We were doing the best to control the fire of the burning garage (车库). Outside, I heard the sounds of cats crying. I couldn’t stop—I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.

    It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control. No one inside was hurt. At that point I was free to find out where the cat noises were from. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing to the sidewalk in front of the garage. There, crying and huddled (挤作一团) together, were five frightened kittens (小猫). They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly hurt.

    I wanted to find the mother cat. It was clear that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all her babies, one by one—unbelievable.

    We finally found her. Her paws and face were blackened, and her fur was burned all over. You could even see her reddened skin under the burned fur. She could hardly move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. I decided to save this brave little cat and her family.

    The vet told me they would watch the kittens and their mother for the night, but they weren’t confident about the mother’s chances.

    About a week later, I found out she was going to live. We named her Scarlet because of her reddened skin.

    I was happy to see Scarlet get together with the kittens again. She touched each of them, nose to nose. She had been in danger for five times and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.

    As a fireman, I see heroic acts every day. But what Scarlet showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother’s love.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?

A. The writer went to look for the cats as soon as he heard them crying.

B. The firefighters put out the fire quickly and no one was hurt.

C. The writer didn’t find the cats until the smoke and heat were gone.

D. The mother cat moved all her babies out of the fire to a safe place.

2.Why did the writer decide to save the cats?

A. Because he was amazed at the mother cat’s courage.

B. Because the cats attracted many people’s attention.

C. Because he didn’t want to see any living things die.

D. Because it had taken him much time and effort to save them.

3.The writer talks about the cat’s story to show that ________________.

A. animals should be taken good care of

B. mother’s love can be great and brave

C. it is meaningful to help others

D. a cat always has nine lives

 

When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music”, it doesn’t mean that he is going to hear a singer. It is something far less happy, as you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and did that or why you did not do this or that.

   At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry words “I want to talk to you.” And only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was!

   In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If you got a “D” in the exam, that means parents’ cold faces and the contempt(轻视) of the classmates.

   “To face the music” is well-known to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter how terrible the whole thing might be, because you have no choice.

1.“To face the music” means “to         ”.

A. do something that we don’t like to

B. go to the theatre

C. go to the music show

D. do something we want to

2.After the exam, we’ll have to “face the music”. That’s why          .

A. we like to take the exam

B. we are afraid of taking the exam

C. the exam is very important

D. we are afraid of passing the exam

3.Which of the following is wrong?

A. “To face the music” is well-known in the US.

B. “To face the music” has a history of more than 100 years.

C. The young Americans know the meaning of “to face the music”.

D. Only the old in the US know the meaning of “to face the music”

 

"BANG !" the door caused a reverberation（回声）. It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I on the other side.

    We were both in great anger. "Never set foot in this house again!" stormed father. With tears  welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.

    The street lights were shining, causing rather sad feelings. I walked aimlessly.

    A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree.

    But now ... I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old.  We differ in our ways of thinking. He always puts his opinions of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never turns a blind eye to it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.

    I walked aimlessly on the streets, without an exact place in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to be with me. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived.

    I saw that all the lights were off except the father's.

    I thought to myself: "Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?" "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe... With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that there was no iron door between us at all. Love - it's second to none.

1.Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.

a. I opened the door and father was waiting for me.

b. I had a quarrel with my father.

c. I walked about in the street without any aim.

d. I returned to my house and saw it was still brightly lit.

e. Sadly I ran out into the street.

A. b, e, d, c, a    B. b, e, c, d, a    C. b, e, a, c, d    D. b, e, c, a, d

2.What made the writer think of his childhood?

A. The sight of the street lights.                        

B. The sight of the empty street.

C. The sight of a father with a child in his arms.   

D. The sight of light in his own house.

3.What conclusion can you come to after reading the passage?

A. The father treats his son in an unfair way.   

B. The father is actually kind to his son.

C. The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son.   

D. The father is always finding fault with his son.

 

When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music”, it doesn’t mean that he is going to hear a singer. It is something far less happy, as you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and did that or why you did not do this or that.
At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry words “I want to talk to you.” And only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was!
In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If you got a “D” in the exam, that means parents’ cold faces and the contempt(轻视) of the classmates.
“To face the music” is well-known to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter how terrible the whole thing might be, because you have no choice.
【小题1】“To face the music” means “to         ”.

A．do something that we don’t like to

B．go to the theatre

C．go to the music show

D．do something we want to

【小题2】After the exam, we’ll have to “face the music”. That’s why          .

A．we like to take the exam

B．we are afraid of taking the exam

C．the exam is very important

D．we are afraid of passing the exam

【小题3】Which of the following is wrong?

A．“To face the music” is well-known in the US.

B．“To face the music” has a history of more than 100 years.

C．The young Americans know the meaning of “to face the music”.

D．Only the old in the US know the meaning of “to face the music”