Exercises
A. Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.
The main idea of the story is that ______. ( C )
(a) a boy realized that it was not good to cheat in tests and he worked hard to get an A
(b) a boy cheated in class and was caught finally
(c) a boy cheated in class and finally realized it was wrong to do so
(d) a father helped his son to understand that it was wrong to cheat in class
B. Comprehending the text.
Choose the best answer.
1. After the boy cheated in the math test and came home, he was _______. ( D )
(a) frightened because he might be caught
(b) relieved that he had succeeded
(c) pleased that nobody knew
(d) not happy because he had done something wrong
2. The boy didn't like Mr. Burke because ______. ( B )
(a) the teacher often caught him cheating in tests
(b) the teacher shamed him in front of the whole class
(c) the teacher made the students work very hard
(d) the teacher asked him to stand in front of the whole class
3. The boy said that the cheating was not an accident since ______. ( D )
(a) he decided to cheat as soon as he knew that there was going to be a test
(b) he had planned not to study before the test
(c) he had planned it with his friends before the test
(d) he decided to cheat after he had wasted the whole evening
4. The boy watched the television special the night before the test but he didn't really enjoy it because ______. ( C )
(a) the television special was not interesting
(b) he didn't want to watch TV
(c) he was upset that he had not told the truth to his father
(d) the television special began too late
5. During the test the boy chose to sit next to Stanley Plummer because ______. ( D )
(a) obviously he and Plummer were good friends
(b) only Plummer would let him copy the correct answers
(c) the latter was smart and friendly to him
(d) he knew the latter was smart in math and he could copy his answers easily
6. Before the cheating, the boy thought that ______. ( C )
(a) he was a good boy in everything
(b) he was a bad boy in everything
(c) he was a decent child though he knew he wasn't perfect
(d) he could play basketball well enough
7. After the cheating the boy began to worry that ______. ( D )
(a) his cheating might be discovered
(b) his father would punish him
(c) he was probably sick and he went home
(d) he had turned into a criminal
8. The boy thought his mother often drove him crazy because ______. ( A )
(a) she always knew what the boy was thinking
(b) she was very severe with him
(c) she didn't care for him actually
(d) she always told him to look after himself
9. After the boy confessed to his father what he had done, ______. ( D )
(a) the father scolded the boy severely
(b) the father didn't say anything and that made the boy uneasy
(c) the father called Mr. Burke immediately
(d) the father let the boy make a call to Mr. Burke
10. The father kissed the boy good night because ______. ( D )
(a) the boy had done something unusual
(b) the boy promised to study math harder
(c) the boy was willing to take a make up test
(d) the boy came to see his mistake and had the courage to admit it
C. Understanding vocabulary.
Choose the correct definition according to the context.
1. I cheated on a unit test in math class this morning during second period with Mr. Burke. ( B )
(a) fainted
(b) deceived
(c) withdrew
(d) succeeded
2. Mostly I wished I was dead. It wasn't even an accident that I cheated. ( B )
(a) something that was planned beforehand
(b) something that happened by chance
(c) something that was terrible
(d) something that was unfortunate
3. But I did plan to study just to prove to him that I'm plenty smart─ which I am mostly ─ except in math, which I'd be okay in if I'd memorize my time tables. ( A )
(a) learn by heart
(b) copy on the paper
(c) recite accurately
(d) bring with me
4. My mother's one of those people who tells you everything you've done wrong for thirty years like you do it every day. It drives me crazy. ( D )
(a) angry
(b) uncomfortable
(c) hard
(d) mad
5. I guessed he knew I was lying and was so disappointed he couldn't talk about it.( C )
(a) interested
(b) satisfied
(c) displeased
(d) angered
6. My parents don't bother making up a lot of rules. But we do have to tell the truth─even if it's bad, which it usually is. ( C )
(a) like very much
(b) oppose
(c) trouble themselves with
(d) find satisfaction in
7. But at night, thinking about Mr. B. ─ who could scare just about anybody I know, even my father─it seemed perfectly sensible to cheat. ( D )
(a) understandable
(b) senseless
(c) possible
(d) reasonable
8. I'd go into class jolly as usual, acting like things were going just great, and no one, not even Mr. B., would suspect the truth. ( D )
(a) agree with
(b) acknowledge
(c) guess
(d) try to prove
9. And that's exactly what I did this morning. It was a cinch. ( A )
(a) something done easily
(b) something done strangely
(c) something disgraceful
(d) something most desired
10. "She thinks something happened today and you're upset" ( D )
(a) wrong
(b) calm
(c) annoyed
(d) uneasy
11. I call Mr. Burke, probably waking him up, and I tell him exactly what happened, even that I decided to cheat the night before the test. ( D )
(a) immediately
(b) effectively
(c) suddenly
(d) most likely
12. I thank him a whole lot for being understanding and all. He's not friendly but he's not absolutely mean either. ( A )
(a) completely
(b) possibly
(c) unpleasantly
(d) comparatively
D. Discussing the following topics.
1. What do you think of the boy in the story? Why did he wish he were dead after he had cheated?
答案
I think the boy in the story knew what was right and what was wrong even though he did something wrong. After he had cheated, he wished himself dead. It proves that when he did something wrong he had a very strong sense of guilt and uneasiness. As is mentioned in the story, the most important thing in the boy's family was to tell the truth. Certainly this idea affected the boy to the core.
2. What do you think of cheating in tests?
I think cheating in tests is very very bad. If a student gets the habit of cheating in tests, he will depend on cheating to get good marks instead of working hard. Also, cheating will be bad to the student's growth of personality. Third, it makes it hard for teachers to know students' real level of learning, which, as a result, will affect teacher's teaching and finally students' learning.
3. Have you ever let others copy your answers? If yes, why?
No, I have never let others copy my answers in tests. But I know some of my classmates have done that before. They know well it's wrong to do so but they just can't stop themselves because they have a wrong idea of friendship. They think if they refuse a good friend's request for help in a test, they will probably lose their friendship.
TOP
