One day, all of the animals of the forest gathered together in a cleating (林中空地). They wondered if it would be better to remain in darkness, or if it would be better to also have light. Deer, Chipmunk (花松鼠), Raccoon (浣熊), Wolf, Bear,and many other creatures climbed to the top of the highest mountain. There were no trees on its top, and it was covered only with rocks. Millions of stars shone in the dark sky overhead. The biggest and most powerful animal in the forest was Bear, and he was the first to reach the mountaintop. Bear stood on the highest peak, looked out over the forest below, and argued for remaining in darkness. He said that the creatures of the forest would be able to sleep better in darkness because there would be no light to keep them awake. Most of the other animals were afraid, and they agreed with Bear. Raccoon said that he did not mind the darkness because he was so smart that he could find plenty of food, even in the dark. Wolf was easy to please, too. She didn’t mind the darkness because she could howl in darkness or in light.
But one animal did stand up to Bear. Chipmunk, the smallest of the animals,argued that it would be better to have both light and dark. Chipmunk was very clever. As Bear continued to argue for darkness, she made many good arguments for light.
Slowly, the night passed. Bear grew tired of talking, but Chipmunk chattered on and on, as if she had all of the energy in the world. As the other animals dropped off to sleep, one by one, Chipmunk kept arguing. Finally, the first sunrise ever seen by the animals appeared over the top of the mountain. They woke up and were amazed by what they saw.
Chipmunk began to dance from rock to rock. Bear became angry because he didn’t get his own way. He roared loudly and ran after Chipmunk. He chased Chipmunk all the way down the mountain. Bear was fast, and he reached out his giant paw to grab Chipmunk. Chipmunk got away, but not before Bear managed to scratch her back with his long claws. And that is why, to this day, you can see stripes on Chipmunk’s back!
21. The lesson of this story is that _______.
A. making decisions is difficult
B. there is only one right way to do things
C. one should hold out for what he believes
D. it is always better to go along with the crowd
22. According to the passage, Bear is _______.
A. a good listener B. used to having his own way
C. unsure about what he wants D. well liked by the other animals
23. The word “chattered” (Paragraph 4) means _________.
A. talked quickly B. laughed loudly
C. sang softly D. argued angriIy
24. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Raccoon loved to live in darkness because he was smart.
B. Deer kept quiet because she liked both darkness and light.
C. Wolf liked darkness because she was pleased to howl at night.
D. Chipmunk believed it was better to have both darkness and light.
25. Bear was angry when he saw the sunrise because ________.
A. he loved darkness B. his authority was challenged
C. Chipmunk became the leader D. other animals didn’t listen to him
Passage 2
Most single parents work outside the home; and in many two-parent families,both parents work. Unless working parents have been lucky enough to arrange a flexible schedule that allows them to be home when their children are not in school, they are not available to care for their children during the period immediately after school. The result is children of all ages being left to care for themselves after school. Young children in these families have been referred to as latchkey kids because they carry their own house key.
Older students are more likely to care for themselves after school. Parents provide supervision (监管) after school for over half of the students in grades K-5. Other children stay with adults other than their parents, attend center-based programs, or take part in extracurricular activities (课外活动) such as sports, arts, or clubs. Children in poverty are slightly more likely to stay with relatives than other children; they are also less likely to care for themselves after school than children in families with higher incomes.
