A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come    16    play around it every day. He climbed to the tree top,    17    the apples or played under the tree. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by. The little boy had    18    and he no longer played around the tree.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and    19    sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy.
“I am no longer a kid. I do not play around trees any more.” the boy    20    , “I want toys. I need    21    to buy them.” “Sorry, but I don’t have money. But you can pick all my apples and    22    them. So, you will have money.” The boy was so    23   . He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy didn't come back    24    he picked the apples. The tree was    25    .
One day, the boy    26    and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a    27    . Can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house. But you can    28    my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left    29    .
The tree was glad to see him full of joy but the boy didn’t appear. Since then the tree felt again    30    and sad.
16．A．but B．and C．or D．so
17．A．ate B．destroyed C．played D．loved
18．A．lain down B．stood up C．grown up D．put down
19．A．fell B．saw C．sounded D．looked
20．A．asked B．replied C．told D．laughed
21．A．money B．wood C．branches D．apple
22．A．cook B．eat C．sell D．offer
23．A．surprised B．excited C．nervous D．sorry
24．A．if B．before C．when D．after
25．A．sad B．afraid C．pleased D．angry
26．A．disappeared B．left C．moved D．returned
27．A．kitchen B．yard C．home D．house
28．A．take off B．pick C．cut off D．plant
29．A．happily B．seriously C．slowly D．silently
30．A．alone B．lonely C．proud D．satisfied
这篇短文讲述的是一个小男孩喜欢和一棵苹果树玩耍，后来男孩长大了，他变得不开心，他需要钱买玩具，需要建房子。树把自己的苹果和所有的树枝给了男孩，男孩很开心，但从此以后他就再也没有回来，树变得很孤独、伤心。