阅读提升
2015-04-29
（一）
A
An old man was fishing on the bank of a river. A child came to see him fishing. The old man was really good at fishing and it didn’t take long for him to catch a full basket of fish. The old man saw that the child was very cute， and he wanted to give her a whole basket of fish. But the child shook her head. The old man was surprised and asked， “Why don’t you want the fish？”
The child replied， “I want the fishing rod （竿） in your hands.”
The old man asked， “Why do you want the rod？”
“It doesn’t take long to eat all the fish in a basket. But if I have the fishing rod， I can go fishing by myself and I won’t be afraid of not having any more fish to eat.
I think you will certainly say that the child is very smart. Wrong！ If she doesn’t know how to fish， she cannot have fish to eat， even though she has the fishing rod. It’s useless to only have a fishing rod. Fishing skills are the most important， not the fishing rod.
Too many people think that if they have a “fishing rod” in their life， they will no longer fear the wind and rain. They are just like the child， who thought that if she had a fishing rod， she would have fish to eat.
1. The old man was fishing on the bank of ___ .
A. a lakeB. a pool
C. a riverD. a stream
2. Why did the child refuse the fish the old man gave her？
A. She didn’t like fish.
B. She already had much fish.
C. She wanted his fishing rod.
D. She knew the old man had few fish.
3. According to Paragraph 5 the writer thought the child was ___ .
A. hardworkingB. smart
C. kindD. silly
4. What is the old man’s idea about “fishing rod” in life？
A. You won’t be afraid of anything if you have it.
B. “Fishing skills” are more important than it.
C. It is more important than “fishing skills”.
D. You’ll have a lot of fish to eat if you have it.
5. What is the best title for the article？
A. The Fishing RodB. The Fishing Man
C. The Fishing GirlD. The Fishing Place
B
Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents， however， it is not true.
Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents， don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge the generation gap （代沟）.
Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment， try writing a letter.
Try to reach a compromise （和解）. Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Robert’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to a compromise. Robert bought the motorcycle， but only drove it on certain days.
Of course， your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations， it is especially important to show love and respect to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship strong.
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about， and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try！
6. The passage is mainly about the communication problem between ___ .
A. teachers and parents
B. parents and other people
C. teachers and their students
D. parents and children of all ages
7. The underlined word “bridge” in Paragraph 2 means “___”.
A. 建立B. 消除
C. 通过D. 到达
8. How many pieces of advice does the writer give us in the passage？
A. 5.B. 4.
C. 3.D. 2.
9. If the values of your parents are different from those of yours， you’d better ___ .
A. argue with them
B. keep away from them
C. agree with them all the time
D. tell them what you care about
10. What can be the best title of the passage？
A. How to Deal with Family Problems
B. How to Deal with the Generation Gap
C. How to Be a Good Child
D. How to Be Good Parents
C
Time Temp Glasses
Are you a person who wants to know the time and temperature during the day？ You might like Temp Glasses. These special glasses show the time above your right eye and the temperature above your left eye. It is surely easier than wearing a wristwatch， and you never have to guess the temperature.
Alarm Fork
Do you eat too quickly？ Do you eat too much？ How can the Alarm Fork help you？ Aren’t you curious （好奇的）？ Well， this special fork has two lights： one green and one red. When the green is on， it’s OK to eat a piece of food. The fork “knows” when you eat a piece， and soon the red goes on. Wait for the green light before you eat another piece.
Smell This
So do you know if your breath smells nice， or if it smells bad？ It’s difficult to know， because it’s very hard to smell the air that comes out of your own mouth. Smell This is useful for this situation. Smell This covers your nose and your mouth. Does your breath smell nice， or do you need a piece of gum （口香糖）？
Banana Suitcase （香蕉盒）
Has this ever happened to you？ You put a banana in your lunch bag in the morning， and when you open the bag at noon， the banana looks like someone drove a car over it. If you put your banana in a Banana Suitcase， this will never happen. It keeps a banana safe， delicious， and looking like a banana！
11. Which invention is most helpful for someone waiting for a train？
A. Time Temp Glasses. B. Alarm Fork.
C. Smell This. D. Banana Suitcase.
12. A person who wants to lose weight may be interested in ___ .
A. Time Temp Glasses B. Alarm Fork
C. Smell This D. Banana Suitcase
13. What can you buy if you want to know how your breath is？
A. Time Temp Glasses.B. Banana Suitcase.
C. Smell This.D. Alarm Fork.
14. If one uses the Banana Suitcase， he may ___ .
A. eat bananas only at home
B. need to throw away a banana
C. have little interest in eating bananas
D. love bananas and brings lunch to school every day
15. The writer thinks that the four inventions are ___ .
A. strangeB. expensive
C. unusualD. useless
D
Robots are coming into people’s lives these days. Robots help people a lot. Japanese housekeeping robots can move chairs， sweep the floor， take away dirty dishes and put dirty clothes in washing machines. Intel， the famous computer maker， has developed a self-controlled robot called Herb. Herb can do simple things that people tell it to do， such as cleaning up waste.
Recently a large robot named Probo has been helping children to feel less worried in hospital. Probo has a touch screen on its stomach. The screen teaches children how to use Probo. The green robot’s face can make expressions to show how medical operations will make the child feel. “The main aim of this project is to make emotional communication （情感交流） with children，” said Jelle Saldien， one of the researchers.
Probo was invented by Ivan Hermans， president of the Anty Foundation. He had the idea after seeing the film I， Robot. Probo’s green head and short nose are fully automated （自动化的）. Its touch screen can show different emotions， such as pleasure and sadness， and can also “see” the expressions on human faces and make eye contact.
16. Herb in the text is ___ .
A. an old robot
B. a very large robot
C. a self-controlled robot
D. a man-controlled robot
17. Probo was invented in order to ___ .
A. teach children how to study
B. look after children in hospital
C. show expressions to children
D. make emotional communication with children
18. What made Ivan Hermans have the idea about inventing Probo？
A. Herb.B. Computers.
C. The film I， Robot.D. Children in hospital.
19. It can be learned about Probo from the passage that ___ .
A. it is one of the robots in the film I， Robot
B. people are not allowed to touch its stomach
C. when a boy is happy， it can know how he feels
D. it has two kinds of feeling： happiness and sadness
20. The author implies （暗示） that ___ .
A. Herb can help people do housework
B. the Japanese robot can help kids do homework
C. robots will take the place of people in the future
D. Ivan is an inventor and the president of his country
（二）
A
Here are two letters to George and his answers.
Dear George，
I’m fourteen and I’m much shorter for my age. What’s worse， I’m very fat. I want to lose weight to be 55 kg and to be taller and then I can go to the school basketball team and enjoy myself. Can you help me？
Bob
Dear Bob，
Don’t worry if you’re shorter than your friends. Teenagers grow at different times. It doesn’t matter how heavy you are. You are still the same person. Plan your meals with your mum， and she can help you lose weight. Also， try to take more exercise.
George
Dear George，
I’m learning French but I don’t get good marks. I don’t know why. Sometimes I want to give up. But I know I shouldn’t because languages are going to be very important. What should I do？
Alice
Dear Alice，
You are right. You should never give up， and I’m sure that you’ve made more progress than you think. You can talk to your teacher and ask her what you should do to get a better grade. Talk to your friends who are good at French. Find something that helps you.
George
1. We can learn from the letters that George is ___ .
A. a doctor
B. a teacher
C. Bob and Alice’s friend
D. a person who can give others advice
2. What’s Bob’s weight now？
A. 55 kg.B. About 50 kg.
C. More than 55 kg.D. Less than 55 kg.
3. What should Bob do according to George’s letter？
A. Take more exercise.B. Talk to his friends.
C. Join a basketball team.D. Learn some French.
4. Alice is worrying about ___ .
A. her heightB. her marks
C. her friendsD. her weight
5. Who does George advise Alice to talk to for help？
A. Her mother.B. Her teacher.
C. Bob’s teacher.D. Bob’s friends.
B
The greatest saleswoman in the world today doesn’t mind if you call her a girl. That’s because Markita Andrews made more than $80，000 by selling cookies when she was 13 years old.
Andrews and her mother shared a dream of traveling around the world. Once， while reading a magazine， Andrews found that the person who sold the most cookies would win a free trip for two around the world. She decided to give it a try.
To make her dream come true， Andrews went door to door every day after school and repeated， “Hi， I have a dream. I’m earning （赚取） a trip around the world for my mom and me by selling cookies.” Then she asked， “Would you like to buy one or two dozen boxes of cookies？”
Andrews kept asking for a whole year， no matter how heavily it was raining or snowing outside. Her hard work paid off. She sold 42，000 boxes of cookies that year and she won her trip around the world.
Andrews is no smarter than thousands of other people. The key to her success is that she has found the secret of selling： Ask， Ask， Ask！ Many people fail before they even begin because they fail to ask for what they want.
It takes courage to ask for what you want. And， as Andrews has discovered， the more you ask， the easier it gets.
6. What’s Andrews’ dream when she was young？
A. To travel around the world.
B. To be a great saleswoman.
C. To sell cookies.
D. To make a lot of money.
7. How did Andrews sell the cookies？
A. By asking her classmates to help her sell at school.
B. By selling them to foreigners during her trip.
C. By selling them with her mother’s help.
D. By asking door to door after school.
8. The underlined phrase “paid off” in Paragraph 4 probably means “___”.
A. cost a lotB. came to fail
C. saved much moneyD. brought good results
9. Which of the following can best describe Andrews？
A. Funny.B. Brave.
C. Smart.D. Friendly.
10. What does the writer want to tell us？
A. Everyone should have a dream.
B. Andrews is a great saleswoman.
C. How Andrews became a success.
D. Cookies make dreams come true.
C
With the development of science， more and more students don’t like taking notes by hand. Instead， they use digital （数码的） cameras to take pictures of the words that their teachers write on the blackboard or record what their teachers say in class.
The children might think there are too many notes to take or their teachers write or speak so fast that they can’t take more specific notes. They are trying to find ways to make things easier， so they use digital cameras. In fact， children are very clever to make use of technology （技术）.
But do digital cameras really make taking notes easier？
Not really. Before you read notes from digital cameras， there are a lot of things you have to do. To begin with， you have to find a computer. Then you need to copy the photos into the computer. Next， you have to find a printer （打印机） to print the photos. Another thing is that you can’t hear the sound from the digital cameras clearly because there is usually lots of noise. You will have to listen to it slowly several times before you understand everything.
In fact， taking notes by hand has many advantages. For example， it can help you remember and understand what you are learning. In order to save time， you can choose the most important things or the things you don’t understand to write down. You don’t have to write down everything.
Don’t be afraid to take notes by hand. It’s really an effective way.
11. Why do students take notes with digital cameras？
A. They want to take right notes.
B. They want to make things easier.
C. Their teachers want them to do so.
D. They always want to try new things.
12. How many steps do the students need to read the notes from digital cameras？
A. Five.B. Four.
C. Three.D. Two.
13. Which of the following is TRUE about taking notes？
A. You only need to write down what you don’t understand or some key words.
B. You should memorize instead of taking notes to save time.
C. You should write down all the words on the blackboard.
D. You shouldn’t be afraid to write down everything.
14. What does the underlined word “effective” mean in Chinese？
A. 有趣的B. 快捷的
C. 新潮的D. 有效的
15. What does the writer think is the best way to take notes？
A. Taking pictures of the words that teachers write.
B. Recording what teachers say in class.
C. Taking notes with your hand.
D. Using a computer.
D
We all know the dangers of fires. It’s good and necessary for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some suggestions.
Put a smoke alarm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.
Make escape plans. We should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire， everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.
Buy fire extinguishers （灭火器） in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them.
Practise for a fire. We do fire practice because we teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules：
★Don’t open a hot door！ The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
★Stay close to the floor！ Smoke can be more dangerous than fire. The best air is near the floor because smoke rises.
★What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn？ First， stop！ Don’t run！ The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop！ Fall to the floor. Then roll！ Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket （毯子） around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you.
There are many possible causes of fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire， don’t forget to call 119 for help.
16. When a smoke alarm rings at home， it means ___ .
A. you have to get up
B. something is burning
C. water is running to the floor
D. someone has broken your window
17. What does the writer advise us to do to prepare for a fire？
A. To make escape without plans.
B. To practice with an alarm.
C. To buy fire extinguishers.
D. To use electrical cookers.
18. If you open the hot door when a fire happens， ___ .
A. the fire will grow more quickly
B. the electricity will be cut off
C. the door will soon be on fire
D. the house will fall down
19. What are the right steps you should take when your hair or clothes catch fire？
A. Stop， run and roll.B. Stop， drop and roll.
C. Run， drop and roll.D. Roll， drop and stop.
20. Which should be the best title for this passage？
A. Be Ready for a Fire
B. The Causes of a Fire
C. The Dangers of a Fire
D. Learn to Use a Fire Extinguisher
（三）
A
1. New York Museum is closed on ___ .
A. MondayB. Friday
C. SaturdayD. Sunday
2. If an 8-year-old boy wants to visit The City Flower Show with his parents， how much will they pay？
A. 150 yuan.B. 125 yuan.
C. 100 yuan.D. 75 yuan.
3. If you want to get more information about English Summer Camp， you can ___ .
A. go to Canada
B. write to CEE/CCIEE
C. call at （010） 66062607
D. send an e-mail to University of Toronto
4. Who will give performances in Pop Music Week in Chaoyang Park？
A. Actors.B. Dancers.
C. Pianists.D. Bands and singers.
5. Phillip， twenty years old， is not allowed to ___ .
A. Pop Music WeekB. New York Museum
C. English Summer CampD. The City Flower Show
B
The undersea world is very beautiful. Now more and more people want to dive in the water to find the secret there. Scuba diving is a new sport today. It can take you into a wonderful undersea world.
You will find many strange animals in the sea. Some are as large as a school bus. Many sea animals give out light in the dark and some have sharp teeth.
During the day， there is enough light. Here， under the sea， everything is blue and green.
When fish swim nearby， you can catch them with your hands. When you have bottles of air on your back， you can stay in deep water for a long time. However， you can’t dive too deep. And you must be very careful when you dive in deep water.
The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It’s cold， and it’s dark， too. The deeper it is， the less sunlight there is. About 3，000 feet， there is no light at all. It is very dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes. Some have big eyes. A few have eyes on one side.
Besides the cold and the darkness， deep-sea animals face a third danger—other animals. Animals eat！ They must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants. However， some animals eat meat. This means these sea animals have two big jobs. They need to find animals as food， and they have to try not to become other animals’ meal.
6. Why do people want to dive in the sea？
A. To catch fish.
B. To see how deep the sea is.
C. To study the plants in the sea.
D. To find the secrets of the undersea world.
7. What can you find when you dive in the daytime？
A. Everything is green and blue.
B. Dangerous big fish.
C. Nothing is wonderful.
D. Bottles of air.
8. You can stay in deep water for a long time when you ___ .
A. are very careful
B. have bottles of air
C. live in deep water
D. dive freely without any danger
9. How many dangers will animals meet in the deep sea according to the passage？
A. Five.B. Four.
C. Three.D. Two.
10. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？
A. The deeper the sea is， the darker it is.
B. The deep sea is a comfortable place to live in.
C. One animal finds something to eat， and it tries not to be eaten.
D. At the depth of 3，000 feet under the sea， all animals can find their way by seeing.
C
Yesterday and Today
Life in the future will be different from life today. Between then and now many changes will take place， but what will the changes be？
The population is growing fast. There will be many people in the world and most of them will live longer than people live now.
Computers will be much smaller and more useful， and there will be at least one in every home. And computer studies will be one of the important subjects in schools then.
People will work fewer hours than they do now and they will have more free time for sports， watching TV and travel. Travelling will be much cheaper and easier. And many more people will go to other countries for holidays.
There will be changes in our food， too. More land will be used for building new towns and houses for all the people. Then there will be less room for cows and sheep， so meat will be more expensive. Maybe no one will eat it every day. Instead they will eat more fruit and vegetables. Maybe people will be healthier.
Work in the future will be different， too. Dangerous and hard work will be done by robots. Because of this， many people will not have enough work to do. This will be a problem.
11. In the next century， every family will have at least one ___ .
A. robotB. car
C. planeD. computer
12. According to the passage， in the future ___ .
A. computers will be much smaller
B. computers will be less useful
C. travelling will be more expensive
D. people will be too busy to do sports
13. In the next century people don’t have to ___ .
A. eat meatB. work fast
C. travel by carD. work long hours
14. What may people not eat as much as they do today？
A. Fruit.B. Fish.
C. Meat.D. Rice.
15. One big problem in the future is that ___ .
A. many people don’t have to work
B. all the work will be done by robots
C. people won’t have enough food to eat
D. many people will not be able to find work
D
Years ago， I lived in a building in a large city. The building next door was only a few feet away from mine. There was a woman who lived there， whom I had never met， yet I could see her seated by her window each afternoon， sewing or reading.
After several months had gone by， I began to notice that her window was dirty. Everything was unclear through the dirty window. I would say to myself， “I wonder why that woman doesn’t wash her window. It really looks terrible.”
One bright morning I decided to clean my flat， including washing the window on the inside.
Late in the afternoon when I finished the cleaning， I sat down by the window with a cup of coffee for a rest. What a surprise！ Across the way， the woman sitting by her window was clearly visible. Her window was clean！
Then it dawned on me. I had been criticizing （批评） her dirty window， but all the time I was watching hers through my own dirty window.
That was quite an important lesson for me. How often had I looked at and criticized others through the dirty window of my heart， through my own shortcomings？
Since then， whenever I wanted to judge （评判） someone， I asked myself first， “Am I looking at him through my own dirty window？”
Then I try to clean the window of my own world so that I may see the world about me more clearly.
16. The writer was surprised that ___ .
A. the woman’s window was clean
B. the woman’s window was still terrible
C. the woman was sitting by her window
D. the woman did cleaning in the afternoon
17. The underlined sentence “it dawned on me” probably means “___”.
A. it cheered me upB. it began to get dark
C. I knew it grew lightD. I began to understand it
18. Why couldn’t the writer see everything clearly through the window？
A. The woman lived nearby.
B. The writer was near-sighted.
C. The writer’s window was dirty.
D. The woman’s window was dirty.
19. It’s clear that ___ .
A. the writer had never met the woman before
B. the writer often washed the window
C. they both worked as cleaners
D. they lived in a small town
20. From the passage， we can learn that ___ .
A. one shouldn’t criticize others very often
B. one should often make his windows clean
C. one must judge himself before he judges others
D. one must look at others through his dirty windows
（四）
A
For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 1
How to Communicate with your Pets and Help Them Heal （痊愈）. Learn the necessary steps to start talking with your own pet about everyday things.
Practice “becoming” your pet to understand his/her physical disease.
Paperback： $14.95
Click here to order by CHECK！
$14.95 plus $4 shipping and handling
For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 2
How To Heal Your Sick， Overfed， Bored Pets with Nutrition and Exercise.
Help your animals regain （恢复） their health！ Learn about the value and importance of bad foods to avoid， good foods to give； （how and when to feed， and how much）.
Learn great recipes you can make at home.
Paperback： $15.95
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$15.95 plus $4 shipping and handling
Pets Have Feelings， Too！
Understanding Your Pet’s Physical， Emotional and Spiritual Needs. How do pets use the language of pictures to be able to communicate with us. Read over 60 stories of real pets and their people. Learn how many behavioral problems can be fixed when you listen to your pet. Find out what pets think about life， death and the great beyond.
Paperback： $18.95
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$18.95 plus $6 shipping and handling
What Animals Tell Me
Through a true story， an animal communicator reveals the fascinating and heart-warming inner world of our pets.
Paperback： $12.95
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$12.95 plus $3 shipping and handling
1. In For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 1， the author tells us ___ .
A. what kind of food shouldn’t be given to your pet
B. how to prepare food for your pet at home
C. when is the best time to feed your pet
D. how to communicate with your pet
2. Which book should you read if your pet eats too much？
A. For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 1
B. For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 2
C. Pets Have Feelings， Too！
D. What Animals Tell Me
3. Unlike the other three books， Pets Have Feelings， Too！ ___ .
A. is made up of many stories
B. has a great number of pictures
C. is about a real person and his pets
D. is aimed to help your pets regain their health
4. If you have only 18 dollars， which book can you afford？
A. For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 1
B. For Pet’s Sake， Do Something！ Book 2
C. Pets Have Feelings， Too！
D. What Animals Tell Me
5. Where can you find the advertisements？
A. In the newspaper.B. In the magazine.
C. On television.D. On a website.
B
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office， a street urchin （顽童） was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car， sir？” he asked.
Paul answered， “Yes， my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it did cost you nothing？ Sir， I wish…” He hesitated （犹豫）. Paul thought of course he knew what the boy wanted， but what the boy said surprised him greatly. “I wish，” the boy went on， “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise， and then he said again， “Would you like to take a ride in my car？” “Oh yes， I’d love to，” the boy answered.
After a short ride， the boy turned and with his eyes shining， said， “Sir， would you mind driving in front of my house？”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are？” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back， but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled （跛腿的） brother. He sat down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There he is， Buddy， just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed elder brother climbed in beside him and the three began an unforgettable holiday ride.
6. The street urchin was very surprised when ___ .
A. he met Paul
B. Paul told him about the car
C. Paul received an expensive car
D. he was walking around the car
7. From the story we can see the urchin wished ___ .
A. to give his brother a car
B. Paul could be a brother like that
C. Paul’s brother could give him a car
D. he could have a brother like Paul’s
8. Why did the urchin ask Paul to stop his car in front of his house？
A. To show he had a rich friend.
B. To let his brother ride in the car.
C. To tell his brother about his wish.
D. To show his neighbors the big car.
9. What can we learn about Paul from the story？
A. He was very poor.
B. He has a crippled brother too.
C. He helped to realise Buddy’s dream.
D. He was touched by the urchin’s love for his brother.
10. What should be the best title of the text？
A. A Brother Like That
B. A Christmas Present
C. Paul， a Kind-hearted Person
D. An Unforgettable Holiday Ride
C
Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories， destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged （破坏） that their owners had to leave them， and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed， several were badly hurt and taken to hospital， and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer， Mr Tan， said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children，” he said， “when we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him， safe but very frightened.”
Mrs Wu Meifeng said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything，” she said， “A few minutes later， the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded area and the welfare department （福利机构） brought them food， clothes and shelter.
11. How many homes were damaged in the storm？
A. Fourteen.B. Twenty-one.
C. Twenty-nine.D. Thirty-six.
12. Where was Mr Tan when the storm first began？
A. He was in bed.
B. He was on the roof.
C. He was in his home.
D. He was on the way to work.
13. Mrs Wu and her family didn’t get hurt because ___ .
A. they were all outside the house before the roof fell down
B. her husband knew there would be a storm
C. the welfare department helped her
D. she felt the house was moving
14. The underlined word “shelter” in the last paragraph means ___ .
A. something to eatB. something to wear
C. somewhere to studyD. somewhere to stay
15. Which of the following may be the best title for this passage？
A. A Terrible StormB. A Lucky Woman
C. Good SoldiersD. Clever People
D
We know the mosquito very well. Mosquitoes fly everywhere. They can be found almost all over the world， and there are more than 2，500 kinds of them.
No one likes the mosquito. But the mosquito may decide that she loves you. She？ Yes， she. It’s true that male mosquito doesn’t bite （咬） and only the female （雌性的） mosquito bites because she needs blood to lay eggs. She is always looking for things or people she wants to bite. If she likes what she finds， she bites. But if she doesn’t like your blood， she will turn to someone else for more delicious blood. Next time a mosquito bites you， just remember you are chosen. You’re different from the others！
If the mosquito likes you， she lands on your body without letting you know. She bites you so quickly and quietly that you may not feel anything different. After she bites， you will have an itch （痒） on your body because she puts something from her mouth together with your blood. By the time the itching begins， and she has flown away.
And then what happens？ Well， after her delicious dinner， the mosquito feels tired. She just wants to find a place to have a good rest. There， on a leaf or a wall， she begins to lay eggs， hundreds of eggs.
16. In Chinese “mosquito” means “___”.
A. 苍蝇B. 蜻蜓
C. 跳蚤D. 蚊子
17. We know mosquitoes very well because ___ .
A. they can fly
B. they love people
C. they fly here and there
D. there are many kinds of them
18. The female mosquito bite people to ___ .
A. get blood to lay eggs
B. find food for the males
C. show the love for people
D. put something in people’s blood
19. If the mosquito doesn’t bite you， it may ___ .
A. get angry with youB. be afraid of you
C. make a lot of noiseD. choose another one
20. Which of the following is TRUE about mosquitoes？
A. All the mosquitoes like to bite people for blood.
B. The itching begins after the mosquito bites you.
C. You feel tired when the mosquito bites you.
D. Mosquitoes lay eggs when biting.
（五）
A
Do you know why different animals or pests （昆虫） have their special colors？ Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts （蝗虫）， but birds cannot easily catch them. Why？ Because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green， locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes， locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.
If you study the animal life， you’ll find the main use of coloring is to protect themselves. Bears， lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters. This is because they have the colors much like the trees.
Have you ever noticed an even stranger act？ A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid （液体） when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over， its enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all.
1. What can we learn about the locusts？
A. They are friendly animals.
B. They are easily found by birds.
C. They are dangerous to their enemies.
D. They change their colors to protect themselves.
2. How can pests with different colors from plants keep out of danger？
A. They run away quickly.
B. They have to move quietly.
C. They have the colors much like their enemies.
D. They hide themselves by day and appear at night.
3.Why can bears and lions keep safe？
A. They move quietly and fast.
B. They can not be seen easily by hunters.
C. They have the colors much like the trees.
D. They are the most dangerous animals in forests.
4. Why can the fish mentioned in the last paragraph live up to now？
A. It is very smart.
B. It swims very fast.
C. The liquid it sends out can kill its enemies.
D. The liquid it sends out can help it escape from enemies.
5. Which is the best title for this passage？
A. The Main Use of Colors for Animals and Pests
B. The Change of Colors for Animals and Pests
C. Colors of Different Animals and Pests
D. Animals and Pests
B
Long ago， there lived in Greece a learned man. He was so well known for his good knowledge of almost everything that lots of people from all over the country came to learn from him. The great man taught his students whole-heartedly and answered their questions with great patience.
One day a student asked him， “My dear teacher， didn’t you say you yourself have many， many more questions about things than we do？ But I think we students have far more than you.”
With a smile on his face， the teacher drew two circles， one as large as a big cake， the other smaller. Then he said， “Of course， I have learned much more. But it’s wrong to think that a teacher has fewer questions than his students. Now， look at these two circles. The inside of the bigger one is my knowledge of things， and the inside of the smaller one is yours. Out of the circles is what is still unknown to us. Since mine is larger， I have to use the longer line to draw the bigger circle. That means I have more opportunities to face what is still unknown. And that’s why I myself have more questions than you do. The more you learn， the more questions you have. You will never learn enough， you know.”
6. What’s the teacher famous for？
A. Drawing.B. His knowledge.
C. His patience.D. Teaching.
7. One of his students didn’t agree that ___ .
A. the teacher could answer all questions
B. the students had more questions than the teacher
C. the students had fewer questions than the teacher
D. the teacher had so many questions as a learned man
8. Why did the learned man draw two circles？
A. To show how he could get knowledge.
B. To compare learning with drawing circles.
C. To tell the students how to be good students.
D. To explain why he had more questions than the students.
9. Which of the following shows what the teacher drew？
A. B.
C. D.
10. What can we learn from the passage？
A. The more we learn， the less we know.
B. We should keep on learning in the life.
C. Learning is not as easy as drawing circles.
D. It’s easy for us to learn all the unknown things.
C
In 1826， a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business. But he was not a good artist. So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden. That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography （摄影术） was in 1837. That year， Daguerre， another Frenchman， took a picture of his reading room. He used a new kind of camera in a different way. In his picture you could see everything very clearly， even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called a Daguerreotype.
Soon， other people began to use Daguerre’s way.Travellers brought back wonderful photos from all around the world. People took pictures of famous buildings， cities and mountains.
In about 1840， photography was developed.Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. That was not simple. The photographers had to carry a lot of films and other machines. But this did not stop them， for example， some in the United States worked so hard.
Mathew Brady was a famous American photographers. He took many pictures of great people. The pictures were unusual because they were very lifelike.
Photographers also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photos were not just copies of the real world. They showed feelings， like other kinds of art.
11. The first photo taken by Niepce was a picture of ___ .
A. his business B. his house
C. his garden D. his window
12. The Daguerrotype was ___ .
A. a FrenchmanB. a kind of picture
C. a kind of cameraD. a photographer
13. If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in the year of 1840， he had to ___ .
A. watch lots of films
B. stop in most cities
C. buy an expensive camera
D. take many films and something else with him
14. Which of the following is TRUE about Mathew Brady？
A. He enjoyed his life.
B. He was interested in great people.
C. He was famous for his unusual pictures.
D. He took many pictures of moving things.
15. What’s the passage mainly about？
A. How to use different cameras.
B. How photography was developed.
C. How the camera changed the world.
D. How to show your ideas and feelings in pictures.
D
If you look into the sky at night， you may see something moving and shining that you have never seen before. It might be a comet （彗星）.
A comet sometimes looks like a star. Like a planet， a comet has no light of its own. It shines from the sunlight it reflects （反射）. Like the earth， a comet goes round the sun， but on a much longer path than the earth travels.
Some scientists think that a large part of a comet is water frozen into pieces of ice. This is mixed with iron and rock dust and perhaps a few big pieces of rock. When the sun melts （融化） the ice in the comet， great clouds， together with the dust， forms a long tail. Many people have seen a comet. However， no one knows how many comets there are. There may be millions of comets， but only a few come close enough to the earth for us to be able to see them. Even then it’s not often that a comet comes close enough to be seen without a telescope （望远镜）.
An English man named Edmund Halley， who lived from 1656 to 1742， found out a lot about the paths that comets take through the sky. Some comets never come back. Others keep coming back at regular intervals （有规律的间隔）. A big comet that keeps returning was named after Halley because he was the one who worked out when it would come back again.
Some people saw Halley’s Comet in 1910. Maybe you have ever seen Halley’s Comet because the last time it came close to the sun and the earth was in 1986. If not， you will probably be able to see Halley’s Comet when it comes near the earth again.
16. Which of the following is TRUE about comets？
A. They can shine by themselves.
B. They travel on a short path.
C. They travel around the sun.
D. They are either stars or planets.
17. A large part of a comet is ___ .
A. rock dust and a few big pieces of rock
B. water frozen into pieces of ice
C. ice， iron and rock dust
D. ice and iron
18. Some comets return ___ .
A. at regular intervalsB. only at night
C. at any timeD. at noon
19. When may you be able to see Halley’s Comet？
A. In 2018.B. In 2056.
C. In 2062.D. In 2090.
20. What can we learn from the passage？
A. Halley’s Comet looks like a star.
B. Halley died in the 17th century.
C. Not many comets can be seen by people.
D. Halley discovered a few paths that comets take.
（六）
A
When I was seven years old， my family made me an ant farm. First， we put clean sand in a thin glass box. Then we waited for the ants to arrive.
After the ants were in the glass farm， they started to make tunnels （地道）. I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. Each had its own job.
On the fifth day a tragedy （悲剧） happened. I put my face so close to the glass farm that I knocked it over. All the tunnels fell down. Although the ants remained alive after their earthquake， one by one they began to die. I was scared as I watched them give up building their tunnels to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm.
My mother said that the ants were dying of sadness. They simply could not stand that their tunnels were gone.
Although much time has passed， I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world， but it taught me much more.
Over the years， I came to realize the importance of teamwork. Working together， the ants were able to make an amazing world for themselves. I also learned adversity （逆境） is a natural part of life， and must be accepted. Unlike the ants， we build another.
Giving up， I say， is not a good choice.
1. What did the writer’s family do for him when he was seven？
A. They found an ant city.
B. They bought a few ants.
C. They caught a lot of ants.
D. They built a farm of ants.
2. Which is the correct order of the story about the ants？
a. All the tunnels fell down.
b. The ants died one by one.
c. The ants got into the glass box.
d. The ants began making tunnels.
A. a—b—c—dB. a—c—d—b
C. c—d—a—bD. c—a—d—b
3. What did the writer come to realize a few years later？
A. Teamwork is important.
B. He can’t accept adversity.
C. Working alone is amazing.
D. Working together is boring.
4. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage？
A. The writer broke the glass box because it made his face dirty.
B. Unlike people， teamwork is not so important for the ants.
C. The ants died because the tunnels were destroyed.
D. Giving up is sometimes a good choice.
5. What’s the best title for the passage？
A. Ants Fear Adversity
B. My Family and Ants
C. Giving Up in Adversity
D. A Good Lesson from Ants
B
Nowadays， a new method is used to decide who are the top students in school. The best students are those who not only get high marks， but also follow the rules and the behavior standards （标准） for middle school students. Here are some of the new rules and standards.
Tell the truth. Have you ever copied someone else’s work on an exam？ If you have， then don’t do it again！ That’s not something an honest student should do. If you have played computer games for two hours in your room. don’t tell your parents you were doing homework.
Learn to be loving and caring. Good students love animals and care for other people.
Learn to work together with others. It would be more fun when more people work together. Did you quarrel with your teammates when your basketball team lost？ Only working together can make your team stronger. Be friendly to the people you are with. Try to think of others， instead of only yourself.
Be open to new ideas. Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon？ Perhaps you’ll discover EarthⅡsomeday. Don’t look down on new ideas. Everyone’s ideas are important. You should welcome them， because new ideas make life better for everyone.
Use the Internet carefully. The Internet can be very useful for your studies. Some websites on the Internet aren’t for kids， so make sure to visit the web pages that are good for you. You can use the web for fun or homework. Can’t you find any good websites for children？
6. The new rules tell kids ___ .
A. how they can live well
B. what they should do at school
C. how they can get high marks
D. what is right and what is wrong
7. Paragraph 4 mainly tells us to ___ .
A. quarrel with others
B. make the team stronger
C. learn to work with others
D. work together with others
8. If someone says that human beings will discover EarthⅡ someday， what should you do？
A. Leave it alone.B. Welcome it.
C. Laugh at it.D. Refuse it.
9. According to the last paragraph， good websites for children can ___ .
A. help them with their studies
B. do homework for them
C. be a waste of time
D. make life easier
10. The passage mainly tells us how to ___ .
A. use the InternetB. care for others
C. do more at schoolD. be top students
C
According to a new survey， students’ safety has become a big problem. Nearly 50% of students say they are worried about robbery （抢劫） on the way to and from school. Now in main big cities in China some schools have taught an unusual lesson： self-protection. Students like this lesson because there are no exams or boring classes. And they can learn how to save lives and know how to stop danger before it really happens.
Ma Xiaocui， a teacher at Beijing No. 37 Middle School， gives young students advice on how to deal with danger.
If you are robbed
Keep calm. lf you can not cry for help or run away， give the robber your money. Try to remember what the robber looks like and tell the police later.
If you are in a traffic accident
If a car hits you， you should remember the car number. If it is a bicycle， try to call your parents before you let the rider go. This is because you don’t know how seriously you are hurt.
If it is raining hard and there is lightning （闪电）
Don’t stay in high places and stay away from trees.
When there is a fire
Get away as fast as you can. Put wet things on your body and try to find an exit. Do not take the lift.
If someone is drowning （溺水）
If you can’t swim， don’t get into the water. Cry out for help.
Remember that danger is never as far away as you think. Take care of yourself at all times！
11. Why do students like the self-protection lesson？
a. There are no tests.
b. The lessons are exciting.
c. They can learn how to save lives.
d. They know how to stop danger before it happens.
A. a， b， cB. b， c， d
C. a， b， dD. a， c， d
12. What should you do if a bicycle hurts you？
A. Don’t let the rider go and call the parents.
B. Let the rider go and go to the hospital.
C. Let the rider go before calling parents.
D. Remember the bicycle number.
13. If your house is on fire， you must ___ .
A. put dry things on your body
B. run quickly and take the lift
C. take most you have and then run away
D. run away and find an exit as quickly as you can
14. How many kinds of danger are mentioned in the passage？
A. 3.B. 4.
C. 5.D. 6.
15. What should be the best title for this passage？
A. How to Keep CalmB. Self-protection
C. A Special lessonD. Danger
D
As young students， you have many dreams. These dreams can be very big， for example， winning the Nobel Prize； they can also be small， for example， becoming one of the best students in your class.
Once you find a dream， what do you do with it？ Do you ever try to make your dream real？
Andrew Matthews， an Australian writer， tells us that making your dreams real is life’s biggest challenge. You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects， or that it’s impossible for you to become a writer. Those kinds of ideas stop you from realizing your dream.
In fact， everyone can realize his dream. The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don’t let it leave your heart. Keep telling yourself what you want every day and then your dream will come true faster. You should know that a big dream is， in fact， made up of many small dreams.
You must also never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road to your dreams. But the biggest difficulty comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will help you to get better exam results， while saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book.
As you get closer to your dream， it may change a little. This is good as you have the chance to learn something more useful and find new hobbies.
16. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？
A. You may think you’re good at some school subjects.
B. Young students can surely realize their dreams.
C. You must never give up your dream.
D. It’s difficult to win the Nobel Prize.
17. To make your dream real， the first thing you must do is to ___ .
A. remember what your dream is
B. learn something useful
C. decide small dreams
D. be the best student
18. Where can the biggest difficulty come from on the way to your dream？
A. From Exam results.B. From Yourself.
C. From Money.D. From TV.
19. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph stand for？
A. The money you save.
B. The difficult situations.
C. The time of watching TV.
D. Your dreams or your goals.
20. What can be the best title of this passage？
A. Never Give Up
B. How to Become a Writer
C. Big Dream？ Small Dream？
D. How to Make Your Dream Real Faster
