Some time ago, an old businessman had a large store in Boston. He wanted a boy to work for him, and he put an advertisement in the newspaper. The next morning, many boys came to the old man's office, asking for the job.

 There was a post(柱子)by his desk, and there was a nail(钉子）in it. He took a walking stick and said, "Everyone has three chances. If anyone can hit the nail on the head with this stick more than once, I will give him the job."The boys thought it was easy. They all tried, but nobody could make it. So the old man said, "I'm sorry I can't take any of you."And they left.

  He kept the advertisement in the paper, and the next morning many more boys came, and among them he saw a thin boy who had been there the day before. The boy hit the nail successfully for three times. The old man felt surprised and asked how he did that. "Yes," said the boy, "I failed yesterday, but I thought that if I kept on trying a while, I could do it. So I went home and practiced hitting a nail with a stick till I could do it, and I got up very early this morning, and tried again."

 The old man said, "You are the boy for me." And he gave him the job. Whatever the boy had to do, he tried to do his best. It was not very long before he became the best clerk in the store.

Answer the questions according to the passage.

    Edison had quick mind about inventions, but not always about other things.

    One day he received a notice. It said he must pay some money to the government by the next day. If he was late, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Edison went to the city office. Many people were waiting there in line to pay. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, his mind was busy with ideas about a new invention. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, the man behind it said to Edison “Young man, what's your name?”

    Edison looked at the man in surprise. “ I don't know,” he said.

    “Then I can't help you,” the man said, and told him to leave.

    Other people paid the money, but Edison stood there, and tried to remember his name. The day ended, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    In the street, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. He had to ask the friend what his name was.

    It is a Saturday morning．You have your breakfast，walk the dog，and then go to football practice on time．A few hours later,you return home,only to find that the dog has made your bedroom untidy．Your clothes are on the floor．{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Before you get angry,you should stop and think．Your dog wasn't misbehaving(捣蛋)just for the fun of it．And he wasn't punishing(惩罚)you for leaving．{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's called separation anxiety(分离焦虑)．

    Think of it this way：Dogs can't ask where you're going or when you'll back{#blank#}3{#/blank#} All they know is that they want to be with you．Since you're not there,they need to find you.Dogs may Suddenly develop separation anxiety．But with  practice and patience(耐心)，you can teach your dog to be Comfortable being left alone.

    Put on your jacket，and then sit down．{#blank#}4{#/blank#}After a while，walk out the door for 1 minute，then 2 and so on．Little by little your dog will learn that when you leave，you will return．

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    ◎Teach your dog a word or that you use every time you leave，which tells your dog you'll be back

    ◎Before you leave，give your dog a toy．It will keep him busy while you're away．

根据材料内容从方框中选择恰当的句子填入文中空缺处，使材料内容完整、正确，其中有一个句子是多余的。

    California is one of the richest states in America．It has a large amount of land．And it also has more people than any other states．It has plenty of natural resources （资源），too．

    But everything （A）_______ not perfect there．California has two major problems：earthquakes and forest fires．

    The San Andreas Fault runs through California．（B）As a result of it，the state gets many earthquakes．（C） 其中一些地震非常强烈 For example，there was a strong earthquake in San Francisco in 1906．It destroyed many buildings．And it started a large number of fires．（D）More than 3，000 people died after it ． There have also been many other strong earthquakes．Some people fear that the"big （E）one"will hit someday．They think an earthquake will cause a huge amount of damage （破坏）．

    During summer and autumn，much of California is dry．So forest fires，or wildfires，often start．Those fires can spread （F）rapidly ． They burn many forest．But they can also burn people's homes and buildings．They often kill people．（G）_______ firefighters can put them out．

    A hobby is an activity we can do in our free time, so that we can keep ourselves busy with something that makes us happy. Different people have different kinds of hobbies, according to their personal likes and dislikes. Hobbies are activities we choose to do, but not activities we have to do. There is a lot of difference between wanting to do something and having to do it. We only want to do those things we like to do, and things that give us pleasure and peace of mind.

    Hobbies play a very important role in our lives. For example, they are a way of connecting us with our inner self. The time devoted to taking up a hobby is our own time. This is the time when we can connect and communicate with ourselves. During this personal time, we can do whatever we like. Doing things according to our own wishes gives us a sense of inner satisfaction, and also helps develop self-confidence.

    Hobbies also help discover talents. There is a possibility that we are interested in a certain activity, but have never had a chance to try it. If we develop our interest as our hobbies, it's quite clear that we'll do it with great interest. So, even if we have never tried a certain thing before, we can still learn to do it. The hobbyists' hidden talents can be discovered, and this can make them feel more confident.

    It's human nature to try to know more about the things we like. The moment we pursue (追求) some activities as our favorite hobbies, we want to gain more knowledge about the same hobby. Whether it's gardening, cooking, painting or collecting stamps, we always try to get a deeper understanding of what we're doing, so that we can do it more correctly. What's more, we also happen to meet people with similar tastes and sometimes, owning rich knowledge about their hobbies. Besides gaining knowledge, hobbies also provide us with a chance to meet people who share similar likes and dislikes with us.

    Whatever our hobbies are, they can be developed at any age, as a child or as an adult. However, if we begin at a young age, we can get more time to experience the joys. The hobby may grow with us, and some day, may also take us to great heights.

Amy: What's your hobby, John?

John: I like playing football with my classmates and playing the piano at home. What about you, Amy?

Amy: I like watching films and playing table tennis.

John: Are you good at playing table tennis?

Amy: No, I'm not good at it. Can you play table tennis?

John: No, I can't. And I don't like it. What about music, Amy?

Amy: I like listening to music.