(尖刻的) words. When the door was slammed (砰地关上) in my face, I stood there shocked, and in a rush, I was reminded of my dog bit my father 20 years ago or so. What brought that story back was that same feeling of betrayal (背叛).

　　　Both stories taught me something the next day. You see, when I got up in the morning and was told my dog had died, it became clear to me that he must have been in great pain. For him to have bitten a family member, he could not have been himself. Much the same for the other story when I learned that my friend's wife had just left him.

　　　We are all beings of our environments, our opinions and feelings. And all of those things can cause you to say and do things that can't be understood by those who are not in the same situation with you.

　　　If you meet someone either behaving out of character or acting in a way that doesn't seem to fit the situation, put out your hand and be patient when you think it is least possible for him to do so. You may turn around a story that has a sad ending simply by your actions.

　　　4．What is the influence of the story mentioned in Paragraph 1?

　　　A． It hurt his father's feeling deeply. B． It has puzzled the author ever since.

　　　C． It left a deep impression on the author. D． It made the author dislike dogs.

　　　5．What made the author think of the story of about 20 years ago?

　　　A． His friend's attitude. B． The photo of the dog.

　　　C． His father's wound. D． His friend's suffering.

　　　6．Why did the author's friend say harsh words to the author?

　　　A． He was ill-tempered.

　　　B． He was suffering the pain of losing his wife.

　　　C． He was bothered by an unexpected visit.

　　　D． They once quarreled and he couldn't forgive the author.

　　　7．What's the author's advice to us?

　　　A． Help those in need.

　　　B． Look before you leap.

　　　C． Respect for others is a kind of virtue (美德).

　　　D． Learn to put yourself in others' shoes.

　　　Many Americans buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put the tree in their home and hang small lights and colorful things on it. The evergreen is usually a pine or a fir tree (冷杉树). It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. So it is a sign of everlasting life.

　　　Early long ago, Romans probably planted evergreen trees during a celebration in honor of their god of agriculture. The Christmas tree may have developed from a popular play performed hundreds of years ago in what is now Germany. Traditionally, the play was on December 24th, the day before Christmas. The play was about the first people that God created-Adam and Eve. People put apples on an evergreen tree to represent the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

　　　By the year 1600, some Germans began bringing evergreen trees into their homes. They put fruit, nuts and sweets on the trees. They gave the food to the family members and friends after the holiday season. Some people say the German religious reformer (宗教改革者) Martin Luther was the first person to add lighted candles to the tree. They say he did this to show how wonderful the stars had appeared as he travelled one night.

　　　In the early 1800's, German settlers in the state of Pennsylvania were the first to celebrate the holiday with Christmas trees in the United States. The Christmas tree tradition spread to many parts of the world. Today, some form of the Christmas tree is part of most Christmas celebrations.

　　　8．Why do people choose the evergreen tree for the Christmas tree?

　　　A． It suffers from cold and dark months.

　　　B． It's evergreen and represents long life.

　　　C． It's convenient for people to put things on it.

　　　D． It can be found everywhere in winter.

　　　9．What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

　　　A． The Christmas tree dates back to ancient times.

　　　B． It was in a film that the Christmas tree was first used.

　　　C． Early Romans honored the god of wisdom with trees.

　　　D． The Christmas tree was considered as the tree of wealth.

　　　10．We can learn from the passage that _______.

　　　A． German settlers celebrated the holiday with fir trees

　　　B． Germans would give each other the food on the trees at Christmas

　　　C． Martin Luther was the first person to decorate the Christmas tree

　　　D． many people in the world follow the Christmas tree tradition

　　　11．What's the best title for this passage?

　　　A． How to Celebrate Christmas

　　　B． The Use of Evergreen Trees During Christmas

C． The History of the Christmas Tree