One’s education starts from family, especially from his or her mother. Here is a story__26__ happened in my childhood.
One Saturday morning, I was watching TV in the living room with my two brothers. My mum__27__ several apples of different colors and sizes. She put all the apples on the table, then __28__me and my younger brothers, “Which do you like ?”__29__ my younger brothers and I wanted the biggest one. __30__ I could say “ The biggest one”, one of my brothers stood up and said what I wanted to say.
My mum __31__ the biggest apple and said to us, “It is __32__to get the biggest apple. Many people want the best thing, but few really get it. Now let’s start a __33__. Look at the lawn(草坪) in front of our __34__. I’ll divide it into three parts. Each of you must finish pruning(修剪) __35__own share. The best and quickest one will be__36__the biggest apple.” I won the apple finally.
Since then, I have learned to try my best to succeed whenever I get a chance. I work __37__to get what I want. That was what my mother advised me to do. I feel very thankful to my mum because she taught me a very basic but the most __38__lesson. It is quite fair that we can get what we want __39__competing (競爭). My mother kept teaching us in this way and we followed her __40__ all the time.
I do believe that mother is the first teacher of children, who can teach them to be a No.1 pursuing person.

通讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后在各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中選出一個最佳選項。

One afternoon, my son Adam asked me, “Are all people the same even if they are different in color?” 　 　I thought for a while, and then I said, “I’ll explain, 　31 you can just wait until we make a quick stop at the grocery store. I have something interesting to show you.”

　 　At the grocery store, we 32 some apples—red, green and yellow ones. Back home, I told Adam, “It’s time to 　33 your question.” I put one apple of each type on the table. Then I looked at Adam, who had a 　34 look on his face.

“People are like apples. They come in all 　35 colors, shapes and sizes. On the 　36 , some of the apples may not 　37 look as delicious as the others.” As I was talking, Adam was 　38 each one carefully. 　 Then, I took each of the apples and peeled them, 　39 them back on the table, but 　40 a different place.

　 “Okay, Adam, tell me which is which.”

　 He said, “I 　41 tell. They all look the same now.” “Take a bite of 　42 . See if that helps you decide which one is which.”

　 He took big bites, and then a huge smile came across his face. “People are 　43　 like apples! They are all different, but once you 　44 the outside, they’re pretty much the same on the inside.”

　　 He totally 　45 it. I didn’t need to say or do anything else.

31. A. although　　 　　 B. so　　　 　　　　　　 　 C. because　 　　　　 D. if

32. A. bought　　　 　　 B. ate　 　　　　　　　 　 C. saw　　　 　　 D. found

33. A. check 　　　　　　　　　 B. tell　　 　　　　　　　　　　 　 C. answer　 　　　　　 D. improve

34. A. worried　　 　　 B. satisfied　 　　　　 　 C. proud　 　　　　　　 D. curious

35. A. usual　　 　　　　　 B. normal　 　　　　 　 C. different 　　　　　 D. same

36. A. outside　　 　　　　　　 B. whole　　 　　　　 　 C. table　　 　　　　　　 D. inside

37. A. still　　　　 　　　　 B. even　　 　　　　　 　 C. only　　 　　　　　　 D. ever

38. A. examining　 　　 B. listening 　　　　 　 C. drawing 　　　　　 D. picking

39. A. keeping　　 　　 B. placing　 　　　　 　 C. pulling　 　　　　　　 D. giving

40. A. on　　　　 　　　　 B. towards　　 　　　　　　 　 C. for　　 　　　 　　D. in

41. A. mustn’t　　 　　 B. can’t　　　 　　　　 　 C. shouldn’t 　 　 D. needn’t

42. A. each one　　 　　 B. each other　 　　 　 C. the other 　　　　　 D. one other

43. A. just　　　　 　　　　 B. always　　　 　　　　　　 　 C. only　　　　　　　　　 D. never

44. A. put away　 　　 B. get down　　 　 　 C. hand out　 　　　　 D. take off

45. A. made　　　 　　　　 B. took　　　　 　　　　　　 　 C. got　　 　　　　　　　 　 D. did

I am my mother’s third girl. When I was born, the doctor gently explained to my mother that my left arm was missing, below the elbow(肘). Then he gave her some advice, “Don’t treat her any differently from the other girls.” And she did!

      There were five girls in our family and we all had to help out. Once when I was about seven, I came out of the kitchen, “Mum, I can’t peel(削……皮)potatoes. I only have one hand.” “You get back to peel those potatoes, and don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”

      Of course I could peel potatoes—with my good hand and my other arm. “Jenny, if you try hard enough,” she said, “you can do anything.”

         Once in the second grade, our teacher had each of us race across the monkey bar(攀爬架).When it was my turn, I said no, Some kids laughed. I went home crying.

         The next afternoon Mum took me back to the school playground. “Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She praised me when I made progress. I’ll never forget when I was crossing the bar, the kids were standing there with their mouths open.

       It was the way with everything. Mum had the courage to face anything. And she taught me I could, too.

31. How many younger sisters do I have?

A. Two.  B. Three.  C. Four.  D. Five

32. What does the doctor’s advice mean?

A. My are could be all right soon.

B. The other girls had the same arms as me.

C. My mum should look after me differently.

D. My mum should treat me the same as others.

33. Who peeled the potatoes at last?

A. Jenny.  B. Jenny’s mum.  C. Jenny’s sister.  D. Nobody.

34. Why did Mum take me back to the school playground the next day?

A. she wanted to tell me I could do anything.

B. she wanted the teacher to let me try again.

C. she would punish the kids who laughed at me.

D. she would like to praise me before the other kids.

35. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. My bad-tempered mother    B. Different mother love

C. A doctor’s advice           D. My childhood(童年)

Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary 　31 of the learning process. But too often as parents and teachers we deny this same right to our children. We convey(傳達) 32 　by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but 　33　 performance pleases us.

34 I see a child under this kind of pressure ,I think of Jack. He is a shy, nervous perfectionist. He 　35 answered questions—he might be 　36 .

I try my best to 　37 his self-confidence. And I repeatedly 　38 　God for direction. But 　39 changed until midterm, when Mary, a student teacher, came to our classroom.

One day we were working with math problems. Jack had copied the problems with care. 40 with his progress, I left the children with Mary .When I returned, Jack was in tears. He’d missed the third problem.

At that time, Mary got a box 　41 with pencils from the desk we shared. “Look, Jack ! I’ve got something to show you.” she said.“ See these pencils, they belong to Mrs. Green and me. See how the erasers are 　42　 ? That’s because we make mistakes too. But we erase the mistakes and try 　43 . That’s what you must learn to do, too.” Jack looked up with 　44 in his eyes---the first time I’d see on his face that year.

Jack gradually believe him that it’s all 　45 to make mistakes – as long as you erase them and try again.

31. A. life　　　　　　　　　　 B. part　　　　　　　　　　　 C. game　　　　　　　　　　　 D. show

32. A. neither　　　　　　　　 B. nor　　　　　　　　　　　 C. either　　　　　　　　　　　 D. or

33. A. high　　　　　　　　　　 B. bad　　　　　　　　　　　 C. top　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. big

34. A. When　　　　　　　　 B. While　　　　　　　　　　 C. As　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Although

35. A. always　　　　　　　　 B. sometimes　　　　　　 C. ever　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. seldom

36. A. right　　　　　　　　　 B. wrong　　　　　　　　　 C. mistake　　　　　　　　　　 D. fail

37. A. start　　　　　　　　　 B. set　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. establish　　　　　　　　　 D. build

38. A. told　　　　　　　　　　 B. asked　　　　　　　　　　 C. said　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. spoke

39. A. something 　　　　 B. nothing　　　　　　　　　 C. anything　　　　　　　　　 D. everything

40. A. Kind　　　　　　　　　 B. Nice　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Great　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Pleased

41. A. filled　　　　　　　　　 B. full　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. deal　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. do

42. A. broke　　　　　　　　　 B. new　　　　　　　　　　　 C. good　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. worn

43. A. once　　　　　　　　　 B. again　　　　　　　　　　 C. too　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. either

44. A. disappointment　　 B. sadness　　　　　　　　 C. fear　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. love

45. A. right　　　　　　　　　 B. OK　　　　　　　　　　　 C. well　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. good