Ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ ｆｏｒ Ｆｕｎ ａｎｄ Ｉｍｐｒｏｖｅｍｅｎｔ ｉｎ Ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ

姜红伟　陈　娟

Passage 1

在弱肉强食的动物世界里，一种动物能够生存下来是很不容易的。除了要时刻提防天敌的袭击，它们还要学会抵御自然界的严寒和酷热。不过，说起动物们过冬的本领来，却是各有各的高招，而且好像是无师自通。现在就让我们一起来看看文中这些动物都是用什么高招来越冬的吧！

Animals live a hard life both in winter and in summer. In summer the hot sun burns their skin，and in winter they suffer from cold and hunger.

In many places around the world，it is usually very cold in winter. How do the animals keep themselves warm？

Moving from one place to another is a very good way. In autumn，we can see some birds fly a long way from the North to the South for the coming winter. They know when winter comes and where they should go to keep warm，just like man.

Some animals can dig out deep holes in the earth，and then make themselves comfortable and warm with grass，leaves and fur. In the holes they also keep much food for the long winter.

In the coldest places，for example，the Arctic Regions，the polar bear passes a long winter in a deep hole. He sleeps for many months until the weather becomes warmer. Of course，he sleeps in the hole covered with thick snow and ice. A polar bear usually eats as much as he can before his long winter sleep.

Notes：

1. leaf n. 树叶 2. fur n. 动物皮毛

3. the Arctic Regions北极地区 4. polar bear北极熊

用文中的介词或副词填空。

1. Moving______ one place to another is one of the ways for animals to live through the winter.

2. It is a long______ from my home to our school.

3. The boy dug______ a deep hole in the earth.

4. Some animals are clever enough to keep much food______ the long winter.

5. In some cold northern areas，the ground is often covered______ snow.

Key：1. from 2. way 3. out 4. for 5. with

Passage 2

勇猛、能干的牧羊犬似乎已成为遥远的过去，而饲养乖巧、可爱的宠物狗已逐渐成为当今都市的风尚。你也喜欢养狗吗？你想了解更多有关狗的故事吗？请看“The Friend of Man（人类的朋友）”。

Once upon a time，a man met a dog and wanted it to help him in the fight against other animals. He took the dog home and kept it as a friend. Later people used dogs for the hunting of other animals. So dogs were used to drive sheep to some places and they were also used to look after chickens.

But now people in towns and cities do not need dogs to fight against other animals. Of course people still keep them to frighten thieves，but the most important reason why people in cities keep dogs is that they feel lonely. They want to stay with a lovely animal as a friend.

For a child，a dog is his best friend when he has no friend to play with. For a young wife，a dog is her child when she doesnt have her own children. For old people a dog is also a child when their real children have grown up and left them. Now people do not have to use dogs but they keep them as friends，or as members of the family.

Notes：

1. hunt v. 打猎 2. frighten v. 威吓 3. lonely adj. 孤独的

Comprehension questions：

1. What is the earliest use of dogs in the past？

A. To help people fight against other animals.

B. To help people fight against thieves.

C. To help people drive sheep.

2. What is the most important reason for people to keep dogs now in cities？

A. Because there are many bad people in cities.

B. Because people often feel lonely in cities.

C. Because people like to keep animals at home.

3. What is the use of a dog to a child when he has no friend to play with？

A. A dog is his best friend.

B. A dog is like his child.

C. A dog is like his parent.

Key：1-3 ABA

Passage 3

多人集体狩猎时，猎手之间要保持一定的距离和站位，还要约定开枪的暗号；另外，绝不能开恶作剧式的玩笑，否则枪响之后，倒下来的可能就是别的猎手，而不是野兽。文中的这位小伙子别出心裁，把“我不是熊”的告示贴在背上，为的是取笑眼力不好的朋友，结果差一点儿送了性命！ 欲知详情，请看下文“I Am Not a Bear（我不是熊）”。

Mr Black loved shooting bears，but he was old and his eyesight was not good. Several times he almost shot people instead of bears. So his friends were always very careful when they went out hunting with him.

One day a young friend of his wanted to play a joke on him. He got a big piece of white paper and wrote on it in very big letters “I AM NOT A BEAR”. Then he tied the paper to his back and went off. Seeing the words，his friends laughed a lot.

But this piece of paper did not keep him safe. After a while Mr Black shot at him and knocked his hat off.

The young man was very frightened and angry. He shouted to Mr Black，“Didnt you see this piece of paper on my back？”

“Yes，I did，” said Mr Black. Then he went nearer and looked carefully at the letters on the paper and said，“Oh，I am very sorry. I didnt see the word NOT.”

Notes：

1. bear n. 熊 2. instead of ... 而不是；不是……

3. shoot v. 射击 4. frightened adj. 受惊吓的；恐惧的

True or False：

1. Mr Black loved shooting.

2. Mr Black was quite young，but he had bad eyesight.

3. The young man tied a piece of paper to his arm to save himself.

4. Mr Black shot at his young friend but didnt kill him.

Key：1-4 TFFT

Passage 4

悲伤的故事让人心情沉重，有时还会让人伤心落泪。吉姆虽然不善于讲伤感故事，但那天他在上到旅馆大楼的45层时，讲了一个只有一句话的真实故事，却让听故事的人目瞪口呆，差点掉下眼泪。如此出奇的故事，难道你不想听听吗？

Three men went to New York for a holiday. They rented a room in a large hotel. The room was on the forty-fifth floor.

In the evening the three men went to the cinema to see a film and came back very late. They were told that the lift was broken and couldnt work that night. The three men had to walk up to their room.

One of them said，“Its not easy to walk up to the forty-fifth floor. Lets make it easier by doing something. On our way to our room I shall tell you some jokes，and then Tom will sing us some songs. Then you，Jim，please tell us some interesting stories.”

So they began to walk up to their room with jokes and songs. When they came to the forty-third floor，they were tired and stopped to have a rest. And then it was time for Jim to tell stories.

“I shall tell you a sad story，” said Jim. “Its not long，but it is sad.”

“Tell us，Jim！ We are all ears，” Tom said.

“I left the key to the room on the first floor！” Jim said.

Notes：

1. rent v. 租用 2. hotel n. 旅馆

3. lift n. 电梯 4. be all ears 全神贯注地听

5. leave （left，left） v. 遗忘，丢下

Comprehension questions：

1. The three men went to New York______ .

A. to work B. for a holiday

C. to study in a school D. on business

2. The room they rented in the hotel was on the______ floor.

A. forty-sixth B. forty-seventh

C. forty-fourth D. forty-fifth

3. Why did they walk up to their room in the hotel？

A. Because there was no lift in the hotel.

B. Because they wanted to have good exercise.

C. Because the lift didnt work that night.

D. Because they did not want to take the lift.

Key：1-3 BDC