　　　　　 B. She found many Band-Aids on the mirror.

C. She found some broken bottles.　　 D. She knew her husband very well.

56. The underlined phrase “tied one on” may mean “　　　　　　 ”.

A. 摔倒　　　　　 B. 躺在地上　　　　　　　　 C. 受伤　　　　　　　　　 D. 喝醉

57. When did the man find himself hurt?

A. When he took off his clothes to go to bed.

B. When he fell down to the ground.

C. At three o’clock in the morning.

D. When his head and back were hurting.

Everyone tries to get to school on time. But when bad weather gives you trouble, can you still make it before the bell rings?
In northern China during spring, big sandstorms often make trouble for students and everyone else. When the sky is dark with sand, buses and cars all move much more slowly. Sometimes, people can’t even see for 20 metres.
Sandstorms usually happen in spring. This year, sandstorms started in late March. They have happened in more than 10 provinces (省)  in northern China this year. More than 70 million people have had problems in those places because of the sandstorms.
People in southern China don’t have to worry about this kind of bad weather. Most of the sand comes from Gansu and Inner Mongolia（内蒙古）. In northern China, lots of places have few trees and don’t get much rain. People there have been cutting down too many trees. When there aren’t many trees, the ground can’t keep enough water. Over the years, the ground dries up and turns to sand. When spring comes and the ice melts（融化）, the ground becomes looser（更松散的）. Strong winds take the loose sand into the sky.
Sandstorms are bad for people’s health. If people breathe（呼吸） too much sand, they could cough or have asthma（哮喘）.
Sandstorms also give farmers lots of problems. Sometimes their sheep get lost in the storms and never get back home. The winds also tear down farmers’ houses.
What can you do to stop sandstorms? Here’s an idea: Ask you parents to help you plant some trees this spring.
If you see people cutting down too many trees, tell them about the dangers of sandstorms, and ask your government to stop them from cutting

1. 1.

   In which season do sandstorms usually happen?

   1. A.
      In spring
   2. B.
      In summer
   3. C.
      In autumn
   4. D.
      In winter
2. 2.

   Which of the following provinces in China is often hit by sandstorms?

   1. A.
      Fujian Province
   2. B.
      Yunnan Province
   3. C.
      Jiangsu Province
   4. D.
      Gansu Province
3. 3.

   The underlined phrase “tear down” in the sentence means “_________”

   1. A.
      使……哭泣
   2. B.
      弄倒
   3. C.
      摧残
   4. D.
      加固
4. 4.

   According to the passage, what cannot be caused by sandstorms?

   1. A.
      Health problems
   2. B.
      Traffic problems
   3. C.
      The loss of farm animals
   4. D.
      Noise pollution
5. 5.

   Which is not stated in the passage？

   1. A.
      Trees can help keep enough rain water
   2. B.
      More trees need to be planted
   3. C.
      Some people are doing harm to the environment
   4. D.
      Sandstorms are the main cause of asthma