The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings―these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts（工艺）practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary（独自的）craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.Which of the following remains a special feature of the English countryside?
| A．Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. | B．Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. |
| C．Cottages with thatched roofs. | D．Churches with cottages around them. |
What do we know about thatching as a craft?
| A．It is a collective activity. |
| B．It is practised on farms all over England. |
| C．It is quite different from what it used to be. |
| D．It is in most cases handed down among family members. |
Thatched houses are still preferred because of _________.
| A．their style and comfort | B．their durability |
| C．their easy maintenance | D．their cheap and ready-made materials |
People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.
| A．thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction |
| B．thatched roof houses are the cheapest |
| C．thatch is an effective defense against the heat |
| D．they like thatched houses better than other buildings |
If you don’t want people to know too much about you, then you had better keep your fridge contents secret according to a British market research document released Finally, a fridge filled with nothing more than a bottle of white wine and some sparkling mineral water implies an owner who is single, lives in a big city and enjoys the finer things in life．The fridge is empty because this person regularly eats in restaurants．
We can know from the first two paragraphs that _________________．
| A．some researchers are fond of staring at other people’s fridges |
| B．people don’t want others to know about their secrets |
| C．the food you put in the fridge has something to do with your personality |
| D．there are mainly five kinds of lifestyles among British people |
According to the passage, people who belong to “food faddies” ____________．
| A．don’t care much about money when buying things |
| B．will try their best to stay healthy |
| C．often stay up late to finish their job |
| D．prefer to ask others about what to do next |
What will those who often dine out put in the fridge?
| A．All kinds of food they like． | B．Food rich in vitamins． |
| C．Fruit, vegetables and meat． | D．Only something to drink |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．Keep your fridge a secret | B．You are what’s in your fridge |
| C．What to put in the fridge? | D．Be careful about your fridge |
A new generation addiction is quickly spreading all over the world. Weboholism, a twentieth century disease, affects people from different ages. They surf the net, use e-mail and speak in chat rooms. They spend many hours on the computer, and it becomes a compulsive habit. They cannot stop, and it affects their lives. 
Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. This obsessional behavior has affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log on computers and spend long hours at different websites.
They become addicted to computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don’t concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades and success at school. Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.
They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.
Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from the society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect all the world. The author’s attitude towards weboholism is that of being______.
| A．optimistic | B．positive |
| C．oppositive | D．acceptable |
The main idea of the passage is about__________.
| A．the cause of weboholism | B．the advantage of weboholism |
| C．the popularity of weboholism | D．the influence of weboholism |
The underlined word “obsessional” in the second paragraph most probably means “________”.
| A．attractive | B．professional |
| C．addictive | D．potential |
We can infer from the passage that_______.
| A．weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers |
| B．virtual life is more vivid and attractive anyway |
| C．people are addicted to games on the Internet |
| D．students can hardly balance real and virtual life |
Tired? Bored? Hungry? And more miles left to go?
Help pass the time on your trip：play a game！
Everyone knows that a long bus ride can make even the most exciting field trip seem boring. When the bus is traveling a long distance to reach the cool field trip destination，it can seem like forever. What about when you are in the backseat waiting to reach Grandma’s house? The road stretches like a rubber band for miles and miles. Here’s a way to beat the road at its own game. Use what you have around you to play games with your family and friends. You can have fun while you travel！
| Materials="nothing" but time & imagination |
|
| Make Them LOOK License Plate Games 1) ABC Version: Try to find license pl  ates that begin with each letter of the alphabet. You can work together or competitively. Set a time limit for best results.2) State Version Try to find a license plate from every state. Work as a team. Use paper to keep track of which ones you have seen if you can, because 50 states can be hard to keep track of ! * Note: Feel free to add or change rules. For example, Alaska and Hawaii plates are not necessary because those states might be too far away. You want the game to be fun, not annoying! |
Make Them LAUGH Straight Face One person is “it”. They have to answer any question with a silly phrase. You decide what this phrase is before beginning. A common first phrase is “The cat’s tail.” Then you each ask this person a question, like “What is the most important thing to take to school tomorrow?” Each person must ask a question until the person who is “it” breaks down and laughs or smiles. Then you pi  ck another phrase. Some suggested phrases:＊My horse’s hat ＊The bird’s boots ＊The donkey’s teeth ＊Sour lemons |
When you play “ Make Them LOOK！”，you need to_______
| A．prepare a piece of paper with the alphabet on it |
| B．focus on the license plates of the running cars |
| C．know the traffic rules in Alaska and Hawaii |
| D．remember the alphabet you’ve seen |
If a question in “ Straight Face” is successful, the person “it” will feel______
| A．funny | B．happy | C．confused | D．hopeful |
Who is the passage written for?
| A．Drivers going to other states. | B．Businessmen travelling often. |
| C．Students taking long trips. | D．People learning to be humorous. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to ______.
| A．teach something about how the license plates are arranged |
| B．learn how to use some phrases like “The cat’s tail” |
| C．tell the readers how to kill time during trips |
| D．amuse the readers |
This is the place for you to come to share stories with other real kids who are trying hard to improve their bodies and minds! Did you score a goal in your soccer game? Have you got rid of a bad habit? Are you working to reduce your stress in life? Tell the world what makes your body and mind healthy!
Posted by Dp, Ohio
I have been working
on a fitness equipment to exercise for over four months. I have completed my goal of l
osing weight and I am very proud
of myself. That is so cool!
Posted by MK, Missouri
I was always tired at school, because I used to stay up late watching TV. I even fell asleep one day in my history class, and when I woke up, the teacher was looking at me and laughing! I decided that minute to start going to bed on time. It’s kind of a drag missing the shows I like, but I can tell my body loves it – I feel so much better!
Posted by SP, Georgia
Last year, I didn’t make the soccer team at school. I didn’t want to try out again this year, but a few weeks before tryouts(选拔赛), I started kicking the ball around and practicing. When tryout day came, I decided to give it another shot. Guess what? I made the team!
Posted by JS, New York
If English m
eans endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter（大脑灰质）. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles（肌肉）.
The study also found the younger people learn a second language，the greater the effect is.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density（密度）in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” it means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible(灵活的)”, he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of dif
ferent ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned Englis
h as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．language learning can help brain power |
| D．language learning and maths study |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means ______.
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a second language learner |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
We may know from the scientific findings that ______.
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ______.
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
| C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
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