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 that they should be admired（钦佩）for their hard work.
But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity（逆境）is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, we cannot give up when we are sad. We have to realize that if a tunnel is gone, we must build another.
Giving up, I say, is not a good choice. What did the writer’s family do for him when he was seven?
| A．They built a farm of ants. | B．They bought a few ants. |
| C．They caught a lot of ants. | D．They found an ant city. |
Which statement is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．The writer knocked the glass box over because he put his face so close to the glass farm. |
| B．The ants didn’t die one by one after the tunnels were destroyed. |
| C．Like people, teamwork is very important for the ants. |
| D．Giving up isn’t a good way when we meet trouble. |
Among the following events, which one happened first?
| 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. |
What did the writer learn from the ant tragedy a few years later?
| A．Working together is useless. | B．Teamwork is important. |
| C．He can’t accept adversity. | D．Working alone is amazing. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Ants Fear Adversity | B．My Family and Ants |
| C．Giving Up in Adversity | D．Don’t give up anytime |
Travel in Europe
France
France is a great place for all the people in the world to travel. The Eiffel Tower(埃菲尔铁塔), which is 320 meters high, is the symbol of Paris. It was built in 1889. The Triumphal Arch(凯旋门) was finished in 1836. It’s a world famous building, too. Besides, you can also enjoy the colorful streets, the beautiful river Seine, the glorious palaces, the romantic people, and the old history.
Spain (西班牙)
When traveling in Spain, you shouldn’t miss Madrid(马德里), the capital of Spain. It has many fantastic travel sights including Royal Palace of Madrid.（马德里皇宫） Royal Palace of Madrid is the third largest palace in Europe. You can’t imagine how beautiful it is until you take a trip there. If you happen to be in Madrid in the bullfighting(斗牛) season, you can try watching it, because bullfighting(斗牛) plays a crucial role in Spanish culture!
Switzerland （瑞士）
As we all know Switzerland is the land of watches. Whatever you do, don’t miss watching its clock and watch museum. And you can find it in Geneva, the capital of Switzerland. If you like skiing（滑雪）, Switzerland has the world's best Ski resorts, Mount Titlis(铁力士雪山).It’s known as the Ski paradise(天堂) all over the world. Where can you enjoy the beautiful river Seine?
| A．In France | B．In Spain | C．In Britain | D．In Switzerland |
If you are crazy about skiing, which travel spotlight might you go to?
| A．The Eiffel Tower. | B．Royal Palace of Madrid |
| C．The Triumphal Arch | D．Mount Titlis |
The three passages above may be from____________.
| A．story books | B．travel magazines |
| C．science books | D．newspapers |
What is the first thing you want to do when you see someone yawn（打哈欠）？You want to yawn, too! Yawning is contagious.
Scientists have found that all people yawn. Babies start to yawn even before they are born. The earliest yawn takes place when a baby is still inside its mother. When young children are about one year old, they start to yawn when they see others yawning. That’s why scientists seem to think yawning is contagious.
It’s no secret that yawning is contagious, but why do we yawn? Well, scientists are not really sure.
Some think we yawn because we feel bored. Recently scientists studied two groups of students between the ages of 17 and 19. One group watched music videos, and the other watched a boring color test. Scientists compared the numbers of their yawns and found that the color test group yawned more times than the video group.
Another reason for yawning has to do with breathing. Some scientists believe that when we are bored or tired, we breathe more slowly. As our breathing slows down, we cannot get rid of （去除）enough carbon dioxide, our bodies will tell the brains（大脑）to breathe deeply. The result is a big yawn.
In 2007, scientists suggested a new reason. They said that the reason why people yawned was to cool down their brains. These scientists found that people who were warmer than others yawned more often.
Scientists are still trying to find out why yawning happens and why it is so contagious. But they are only sure that when one person yawns, almost everyone else nearby wants to yawn, too.The underlined word “contagious” in Paragraph 1 means _________.
| A．helpful to our health |
| B．passing from one person to another |
| C．hard to understand |
| D．getting into one trouble after another |
According to the scientists, people start to yawn when they are _______.
| A．born | B．one year old | C．17 or 19 years old | D．inside their mothers |
Which of the following are the possible reasons for yawning according to the passage?
①People yawn because they are bored
②People yawn to catch others’ attention
③People yawn to cool down their brains
④People yawn to get rid of carbon dioxide.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．①③④ |
We can probably read this passage in a ____________
| A．storybook | B．travel guidebook | C．movie poster | D．science magazine |
Try reading the following sentences as fast as you can. “ She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells in the seashore, I’m sure she sells seashore shells.”
Not very easy, was it? What you’ve just read is called a tongue twister（绕口令）. It is an exercise made up of sounds that are hard to pronounce in order to help people pronounce words faster and more correctly. Try the next example.
“Peter Piper picked a peck of picked peppers, Did Peter Piper pick a peck of picked peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of picked peppers, where’s the peck of picked peppers Peter picked?”
Tongue twisters usually do not have much meaning. They are just designed to improve people’s ability（能力）to pronounce words. Although they may be very difficult, these exercises are very important to people who are trying to speak English correctly. This is because tongue twisters help people to tell the differences between similar sounds.
So if you wish to pronounce words more smoothly, you’d better try picking out some tongue twisters and practicing them.Tongue twisters are helpful in improving ________ skills.
| A．listening | B．writing | C．pronunciation | D．communication |
The first tongue twister is hard because _________.
| A．it is very boring to read |
| B．it teaches us a lot of knowledge |
| C．we don’t know who “she” is |
| D．the sounds of “s” and “sh” are similar |
What does the “ability” mean in Paragraph 4?
| A．Pronouncing words faster and more correctly. |
| B．Pronouncing words faster |
| C．Knowing the meaning of words. |
| D．Picking out tongue twisters smoothly. |
Last week, 169 Junior One students at No. 35 Middle School of Shenyang took their first no teacher exam. After the teacher handed out the exam papers, he left the room and never came back. A student collected in the papers when the exam was over.
“That test was not only a test of knowledge, but also a test of morality（道德）. We wanted to show the students how important honesty（诚实）is,” said the school’s headmaster. Next year, it wants 80% of its exams to be without teachers. But students have different ideas.
“I was happy and excited during the exam because my teachers trusted（信任）me,” said a 15-year –old girl in Class 11.
“Schools must trust students a lot and do not use invigilators（监考人）in exams. But I think it is too early. Some students will cheat（作弊）if there are no invigilators. And the students will not be able to ask for help when they need,” said another student.
“I don’t like having invigilators in exams. When they walk around the classroom, they make me nervous. I would get higher marks without them in the room because I would feel more relaxed,” a third student said.
“I think it’s very important to have invigilators in exams. Many students want to check their answers with each other after they have finished papers. And invigilators can also keep the classroom in order when something unusual happens. They may make me nervous, but I still think we need them,” a girl student said.
No-teacher exams may be a good idea. But before using them, schools must tell students the importance of honesty and try to find ways to solve something unusual in exams.Why did No. 35 Middle School of Shenyang hold a no – teacher exam?
| A．Because the teachers were too busy with their work. |
| B．Because it wanted to show the students the importance of honesty. |
| C．Because the students didn’t need their teachers to invigilate. |
| D．Because the headmaster wanted to know who cheats in exams. |
How many students don’t agree to no-teacher-exams mentioned in this passage?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
What does the underlined word “them” in the last paragraph refer to（指代）？
| A．Students | B．Teachers | C．Invigilators | D．No-teacher exams |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．More students will cheat if there are no invigilators in exams. |
| B．No-teachers exams can make students honest and get good grades. |
| C．Most students are worried about having no invigilators in class exams. |
| D．Some students may feel relaxed if there are no invigilators in exams. |
Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activities, and has a healthy weight. If you’re fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like running around with your friends.
Some steps only parents can take – such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. Here are three rules you can follow, if you’re a kid who wants to be fit.
1. Eat a variety of Foods
You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. Taste new foods and old ones you haven’t tried for a while. Some foods, such as green vegetables, are more pleasing than the older you get. Take at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day – two fruits and three vegetables.
2. Drink Water & Milk
When you’re really thirsty, you can drink cold water. It’s also enough to drink 2 or 3 cups of milk a day.
3. Listen to Your Body
When you’re eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don’t notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and can make you put on weight.Who can help kids stay healthy in daily life?
| A．Teachers | B．Parents. | C．Children | D．Cooks. |
What does the underlined phrase（短语） “a variety of” mean in English?
| A．a kind of | B．different kinds of | C．fresh | D．a lot of |
What kind of drinks should you take when you are really thirsty?
| A．Iced water | B．Hot water | C．Cold water | D．Warm milk |
What does the last paragraph tell us?
| A．Don’t hurt your stomach when you eat something |
| B．Eating comfortably can make you put on weight |
| C．Eating too much can make you feel comfortable. |
| D．Take care of your stomach while you are eating |
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