I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice.
“Mom, come here! There’s this lady here my size!”
The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize.
I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then I talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darryl Kramer. How are you?”
He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?”
“Yes, I have a son,” I answered.
“Why are you so little?” he asked.
“It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand, and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf. Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids picked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.
But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have — a great family, nice friends.”
It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.
【小题1】.. Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A．Because the boy ran into the author.

B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

C．Because the boy said the author was fatter than him.

D．Because she thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

【小题2】. When did the author realize that she was too short?

A．When she began to go to school.	B．When she was 47 years old.
C．When she grew up.	D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

【小题3】. Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?

A．dismissed

B．increased

C．decreased

D．discriminated

【小题4】. How does the author feel about people’s stares?

A．Angry.

B．Calm.

C．Painful.

D．Discouraged.

Nearly a quarter-century after a German boy threw a message in a bottle off a ship in the Baltic Sea, he’s received an answer.

  A 13-year-old Russian, Daniil Korotkikh, was walking with his parents on a beach when he saw something lying in the sand.

  “I saw that bottle and it looked interesting,” Korotkikh told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “it looked like a German beer bottle and there was a message inside. ”

  It said, “My name is Frank, and I’m five years old. My dad and I are traveling on a ship to Denmark. If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you.” The letter, dated 1987, included an address in the town of Coesfeld.

  The boy in the letter, Frank Uesbeck, is now 29. His parents still live at the letter’s address.

  The Russian boy and the German man met each other earlier this month through an internet video link. The Russian boy said he did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea. He believed it had been hidden under the sand where he found it for a long time.

  Uesbeck was especially happy that he was able to have a positive effect on a life of a young person far away from Germany. “It‘s really a wonderful story,” he said. “And who knows? Perhaps one day we will actually be able to arrange a meeting in person. ”

1.What is this passage mainly about?

A. Traveling on a ship.                                             B. A beautiful beer bottle.

C. Message in a bottle.                                           D. Meeting an old friend.

2.When the German boy threw the bottle into the sea, ________________.

A. he was going back home.

B. he was traveling to Denmark by ship with his dad.

C. he was walking with his parents on a beach.

D. he was already 29 years old.

3.According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Korotkikh’s parents still live in the town of Coesfeld.

B. The German boy did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea.

C. Frank Uesbeck and Daniil Korotkikh have met each other in person.

D. Daniil Korotkikh and Frank Uesbeck have got in touch with each other.

4.Why was Uesbeck very happy when he got the information of the 24 years’ beer bottle?

A. Because he could have a new friend.

B. Because the two boys could surf the internet together.

C. Because he could have a positive influence on a life of a young person.

D. Because he finally got what he had lost.

 

One warm May day, two eighteen – year – old students from San Francisco State College decided to cool off with a swim at Bakers’ Beach． The two students were named Robert Kogler and Shirley O’Neill． They headed out to sea for a distance of 50 metres． Robert was in front．
“Suddenly, I heard him scream,” Shirley recalls． “I looked round and saw this great grey thing going up in the air． The water seemed to be alive．”Robert screamed again． “It’s a shark! Get out of here!”
An eye – witness, Army Sergeant Leo P． Day was on guard at the nearby army post． He saw exactly what happened next． “I could see this boy struggling with the shark in the water,” he said． “The sea was red with blood． He was shouting and signalling someone to go back, go back． Then I saw the girl． She was swimming towards him． She completely ignored his warning．”Shirley reached Robert, and tried to take his hand．“When I pulled, all I could see was his arm, handing by a thread,” she said．
So she put her arm about Robert’s back, and started to swim towards the shore． She kept praying “Don't’ let it attack again!” That journey to the shore seemed to last for hours． At last, as they neared the shore, a fisherman threw them a line, and pulled them both the rest of the way．The young man had lost a lot of blood, and died two and a half hours later, From the teeth marks, experts identified the attacker as a Great White Shark．For what Sergeant Day called “the greatest exhibition of bravery I have ever seen,” the President of the US gave Shirley a medal for bravery．
【小题1】When Albert was attacked by a shark Shirley        ．

A．was swimming in the sea

B．was watching him on the shore

C．was on guard at the nearby army post

D．was shouting and struggling with a shark, too

【小题2】Choose the right time order of the following events in the story．
a． Army Sergeant saw the girl swimming to the boy．
b． Shirley saw a great grey thing．
c． They headed out to sea．
d． Robert died．
e． A fisherman threw them a line．
f． He saw a boy struggling with a shark．

A．b,c,e,d,f,a

B．c,a,f,d,e,b

C．b,c,f,a,d,e

D．c,b,f,a,e, d

【小题3】We can learn from the passage that         ．

A．the two students were brave and considerate

B．the fisherman was adventurous and helpful

C．the experts didn’t do much research on sharks

D．the Sergeant cared too much about his own life

完形填空

A Brother Like That

　　A friend of mine named Paul received an auto－mobile from his brother as a Christmas present. 1 Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a boy was walking around the shiny new car, 2 it. “Is this your car, Mister?” he asked.

　　Paul nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was 3 . “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you 4 . Boy I wish…” He hesitated.

　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to 5 he had a brother like that. But what the boy said moved Paul a lot.

　　“A wish,” the boy went 6 , “That I could be a brother like that.”

　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then he added, “Would you like to take a 7 in my automobile?”

　　“Oh yes, I'd love that.”

　　After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Mister, would you mind 8 in front of my house”

　　Paul 9 a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home 10 a big automobile. But Paul was wrong 11 . “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.

　　He ran up the steps. Then in a little 12 Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled(残废的) 13 . He sat him down on the bottom step and pointed to the car.

　　There she is, Buddy, just like I told you 14 . His brother 15 it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And 16 day I'm going to give you 17 just like it… then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you 18 .

　　Paul got 19 and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The 20 older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said：“It is more blessed to give…”

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27．The boy _______ in the bed ______to his friend that a cock laid an egg yesterday.

A．lay; lay

B．lying; lay

C．lying; lied

D．lied; lying