As prices and building costs keep rising , the “do-it-yourself”(DIY) trend(趋势)in the USA continues to grow .

“We needed furniture for our living rooms ,” says John Ross , “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it . So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs .” John got married six months ago , and like many young people these days , they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high .The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school .Now they make all their furniture and repairs around the house .

Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife has died .He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory .Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420 . “I was deeply upset about it .Now I’ve finished a car repair course .I should be able to fix the car by myself .”

John and Jim are not unusual people .Most families in the 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-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes .And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell them how they can do things themselves.

1.We can learn from the passage that many newly married people ______ .

2.John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to _______ .

3. When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home ,he means Jim___ .

4. Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourself when he found _____ .

When I was 14, I left school with learning disabilities and decided to surf the biggest waves in the world, first in California and then in Hawaii. One morning, I met an old man, a bum（流浪汉）, on the street comer. He asked me if I was running away from home. I told him, “Not exactly, sir. ”
After talking a while, he told me that he had something to show me and share with me. We walked several blocks until we came upon the downtown Public Library.
The bum asked me to sit down and wait a moment. Later he returned with some books, and then said, “I want to teach you two things. Number one is never to judge a book by its cover, for a cover fools you. I’ll bet you think I’m a bum, don’t you?”
I said, “I guess so, sir.”
“Well, young man, I've got a little surprise for you. I am one of the wealthiest（富有的）men in the world. But a year ago, when my wife passed away, I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life, one of which was what it would be like to live like a bum on the streets. For the past year I have been going from city to city doing just that. Number two is to learn how to read, for there is only one thing that people can’t take away from you, and that is your wisdom（智慧）. ”At that moment, he gave me the books he’d pulled from the shelves. His parting request（请求）was for me to never forget what he taught me. I have remembered until today.
【小题1】The boy    when he was 14.

1请仔细阅读，按信息表中的项目要求填写信息。

Information card

—I’ve got a ticket for the basketball game tonight.

—Cool! How ________ you ________ it?

A. had，got          B. did，get         C. were，getting    D. will，get

When I __1___ a young girl, all I ever wanted to do was travel; and decided that the best way _____2__ this was to become a ___3____ . I’ve been a flight attendant for two years now. It’s a really ___4___ job because I travel all over the world. I ___5____ that the most important requirement was to speak English well, so I studied English at the Hilltop Language School __6___ five years before I become a flight attendant. It was because I could speak English that Igot the job. Thank you, Hilltop Language School!
I want to be a tour guide. In fact, it’s all I have ever wanted to be. I want to travel, __7____ to English- speaking countries____8____ the United States and Australia. However, I know that I have to improve my English, so I’ve started taking lessons at the Hilltop Language School. The Hilltop language School has really helped me __9____ English. I’ve been a student here for a year now, and I really love it. Maybe when I leave I’ll ___10____ becoming an English teacher rather than a tour guide.
【小题1】  A. am          B. was         C. is
【小题2】  A. to do        B. doing        C. did
【小题3】  A. teacher       B. shop assistant  C. flight attendant
【小题4】  A. interested     B. interesting    C. interest
【小题5】  A. discovered    B. found out     C. found
【小题6】  A. for          B. in           C. since
【小题7】   A. special       B. specially     C especially
【小题8】   A. for example   B. like         C. such as
【小题9】  A. learning      B. learn        C. teaching
【小题10】 A. think over    B. think about   C. thank for