Carl lost his job. He had so little money that he spent his days at home. He watched his neighbor’s room, where an old professor lived. He found the rooms were full of old furniture and vases. Carl thought, “Why haven’t I got an old and valuable vase? I can sell it for a lot of money.”

   Carl had an old gun. It had been his great grandfather’s favorite thing a long time before. Carl didn’t want to use the gun but he thought, “Anything could happen.” He wanted to hide the gun under his coat but it was too long so he cut the end off with a saw(锯子).

   Next morning he watched the professor leave home at 10 o’clock. Carl broke the window and entered the house. He didn’t know much about arts. He couldn’t choose. He reached his hands towards a big vase when he heard a noise. The front door opened and someone entered the house. It was the professor. He had forgotten to take an important document. Carl became so afraid that  he pulled out the gun, “I haven’t stolen anything. I just want to go away or I will shoot.” cried Carl. “With that gun? ”asked the professor and he began to laugh. He wasn’t afraid of Carl at all.

   He said, “You can’t shoot with that old gun. Its place should be in a museum.”

   “Is this really an old gun? ” asked Carl. “How much is it worth?”

   “It was worth about 27,000 dollars,” said the professor, “But now you can get 20 dollars for it．”

  “Why?” asked Carl.

  The professor said, “Because its end is missing.”

36. Carl wanted to steal because he was interested in beautiful vases.

37. He cut the end of the gun off in order to hide it easily.

38. The professor came back because he saw Carl enter his house.

39. The professor was not afraid of Carl because he thought Carl dared not shoot.

40. The gun is worth 20 dollars now because Carl cut off its end.

背书填空 ( 每空一词，每空0.5分，共计15分)
【小题1】The Olympic ______ is “Faster, Higher, stronger”.
【小题2】______ there is a river, there is a city. Perhaps this is not always true, but it is true that many of the world’s greatest cities have been ______ on the banks of a river.
【小题3】In the 1984 Olympic Games, Carl Lewis from the USA won four medals in ______ and ______ and became one of the best ______ in the 20^th century.
【小题4】The Neva River flows ______ the centre of St Petersburg in Russia.
【小题5】Following the history-making ______ in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, China won another______ in 2001 which was not for medal.
【小题6】When asked about the ______ of his success, Steven Spielberg said that he ______ much of his success and happiness ______ his wife and children.
【小题7】If we know more about what causes endangerment, we may be able to ______ ______ before it is too late.
【小题8】Cellphones, or ______ phones, make it possible for us to talk to anyone from anywhere.
【小题9】If the new species is too strong or uses too much of the ______ in the habitat, some of the ______ species may become endangered.
【小题10】The latest cellphones have ______ such as games, music and an electronic calendar that will ______ you about appointments and important dates.
【小题11】People who go to a ______ Western dinner party for the first time may surprised by table ______ in Western culture. Knowing them will help you make a good ______.
【小题12】They are all used to their ______: that is, they have learnt how to live successfully in their habitat. When the habitat of a species is changed or _______ , the animal or plant has to either ______ to the change or find a new home.
【小题13】Chuck learns that we need friends to share ______ and ______, and that it is important to have someone to care about.
【小题14】The knife and fork that are ______ to your plate are a little bit bigger than the ones beside them.
【小题15】In 1776 America became an ______ country. After that, the ______ slowly began to change.

. --- Bruce, could you tell me where __________ was ___________ you first met Mr. Carl?

--- In the park where I often go.