B

The date was like any other day in his life: after school Bill walked past the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row of the shoes，and he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have a pair for his birthday.

He sadly walked away and thought of what to tell h is mother. He knew she would give him anything if she could. But he al so knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home at once，as he looked worried and he didn’t want to make his mother worry about it. So he went to the park and there he sat on the grass. Then he saw a girl in a wheelchair. He found that the girl moved the wheels with her hands. Bill looked at her carefully and was surprised to see that the girl had no feet. He looked down at his own feet.“It is much better to be without shoes than without feet，”He thought. It was not right for him to feel so sorry and sad. He went away and smiled，thinking he was luckier in life.

56. Bill was sorry when .

A. the shoes were not the right size for him

B. he forgot to bring any money with him

C. his shoes were worn out D. he walked past the shoe shop

57. Which of the following is right?

A. Bill’s mother had much money.

B. Bill’s mother was kind.

C. Bill’s mother wouldn’t buy him anything. D. Bill’s mother often bought presents for him.

58. Why didn’t Bill go home at once?

A. Because his mother was at work.

B. Because his mother wouldn’t give him any money.

C. Because he wanted to sit on the grass in the park.

D. Because he didn’t want to give his mother any trouble.

59. In the park，Bill found a girl .

A. without hands

B. without feet

C. looking down at his shoes D. walking slowly

60. At last Bill .

A. decided to buy a pair of shoes

B. left the park sadly

C. thought he was luckier than the girl D. didn’t know what to do with his shoes

C

It’s very early in the morning and I’m sitting outside. It’s also very cold and dark. With me is Jim Nightingale，and he is the reason I’m up so early. He passes me a hot cup of coffee.“Not long to wait now,” He says. I hope he’s right.

After a few minutes there is a very weak light in the east，and then I hear a bird singing. It sings very loud and very clear.“That’s the robin(知更鸟),”says Jim. A few more birds start singing with the robin and Jim knows the names of them too. Half an hour later，there are more and more birds singing，and it’s very loud! Suddenly，all around us the air is full of the sound of birdsong. This is the dawn chorus(晨鸣)，and it’s beautiful.

“Wow，this is amazing!” I tell Jim，who is smiling.“Is there a dawn chorus every morning?”

“Birds can sing any time of the year but the best time is the end of winter and during the spring. This is when the birds sing most.”

“Really? So，why do they sing?” I ask.

“Well，there are two reasons,” explains Jim.“Most of the songbirds who sing are males. They want to find a female(雌性)so they sing to show how strong they are. The females listen and choose the best singer! The birds also sing to tell other males to go away. They need their own area; they don’t like sharing with another male.”

I listen to the birds; the songs seem too much to me. “Do the birds sing a special song in the morning?”

“That’s a good question,” replied Jim. “The successful birds have many kinds of calls and songs. Sometimes they copy the songs of other birds. This makes it sound like there are many birds in that place already and other males stay away. Also the female likes songs with different notes. Some birds，for example the European wren，have songs that contain over 700 different notes per minute!”

So，how does Jim know so much about birds? Well，he works as a volunteer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He is trying to help the birds live in the modern world.“More and more of the birds’habitat disappears every year. The sparrow，for example，was a very common bird in the UK; now it’s in danger.”

By now the sun is up and the birds are quiet. It’s light so they can start looking for food; they need a big breakfast after all that singing!

61. Why does the writer get up early in the morning?

A. To visit her friend.

B. To drink hot coffee.

C. To see different birds. D. To hear birds sing.

62. When you hear a bird sing in the morning，it’s most probably .

A. a robin

B. a sparrow

C. a male bird D. a female bird

63. A bird sings early in the morning mainly .

A. to call a female’s attention

B. to fight with other males

C. to find a place to live in D. to start looking for food

64. According to the text，which of the following statements is true?

A. At first the writer is happy to be up so early in the morning.

B. Male birds have their own ways of fooling other birds.

C. It’s easier for the birds to find food early in the morning.

D. Jim has a job with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

65. The text is mainly about .

A. the robin’s songs

B. the birds’ habitat

C. why birds sing D. how to protect birds