Love，joy and the warm feeling of getting together don't cost a thing.But gifts do cost money.So what's a poor family to do？

Before New Year，I told my mother that the only thing I（1）　 　was a pogo stick（弹簧单高跷）.However，my mother said they were so expensive that we couldn't（2）　 　one.

On a Saturday before New Year，my family（3）　 　together.While my mother and I were picking out the gifts，my dad said， "I'll be back soon— I need to see something in the tool area. "A little later，he came back with a long box.I remember wondering if there was a（4）　 　in it.

When we arrived home，my dad put the box in the garage.While my parents were busy with their chores，I（5）　 　walked out to the garage and found the box.I was so（6）　 　and I knew as soon as I opened that magical box，my bright，shiny pogo stick would appear.No such（7）　 　!Inside the box was a（8）　 　old broom（扫帚）.

That New Year morning，I got some nice gifts（9）　 　I didn't get the present that I really wanted.

After cleaning up the room，my dad went to the garage.When he came back in，he was（10）　 　a beautiful pogo stick.I couldn't（11）　 　it!My parents probably got quite a laugh from the trick they played on（12）　 　.

Although we didn't have much（13）　 　，my parents gave me the most important gift of all：lots of（14）　 　.That was over 60 years ago and I still think about those

（15）　 　memories.I will never forget all the joy my parents brought into my life.

RED BANK，New Jersey（January 31，2020）.These days，women go to space.They sail（航行）around the world．They have all kinds of adventures（冒险）．This wasn't true hundreds of years ago.Back then，women were expected to stay home.But that didn't stop these three women from taking off and doing big things.

Jeanne Baret （1740—1807）：Baret was a French scientist.She studied plants.And she was the first woman to sail around the world.In 1766，Baret wanted to set sail with a group of scientists.But they were all men.Women weren't allowed to travel on French navy ships.So Baret dressed up like a man.And she sailed away.

Lady Hester Stanhope （1776—1839）：Stanhope was from England.She wanted to travel.She traveled throughout the Middle East by herself.And she led an archeological dig there.She was the first woman to do this.

Nellie Bly （1864﹣1922）：Bly was a reporter.In 1887，she wrote a story about hidden problems at a hospital.She dressed up like a patient at the hospital.Then she wrote an alarming six﹣part report.The story made Bly well﹣known.It also led the way for other women reporters.Two years later，Bly set a world record.She traveled around the world in seventy﹣two days!

（1）The passage is probably from the 　 　column（栏目）of a magazine.

A.People

B.Science

C.Health

D.News

（2）According to the passage， 　 　set a record traveling around the world in 72 days.

A.Red Bank

B.Jeanne Baret

C.Lady Hester Stanhope

D.Nellie Bly

（3）It is the most important to tell that 　 　，if you are retelling this passage.

A.women today have all kinds of adventures

B.women could do great things even centuries ago

C.Jeanne Baret was the first woman to sail around the world

D.Nellie Bly's report about life inside a hospital made her famous

The first emperor of China，Qin Shihuang，completed a huge number of projects during his rule.Between 221 and 210 B.C.，he started the building of the Great Wall.The emperor also ordered the building of a huge army of life﹣sized terracotta soldiers（士兵）.These，he hoped，would protect his tomb after his death.

Lost in Time

The soldiers in Xi'an's terracotta museum are today light brown，but they weren't always.They began as an army of red，blue，yellow，green，white，and purple.Sadly，most of the colors did not last to the present day.After being exposed（暴露）to air during digging，the coating under the paint began to fall off.The paint disappeared in less time than it takes to boil an egg，taking away with it important pieces of history.

New Technology

Now new technology is starting to show the army's true colors.Archeologists（考古学家）have recently discovered an area with more than a hundred soldiers.Many of these still have their painted features，including black hair，pink faces，and black or brown eyes.Chinese and German researchers have developed a chemical liquid（液体）to help save the soldiers' colors.After finding a soldier or another art piece，archeologists put the liquid on it. They then cover it in plastic.

Back to Life

Archeologists are also finding colors in the dirt around the soldiers.It's important not to do anything with the dirt，so the colors won't be lost. "We are treating the dirt as an art piece， "says Rong Bo，the museum's leading archeologist.The next challenge，says Rong Bo，is to find a way to use the colors onto the army﹣again.Once that happens，artists can bring Emperor Qin's army back to its full，bright colors.

（1）What is the passage mainly about？ 　 　

A.The death of Emperor Qin Shihuang.

B.How the terracotta army was colored.

C.The true colors of the terracotta soldiers.

D.How the soldiers lived during Qin Dynasty.

（2）What does the underlined word "They" in the passage refer to？ 　 　

A.Archeologists.

B.Artists.

C.Researchers.

D.Soldier.

（3）Which statement would Rong Bo probably agree？ 　 　

A.The soldiers should stay in their present，brown color.

B.People should try to bring back the army's bright colors.

C.Archeologists can only guess at the soldiers' true colors.

D.Artists should be able to paint the soldiers in colors they want.

Why is it that the people you meet when backpacking（背包旅行）seem to be more interesting and outgoing than your friends at home？That's my experience，anyway.Very often，you'll meet people that are fun to travel with and worth getting to know.I've spent time with people of many countries and have found out some interesting things about their cultures.It's a great way to learn more about the world.

It's often easy to make new friends while you're traveling，and you'll be able to hang around with them for a few days，until one of you leaves for the next exciting place.Relationships of this kind are shorter but can be just as strong as friendships back home，because you do so much together in that short time.I often find I like to share things about myself that I'd never say to my close friends.It is safe，I think，because we probably won't meet again，except online.

One thing that's important when you're backpacking is to make sure you carry only basic needs，so your backpack isn't too heavy.I travel" "light" these days.One good tip someone gave me is to take old clothes and just throw them away when you move on，instead of washing and waiting for things to dry.Many hostels（小旅社）don't provide shampoo and shower gel.You can get mini bottles in supermarkets.

I've discovered that many backpackers visit little places other tourists don't go to，and by using local shops and guest houses，they help those places with much﹣needed financial（经济上的）support.Most small guest houses allow you to stay for unlimited time，so you can spend as long as you like exploring the local area.Backpackers are also kinder to the environment，because they use trains and buses rather than cars.So，what are you waiting for？ （By Andy Robinson）

（1）According to Andy，friendships made with other backpackers　 　.

A.are less serious than those with his friends at home

B.end at the moment they separate from each other

C.help him to decide where he would like to travel to

D.allow him to talk about himself in an honest way

（2）Which text message would Andy send to a friend？"　

（3）The best title for the passage can be　 　.

A.Friendships on the Way

B.Traveling with a Backpack

C.A Backpacking Experience

D.Tips on Travel

Masa walked slowly towards the house，stopping now and then to cut off dead leaves or fading flowers.There were few weeds（杂草）.Yuki had spent many hours of her two﹣week visit weeding in the garden.Masa wondered if Yuki had spent so much of her time outside because she wanted to avoid talking to her.

But Yuki must have wanted very much to see us，Masa told herself.She had visited in the last weeks of June，as soon as her college was out for the summer.

She said she wanted to stay longer but couldn't because she had to work.Besides，she needed to use the studio at her college for photography and she had to go to the library to read，"Why do you have to go to college to study art？"Masa asked her. "All the great artists didn't go to college. "

Yuki shook her head. "That was a different time.It's hard to explain. "

"I was thinking you could live with us all year round and still be an artist.This is a nice quiet place to live. "

"I don't know.How would I support myself here？" "You can always give lessons. "Masa said.

"But I don't want to spend a long time looking at kids' drawings. "

"What will you do after you graduate，anyway？Will you become a teacher somewhere else then？"

"Grandma，I don't know. "Yuki sighed.

"What is the use of going to college if you don't know what you're going there for？" "Maybe I'm going because I don't know.I just want to study art now.I don't want to think that far ahead. "

The minute Masa was going to point out that this was too careless a way to live，Yuki suddenly stood up and put on her straw hat.

"I'm going to the garden to weed your flowerbed"，she said， "Let me know if there's something else I can do."

On Yuki's visit，Masa felt strained when they talked，and she was sure Yuki also felt it.But Yuki was never rude or irritable（易怒的）.Even when they disagreed，her face was always full of patience.

（1）According to the passage，Yuki was　 　.

A.a gardener

B.an artist

C.a college student

D.an art teacher

（2）From the underlined sentence，we can infer（推断）that Yuki wanted to　 　.

A.end the conversation

B.weed the flowerbed

C.leave Masa's garden

D.take some photos

（3）It can be learnt from the passage that　 　.

A.Yuki studied art because she wanted to be a teacher

B.Masa wasn't satisfied with Yuki's work in the garden

C.Masa and Yuki agreed on living together all the year

D.Masa and Yuki had very different ideas about college

（4）The underlined word "strained" in the last paragraph probably shows Masa felt something　 　.

A.unforgettable

B.uncomfortable

C.thankful

D.crazy