国外学生英语阅读理解系列Volume 5.doc

Volume 5, Number 1, September 7, 1999 Read the selection without stopping to choose the correct missing words. Then read it again, pausing to underline the correct words. Finally, read the selection again to see if it makes sense. The IdeaAndy Wasnick loved the idea. Mary Arthur _1_ it. Kurt Mendez didnt think it was any big deal. Mr. El thought it was a brilliant idea. After all, it was _2_ idea.“Its only fair,” Mr. El explained to his new fourth graders as they stood in line waiting for the lunch bell to ring, “that we turn things around. Every year you guys line up in alphabetical _3_. Alphabetical order to go to lunch, to go to gym, to go home, and so on. This _4_ were using reverse alphabetical order.”Mindy Vale put her hand down as Mr. El pointed to her. “Ive always had to stand at the _5_ of the line, ever since _6_! Now Im near the front. Thank you, thank you!”The teacher smiled. Then he called on Christopher Cash, a serious and thoughtful young man. “Mr. El, I think you should reconsider this policy. This is very drastic and _7_. This could confuse our fragile young minds!”“Put a lid on it, Chris!” shouted David Tyler.“We wont have any outbursts like that, David!” Mr. El said firmly. He turned toward Christopher. “Dont _8_, Christopher. We only have strong minds in this class.”“How many of you think this is a good idea?” Mr. El asked. As you would probably _9_, most of the hands that went up were in the _10_ half of the line. 1.heardlikedneededhated2.thatnoherhis3.letterssouporderindex4.wayyearalphabetis5.backbeginningcenterwinner6.breakfastkindergartenyesterdaytomorrow7.usefulthoughtfulunnecessarysmart8.moveworryscreamspeak9.expectdoubtforgetreview10.dumbbrightangryfrontVolume 5, Number 2, September 13, 1999 Word Meanings From ContextUse the context to help you determine the correct meaning of each underlined word.1. Murphy Mole is the protagonist in the new novel by Trent Troll. Murphy must stop Oscar Rat and Shrimpy Shark from enslaving the inhabitants of Lazy Woods Park. He risks his life in a series of events that lead to a final battle between good and evil.What is a protagonist?a. the main character of a story b. an animal that lives undergroundc. someone whose first and last names start with the same letterd. someone with bad body odor2. I just cant beat Paula when we play chess! Every time I make a move that should lead me to victory, she makes a better move that thwarts my plan.If you thwart a robbery, you _.a. commit a crime b. stop a crime from happeningc. imagine a theft d. give warts to a thief3. Dont feel stupid. Yes, you thought this worthless replica was a valuable work of art. But it even fooled a lot of experts. It certainly looked like the real thing!A replica is _.a. a dishonest act b. something ugly c. anything that has no value d. a copy4. Your poster is very good. The drawing really lets people know what our club is all about. I do think that you could enhance it by adding some more color. That will tend to grab everyones attention.When you enhance something, you _.a. draw it b. throw it out c. ruin it d. make it betterVolume 5, Number 3, September 20, 1999 Treasure, Part ITrogmire Troll was dealing with a crisis. The new girl in class really liked him a lot. Trogmire was not happy about it.Trogmires good friend, Tremor Troll, tried to comfort him. “Whats the big deal? I think Treasure Troll is kind of cute. And she seems to be nice enough.”Trogmire swallowed his last bite of poison sumac salad and glared at Tremor. “Then why dont you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. March over there and ask her to be your sweetie-poo!”“Shes crazy about you, not me,” Tremor replied.“Well, I dont want any girlfriend, especially not a weird pesky one like her!” Trogmire growled.Tremor wouldnt give up. “The only thing pesky about her is that she keeps writing you those notes and she stares -”“Yucky love notes!” Trogmire interrupted. He took another sip of mole milk. “Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why arent they normal red or pink?”Tremor took another look at Treasure. “I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, shes very sweet and thats what really matters.”Trogmire stuck out his tongue. “I think Im going to be sick! Id better save my dessert for later.” He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket. “The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves!”Tremor followed Trogmires example and decided to save his dessert for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box. “Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?” Tremor asked.“Im going to be mean and rude to her,” Trogmire announced. “Ill call her names and make ugly faces at her.”“Thats how you treat everyone,” Tremor reminded his friend.Trogmire nodded. “Its time that Treasure got to know the real Trogmire Troll!”1. How did Treasure Troll feel about Trogmire Troll?a. She didnt like him because he was rude.b. She was annoyed by his strange appearance.c. She didnt have any strong feelings about him.d. She liked him a lot.2. How did Trogmire feel about Treasure?a. He felt annoyed.b. He enjoyed the attention.c. He wasnt aware that she existed.d. He was crazy about her.3. Who did Trogmire want for a girlfriend?a. No oneb. Tremors sisterc. Treasure Trolld. A weird girl from another class4. Which statement is true?a. Trogmire pretended to be rude in order to make Treasure stop liking him.b. Tremor thought that looks were more important than personality.c. Tremor thought that Treasure was cute.d. Trogmire offered his dessert to Treasure to make her sick.For Discussion:Has someone ever liked you a lot more than you liked him or her?What did you do about it? Whats the right thing to do?Volume 5, Number 4, September 27, 1999 Treasure, Part IIIt was a warm and sunny autumn day: a perfect time to spend the last half of the lunch hour on the playground. Many of the students at Troll Knoll School were enjoying recess. Others were still in the cafeteria. Trogmire Troll and his friends were among those who were enjoying play time.Troubled Troll was “it” in a friendly game of Simon Screams. “Simon screams,” he screamed, “eat dirt!”Trogmire Troll, Tremor Troll, Tantrum Troll, and Truman Troll all pretended to eat dirt. They were too stuffed from lunch to really eat any dirt.“Simon screams,” Troubled continued with a wicked grin, “Trogmire has a girlfriend!”There was a lot of laughter. Trogmire Troll was not laughing, however.“I quit this stupid game!” Trogmire announced. He stalked away, heading toward the school. At that very moment, Treasure Troll walked out of the building. She was with her friends, Trivia Troll and Truffle Troll, but her eyes were focused only on Trogmire.Treasure held a small folded piece of paper in her hand. Trogmire attempted to walk past her without acknowledging that he even noticed her. “Hi, Trogmire,” Treasure said, and she reached out to give him the paper.Trogmire refused to accept the offering. He kicked the ground, spraying sand all over Treasures pink dress. “Stay away from me, you dumb girl!” he yelled.Trogmire would have been satisfied if Treasure had kicked sand back at him. It would have been fine if she had called him any bad name in the world. Trogmire would have felt lucky if Treasure hated him. But this did not appear to be Trogmire Trolls lucky day.Treasure Troll brushed the sand off her dress. She stood quietly for a few seconds and looked at Trogmire. There was no expression of hatred or even anger. She just stared at him with eyes that showed only sadness and disappointment. Without saying a word, Treasure turned around and walked back toward the school. She paused and dropped the rejected paper into a large trash can that stood by the door.Trogmire watched as she disappeared through the doorway. He was confused, and not even sure how he felt. Suddenly, he noticed someone standing by his side with a great big smile on a less than friendly face. Oh no, it was Tattle Troll! Trogmire had just made Tattles day.For Essay or Discussion:1. Do you think that Treasures opinion of Trogmire was changed by what happened? Explain, citing examples from the story.2. Do you think that Trogmire felt good about how he treated Treasure? Explain, being sure to refer to examples from the story.3. What events do you think will occur in the next part of the story? Explain the reasoning behind your predictions.Volume 5, Number 5, October 4, 1999 Treasure, Part IIIThe sign on the door said, “T. Rubric Troll.” No one knew what the T stood for, and no one dared ask. Trogmire Troll stood outside the principals office with a large sheet of paper in his hand. The playground monitor, Ms. Trouncer Troll, had written a lengthy narrative describing Trogmires behavior.Before Trogmire could knock on the door, it opened. The principal was standing there with a bottle of bubbly brown liquid in his hand. “Come in and have a seat, Trogmire,” he said.“I was just enjoying a bottle of my favorite drink, toadstool juice soda,” Mr. T. Rubric Troll said. “ Its one of the few things you can still get in good old-fashioned glass!” “Yes, sir,” said Trogmire.“Its very bad manners for anyone to eat or drink in front of someone who isnt also eating or drinking,” the principal continued. “What do you suppose will have to happen?”“Ill have to turn around so you can drink behind me,” Trogmire replied.“No!” the principal boomed. “I, a polite and proper troll, must offer you a bottle of soda. Would you care to have a bottle of toadstool juice soda?”Trogmire hated toadstool juice soda, but he didnt want to offend the principal. “Thank you, sir,” he said.The principal held out a bottle for Trogmire. “Here you are, lad,” he said cheerfully, “drink up!”“Thank you very much,” Trogmire said. He didnt wish to prolong the agony, so he put his head back and chugged down the bottles entire contents in four seconds flat! Trogmire tried to be gracious. “That was very nice. I -ERRRRRRUUP!” The sound was so loud that a picture on the principals desk fell over.“You burped!” bellowed the principal.Trogmire wanted to say, “I know that,” but instead he said, “I didnt mean to!”“What does a proper troll say when he makes any disgusting bodily sound?” asked the principal. He didnt wait for an answer. “He says, Pardon the expression.”“Pardon the expression,” said Trogmire.“Thats better,” said Mr. T. Rubric Troll. “Now, lets see whats written on your pass.”Trogmire reluctantly handed over the document. The principal put on his glasses and stared intently at the paper. A look of disbelief came over his face as he read the message. Trogmire squirmed in his seat. “This makes me very sad,” the principal said softly.Trogmire Troll could not think of anything to say.“Can you explain why you mistreated that young lady?”“She loves me and-”“This cant be true! This is too terrible,” Mr. T. Rubric Troll stated as he shook his head.1. Why did Ms. Trouncer Troll write a message for the principal?a. She wanted him to like her.b. Watching kids on the playground was boring.c. She needed information about the kids who were still in the cafeteria.d. She wanted him to know what Trogmire had done on the playground.2. Why did the principal offer Trogmire a bottle of soda?a. He wanted to make Trogmire burp.b. He wanted to reward Trogmire for his behavior.c. He had too many bottles in his refrigerator.d. He was being polite.3. Why did Trogmire drink the soda so quickly.a. He didnt like it and wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.b. He loved toadstool juice soda and wanted to enjoy it all as quickly as possible.c. He was afraid that the principal would take the soda away from him when he read what hed done.d. He knew that it would make him burp.4. “Trogmire reluctantly handed over the document.” When you are reluctant to do something, _.a. You expect it to be fun.b. You cant remember how to do it.c. You have just had a drink of soda.d. You would really rather not do it.5. “This makes me very sad, the principal said softly.” What made Mr. T. Rubric Troll feel sad?a. His picture fell down.b. Trogmire had been cruel to Treasure.c. Ms. Trouncer Troll had bad handwriting.d. Trogmire was squirming in his seat.1_2_3_4_5_Volume 5, Number 6, October 12, 1999 Treasure, Part IVTrogmire was surprised by the principals reaction. After all, this wasnt the first time hed been sent “to the office” because of his behavior. And it wasnt the first time that he had been mean to a girl.When Trogmire had told Tina Troll that she looked like a human, the teacher was furious. The principal had just calmly lectured him about using such language, and about the hurtful effect of some words.Even the time he had pretended to be a rat by biting Trudy Trolls ankle, the reaction hadnt been this severe. Mr. T. Rubric Troll took control of his emotions and spoke in a calm but serious voice. “Trogmire, I know youll find this hard to believe, but there have been some Trolls who have disliked me over the years. Have you ever had that problem?”“Yes. Sometimes I hadnt even done anything mean to them,” Trogmire replied.“Too often, youll come across those who dont like you. There will always be many who just dont care about you one way or another,” the principal said. “But those who do care about you, who think youre special, they are hard to come by. They are the treasures of our lives! Thats why it upsets me so much to learn what you did.“But she wants me to be her boyfriend!” Trogmire protested.“You dont have to be her boyfriend. However, cant you be a friend?”Trogmire didnt have an answer to that question. “I suppose I should apologize to her,” he offered.“Only if youre really sorry,” the principal responded. “An insincere apology is just a lie.”Trogmire did sincerely regret the way he had treated Treasure Troll, but he didnt know how to admit it, not even to himself.1. What do you think Trogmire should do?2. What do you think he will do? Now you are the author. Write the final part of the story.Volume 5, Number 7, October 18, 1999 Thank You SincerelyThanks for the start to the lives that weve had.Thanks for the nights that you went without rest.So many memories, most happy, some sad;If you werent perfect, you still passed the test,Holding our hands, holding back all the fears.Thank you sincerely for all of those years.So many hours that you worked to provideMultiplied by all the days that we grew,When we behaved and the times we defied,Never a doubt we could still count on you,Making our laughter and drying our tears.Thank you sincerely for all of those years.Thanks for the rules that we wished were not there.Thanks for the wisdom we sometimes denied.All the attention and all of the care,All the forgiveness and all of the pride,Pointing out faults but then calling out cheers.Thank you sincerely for all of those years.For the examples you set every day,Teaching with actions, those lessons hold tight.We hardly knew just how much you could saySimply by doing what you knew was right.Now that were older, the logic appears.Thank you sincerely for all of those years.Thank you for love not required to be earned,Not ever fading as time moves along.You have to know that the love is returned,Not always showing, but always so strong.And you still care as your golden time nears.Thank you sincerely for all of the years.Love, BobFor Discussion:Who is the “you” in this poem?Who is the narrator?Can you identify with the narrator? Give examples of how it reminds you of your own experiences or feelings.Volume 5, Number 8, October 25, 1999 Word Meanings From ContextUse the context to help you choose the correct meaning of each underlined word. 1. The signal from the cable is too strong for our television. Well have to use a filter to attenuate it.When you attenuate something, you _.a. watch it carefully b. take good care of it c. make it be less d. get past it2. “If you knew the gravity of the situation, you wouldnt be laughing,” Mr. Farmer said quietly. He didnt have to say more to get everyones attention.What does “gravity” mean in this context?a. a force that draws different objects toward each other b. seriousnessc. humor d. enjoyable, or comfortable3. Her cardinal rule is this: Be kind to others! She believes that everything else in life will fall properly into place if one follows that rule.What does “cardinal” mean in this context?a. main, or most important b. red c. like a bird d. not worth remembering4. The owner of the restaurant wouldnt allow Samantha to walk through the door. “Im sorry,” she said, “but you started a food fight the last time you were here. You may not have ingress to my restaurant!”What does “ingress” mean in this selection?a. a kind of bird that lives by the sea b. any food that can be thrownc. a good price for a meal d. the right to enter 1_2_3_4_Volume 5, Number 9, November 1, 1999 Fashion BluesJill Carmer was the first student to walk through the classroom door. “Good morning, my flower,” Mr. El said a