Early this morning, I got up to make a batch of Rice Krispie treats（大米花糖） for my neighbor across the hall. She   21  greets me when we see each other, and her little boy, who’s now 4, won’t talk to me either.

Last Monday, she called the firefighters when a pan I’d forgotten on the stove caused my flat to     22  . I had gone for a walk, but when I came home the street in front of our apartment was   23   by a police car, a fire truck and an ambulance!   24   I saw them, I remembered the pan!

I felt safe knowing that    25  we don’t get along, my neighbor had done the right thing and didn’t blame me. Hence, the Rice Krispie treats.

Last Christmas, my neighbor revealed that she had been a little angry about me because of a(n) __26___ four years ago. I had apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to ___27___ our relationship, but she would not accept my     28  .

Her direct refusal really    29   me. After that, I decided I’d just leave her be—a relationship     30   two to work.

So, you see, I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again,    31    me standing on her     32   holding my plate of treats. Then, I reminded myself of how good I had felt the day before when I’d done some random acts of ___33___ after telling myself: “ Feel the fear, and do it    34   !”

After placing the Rice Krispie treats on a beautiful plate, I opened my apartment door and met her in the hall way. I said：“I just wanted to tell you how    35   I am that you were paying attention on Monday.” I held the plate    36  her, explaining these were very sweet American treats and that she    37  try to see whether she and her family liked them. She took the plate and we talked a bit about   38   she’d become aware of the smoke in my flat before parting ways.

Back at home I    39   a “ happy dance”, because I had been kind even though I wasn’t sure it would be appreciated. I want to be able to be kind without expecting people to    40  in a certain way.

1.                A．warmly         B．occasionally      C．barely    D．frequently

2.                A．go up          B．smoke up       C．burn up  D．tear up

3.                A．filled           B．surrounded      C．blocked  D．taken

4.                A．The instant      B．For a minute     C．That moment  D．At that time

5.                A．a(chǎn)s though       B．in case          C．now that  D．even though

6.                A．a(chǎn)ffair          B．incident        C．deed D．event

7.                A．improve        B．build           C．reunite   D．establish

8.                A．a(chǎn)dvice         B．suggestion       C．a(chǎn)pology   D．request

9.                A．shocked        B．saddened       C．a(chǎn)mused   D．a(chǎn)mazed

10.               A．takes          B．costs           C．covers    D．makes

11.               A．having         B．leaving         C．keeping   D．remaining

12.               A．home          B．hall            C．a(chǎn)partment D．doorstep

13.               A．kindness        B．happiness       C．politeness D．willingness

14.               A．some way       B．a(chǎn)nyway         C．somehow  D．somewhat

15.               A．kind           B．safe           C．happy D．grateful

16.               A．a(chǎn)t             B．on            C．towards   D．over

17.               A．could          B．must           C．would D．need

18.               A．when          B．what           C．how  D．where

19.               A．performed      B．learned        C．did   D．played

20.               A．receive        B．respond        C．reflect    D．realize

Last spring, members of Alaska’s Troop 34, based in Fairbanks, trudged (跋涉) out into the snowy wilderness to take part in their state’s Take a Kid Trapping program. In many parts of the state, beavers （海貍）are pests and need to be controlled.
The 10－to－12－year－old girls found out where beavers lived, set traps, and skinned the two animals they caught. The girls hope to catch ten more beavers so that the entire troop can make mittens and hats with the fur. They also want to cook beaver meat.
Troop leaders and members say the Scouts are doing a good deed by helping control the state’s beaver population. But animal－rights activists say trapping is cruel. They want the Girl Scouts to stop in their tracks.
Beavers aren’t only causing a problem in Alaska. Residents in Sampson County, N.C., have turned to a local committee to help them battle the growing beaver population there.
County landowners are frustrated after the county spent more than $ 50,000 in eight years trying to reduce the beaver population through a government program. The joint state and federal program included paying money to trappers for every beaver carcass they trapped.
Many local residents say that the program didn’t work because there were too few trappers. That’s why the county set up its own committee to investigate other ways to control the area’s beaver population.
The county will rely on its own beaver－trapping program. It has hired a trapper to set traps in various areas. The county will pay $10 for every beaver carcass.
Why do many people say that beavers are a nuisance? For beavers to survive, they need lots of water. Water provides the large rodent （嚙齒動(dòng)物）with a place to hide from meat – eating animals. Beavers also store food underwater for the winter. When there’s not enough water in a particular area, beavers get busy building dams.
Beaver dams can cause major flooding and damage to the surrounding countryside as the animals cut down trees to use in their construction projects. Beavers build canals to transport heavy objects.
【小題1】What is Alaska’s Troop 34?

I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they can  __1  it, they can certainly send them to the best universities. But they must not feel guilty if they can’t. If the children really want to go, they’ll find a   2   out. There are plenty of loans（貨款）and scholarships for the bright and   3  ones who can’t afford to pay.

When children grow up and want to get  married, their parents do not owe them a down payment on a house. They do not have the   4  to baby-sit their grandchildren. If they want to do it,it must be considered a(n)   5  not an obligation（責(zé)任，義務(wù)）.

Do parents owe their children anything? Yes,they owe them a great deal.

One of their obligations is to give their children personal   6  .A child who is constantly made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly  7  to brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so  _8_ , so afraid of failing that he（or she）won’t try at all .Of course they should be __9__ corrected when they do wrong, but it’s often better to let children learn their mistakes by themselves in time.All our parents should do is to trust them, respect them, tolerate（寬容）them and give them chances to try and fail.They must learn to stand   10  .When criticisms（批評(píng)）are really needed,they should be  11 with praises,with a smile and a kiss.That is the way children learn.

Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives.This means teaching them to  12 the rights and opinions of others;it means being respectful to elders,to teachers,and to the law.The best way to teach such values is by  13  .A child who is lied to will lie.A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have   14  laughing and loving.

No child asks to be  15  .If you bring a life into the world,you owe the child something.

I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they can  __1  it, they can certainly send them to the best universities. But they must not feel guilty if they can’t. If the children really want to go, they’ll find a   2   out. There are plenty of loans（貨款）and scholarships for the bright and   3  ones who can’t afford to pay.
When children grow up and want to get  married, their parents do not owe them a down payment on a house. They do not have the   4  to baby-sit their grandchildren. If they want to do it,it must be considered a(n)   5  not an obligation（責(zé)任，義務(wù)）.
Do parents owe their children anything? Yes,they owe them a great deal.
One of their obligations is to give their children personal   6  .A child who is constantly made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly  7  to brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so  _8_ , so afraid of failing that he（or she）won’t try at all .Of course they should be __9__ corrected when they do wrong, but it’s often better to let children learn their mistakes by themselves in time.All our parents should do is to trust them, respect them, tolerate（寬容）them and give them chances to try and fail.They must learn to stand   10  .When criticisms（批評(píng)）are really needed,they should be  11 with praises,with a smile and a kiss.That is the way children learn.
Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives.This means teaching them to  12 the rights and opinions of others;it means being respectful to elders,to teachers,and to the law.The best way to teach such values is by  13  .A child who is lied to will lie.A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have   14  laughing and loving.
No child asks to be  15  .If you bring a life into the world,you owe the child something.

When my parents were alive，they were not very rich．Yet they helped their two older     time after time．When Daddy passed away，his notebook showed debts      from several of his children．I was not among them．I      borrowed money and when I did，I set a repayment plan and     to it．It was a matter of       with me．I couldn’t stand owing my parents-or anyone else-mmoney because I watched them     to help out my older sisters when they were in financial difficulties themselves．

These days，after the death of my parents，I am one of those people who can be      to for help when they need it．Just as I can’t stand     other people money，I can’t stand saying no to whoever needs help．I don’t     helping others，but I would be more than glad if they would make a(n)     to handle things themselves，perhaps by doing some     planning-like planning not to speend money they don’t have!

Being ready to help others is a     ，but sometimes the result will be     to what you expect．I     remember as a child what my father always said， “If at first you don’t succeed，try，try again!” Helping my children too often has     them from learning to keep trying．Use your    ：who among my children will     to walk if I supply the money to buy a car? Helped often，my children lost gradually the ability to     problems themselves．

    In most       ，when people find you can      help，they will ask you more and more．That's human，you know．

1.A．sons       B．daughters      C．brothers      D．sisters

2.A．a(chǎn)bsent     B．a(chǎn)part       C．due     D．different

3.A．a(chǎn)lways     B．seldom     C．often    D．never

4.A．stuck      B．a(chǎn)ttached    C．a(chǎn)greed   D．belonged

5.A．pleasure    B．courage    C．pride    D．sorrow

6.A．struggle    B．happen     C．intend   D．move

7.A．referred    B．turned      C．seen    D．a(chǎn)ttended

8.A．cheating    B．donating    C．1ending D．owing

9.A．enjoy      B．mind       C．1ike    D．miss

10.A．comment   B．mess       C．excuse   D．effort

11.A．financial   B．flexible     C．typical   D．particular

12.A．deed      B．deal        C．virtue    D．task

13.A．contrary   B．essential    C．potential  D．necessary

14.A．can       B．may       C．shall      D．must

15.A．banned    B．protected   C．prevented  D．freed

16.A．a(chǎn)Hn      B．leg        C．body      D．head

17.A．wait      B．urge       C．threat     D．choose

18.A．solve     B．a(chǎn)ssess     C．seek       D．a(chǎn)nalyse

19.A．a(chǎn)ffairs    B．choices    C．cases      D．events

20.A．obtain    B．a(chǎn)ttain     C．provide     D．prefer