I shook hands with my father in the truck, and for a long time he looked straight ahead and didn’t say a word. But I knew he was going to say a little to me. “I can’t tell anything,” he finally said. “I never went to college, and none of your brothers went to college. I can’t say don’t do this and do that, because everything is different and I don’t know what is going to come up. I can’t help much with money either, but I think things will work out. ”

He gave me a new check-book. “If things get pushing, write a small check. But when you write one, send me a letter and let me know how much. There are some things we can always sell.” In four years all the checks I wrote were less than a thousand dollars. My part-time jobs such as reading to the blind student and sitting with the teachers’ kids filled in the financial gaps.

“You know what you want to be, and they’ll tell you what to take,” my father went on. “When you get a job, be sure it’s honest, and work hard.” I knew that soon I would be alone in the big town, and I would be missing the cool winds and a life where your thinking was done for you.

Then my dad reached down beside his seat and brought the old, broken Bible that he had read so often, the one he used when he wanted to look something up in a friendly quarrel with one of the neighbours. I knew he would miss it. I knew, though, that I must take it.

He didn’t say read this every morning. He just said, “This can help you if you will let it.”

Did it help? I got through college without being a burden on the family. I have been able to make money since.

(   )56. What is the writer’s main purpose (目的) in writing this passage?

A. To tell the readers his life story.

B. To tell people what kind of person his father was.

C. To let people know how poor he was.

D. To tell the readers what present he got from his father.

(   )57.   Why did the father not ask his son not to do this and do that?

A. Because he felt quite confident of his son.     B. Because he was born from a poor family.

C. Because he was a man of few words.

D. Because he didn’t want to be much too strict with his son.

(   )58.  What would someone learn from this passage?

A. How to live by oneself.            B. How to stand on one’s own feet.

C. What a good father should do.       D. What the self-important is like.

(   )59.    What may be the proper Chinese for the underlined part in the passage?

A.  閑暇時(shí)光.       B.  學(xué)費(fèi).       C.  經(jīng)濟(jì)不足.        D.  精神空虛.

(   )60. What kind of book did the Bible seem to be to the writer’s father?

A. It was a book which told you how you should get on well with others.

B. There were many good examples for you to copy in it.

C. It was a book that told you how to get a good job and a good future.

D. It was a good book that could help you when you were in trouble.

I shook hands with my father in the truck, and for a long time he looked straight ahead and didn't say a word. But I knew he was going to say a little to me. "I can't tell anything," he finally said. "I never went to college, and none of your brothers went to college. I can't say don't do this and do that, because everything is different and I don't know what is going to come up. I can't help much with money either, but I think things will work out. "

     He gave me a new check-book (支票簿) . "If things get pushing, write a small check. But when you write one, send me a letter and let me know how much. There are some things we can always sell." In four years all the checks I wrote were less than a thousand dollars. My part-time jobs such as reading to the blind student and sitting with the teachers' kids filled in the financial gaps.

     "You know what you want to be, and they'll tell you what to take," my father went on. "When you get a job，be sure it’s honest(誠(chéng)實(shí)的)，and work hard．”I knew that soon I would be alone in the big town．a(chǎn)nd l would be missing the cool winds and a life where your thinking was done for you．

    Then my dad reached down beside his seat and brought the old，broken Bible that he had read so often．the one he used when he wanted to look something up in a friendly quarrel with one of the neighbors．I knew he would miss it．I knew，though，that I must take it．

    He didn’t say read this every morning．He just said，“This can help you if you will let it．”

    Did it help? I got through college without being a burden(負(fù)擔(dān))on the family．I have been able to make money since．

1．What is the writer’s main purpose(目的)in writing this passage?

      A．To tell the readers his life story．

      B．To tell people what kind of person his father was．

      C．To let people know how poor he was．

      D．To tell the readers what present he got from his father．

2．Why did the father not ask his son not to do this and do that?

      A．Because he felt quite confident of him．

      B．Because he was born from a poor family．

      C．Because he was a man of few words．

      D．Because tie didn’t want to be much too strict with him．

3．What would someone learn from this passage?

A．How to live by oneself．   

B．How to stand on one’s own feet．

C．What a good father should do．

D．What the self-important is like．

4．What may be the proper Chinese for the underlined part in the passage?

      A．閑暇時(shí)光．    B．學(xué)費(fèi)．    C．經(jīng)濟(jì)不足．    D．精神空虛．

5．What kind of book did the Bible seem to be to the writer’s father?

      A．It was a book which told you how you should get on well with others．

      B．There were many good examples for you to copy in it.

      C．It was a book that told you how to get a good job and a good future.

      D．It was a good book that could help you when you were in trouble．

    I am an eighth-grade student at Central Middle School. In my three years at the school, I have played soccer, basketball, and baseball. I love sports and really enjoy being part of a team. Playing on our school sports teams has been the best part of middle school for me. I know I’m lucky that  I’ve had this opportunity.

    Some kids have not been so lucky. In fact, many kids who love sports don’t have the chance to play on a school team. That’s because, to make a team, you have to try out. The idea is that kids who are good at sports will do well in tryouts and make the team. But what about the kids who don’t do well during tryouts? Maybe they are ill that day, or nervous, or are just having a bad day, so they don’t play their best. They don’t make the team, and that is too bad.

    Also, there are kids who really don’t have the skills to play well. They never make a team, and that isn’t fair either. How will kids ever learn the skills if they don’t have a chance to play ? Remember, this is school and students are here to learn. All kids should have the chance to learn sports skills and teamwork by playing on a school sports team.

    There are other reasons why every student should have the chance to play sports. Sports are important for good health and fitness. They help kids feel good about themselves and their school. They build friendships among teammates. Coaches are good role models, and students who play team sports learn good sportsmanship. And, most important, team sports are fun! Players have fun playing, and their parents have fun watching and cheering for the team. So, sports bring kids and parents together, too.

     By now you know how I feel. Every kid who wants to play on a school sports team should have the chance. These teams are for fun and fitness—they’re not professional teams ! Let’s change the rules for making a team. Let’s get rid of tryouts. Let’s give every student at Central Middle School the chance to wear a team uniform.

1. How many kinds of sports has the writer played in the three years at school？

   A. Two.           B. Three.           C. Four.           D. Five.

2. The writer believes that tryouts are ____________.

   A. fun            B. hard             C. useful          D. unfair

3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the fourth paragraph？

   A. Sports bring kids and parents together.

   B. Sports build friendships among teammates.

   C. Sports help kids feel good about themselves.

   D. Sports are fun and make students study better.

4. The writer’s main purpose for writing this article is to____________.

   A. advise kids not to try out for a school team

   B. tell about exciting moments on sports fields

   C. make people believe all kids should play team sports

   D. share his opinions of playing team sports with readers