When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed (診斷) with cancer. The doctors told us my mom
might be saved with surgery (手術(shù)). But it could also kill her. She chose to have it.
    The day before the surgery I was off school, and my mom planned the best day of my life, everything I
loved at seven and everything that would put a smile on my face. The day began with her waking me up
saying, "Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come and see." The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest
time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be
a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. We had a picnic
in the park, and it was so cold that we moved to the car. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time
in a long time I could see she was really happy. I would never forget her smile, or the way her eyes shone as
if we were the same age. It was the best day of my life, and I will never forget the conversations we shared. 
    My mother managed to live through the surgery. Now when I look back, I realize that the best day of my
life could be her last and this could be the last day I would remember with her, the last one we shared. I also
understand how unselfish a mother is.

1. Who made the decision to have the surgery in the story?

A. The doctors.
B. The patient.
C. The writer.
D. The patient's family.

2. What did the writer's mother do the day before the surgery?

A. She stayed at home to have a good rest.
B. She went to the doctor's for advice.
C. She turned to her family for comfort.
D. She stayed all day with her child.

3. Why was the writer's mother happy that day?

A. Because she left her child a special memory.
B. Because she realized her child had grown up.
C. Because she was proud of what her child had done.
D. Because she expected the surgery to be successful.

4. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph suggests that ______.

A. her mother was ill again
B. the surgery was unsuccessful
C. her mother was getting better
D. the surgery was simple

5. Which of the following words best describes the writer's mother?

A. Hardworking.
B. Famous.
C. Rich.
D. Great.

       Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time. He was created by Stan Lee in 1963
and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel comic books. 
       Spiderman's story is the story of Peter Parker, a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and
uncle. Peter is a shy, quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends. One day, on a high school class trip to a
science lab, he gets bitten by a special spider. Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers: he is as strong and
quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense. He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super
power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him, that "with great
power, there must also come great responsibility (責(zé)任)," Peter decides to use his powers to fight enemies who
do cruel things to people. And so, Spiderman is born.
       Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero. He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her
about his amazing powers. Besides, his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and
time. He has to sell photos of Spiderman (himself!) to a newspaper and he keeps losing his other jobs because
he's so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different kinds of cruel enemies.

1. Who created Spiderman?

[     ]

A. Stan Lee.
B. Marvel.
C. Peter Parker.
D. Superman.

2. What happened to Peter Parker after he was bitten by the spider?

[     ]

A. He could not see with his eyes.
B. He became a spider.
C. He developed spider-like powers.
D. He was sick.

3. What does "with great power, there must also come great responsibility" mean?

[     ]

A. Powerful people can do whatever they like.
B. People with power are always good.
C. Powerful people should have a responsibility to do good.
D. Powerful people are to blame for all the bad things that happen.

4. In what areas does Peter have problems that are similar to normal people?

[     ]

A. Money, time, studying, reading.
B. Money, work, time, relationships.
C. Relationships, sport, money, work.
D. Money, work, time, sleep.

    Prana was a beautiful dog, whose name means "breath of life". Although he died several years ago, I can
still remember the days we spent together and what he has taught me about love.
    I have two apple trees in the garden. Prana loved apples. When he went outside, he'd catch an apple and
take it into the house to eat later. The apples had been on the ground and were often dirty so I wasn't always
happy that Prana had brought them into the house.
    It was an autumn day in America, but it was very cold. A big snow fell and we had not done anything for
its coming. On that special day, Prana went outside and I watched him through the window. I noticed that he
was madly digging (挖) holes and bringing the apples to the ground so they could be seen above the snow. I
did not know why he was doing this. He seemed to want to do something special.
    When I called him back, he had his usual one apple in his mouth. About five minutes later, I looked outside.
The garden was completely covered with birds. Prana had dug up all those apples for his bird friends to eat.
He knew that they wouldn't have stored enough food for the coming winter!