When you look at your food, some ingredients are easy to see. For example, there is cheese on your pizza and butter on your bread. But our meals are also filled with ingredients you can’t see. And you might be surprised to learn just how much those hidden (隱藏的) ingredients affect your health.

Salt is a perfect example of an ingredient that you might not notice, even when you eat a lot of it. More than 75% of the salt we eat is hidden in restaurant meals, fast food and processed (加工過(guò)的) food , such as French fries, hot dogs and even biscuits.

Salt is important to us. It keeps our muscles (肌肉）working and our nerves (神經(jīng)）sending  messages through the whole body. Salt can be used to clean teeth, to make our skin smooth or added to a relaxing bath. Salt is also used to help make food last (持續(xù)) longer.

However eating too much salt can cause heart problems. For a long time, heart trouble has been regarded as an adult problem, but new research shows that salt is starting to affect kids. Then how much salt is safe for kids every day? Let's look at the following chart:

Ages	Amount of Salt Every Day
1—3 years old	2 grams
4—6 years old	3 grams
7—10 years old	5 grams
11 or more than 11 years old	6 grams

Kids should not eat more than that.

1.The underlined word “ingredients” means “__________” in Chinese.

A．配料

B．熱量

C．營(yíng)養(yǎng)

D．脂肪

2.The first two paragraphs tell us _________.

A．how much salt people need every day	B．the result of eating too much salt
C．the importance of salt in our everyday life
D．though people eat much salt every day, they may not notice it

3.Which of the following is Not the use of salt according to the passage?

A．Salt keeps muscles working.	B．Salt helps to make food last longer.
C．Salt helps to see clearly.	D．Salt can be used to clean teeth.

4. If Tim is 10 years old, how much salt should he eat every day?

A．2 grams.

B．3 grams.

C．5 grams.

D．6 grams.

5. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Young children have few heart problems according to the new research.

B．A lot of food we eat has hidden salt in it, even some biscuits.

C．Salt can be used instead of soap while we’re taking a bath.

D．A five-year-old boy should have at least six grams of salt every day.

 

Two Chinese spacecrafts successfully completed China’s first space docking early November 3, 2011, which has taken the country a step closer to building its own space station.
Nearly two days after its launch, the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou VIII docked with the space lab module Tiangong I more than 343 km above the earth surface. Shenzhou VIII and Tiangong I took apart after flying together for 12 days. On the 14th of November, the two spacecrafts finished the second docking. Then Shenzhou VIII parted from Tiangong I again and returned to the earth safely on the 17th. Tiangong I is still traveling around the earth in the space, waiting for the arrival of Shenzhou IX and X and so on in the near future.
That marked another great leap for China’s space program and made China the third country in the world, after the United States and Russia, to master the space docking technique (空間對(duì)接技術(shù)).
The world’s first space docking was achieved in 1966, when the manned U.S, spacecraft Gemini 8 (雙子星8號(hào)) docked with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle (阿金納目標(biāo)飛行器). Space docking is necessary to explore space beyond Earth’s orbit. “The capability increases China’s ability to act independently in space, as well as its ability to work together with others,” said Gregory Kulacki, a U.S. space scientist and senior analyst.
“With the success of its first space docking, China is now equipped with the basic technology and ability required for the construction of a space station,” said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China’s manned space program.” The country is on its way to building a permanent manned space station around 2020.”
【小題1】What did the success of the first space docking mean to China?

A．China has caught up with the United States in the space exploration field.

B．China took a step closer to building its own space station.

C．China became the first country to master the space docking technique.

D．China has the ability to build a permanent manned space station right now.

【小題2】What does the underlined word “That” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．Shenzhou VIII.

B．Tiangong I

C．The Space Station

D．The success of China’s first space docking

【小題3】What can we learn from the passage? 

A．Tiangong I will fly in the space for 12 days.

B．The first space docking of the world was achieved in 1966, by Russians.

C．Without space docking technique people can’t explore space beyond Earth’s orbit.

D．The U.S.A helped China achieve the first space docking.

【小題4】What’s the best title of this passage?

A．The first space docking of China.

B．The history of space docking.

C．The first space docking of the world.

D．The space docking technique

You might have noticed that the cost of food has gone up.In fact the price of wheat and rice has nearly doubled in the past few years.It’s thought that right now，850 million people—that’s more than 10 times the population of the UK—are short of food because it’s too expensive or there’s not enough of it.
The price of basic food such as wheat and corn has stayed the same for quite a long time，about 30 years.But as the world’s population is getting bigger，there’s more pressure to feed more people，plus there’s less land and water to go round.
Another reason is climate（氣候）change.Droughts and floods make it hard to grow crops like rice and grain.The price of oil has gone up and that makes it more expensive for farmers to run their tractors and to transport the food they make.And lots of fields are being used to grow crops to make other things that can’t be eaten—which is bad news for hungry people.
The main losers are poor people who live in cities in poor countries，who are facing higher prices for food.Some people are doing well out of the food crisis（危機(jī)） though.Farmers in rich countries like the US，Canada and Australia are getting record prices for their harvests.
World leaders are meeting in the Italian capital Rome to talk about the problem of rising food prices.Some countries are helping out with the cost of foods and international aid agencies have called for more money for food production in poor countries.
【小題1】The price of food goes up because all of the following EXCEPT _____.

A．there are more and more people in the world.

B．American farmers are getting richer and richer.

C．many farm lands are used to make other things rather than food.

D．climate change makes it harder to grow food.

【小題2】Who lose the most because of the food crisis?

A．Farmers in rich countries.

B．Farmers in developed countries.

C．Poor people in cities in poor countries.

D．Poor people in cities in developed countries.

【小題3】What does the food crisis mean to farmers in Canada?

A．They can get a lot of money from the government.

B．They have to save a lot of money.

C．They can make more money from the high price.

D．They are losing a lot of money.

【小題4】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Why is the Price of Food Going Up？

B．How Many People are Short of Food?

C．What Can We Learn from the Food Crisis?

D．Who Can Benefit（受益） from the Food Crisis?

On the bus, on the subway, every head is lowered to a cell phone, iPad, or other digital device. But does this mean more and more people are getting into reading the digital way?

According to the National Reading Survey, before the 17^th World Reading Day on April 23, only 1.2 percent of Chinese people said they read a lot. But 38.6 percent said they read on digital devices like cell phone and e-books. This is a 17.7 percent increase from 2010.

Many experts are talking about a trend toward fragmented reading ––reading many short messages or items on a digital device like a cell phone instead of one long text in a book.

 Zhao jianmin, a professor at Shanghai University, said fragmented reading was part of modern life. “The fast pace of life leaves many people no time to sit and read a whole book,” he said. “So making use of fragmented time to read is sure to be a trend”

Fragmented reading has its advantages. People can enjoy large amounts of information, knowledge and entertainment in a short time. Digital reading is faster than traditional deep reading.

However, some experts fear the trend of digital reading will lead people to read in a simple way. Xu Guosheng, at a Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, says fragmented reading makes it harder for people to think more about what they read. He also warned fragmented reading could make people lazy about remembering facts because they know they can always just search for answers online.

“Fragmented reading is sometimes good, but don’t let it take all your time,” suggested Tian Zhilng, an editor. He said it was important to read quality books in a deeper way, and we should read for knowledge, for practical use and for pleasure. He suggested people choose easy books first, then move onto more difficult ones.

1. How many disadvantages of fragmented reading have been mentioned?

A. 1              B.2                   C. 3                       D.4

2. How does Tian Zhiling think about people should read?

A. They should spend more time reading on digital device.  

B. They should spend days reading whole novels at a time.

C. They should read both on digital devices and quality books.    

D. They should read a fun way instead of a traditional way.

3. The underlined word “pace” means _________ in Chinese.

A. 行走                       B.步驟                              C. 節(jié)奏                       D. 步測(cè)

4.What can we learn from the article?

A. Chinese people read in a simple way these days.

B. Students should read more to get high marks.

C. Reading on a digital device is harmful to health.               

D. People’s reading habits are changing.

5.What is the main idea of the article?

A. The results of a national reading survey.               

B. An explanation of a new trend in reading.    

C. The advice on how to read the digital way.            

D. A call to return to traditional deep reading.  

 

Now throwing shoes at President Bush is a popular game on the Internet. It turns out that there are times when it’s good to throw shoes.

After leaving his office in the center of the city, a young man bought a new car and drove it from the city to his home. He was very happy and the car ran very fast. Suddenly, a shoe hit the car door . The man got very angry. He jumped out of the car and caught a boy who still had a shoe in his hand.

“Who are you? Why did you do that?” the young man shouted at the boy.

“I’m sorry. But I don’t know what else to do. My sister has been hurt. I cried for help but nobody stopped,” the boy said.

The man looked around and saw a girl by the road. Her leg was bleeding(流血).

“She is my sister. She wanted to cross the road but fell out of her wheelchair. She is too heavy for me. I can’t get her back into the wheelchair. ”The man was moved. He helped the bleeding girl back into her wheelchair.

“Thank you. You’re so kind,” said the little boy. Life speaks to our hearts. Sometimes we don’t have time to listen and it will throw a shoe at us.

1.The young man drove his new car ______.

A．to the city

B．home

C．to his office

D．to his school

2.Who threw a shoe at the car?

A．A small boy

B．A bleeding girl

C．A young man

D．An old lady

3.The underlined word “wheelchair” means ______ in this passage.

A．自行車(chē)

B．電動(dòng)車(chē)

C．手推車(chē)

D．輪椅

4.Why did the boy throw the shoe?

A．Because he liked the car.	B．Because her sister was hurt.
C．Because he was hurt.	D．Because he was naughty.

5.What can we learn from the story?

A．We should be kind and helpful.

B．We should drive slowly and safely.

C．Life always throws shoes at our cars.

D．Nobody wants to be hit by a shoe.

 

Choose the best answer（根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，選擇最恰當(dāng)?shù)拇鸢?
Newcastle is beginning to draw tourists from all corners of Europe. It's one of the fastest developing cities in the United Kingdom. It is said most visitors come here to see the famous soccer team play. The mood of the locals is often changed by the success or failures of the local team.
Newcastle's most popular place is the Gate. It's in the center of the city and has many attractions including bars, restaurants, sports bars, pubs and so on. During a home game it becomes a real home to happiness.
Culture and local history lovers can make their dreams come true by taking one of the local city tour buses. They come and leave every few minutes and stop at all the important historical sites in the city. Also the seats and the environment on the buses are comfortable. It's the best way to see the city without tiring yourself out or getting cold. Places such as the Hancock Museum and Millennium Bridge are must-see attractions. But be careful if you're short of time, Newcastle is a big place. So you should be prepared to kill a few hours on one of these buses.
If you want to watch the local team play soccer in the St. James Park, remember to book a ticket as early as possible. The locals are crazy soccer fans, and you’ll find it hard to get a ticket if you don’t wait in the queue early.                                                                                 
As you can see, Newcastle is a fantastic city with so much to be offered and so many things to see. You’re sure to have a wonderful time here!                                   
【小題1】From the passage we know Newcastle is most famous for its_______.

A．soccer team

B．city restaurants

C．rich culture

D．historical sites

【小題2】If you want to learn about the history and culture of Newcastle, you_____.

A．can go to the Gate	B．can take a city tour
C．must go to St James Park	D．must drive a car

【小題3】The underlined word “They” in Para 3 refers to ______.

A．history lovers	B．historical sites
C．city tour buses	D．culture lovers

【小題4】Which place is not in Newcastle? ______

A．St. James Park	B．The Hancock Museum
C．the Gate	D．the Tower Bridge

【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Tourists will enjoy delicious food and have a good time in the Gate.

B．It's usually easy to get a ticket for a local soccer team play.

C．Many world famous soccer matches are held in Newcastle every year.

D．Newcastle is a very small city with many famous attractions.

【小題6】The author wrote this passage mainly in order to_______.

A．introduce the culture and history of Newcastle

B．tell people the popularity of soccer teams in Newcastle

C．introduce the characters of people in Newcastle

D．encourage people to visit Newcastle

A wise man used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning.

One day, when he was walking along the shore（海岸）, he saw a young man moving like a

dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

He called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The young man stopped, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.” “I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?”

“The sun is up and the tide（潮汐）is going out. And if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish, and threw it into the sea, and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted（賦予）

with the ability to make a difference.

We must each find our starfish. And if we throw starfish wisely and well, the world will be better.

1.What was the wise man used to doing every morning?

A．Taking a walk on the shore.

B．Watching the young man dance.

C．Meeting up with the young man.

D．Helping the young man pick up starfish.

2.Why did the young man throw the starfish into the ocean?

A．To have fun.

B．To study starfish.

C．To feed some fish.

D．To save starfish.

3.What can we learn from the story?

A．Each of us should learn to protect starfish.

B．People living on the shore always try to save starfish.

C．Each of us has the ability to make an important effect on something.

D．People can come up with some good ideas when walking on the shore.

 

Two Chinese spacecrafts successfully completed China’s first space docking early November 3, 2011, which has taken the country a step closer to building its own space station.

Nearly two days after its launch, the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou VIII docked with the space lab module Tiangong I more than 343 km above the earth surface. Shenzhou VIII and Tiangong I took apart after flying together for 12 days. On the 14th of November, the two spacecrafts finished the second docking. Then Shenzhou VIII parted from Tiangong I again and returned to the earth safely on the 17th. Tiangong I is still traveling around the earth in the space, waiting for the arrival of Shenzhou IX and X and so on in the near future.

That marked another great leap for China’s space program and made China the third country in the world, after the United States and Russia, to master the space docking technique (空間對(duì)接技術(shù)).

The world’s first space docking was achieved in 1966, when the manned U.S, spacecraft Gemini 8 (雙子星8號(hào)) docked with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle (阿金納目標(biāo)飛行器). Space docking is necessary to explore space beyond Earth’s orbit. “The capability increases China’s ability to act independently in space, as well as its ability to work together with others,” said Gregory Kulacki, a U.S. space scientist and senior analyst.

“With the success of its first space docking, China is now equipped with the basic technology and ability required for the construction of a space station,” said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China’s manned space program.” The country is on its way to building a permanent manned space station around 2020.”

1.What did the success of the first space docking mean to China?

      A. China has caught up with the United States in the space exploration field.

      B. China took a step closer to building its own space station.

      C. China became the first country to master the space docking technique.

      D. China has the ability to build a permanent manned space station right now.

2.What does the underlined word “That” in the third paragraph refer to?

A. Shenzhou VIII.

B. Tiangong I

C. The Space Station

D. The success of China’s first space docking

3.What can we learn from the passage? 

A. Tiangong I will fly in the space for 12 days.

B. The first space docking of the world was achieved in 1966, by Russians.

C. Without space docking technique people can’t explore space beyond Earth’s orbit.

D. The U.S.A helped China achieve the first space docking.

4.What’s the best title of this passage?

A. The first space docking of China.

B. The history of space docking.

C. The first space docking of the world.

D. The space docking technique

 

When my grandmother was 89 years old ,she was having problems with her heart. My family went with her to the doctor, who told her that she needed an operation. However, the doctor said that because of my grandmother’s age, the operation could be dangerous. He went on to say that my grandmother would have a 40% chance of having a heart attack（心臟?。?and a 30% chance of dying during the operation.

My grandmother, shocked ,quickly stopped the doctor and said,“Doctor, as long as you’re talking about statistics（數(shù)據(jù)），I have a statistic for you: there is a 100% chance of you not operating one me !”With these words, my grandmother got up and left the doctor’s office.

My grandmother might have been stubborn, but she was not a fool. So the next day she went to another doctor, and he also told her she needed an operation.

My grandmother asked the doctor. “If I were your mother, what would you suggest?” The doctor walked up to her, smiled, put his arm around her and said, “Mom, let’s do this operation!” She had the operation and came out fine.

My grandmother passed away（去世）a few weeks before her 97th birthday. However, because of her positive attitude（積極的態(tài)度）,she gave us ,her family and friends almost eight years of life to enjoy sharing with her.

1.The grandmother didn’t choose the first doctor because           .

A. he was afraid to do the operation.

B. he talked too much about the risks

C. he had never done such an operation

2.The second doctor’s words might have made the grandmother          .

A. nervous           B. unhappy            C. relaxed

3.We can tell from the story that the grandmother          .

A. wanted to be the second doctor’s mother

B. celebrated her 97th birthday with her family

C. lived through the operation by the second doctor.

4.The underlined word“stubborn” probably means        in Chinese.

A. 執(zhí)拗的             B. 嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)?shù)?nbsp;           C. 無(wú)知的

5.What can we learn from the story?

A. It is better to depend on statistics.

B. A positive attitude can change a person’s life.

C. A good doctor only cares for his patients’ health.

 

 

Oriole’s Nest

 

Picky, Picky

Scientists have no idea exactly why birds choose certain objects to build their nests. But scientists know that the main reason birds build nests is to keep their babies safe, warm and healthy.

    Baby birds grow faster and are healthier when they are warm. They also learn to fly and leave the nests sooner than birds without warm homes.

What A Yarn (紗)

Yarn is big on an oriole’s shopping list during nest building. Scientists are still trying to work out why so many birds choose white yarn over other colors for nest building.

Scientists think that the white objects remind birds of cotton fluff (絨毛) they find in the wild.

Do It Naturally  

Even though birds can help us recycle some of our junk by using it to build nests, they also need to use lots of natural things. Long grass, dried sticks, spider’s silk and mud are some of the natural ingredients that are good for nests, too.

You can make a collection box of things to leave for birds so they can help themselves. Hang a small plastic box with holes on a tree branch. Fill the box freely with nest building goodies. Hang the box on a tree and watch birds climb on board to pick through the junk to find their treasures.

Warning: Don’t let the birds turn into a tasty treat. Keep your bird station away from places where cats hang out.

For The Birds!

Stop! Don’t throw all that garbage out! Give some to the birds. Look and see how your old junk can help beautify and warm a bird’s new home.

1.The baby birds with warm homes are able to _____.

A. choose right objects                     B. leave the nests sooner

C. build good nests                         D. learn to fly higher

2. What can people make for birds to build nests?

A. Holes on the tree.                   B. Food out of the rubbish.

C. A warning board.                     D. A collection box of things.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Birds build nests to store things.

B. Birds regard white objects as cotton.

C. Birds and humans can help each other.

D. Birds and cats fight against each other.

 

A girl complained to her father about her hard life．She didn't know what she had to do and wanted to give up．She felt tired of fighting and fighting．One problem had been finished but another came over．
Her father，a cook，took her into the kitchen．He poured water into three pans and boiled(煮沸) them．After boiling，in the first pan was put some carrots，the second was put some eggs and the last was put with coffee．
The girl waited impatiently (不耐煩的)，confused by what her father did．About 20 minutes later，her father took out the carrots and put them in a bowl．He took the eggs and put them in a bowl．After that the coffee was poured into a cup．“My sweet heart，what do you see？” he asked．
“Carrots，eggs and coffee，” she replied．
Her father told her to close her eyes and asked her to touch the carrots．She did so and felt that the carrots were soft．After that he asked her to take the eggs and break them．After peeling (剝開(kāi)) them，she got the eggs，cooked and hard．The last，the father let her smell the coffee． She asked，“What did you do this for，F(xiàn)ather？” He explained that each had the same unlucky experience—the boiling water，but each had a different result． The strong and hard carrots had become soft and weak．The fragile eggs became hard after being cooked． The coffee was very special，they could change water．“Who are you？” asked her father．“When bad luck knocks at your door，what is your decision? Are you carrots，eggs or coffee？”
【小題1】The girl complained about her hard life because she didn't ________．

A．want to give up	B．finish one problem
C．know what to do	D．get tired of fighting

【小題2】The girl's father took her to the kitchen to ________．

A．a(chǎn)sk her how to boil eggs

B．show her how to make coffee

C．teach her how to be a cook

D．tell her how to face difficulties

【小題3】After about twenty minutes，the carrots became ________．

A．soft

B．hard

C．salty

D．sweet

【小題4】The underlined word “fragile” in the passage means “________”．

A．美味的

B．易碎的

C．特別的

D．可憐的

【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?

A．The girl's father liked to eat some kinds of food．

B．Bad luck always knocks at strong people's doors．

C．Boiled carrots，eggs and coffee had the same result．

D．People should make right decisions when in trouble．

For many school in Thailand, there are two terms. The first term is from the first week of May to the first week of October. The second term starts from the first week of November and finishes at the last week of February or the first week of March. The students don't get a break for Christmas（圣誕節(jié)）. But they get a 3-4 days' break for the New Year.

For many students, a school day is very long. They usually get to school at 7:30 a.m. Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. there are three classes in the morning and they are 50 minutes each（每個(gè)）. Students have lunch at 11:00 a.m. they don't have dining halls so they have to eat in the classroom. Lunch time finishes at 12:25 p.m. there are three classes in the afternoon. School finishes at 3:15 p.m. many schools have a "homework" lesson after school, so students usually go home after 4:45 p.m.

1.How long is the first term in Thailand schools?

A．For six months.     B．For five months.     C．For four months.    D．For three moths.

2.What does the underlined word "break" mean in Chinese?

A．假期             B．節(jié)目             C．游覽             D．計(jì)劃

3.When do students usually get to school?

A．At 7:00 a.m.       B．At 7:30 a.m.        C．At 8:00 a.m.        D．At 8:30 a.m.

4.Why do students have to eat lunch in the classroom?

A．Because their dining halls are very small.

B．Because they must do their homework after lunch.

C．Because they don't have dining halls.

D．Because they bring lunch to school.

5.What can we learn from the passage?

A．There are three terms in Thailand schools.

B．Students don't go to school in November.

C．Students usually go home at 3:15 p.m.

D．Students have six classes a day.

 

Dick was driving a large American car. As soon as the race started, he pulled out in front. As the race went on, he kept the first place. And he was far ahead of Wilson, the man in the second place.

When the race was almost over, some people stood up and left. “Why did stay?” they thought. They were sure they knew who would win.

But things did not go as they thought. A strange noise came from Dick’s car. It slowed down. Something was wrong. Dick knew his car would not go far. His only hope was that he would make it to the finish. But on his last lap(賽圈), the car stopped. Wilson’s car roared (呼嘯) by. Dick saw it go by. He knew he could not win now. “But I can finish the race,” he thought. And he got out of his car. So did his assistant. They began to push the car to the finish.

Wilson went by them again and again. He was on his last lap. He was going to win. Dick and his friend did not care. They went on pushing.

At first, all eyes were on Wilson. He crossed the line. And the race was over. He won! Dick and his friend pushed on. At last, the car crossed the line. By then all the people shouted for them. They shouted more than they did for Wilson. This was a different kind of winner!

1.Dick was driving a large car that made in _____.

A. China      B. Japan       C. The United States       D. Canada

2.Why Dick’s car stopped on his last lap? Because_______ .

A. he wanted to have a rest            

B. he wanted to have a drink

C. there is something wrong with him         

D. there is something wrong with his car.

3.Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A. Dick wanted Wilson to win the race.  

B. Both Dick and Wilson are winners.

C. Dick drove his car to the end.      

D. Dick drove slower than others at first.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A. American cars always break down in the race.   

B. Good cars always help people win the race.

C. People should always shout for the loser.       

D. People should always keep trying.

 

Plant scientists consider them as fruit. Most other people think of them as vegetables. Whatever you call tomatoes, there are many different kinds of this popular and healthy food.
There are two groups of the plants. Small tomato plants grow to about one meter. They can be planted rather close together. Some short kinds do not require special care and are often gotten crop by machines. Large tomato plants can grow over two meters tall. They also produce larger fruits.
People who grow only a few plants can place wire cages around each one. The cage can be made of wire fence material. The cage helps the plant grow taller and produce a better crop.
Tomatoes often need extra calcium (Ca), or the fruits may be ruined. Add lime to the soil can solve this problem. Dry lands may also ruin the fruits. Tomatoes need water regularly. The soil should never dry out completely. Dried grass or leaves placed around the plant can help hold water in the soil and stop the growth of unwanted plants.
Tomatoes are native to South America. The tomato is a member of the potato family. The leaves of the plant are poisonous, like the leaves of its relatives. Before the 18th century, people grew tomatoes only as pretty plants. They called the bright red fruit a “l(fā)ove apple”, but would not eat it.
【小題1】Which of the following is right about the small tomato plants?
A. They can grow to about 2 meters.    
B. They can’t be planted close together.
C. Some of them don’t require special care.
【小題2】People place wire cages around the plant in order to ___________.
A. protect the plant from being taken by others.
B. help the plant grow taller and produce a better crop
C. keep the plant from being eaten by animals
【小題3】The underlined word “ruin” probably means “___________”.
A. grow     B. destroy      C. stop    
【小題4】 People often give tomatoes extra calcium by ___________.
A. adding lime to the soil          B. watering the plant regularly
C. putting dried grass around the plant
【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?
A. Tomatoes are native to North America.
B. The leaves of the plant can also be eaten.
C. Americans began to eat tomatoes from the 18th century.

Jack and James were good friends .One day,they were walking through the desert(沙漠).During the journey they had a big fight,and Jack hit james in the face.James felt hurt,but he didn’t say anything.Instead( 相反),he wrote in the sand:Today my best friend hit me in the face.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis(綠洲).They decided to get some water there .Suddenly James had trouble in the water,he fell into the mire(泥潭) and was in danger.Jack saved him at once.When he felt Ok,he wrote on a stone:Today my best friend saved my life. “After I hurt you ,you wrote in the sand, and now you wrote on the stone.Why?”asked Jack.“When someone hurts us,we should write it down in the sand so that the wind of forgiveness (寬恕) can blow it away.But when someone does anything good for us,we must write it down on the stone,so no wind can blow it away.” Since then ,the two friends have never fought with each other again.

Hatred(仇恨) can bring you nothing but unhappiness .If you don’t forgive others,you are making trouble for yourself.Keep a peaceful heart all the time and remember to be always thankful to those who ahve helped you!

1.What’s the matter with James in the oasis?

A. He wanted to make his friend have trouble ,too.

B. He wanted some water and fell into the mire.

C. He wanwed to know if his friend would save him when he was in trouble.

D. He wanted to have fun in the oasis.

2.Which of the statements is not TRUE according to the passage.

A. Jack didn’t hit James in the face.

B. Hatred can only bring you unhappiness.

C. The two friends went on walking after they had a fight.

D. They decided to get some water after they found an oasis.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. We should hate someone forever(永遠(yuǎn)).

B. The wind can blow everything away.     

C. Learn to forgive others and remember to be thankful to others.

D. Forgiveness can make trouble for ourselves.

 

A wise man used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning.

One day, when he was walking along the shore（海岸）, he saw a young man moving like a

dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

He called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The young man stopped, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.” “I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?”

“The sun is up and the tide（潮汐）is going out. And if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish, and threw it into the sea, and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted（賦予）

with the ability to make a difference.

We must each find our starfish. And if we throw starfish wisely and well, the world will be better.

1.What was the wise man used to doing every morning?

A．Taking a walk on the shore.

B．Watching the young man dance.

C．Meeting up with the young man.

D．Helping the young man pick up starfish.

2.Why did the young man throw the starfish into the ocean?

A．To have fun.

B．To study starfish.

C．To feed some fish.

D．To save starfish.

3.What can we learn from the story?

A．Each of us should learn to protect starfish.

B．People living on the shore always try to save starfish.

C．Each of us has the ability to make an important effect on something.

D．People can come up with some good ideas when walking on the shore.

 

Tom grows the nicest vegetables and fruits, and the most beautiful flowers in his village. Plants grow in Tom’s garden all through the year.Tom cuts some flowers for his sitting-room table and eats some fruits and vegetables, but he sells most of them in the market. His vegetables, fruits and flowers are so wonderful that they sell much more quickly in the market than those of other villages.
How does Tom grow these beautiful plants? He is so lazy that he just sits under his orange tree with his radio. He listens to music all day.  
That is quite true. Tom plants things in spring, summer, autumn and winter. After that he sits with his radio. And everything grows. It is the music that does work. Tom knows more clearly that music  makes the biggest vegetables and fruits and the most beautiful flowers. Plants love music as much as people.
【小題1】Tom      most of the things in his garden.

A．sells

B．eats

C．keeps

D．gives

【小題2】Tom listens to the music in the garden because     .

A．is very popular.

B．makes him relaxed.

C．makes his plants stop growing.

D．makes his plants grow better.

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Tom doesn’t plant orange trees in his garden.

B．Tom often gives away his flowers to villagers.

C．Tom is very lazy and he does nothing every day.

D．Tom eats some of the fruits and vegetables in his garden.

【小題4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Tom’s garden is in the town.

B．Tom wants to sell his garden.

C．Plants also like listening to music.

D．Tom’s flowers are beautiful and cheap.

Born in 1949, Diana Nyad took an early interest in swimming as a sport and was a Florida State High School swimming champion（冠軍）. Like many young trainers, she had Olympic dreams, but a serious illness prevented her from competing in the Games. The disappointment didn’t stop her from going forward. Instead, she became interested in marathon swimming.

For ten years Nyad devoted herself to becoming one of the world’s best long-distance swimmers. In 1970, she swam a ten-mile marathon in Lake Ontario, setting the women’s record for the course. In 1972 she set another record by swimming 102.5 miles from an island in the Bahamas to the coast of Florida. Then she broke a third record when swimming around Manhattan Island in 1975.

Nyad attempted to swim the distance between Florida and Cuba in 1978. Though the span(跨度) of water is less than 100 miles wide, it is rough and dangerous. After battling(與---作戰(zhàn)) the water for two days, she had to give up for the sake of her own health and safety. Even so, she impressed the world with her courage and strong desire to succeed. It did not matter that her swim came up short; she believed she had touched the other shore.

When Nyad ended her career as a swimmer, she continued to try new things---travelling the world as a reporter, writing books and giving public speeches about her life. Diana Nyad works to inspire others, just as she did when she swam the waters of the world.

1.What was Nyad’s early interest?

2.When did Nyad set the record for a ten-mile marathon swimming?

3.According to the passage, how many times did Nyad join the long-distance swimming?

4.What did Nyad do after she finished swimming?

5.What can we learn from the passage?

 

Mary was an operator(接話員) 911 in Los Angeles. One Thursday morning, she was surprised to get a call from a little girl. She said, “Mom my ill, Mom my ill,’ again and again, Mary soon found the address of the call. She called the police. In a minute, the policemen and doctors arrived at the house. They broke the door open. They couldn’t believe their eyes. The little child was so young that she could not walk! She was sitting beside her mother and holding her mother’s hand. Tears were running down her face.
The doctors gave the women some medicine and soon she woke up. Later, she told people, “Everyone was surprised that my daughter could call 911. On Monday I tried to teach her how to call 911, but she couldn’t do it. ” Mary was surprised, too. “It’s the first time I have seen a two-year-old child call 911.”
【小題1】What did the girl really want to say?
A. “Mom, I’m ill.”
b. “My mom is ill.”
C. “Mom and I are ill.”
【小題2】How did the policemen feel when they got into the room?
A. Strange.            B. Normal.        C. Surprised.
【小題3】How did the policemen get into the room?'
A. By breaking the door.
b. With the girl’s help.
C. Through the window
【小題4】What does the underlined(下劃線的) word “it” mean?
A. 911.            B. Calling 911.        C. Walking.
【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?
A. The little girl was so clever that she could call 911 when she was 2.          
B. The love for her mother created the miracle(奇跡).        
C. The mother knew she had to teach the little girl how to call 911.

DIY, which means Do It Yourself, is quite popular in UK. Lots of stores and supermarkets sell DIY things. TV proprammes show people how to DIY.

English people like DIY. There is a saying in UK – “An Englishman’s home is his castle”. Huge numbers of people spend their holidays making their homes beautiful “castles”. If there is anything that needs fixing around their houses, such as painting the walls or putting in a new shower, they will do the jobs themselves. They share DIY experiences with their friends. More and more people have discovered the joy of DIY. Sometimes people also DIY for saving money. With the economic downturn at present, many people can not afford to buy a bigger house. They are looking at how they can make their house better without spending a lot of money. It is not surprising that DIY is so popular.

  DIY can be difficult. There is a huge market for DIY furniture which people need to put together themselves with a few basic tools. However, people often find it not easy to build a piece of furniture because they can’t understand the instructions. Sometimes the instructions are simple and clear, but the furniture itself is difficult to build. One thing is for sure, though most DIY projects are started with the best intentions, many of them may not get finished. DIY can also be dangerous. For example, anything electrical should be done by a professional worker. Unluckily, many people don’t care about this warning and put themselves in danger. It is reported that in just one year over 230,000 people were hurt while doing DIY in UK, including 41,000 who fell off ladders.

  Therefore, DIY can bring us fun and help us save money, but it is not always as easy as it is thought to be if we bite off more than we can chew. Maybe factories should make products that are easier and safer for us to DIY.

1.How do many English people spend their holidays according to the passage?

A.     Making their homes beautiful.   B. Visiting their friends.

B.     Travelling all over the world.   D. Making a lot of money.

2. Why do English people like DIY?

A.     Many stores sell DIY things.   B. DIY can bring them fun.

C. TV programmes teach them to DIY   D. All DIY projects are easy.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A.     DIY is a waste of money.   B. It is always difficult to DIY.

B.     We should be careful while doing DIY.   D. It’s very safe for us to DIY

4.In the passage, “we bite off more than we can chew” probably means ___________.

A. we can eat everything we like   B. we should do something difficult

C. we do something that is too difficult   D. we eat too much food that is not safe