One summer evening as I was cooking dinner, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and saw an old man. But his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I come to see if you have a room for just one night. I live far away from here, and there's no bus till next morning. ”

I told him we would find him a bed, but it was not comfortable. I went inside and cooked dinner. When we were ready, I asked him if he would like to join us. “No, thank you. I have plenty.” When I had finished the dinner, I went out to talk with him. He told me he fished for a living to help his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was ill and too weak to do anything.

At bedtime, we put a bed in the children's room for him. On his next trip, as a gift, he brought a big fish and some fresh vegetables. In the years he came to stay overnight with us, and there was never a time he did not bring us some fish or vegetables from his garden.

 I know it was thankful for our family to know him, from whom we learn what was to accept the bad without a complaint(抱怨) and the good with thanks.

1Why did the old man go to the writer's house?

A. To give a fish to the writer.                   B. To stay for the night.

C. To sell some fish.                             D. To ask for some money.

2 How many people were there in the old man's daughter's family?

A. Two.           B. Four.                 C. Six.           D. Seven.

3 Which of the following is true?

 A. The old man stayed for the night with the writer only once.

 B. The old man came to the writer's house to ask for some food.

 C. The old man came to stay with the writer for the night many times.

 D. The old man felt lonely because he had no son or daughter.

British people are famous for drinking tea. But brother and sister, Sarah and Bobby Green, became young millionaires(百萬富翁) when they opened a chain of American-style coffee shops in the UK.

Having the idea: It started when Sarah took a weekend trip to New York to visit her brother Bobby. One evening, in a Thai restaurant, Sarah told Bobby how much she wished she could buy American-style coffee in London. Bobby suggested they started their own coffee shop. Sarah fell in love with the idea.

Doing the research: Back in London, she spent a whole day on the London subway, getting off the train at different stations to taste the coffee. “It was terrible, and I knew there was a gap (空缺) in the market.” In 1995, they opened their first Coffee Republic shop in the center of London.

Making it work: The first year was very difficult. British people were not used to the names of American coffees, like latte and macchiato. But being successful was their dream and they were not going to give up. Today, there are over 100 Coffee Republic shops all over the country and the company has ￡30 million a year.

Advice for others: Sarah has now written a best-selling book about their experience, called Anyone Can Do It! She hopes it will help other young people to start their own businesses. She says, “If you think you have the energy, then get out and follow your dream.”

4What kind of company do they run?

A. A fast-food restaurant.                                B. A tea shop.   

C. A coffee shop.                       D. A big hotel.

5 Where are their Coffee Republic shops?

A. All over the UK.                        B. All over the US.

C. In the center of London.                D. In New York.

6Which information is mentioned in the passage?

A. Sarah was not interested in Bobby’s idea.

 B. British people never drank coffee before 1995.

 C. Sarah’s best-selling book is about how to make coffee.

 D. Sarah found a business chance while doing the research.

Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B. C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world's population is left-handed.

  Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person's two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain(腦). The right side of the brain, which makes a person's hands and eyes work together, controls(控制) the left hand. The left-side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs.

No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged(傷害) when they are born. However, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene(基因)for right-handedness, he/she may become either right-handed or left-handed according (根據)to the chance and the people they work or live with.

  Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don't have to.

7 After studying works of art made at different times in history, the scientists

found ____________.

A. the art began from 1,500 B. C.

B. the works of art ended in the 1950s

C. most people shown in the works of art are right-handed

D. most people shown in the works of art are left-handed

8 How many people in the world are left-handed now?

A. Less than one sixth.                 B. More than a half.

C. About 40%.                             D. The passage doesn't tell us.

9 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed.

B. Scientists think there must be some reason why people become left-handed.

C. Today children are not made to use their right hands only.

D. Left-handedness is cleverer than right-handedness.

10 What is the best title for this passage?

A. Left-handed People                           B. Scientists' New Inventions

 C. Which Hand                         D. Different Brains, Different Hands

What makes a house a home?

Not size, of course. I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it’s apparent no one lives there. Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’ bed — a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since.

Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, “This isn’t a book about houses; it’s a book about home. About the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped,” Edwards writes. “The houses and circumstances are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar.”

Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about.

We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years. It’s home now. The loose windows that rattle in the wind. The fireplace so shallow that it holds only one log. The kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by. It’s where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed. It will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.

While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are. As Edwards writes, “Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith.”

Happy homecoming.

1．According to the author, what makes a house a home?

A．All the belongings in the house.             B．Feelings of warmth and comfort.

C．The houses and furniture.                     D．The houses and decorations.

2．About the book Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, we know that _________.

A．it was the description of Edwards’ houses

B．it is mainly about houses

C．it helps us understand the concept of home

D．it was written by the author of the text

3．What did the author mean when he mentioned the loose windows and the shallow fireplace?

A．His house was too old to live in.            B．He missed the feelings of home.

C．He hated living there.                            D．He missed his old friends too much.

4．It can be inferred according to the text that __________.

A．the author’s family were very rich         B．every happy home is the same

C．the author has been living an unhappy lifeD．the author and Edwards hold similar ideas

What makes a house a home?

Not size, of course．I've been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it's readily apparent no one lives there．Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess' bed -- a home that had more warmth than any house I've been in since．

Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives．There Edwards writes, " This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped．The houses and circumstances are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar．"     

Whether you're sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he's talking about．

We've lived in our townhouse for 21 years．The loose windows that make noise in the wind．The fireplace so shallow it holds only one log．The kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by．It's where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed．I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home．Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines．

While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you're with, not where you are．As Edwards writes, "Home is family．Home is safety．Home is faith．"

Happy homecoming．

1.What would be the best title for the text?

2.The purpose of the second paragraph is to __

3.About the book Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, we know that __

4.What did the author mainly mean when he mentioned the loose windows and the shallow fireplace ?

5.It can be inferred according to the text that __

What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course．I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it’s readily apparent no one lives there．Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’ bed -- a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since．
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives．There Edwards writes, " This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped．The houses and circumstances are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar．"     
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about．
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years．The loose windows that make noise in the wind．The fireplace so shallow it holds only one log．The kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by．It’s where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed．I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home．Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines．
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are．As Edwards writes, "Home is family．Home is safety．Home is faith．"
Happy homecoming．
【小題1】What would be the best title for the text?

What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course.I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it’s readily apparent no one lives there.Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’ bed -- a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since.
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives.There Edwards writes, " This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped.The houses and circumstances are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar."     
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about.
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years.The loose windows that make noise in the wind.The fireplace so shallow it holds only one log.The kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by.It’s where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed.I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home.Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are.As Edwards writes, "Home is family.Home is safety.Home is faith."
Happy homecoming.

1. 1.

   What would be the best title for the text?

   1. A.
      Home Means Everything
   2. B.
      What’s Inside Makes Us Feel at Home
   3. C.
      Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives
   4. D.
      The Importance of the Home
2. 2.

   The purpose of the second paragraph is to _    _

   1. A.
      mean the author likes living in grandest houses
   2. B.
      prove the author got along well with the hostess
   3. C.
      mean the feeling of home isn’t related to the size
   4. D.
      show the author’s different feelings about houses
3. 3.

   About the book Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, we know that       

   1. A.
      it was the description of Edwards’ houses
   2. B.
      it is mainly about houses
   3. C.
      it helps us understand the concept of home
   4. D.
      it was written by the author of the text
4. 4.

   What did the author mainly mean when he mentioned the loose windows and the shallow fireplace ?

   1. A.
      His house was too old to live in.
   2. B.
      He missed the feelings of home.
   3. C.
      He hated living there.
   4. D.
      He missed his old friends too much.
5. 5.

   It can be inferred according to the text that _     _

   1. A.
      the author’s family were very rich
   2. B.
      every happy home is the same
   3. C.
      the author has been living a hard life
   4. D.
      the author and Edwards hold similar ideas

I ran across an old photo of him the other day, thinking of some old things. He’s been dead for 25 years. His name was Rex.

36  was his favorite recreation(娛樂). He had so much 37 in the water as any person I have known. You didn’t have to throw a stick in the water to 38 him to go in. Of course, he would bring back a stick to you if you 39 throw one in.

That 40 me of that night, 41 he brought back a small box that he found somewhere--- how 42 nobody ever knew. Since it was Rex, it 43 easily have been half a race. The box wasn’t a good one. It was just a 44 old piece that somebody 45. Still it was something he wanted, probably 46 there was some difficulty in transportation（運輸）. And that he thought could test his courage. We first knew about his achievement when, deep in the night, we 47 him trying to get the box up onto the porch(門廳). It sounded 48 two or three people were trying to tear the house 49 . We came downstairs and turned on the 50 light. Rex was on the top step trying to pull the thing up, but it had 51somehow. And he was just holding his own(堅持著). I suppose he would have held his own 52 dawn if we hadn’t helped him. The next day we carried the box miles away and threw it out. If we had thrown it out in a 53 place, he would have brought it home again, as a small token(象征)of his strength in such matters. 54, he had been taught to carry heavy wooden objects about and he was 55 of his skill.