An old farmer lived with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was always up early to read. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! What good does reading do?"

Grandpa quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out(漏出) before he got back home. Grandpa laughed, "You'll have to move a little faster next time." This time the boy ran faster, but again the same took place. It was an impossible task.

The old man said, "You're just not trying hard enough." So the boy tried a third time and failed. He said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless? Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had turned from a dirty coal basket into a clean one inside and outside.

"You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read, you will be changed, inside and outside."

阅读下列短文, 从下面每个小题的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

One day, Ben was playing basketball in the living room, breaking a vase. To cover his terrible action, the frightened boy glued the pieces together and put the vase back to its place.

That evening her mother noticed the cracks (裂纹). But to her surprise, the repair work was actually very good. At dinner time, she asked her boy if he broke the vase. Fearing punishment, the boy said that a neighbor's cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off. His mother was quite clear that her son was lying. However, she said nothing.

Before going to bed, the boy was asked to go to the study. In the study, his mother didn't look angry. On seeing her son carefully come in, she gave him one chocolate, saying "This chocolate is a reward (奖励) for your imagination: a window-opening cat!" At that moment, the boy felt the chocolate was a hot potato. “Did mom find holes in my excuse?” he thought. “You know, all the windows were closed.” Mother continued calmly and took out two chocolates into his hand, “An award for the perfect repair.”

Now with the chocolates in hand, the boy wished the ground to open up and bury him! He told the truth. “So I have to punish you for your lie.” The mother said with a serious voice and took back his chocolates. The boy bent down his head in shame. “But your honesty should have the award—a box of chocolates.” The mother suddenly bent to kiss his cheek, speaking gently to the crying boy, “My son, honesty values more than anything.”

It was a lovely spring afternoon. My classmates and I were playing happily on the playground when I let out a cry, "Ow! Ow! Something in my shoe is biting me."

Everyone was shocked by the cry. They took me into a classroom and were about to take off my1 . "Which foot is it?" One asked "let us have a look."

Suddenly, I remembered the holes in 2 socks. My family was very poor during those years. I wore welfare socks, which cost only a little, but those 3 welfare socks didn't last long. They soon had 4 at the bottom.

I refused to take off my shoe. I 5 stand others seeing the holes in my sock. I tried to hold back my tears. Yet, each time the thing 6 my shoe bit me, tears raced down my face.

My teacher, Miss Diane, hurried into the 7 , "What's wrong? " She asked.

"Something is biting her right foot, 8 she doesn't let us take off her shoe," One of my classmates answered.

Miss Diane lived next door to me. She 9 everything about my family. She put both hands on my shaking shoulders and 10 into my painful and hopeless eyes.

"Oh, yes, it must be a sock-eating ant," She said, as if she had 11 seen the thing inside the shoe. "I had a bite from one of those ants. By the time I got my shoe off, it had 12 almost the whole bottom off my sock." My classmates nodded while they were listening to the teacher 13 , although they all looked a little puzzled.

Miss Diane took off my right shoe and sock and shook them over the dustbin. Two red ants 14 it.

"Just what I thought. The ants have eaten part of her sock." When she stroked an alcohol cotton ball on the bites, she added, "You are such a 15 girl to take so many bites."

The alcohol felt cool on the bites and a little girl's pride was saved by the "sock-eating ant " story.

A student walks into the teacher's office with his heavy schoolbag slowly and looks worried. "What's happening?" the teacher asks. He tells a lot of small things that make him really unhappy. Then the teacher stops working and decides to do something to help the little boy.

He asks the student to get a glass of water and some salt* from a box. The teacher asks the student to put the salt into the glass of water and drink it.

"How does it taste*?"the teacher asks.

"It doesn't taste good."the student answers.

The teacher doesn't say anything else, but asks the student to get the same amount* of salt and go with the teacher to a nearby lake.

"Put the salt into the lake,"the teacher says. The student does what the teacher says.

"Now, taste the water from the lake,"the teacher says.

The student gets some water from the lake with his hands and tastes, the teacher asks,"How does it taste?"

"Fresh and a bit sweet,"the student answers quickly.

"Do you taste the salt?"the teacher asks.

"No,"the student shakes his head.

The teacher sits beside the student,"The pain* of life is just like salt—no more, no less.

However, how salty it tastes depends* on the container* you put the pain in."

"How do you feel now?"asks the teacher.

The student looks at the teacher with a big smile. He feels much better now.

"Thank you for giving me such a lesson. I think I will never forget the taste of them and learn to be a lake."

难度系数：★★★

"Cindy…Soloist (独唱者)." I couldn't believe it—on the cover of the program was my name rather than Renee's! 

Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always 1 I was and she was always ahead of me. The school plays? Renee would have the 2 . Softball? She played first base (垒) while I watched her from my 3 in the outfield. 

Trying out for the choir (合唱团) concert was a 4 process for me. As we were waiting for Ms. Jenkins's call into the choir room. my heart 5 . My whole body began shaking when my name was called. Then I saw Renee's smile and her 6 relaxed me. 

A week later, Ms. Jenkins announced the result. I was certain that Renee's name would be on the 7 while mine wouldn't. But finally, Ms. Jenkins looked at me and said, "Cindy, you will have to start practicing with me. The solos need more8 ."

"Solo? I got the solo?" I 9 this. But Renee just gave me the thumbs up sign. 

The big day came. The choir walked onto the stage (舞台) and I was front and center. The spotlight 10 me in its bright light, but I froze right there. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't sing. The note started up and then 11 in my throat. 

"You can do it, Cindy!" Renee whispered behind. I took a deep breath and sang out. All that came out was an unpleasant 12 But in that same moment, came the pure tone of the right note. My voice 13 and matched Renee's. When the next note came, it was all me. 

The rest of the solo went 14 . And when the concert was over, there came a burst of loud applause (掌声). Renee was the first to 15 me. 

"Thanks, Renee!"

Renee smiled, "That's what friends are for!"

"Friends?" I smiled, beginning to love the feeling of being her friend. 

When you are too sick or tired to eat, would you enjoy a bowl of ramen? It wouldn't matter how good the ramen is any more-you wouldn't enjoy it anyway. 

If the boss decides to give you another bowl of the world's best ramen and lets you invite someone to eat for free. But you do not have any loved ones to invite-not even a close friend. Your feelings of loneliness will make the ramen tasteless as well. 

Ramen is like the expensive things that many of us think we want in life. Nice cars, expensive houses and beautiful clothes. They are nice to have, but we shouldn't forget that the most important things in life are our health and our loved ones. We must first take good care of our health and our loved ones before we worry about having nice things. 

Being rich is not always about having more money; it can also come from the heart. Having a rich heart is about finding inner (内心的) peace. Once you have made it, you will be thankful for what you have and be less worried about what you don't have. Or all the riches in the world will not be able to fill your heart. 

The next time you are enjoying a bowl of delicious ramen with a loved one or a close friend, think about how lucky you are. When life brings you difficult problems and challenges, remember that these same people are there for you to help you get past difficult times.