TEN-YEAR-OLD Barack Obama was one of the only three black students at his school in Hawaii，US．He felt very different from most other students．White girls wanted to touch his hair．A white boy asked him whether his father ate people．

“I lied（說謊）to them thin my father was a Kenyan prince（王子）．But I kept asking myself who I am，” said Obama．

However，37 years later，the boy made history．Last Wednesday Obama became the first black president in US history．

Obama was born in 1961．to an African father and a white American woman from a small town in the US．He grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii．This unusual background made him wonder who he was．He once turned to wines to help forget this question．

With the help of his friends，Obama finally turned his life around at college．His hard work made him a star at Harvard．Later，he became only the third black senator（參議員）in US history．During his race to the highest post in the US．Obama talked about his background．He called for a United States of America，rather than a white America or a black America．

“Obama's success has made Martin Luther King’s dream come true．That is：A man should not be judged（判斷）by the color of his skin（皮膚），but by the content of his character，” wrote ABC news．

1．Where can we find this passage?

A．In a newspaper．    B．In a novel．      C．In a history book．     D．In a poster．

2．Why did Obama feel different from most other students at school?

A．Because white girls always touched his hair．

B．Because his father looked terrible．

C．Because there were few black students like him in the school．

D．Because his parents were both Africans．

3．we can infer（推斷）from the passage that ________．

A．Martin Luther King fought for his dream and he succeeded．

B．Obama has the same dream as Martin Luther King．

C．Obama was once bothered（困擾）by the question where he was born．

D．Obama became the president at the age of 37．

4．In Obama's opinion，what would “a United States of America” be like?

A．It would be a country made up of fifty states．

B．It would be ruled by the black people．

C．It would be ruled by the white people．

D．It would be a country of all Americans．

5．What is the best title of this passage?

A．A Man who Changed American History．    B．Kenyan Prince．

C．A Top Student of Harvard．                        D．Who Am I?

Every day in China, about 200 million children go to school. Many of them take school buses. What should we do to keep these students safe on the road?
On April 5, 2012，the State Council(國(guó)務(wù)院) published new rules about school bus safety. These new rules are stricter than the old ones.
Under the new rules, local governments must make sure that students go to nearby school or boarding schools to reduce traffic risks . Also, local governments must help kids in the countryside reach their school buses.
From now on, school buses have a speed limit of 80 km/h on highways and 60 km/h on normal roads. While on the road, other cars must let school buses go first.
The new rules also say that school buses must never be overloaded (超載的).
There are many other rules as well. A school bus must have more than seven seats. On each bus, there must be at least one adult to keep an eye on the kids. Each school bus must have a fire extinguisher (滅火器), a first aid kit (急救箱) and a GPS.
A series of school bus accidents happened in China in 2011. To stop such accidents, the Central Government decided to strengthen (加強(qiáng)) the rules for school buses.
The most serious accident happened in Gansu in November,2011. When a nine-seat minibus crashed. There were more than 60 children inside, and 21 of them died.
I hope such terrible things won’t happen again and all of us can pay more attention to the safety of the students.
【小題1】What did the State Council publish on April 5, 2012?

A．New rules about school bus safety.

B．New rules about student safety.

C．New rules about student home.

D．New rules about class.

【小題2】According to the passage, the government made new rules because       .

A．21 students died in school bus accidents in 2011

B．School buses in China were not safe enough before

C．200 million children in China go to school by bus every day

D．the government encourages all students to take school buses

【小題3】What does the underlined “”word mean?

A．國(guó)外的

B．國(guó)內(nèi)的

C．寄宿的

D．較遠(yuǎn)的

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

A．The most serious accident happened in 2011 in Gansu.

B．A school bus must have more than seven seats.

C．Local governments must help kids.

D．Safety first on the school bus.

Do you know why you sleep? You may think it’s because you’re tired. Or perhaps you’ve been told sleep is good for you. Yet no one knows exactly why or how people sleep.
Until the early 1950s, most scientists thought the body and brain rested during sleep. Then a scientist watched people sleep. He noticed that during periods of between 5 and 30 minutes each, sleepers’ eyes made rapid movements, as if they were watching something. He called these periods REM sleep, for Rapid Eye Movement. Periods when sleepers’ eyes did not move he called non-REM sleep.
Whenever the scientist woke people during REM sleep, they were having vivid dreams. Measurements showed that sleepers’ pulses（脈搏）went up quickly during REM sleep. Their breathing, heartbeat, and the blood going to the brain also increased. Far from being a time of rest, REM sleep is a time when the body is hard at work. Scientists still don’t know the reason for this. Some believe REM sleep makes learning easier. Babies spend a lot of time in REM sleep. Because of this, some scientists believe that REM sleep helps the brain grow. Others think REM sleep is a time for the brain to empty the day’s garbage.
One thing all the scientists agree on is that sleep is necessary. Without enough sleep, people make mistakes. Most major car accidents happen during the early morning hours, when people are sleepiest.
【小題1】During REM sleep, a person’s breathing and heartbeat ________.

A．stop

B．increase

C．decrease

D．stay the same

【小題2】Which word in paragraph（段落）3 means “colorful and lively”?

A．easier

B．empty

C．vivid

D．quickly

【小題3】Which paragraph tells what happens when people don’t get enough sleep?

A．1

B．2

C．3

D．4

【小題4】What is the main idea of the article?

A．REM sleep helps the brain grow.

B．REM sleep has been watched and recorded by scientists.

C．REM sleep is a time to empty the day’s garbage.

D．REM sleep is an active time when the body is hard at work.

【小題5】You can decide from the article that REM sleep ________.

A．has a restful effect on people

B．can be avoided with lots of sleep

C．is something that all people experience

D．is something that all scientists agree on

Nora, a 17-year-old American, notices that when she has to do a paper for school and researches it on the Internet, she rarely reads a whole page and does deep reading. “I’ll read the beginning of a paragraph and then I'll skip(跳過) the rest,” she says.

   While Nora's mother, Martha, loves sitting down with a good book and reading carefully, her daughter may be the wave of the future.

  “Deep reading”, or slow reading, is a process in which people think carefully while they read. With most, that means slowing down --- even stopping and rereading a page or paragraph to really understand what the author is trying to say.

   Last summer, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said he was concerned about what he sees as a decline（衰退）in slow reading. Instant messages and 140-character tweets（微博）appear to be reducing out ability to concentrate on a single idea or theme of a book, he told Foreign Policy Magazine.

   It's easy to forget the benefits of deep reading in an age when anything worth doing is done fast. Experts warn that without deep reading, it is impossible to be an educated person of the world, a knowledgeable voter or even an imaginative thinker.

  “If you want to have a deep relationship with a text and understand a complex idea, then slow reading is a preferred style. It is good for pleasure, too. It is not a rushed experience and you can lose yourself in a text,” said Canadian writer John Miedema, the author of the book Slow Reading.

  US' Ohlone College English professor Cynthia Lee Katona says reading is a highly social activity that builds the mind and social connections. If you read, she says, you simply know more and have more to talk about with friends, partners and people you know.

   Deep reading can also take a reader on a trip around the world even if they are sitting in a living room armchair, Katona says. Also, deep reading helps people develop thinking, writing and conversation skills.

  “If you like beautiful things, authors put words together that are really beautiful and expressive,” she says. “If you want to write well--- and there are lots of reasons to express yourself clearly --- you should read.”

1.The comparison（對(duì)比）between Nora and her mother's reading habits _______.

   A. introduces the wave of future

B. adds a lot of fun for readers

   C. explains what deep reading is

D. calls attention to deep reading

2.What leads to the decline of deep reading, according to Eric Schemidt?

   A. The fast pace of modern society.

   B. The lack of desire for knowledge

   C. The weakening ability to concentrate.

   D. The wide use of instant messages and tweets.

3.What does the underlined word “it ” refer to in paragraph 6?

   A. A deep relationship.              B. A complex idea.

   C. Slow reading.                   D. A preferred style.

4.According to the article, Cynthia Lee Katona's opinion of deep reading is that _______.

   A. it makes sure you a better paid job

B. it makes you a better writer

   C. it is better than travelling

D. it helps build better family relationship

5.What is the main point of the article?

   A. The importance of deep reading.

B. How to improve reading skills.

   C. The benefits of different reading styles.

D. The secrets of a knowledgeable person

 

Students these days often have a lot of worries. Sometimes they have problems with their schoolwork, and sometimes with their friends.      Some people think the worst thing is to do nothing. Laura Mills, a teenager from Washington, agrees. “Problems and worries are normal in life,” says Laura. “But I think talking to someone helps a lot. If we don’t talk to someone, we’ll certainly feel worse.”
Laura once lost her purse, and worried for days. She was afraid to tell her parents shout it. She even walked three miles to school each day because she didn’t have any money. She just kept thinking. “If I tell my parents, they’ll be angry!” But in the end, she talked to her parents and they were really understanding. Her dad said he sometimes made careless mistakes himself. They got her a new purse and asked her to be more careful. “I will always remember to share my problems in the future!” Laura says.
Robert Hunt advises students about common problems. He feels the same way as Laura. “It is best not to avoid our problems. We should always try to solve (解決) them.” He thinks that you can first find someone to talk to. This person doesn’t need to be an expert (專家) like himself. Students often forget that their parents have more experience than them, and are always there to help them.
In English, we say that sharing a problem is like cutting it in half. So you’re halfway to solving a problem if you talk to someone about it!
【小題1】Which of the following can be put in the blank in Paragraph One?

A．What can they do about this?

B．Where do the problems come from?

C．When did they have these problems?

D．Why do they have so many problems?

【小題2】In Paragraph 2, the writer used the story of Laura to ______.

A．a(chǎn)nswer a question	B．give an example
C．introduce his friend	D．share his experience

【小題3】According to the passage Robert Hunt might be ______.

A．Laura’s teacher	B．the writer of the passage
C．a(chǎn) person with a problem	D．a(chǎn)n expert on students’problems

【小題4】What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Few children are careful with their money.

B．Parents are more experienced than children

C．Talking to someone helps to solve problems.

D．Students often have a lot of worries at school

Millions of people around the world cook their food on fire every day. People must spend lots of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier and cheaper way to cook food using energy from the sun.

Sun-cookers have been used for centuries. A Swiss scientist made the first sun-cooker in 1777. Today, people are using sun-cookers in many countries around the world. People use them to cook food and to heat drinking water.

There are three kinds of sun-cookers. The first is a box cooker. It is designed with a special wall that collects sun-shine into the box. A box cooker is good for slow cooking of a lot of food.

The second kind of sun-cooker is a panel cooker. It has several flat walls that concentrate the sun-shine on the food. People can build panel cookers quickly. They do not cost much. In Kenya, for example, panel cookers cost just two dollars.

The third kind of sun-cooker is a parabolic cooker. It has rounded walls that concentrate sunlight into the bottom of the cooker. Food cooks quickly in parabolic cookers. However, these cookers are hard to make. They must be moved again and again to follow the sun. Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly.

You can make sun-cookers from boxes or heavy paper. They will not catch fire. Paper burns at 232℃. A sun-cooker never gets hotter than that. Sun-cookers cook food at low temperatures over long periods of time. This allows people to cook food and do other things at the same time.

1.What does the underlined word fuel mean?

A．燃料             B．菜譜             C．調(diào)料             D．糧食

2.If you want to cook food quickly, which kind of sun-cooker is your best choice?

A．a(chǎn) box cooker                           B．a(chǎn) panel cooker

C．a(chǎn) parabolic cooker                      D．fire cooker

3.Which kind of sun-cooker costs very little?

A．a(chǎn) box cooker                           B．a(chǎn) panel cooker

C．a(chǎn) parabolic cooker                      D．fire cooker

4.Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The first sun-cooker was made by a Swiss soldier.

B．Sun-cookers often get hotter than 232℃.

C．Parabolic cookers can be dangerous sometimes.

D．It is more expensive to cook with a sun-cooker than on fire.

5.What is the best title of this passage?

A．How to Be a Good Cook?                  B．Cooking Meals With the Sun

C．How to Save Energy?                     D．Different Ways of Cooking

 

The early history of the city of Rome involves Romulus and Remus，two orphan boys who，legend says，were raised by a she-wolf．The boys' mother had been murdered by an evil king and the two babies tossed into the river Tiber．When the wolf found them they had washed up on the shore．She perhaps took pity on the crying of the babies and，gently picking them up in her teeth，she carried them back to her cave and fed them on her milk．The boys grew bigger and stronger and，eventually，were found by a herdsman who took them home．He and his wife raised the boys like their own children．When they reached manhood they sought revenge on the king who had killed their mother and driven them from their home．
They decided to build a city．Unfortunately，they argued over the appropriate site and Romulus killed his brother Remus．Romulus ruled this city — called Roma — for thirty-seven years．
The city of Rome is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world．If you travel there you can see a statue of the two baby boys feeding from their mother - the wolf．
【小題1】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Wolves like to take care of human children．

B．The city of Rome had many wolves in the old days．

C．The city of Rome was founded by a wolf．

D．Romulus established the city of Rome．

【小題2】What is a herdsman?

A．someone who builds cities

B．someone who cares for children

C．someone who cares for domestic animals

D．someone who can hear very well

【小題3】"．．．they sought revenge on the king who had killed their mother．．．" means．．．

A．They attacked the king who had harmed their mother and made them orphans．

B．They went to court to sue the king for his crime against their mother．

C．They hired some gangsters to take care of their problem with the king．

D．They went to talk to the king about his crime against their mother．

【小題4】Which is true according to the passage?

A．It was the king who made Romulus and Remus orphans．

B．The boys didn’t grow well for lack of food．

C．The herdsman killed the wolf and took Romulus and Remus home．

D．The herdsman treated the boys well and told them to kill the king．

【小題5】We can infer from the passage that ____．

A．Romulus was cruel and became a bad ruler．

B．Animals can be as smart as humans．

C．Love is more powerful than revenge．

D．People of Rome want to pass on the story of the wolf boys．

Trudy’s class has a newspaper. The students write stories, articles and poems for it. Then one of them types their work into a computer and prints it out. The teacher puts up everything on the wall so that it looks like a large, open newspaper.
One day Trudy said to the teacher, “most newspapers have advertisements. Can we have our advertisements?
The teacher thought this was a good idea. She made Trudy the advertising manager and Trudy asked the other students to advertise in the newspaper. Here are some of the advertisements she received.

SONY WALKMAN FOR SALE: In good condition. Complete with earphones. Best offer. See Miriam.

GOOD HOME WANTED: Six lovely Persian kittens(貓崽) need good homes. They are the lovely things you’ve ever seen. Free to the right person. See John.

WORK WANTED: Strong boy is willing to work in a garden or do some housework. 3 hours a week. Not expensive. See Tom.

PC WANTED: In good condition. It must be at least Pentium IV(奔騰四代). See Alan.

CONCERT  TICKETS: Has anyone got a spare ticket for the Raiders’ concert next week? I’m eager and will pay well for a good ticket. See Sheila.

LOST: a silver ring with a blue stone in it. Reward. See Patricia.

FOUND: A silver ring with a stone in it. Reward. See Agnes.

【小題1】What is Tom willing to do?

A．Other people’s homework.	B．Gardening or housework.
C．Sell six Persian kittens.	D．Fix broken PCs.

【小題2】What does Alan want to buy?

A．A lovely Persian kitten.	B．A ticket to Raiders’ concert.
C．A PC in good condition	D．A silver ring.

【小題3】why will Sheila pay well for a Raiders’ concert ticket?

A．Because she is thinking about going to the concert.

B．Because she has a strong wish to go to the concert.

C．Because her friends are going to the concert.

D．Because she does well in music.

【小題4】Who will Patricia see to get her lost ring?

A．Miriam

B．Tom

C．Sheila

D．Agnes

【小題5】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The students in Trudy’s class wrote advertisements for their newspaper.

B．Trudy’s class has a newspaper.

C．Trudy wrote some advertisements for the class newspaper.

D．The teacher wrote some advertisements for the class newspaper.

The label（標(biāo)簽）, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing common in shopping centers all over the world.

In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer（零售商）, have a wide selection of products mostly produced in China. The large amount of Chinese imports have created a large selection of goods in other countries as people begin to buy more and more products made in China. These goods are even widely available in other Asian nations, where Chinese-made goods are quite popular. Chinese brand names are also becoming more well-known outside China.

When Chinese Americans visit family and friends in their homeland, gifts from the U.S. are a must. But TVs and fashionable clothes aren't rare any more, and anything 'Made in China' shouldn’t be considered in any case.

"When I decide to visit my family members in China, I will have a big headache. What should I buy for them? They may not all speak English, but everyone in China knows those three words," a Chinese American said. "When they see the label 'Made in China,' they will think, 'Why do you send me this?' "

The development of China has surprised the world with its growth. As a result, the other countries are beginning to try to reduce Chinese goods with the use of taxes（稅）and import restrictions. However, the development on the Chinese economy still affects the world in many ways.

1.Around the world, the products made in China are ________ in the shopping malls.

A．unwelcome        B．expensive         C．popular           D．rare

2.What is the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “brand” in the second paragraph?

A．品牌             B．明星             C．生產(chǎn)地           D．樹枝

3.Why do Chinese Americans usually have a headache if they come back to China?

A．Because their Chinese friends can not speak English.

B．Because their friends will be unhappy if the gifts are made in China.

C．Because they should give their friends rare gifts.

D．Because they should give their friends fashionable gifts.

4.How do other countries try to reduce the Chinese goods in their own countries?

A．By developing the qualities of their own products.

B．By telling their shoppers not to buy Chinese goods.

C．By importing more Chinese goods.

D．By using taxes and import restrictions.

5.From the passage, we can know that________.

A．products made in China are more and more popular all over the world

B．TVs and fashionable clothes are ideal gifts for Chinese people

C．everyone in China can speak English

D．the other governments don’t welcome any Chinese goods

 

Doctors Without Borders (國(guó)界)
Chris is not a traditional explorer— he usually works in an office for a large organization. However, Chris' job can be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.
Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Borders. Since 1971, MSF has sent trained doctors all over the world to help people who have suffered from disasters (遭受災(zāi)難), such as wars and illnesses. Chris is a doctor from France who has traveled to many places to organize programs that help people.
At the moment,  over 27,000 trained doctors have taken part in MSF projects. The organization received the Nobel Peace _ Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be ready to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should face difficulties. Most of MSF's work is in Africa. When MSF chooses a doctor for a task, they have to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency(緊急的) task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.
But why would doctors leave a comfortable life and a good pay to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience they have is a great help in their life. What's more, just like the explorers of the past, they need to keep an open mind and learn to get on well with the people they meet One thing that they can say at the end of any task is that they have made a real difference to people's lives.
【小題1】What may MSF's work be like?

A．Tiring and boring.	B．Exciting and dangerous.
C．Relaxing and colorful.	D．Peaceful and comfortable.

【小題2】As a volunteer doctor for MSF, he or she should_.

A．have worked in Africa for six months

B．have been sent on an emergency task

C．be ready to work for a task for at least half a year

D．have suffered from wars, illnesses or other disasters

【小題3】Why would doctors like to join MSF?

A．Because they can get a good pay.

B．Because they can have a comfortable life.

C．Because they can help others and get experience.

D．Because they can travel abroad with their families.

【小題4】What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chris is a doctor who has organized programs to help people.
B. MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping poor countries.
C. Volunteer doctors make a real difference to their own lives in MSF.
D MSF offers medical help to people who have suffered from disasters.

.Chris is not a traditional explorer(探險(xiǎn)家)—he usually works in an office for a large organization. However, Chris’ job can be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.
Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Border(國(guó)界). Since 1971, MFS has sent trained doctors all over the world to help people who have suffered from disasters, such as wars and illnesses. Chris is a doctor from France who has traveled to many places to organize programs that help people.
At the moment, over 27,000 trained doctors have taken part in MSF projects. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be ready to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should face difficulties. Most of MSF’s work is in Africa. When MSF chooses a doctor for a task, they have to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency(緊急的) task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.
But why would doctors leave a comfortable life and a good pay to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience they have is a great help in their life. What’s more, just like the explorers of the past, they need to keep an open mind and learn to get on well with the people they meet. One thing that they can say at the end of any task is that they have made a real difference to people’s lives.
【小題1】What may MSF’s work be like?

A．Tiring and boring	B．Exciting and dangerous
C．Relaxing and colorful	D．Peaceful and comfortable

【小題2】As a volunteer doctor for MSF, he or she should ________.

A．have worked in Africa for six months

B．have been sent on an emergency task

C．be ready to work for a task for at least half a year

D．have suffered from wars, illnesses or other disasters

【小題3】             Why would doctors like to join MSF?

A．Because they can get a good pay.

B．Because they can have a comfortable life.

C．Because they can help others and get experience.

D．Because they can travel abroad with their families.

【小題4】 What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Chris is a doctor who has organized programs to help people.

B．MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping poor countries.

C．Volunteer doctors make a real difference to their own lives in MSF.

D．MSF offers medical help to people who have suffered from disasters.