The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audience could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.

The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”

“No, sir,” the men answered.

The director was angry. “Why not?”  he asked. 

“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”

“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”

But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”

“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”

The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.

They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”

The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.

The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.

1.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.

A．to film a scene on the sea

B．to find an actor and an actress

C．to watch a beautiful sunset

D．to meet the audience

2.Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?

A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.

B．Because he was angry with his crew.

C．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.

D．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.

3.The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.

A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine

B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening

C．it was more moving than a sunrise

D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset

4.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.

B．If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go.

C．The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.

D．The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.

The Japanese have a genius for dreaming up small, useful and fun machines. You must have used or at least heard of Sony’s walkman, Nintendo or Sega’s video games, and Bandai’s Tamagotchi. And how about karaoke, invented by Daisuke Inoue?

Daisuke, who? Not many people have heard of him, and he never made much money from his invention. But anyone who has ever experienced the thrill of singing karaoke in front of a crowd has Mr.Inoue to thank…

 Daisuke Inoue is an easygoing man with a quick smile. He was born in the suburbs of Osaka in 1940. At Osaka Technical High School he took up the drums, because he says, “All you have to do is hit them.” Before long he was making money as a drummer in a Hawaiian band that played in the old dance-halls left behind by American soldiers.

By 1970, he and six partners were playing in the clubs of nearby Kobe, accompanying middle-aged businessmen who wanted to sing traditional Japanese country and even army songs. His friends, Inous says, could all read music and so they could pick up the latest tunes (曲调). He, on the other hand, had to rely on memory and play by following the lips of the singer as they moved. “Out of 108 club musicians in Kobe,” he says. “I was the worst! And the clients (顾客) in my club were the worst singers!”

One client, president of a small steel company, was especially fond of Inoue’s slow, follow-along style. It made the president’s bad, out-of–time singing sound much better. One evening he wanted Inoue to play for him on a trip to a hot spring resort (胜地). The boss wanted to sing Frank Nagai’s Leaving Haneda Airport on a 7:50 Flight for his friends. But Inoue was unable to leave his job.

To help out his most loyal client, he decided to provide him with a tape. Inoue wouldn’t be there, but the singer would still have his accompaniment. Karaoke was born. 

1. Daisuke Inoue took up the drums at high school because _______.

  A. they were his favorite musical instruments

  B. he knew they would help him make money

  C. he thought they were easy to learn

  D. it was easy for a drummer to find a job

2. What does the underlined word “they” stand for?

  A. His partner      B. His friends    C. The latest tunes    D. The singer’s lips

3. From this passage we know Daisuke Inoue was ______.

  A. an outstanding musician            B. not quite good at music

  C. a good singer and dancer           D. good at inventing things

4. Why did the president like Inoue’s playing so much?

  A. Because Inoue followed his singing.

  B. Because Inoue played very well.

  C. Because he had got used to Inoue’s fast, exciting style.

  D. Because Inoue was an easy-going man with a quick smile.

Have you ever been sad because of failure? Please remember, for often, achieving what you set out to do is not the most important thing.
A boy decided to dig a deep hole behind his house. As he was working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. “What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors. “I want to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a while, the boy picked up a jar. He showed it to the visitors. It was full of all kinds of stones and insects. Then he said calmly and confidently, “Maybe I can’t finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I’ve found during this period!”
The boy’s goal was far too difficult, but it did cause him to go on. And that is what a goal is for — to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen, in other words, to cause us to keep working!
Not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you fall short of your aim, maybe you can say, “Yes, but look what I’ve found along the way! There are so many wonderful things having come into my life because I tried to do something!” It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really makes sense.

1. 1.

   The older boys laughed at the boy because he was thought to be         .

   1. A.
      brave
   2. B.
      impolite
   3. C.
      foolish
   4. D.
      warm-hearted
2. 2.

   Why did the boy show the jar to the older boys?

   1. A.
      To drive them away.
   2. B.
      To show what he had found in digging.
   3. C.
      To show how beautiful the jar was.
   4. D.
      To attract them to join him in the work.
3. 3.

   What can be learnt from the fourth paragraph of the text?

   1. A.
      Not dream can come true.
   2. B.
      All work will end successfully.
   3. C.
      Goals shouldn't be set too high
   4. D.
      Goals will make us work harder.
4. 4.

   The best title for the text should be         .

   1. A.
      Joy in the Journey
   2. B.
      A Boy Dug a Hole
   3. C.
      No Pains, No Gains
   4. D.
      Failure Is the Mother of Success

A farmer had some puppies to sell. He painted a sign advertising them on the edge of his yard.One day, a little boy came to buy one of the puppies. With a whistle(口哨), the farmer called, “Here, Dolly!” Out from the doghouse ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy stood against the fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, something wrong with its legs, doing its best to catch up.“I want that one,” the little boy said.

The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, “Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.”

With that, the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he showed a steel brace(固定器) running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see, sir,  I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

1.How did the farmer advertise his puppies?

A．Advertise them in the newspaper.

B．Put up a sign in his yard.

C．Show them to his neighbors.

D．Send pictures to a magazine.

2.The underlined words “four little balls of fur” refer to “______”.

A．four toy balls                           B．four balls made of fur

C．four lovely dogs                        D．four puppies with no fur

3.Why did the boy choose the last dog?

A．Because they have something in common.

B．Because he didn't have enough money.

C．Because it was the most lovely one.

D．Because the farmer wouldn't sell other dogs.

4.According to the story, we know that the boy .

A．didn't like dogs at all                     B．needed a dog to help him

C．could run as fast as others                 D．had an artificial(假的) leg

Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to(属于) a rich man. One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man’s house. On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children. They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the ground. The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off. They obeyed(服从) and the farmer went into the house. He asked to see the rich man. A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting.

“I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for,” he said.

“But why have you brought a half-empty basket?” the rich man asked.

“I met your children outside, and they stole some of the apples.”

1.Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? Because        .

2.What did the monkeys do when the farmer was on the doorsteps?

3.The monkeys left the basket because         .

4.How did the rich man feel when he saw the basket?  He felt        .