初中英语阅读理解

The Value of Negative Results

We all avoid failure（失败），and most of us fear it.However，without failure，progress would be impossible.What does success usually come after？Failure.It seems that one cannot exist（存在）without the other.

Accepting failure is not easy for many，though we are often unwilling accept failure because our professional fame depends on success.（1） 　 　In the past ten years，for example，some scientific magazines have published reports of failed tests.It is believed that scientists can learn more "negative（负面的）"results and that this can finally lead to positive results.

（2） 　 　The ABN AMRO bank started an Institute （机构）of Brilliant Failures to learn more about what works and what doesn't in banking.Eli Lilly and Company had failure parties to study the drugs（药物）that don't work.

In fact，one of the business world's most famous failures became one of its biggest successes，in part because the product's makers learned from their mistakes.（3） 　 　The product，though unique（独特的）at the time，was expensive and heavy；besides，some of its most important features（特点）didn't work properly.As a result，Apple's CEO，Steve Jobs，believed in the product and he began to find out ways of improving it.In time，this led to the production of the iPhone and the iPad，two of the company's most successful products.

（4） 　 　Not only should we try to learn from it if we want to succeed，we must also be persistent（执着的）.Though Apple stopped selling the Newton in 1998，the first iPhone wasn't available until 2007.It took a lot of research and hard work to go from the Apple Newton to iPhone but in the end，the effort became successful.

All in all，there is a lot we can learn by studying mistakes.Perhaps the most important lesson is that failure and success are two sides of the same coin. （5） 　 　

A.One truly cannot exist without the other.

B.We are brave enough to face difficulties.

C.In the early 1990s，Apple created a phone called the Apple Newton.

D.The business world already understands the value of negative results.

E.The Apple Newton has won popularity with people all over the world.

F.However，things are slowly changing，especially in business and science.

G.The story of the Apple Newton can teach us an important lesson about failure.

Many scientist once believed that physical similarities between identical twins are genetic（基因的），while their personalities，intelligence and other differences between them are an effect of their environment.Now scientists are discovering that the boundaries（界限）between genes and environment are not so clear.

Twins Jim Springer and Jim Lewis were adopted（领养）as babies and raised by different couples.When the Jims finally met at age 39，they discovered they had plenty in common.Both were six feet tall，180 pounds.They had the same smile and the same voice.When scientist Thomas Bouchard Jr.invited the Jim twins to his lab，people there found it very hard to tell them apart.

But the similarities didn't stop at the physical.They'd both had dogs named Toy.They had both married women named Linda and then their marriage broke up.They'd both been policemen，enjoyed music，and left love notes around the house for their wives.They had so much in common，it seemed unlikely these were just coincidences （巧合）.

The Jim twins were just one of 137 sets of separated twins.Bouchard tested.When they compared the twins' IQ scores，Bouchard and his team reached a surprising conclusion（结论）.They concluded that intelligence was mostly connected to genes rather than to training or education.It seemed the differences in family and environment had little effect.

However，genes can't control everything，argues geneticist Danielle Reed，who also studies twins.Reed's research shows that though nothing can truly change our DNA，environmental differences that a child experiences before birth and in their first year can sometimes affect the way the DNA behaves，making even identical twins into very different people. "What I like to say is that Mother Nature writes some things in pencil and some things in pen， "She explains. "Things written in pen you can't change.That's DNA.But things written in pencil you can. "

（1）How many physical similarities between the Jim twins are mentioned？ 　   

A．	2.
B．	3.
C．	4.
D．	5.

（2）What did Bouchard's study find about the twins？ 　    　

A．	Each seemed to be as tall as their twin.
B．	Each had the same hobby as their twin.
C．	Each had almost the same ability as their twin.
D．	Each had about the same IQ level as their twin.

（3）What is Reed's opinion about genes and environment？ 　 　

A．	Only DNA has an effect on our development.
B．	Environment could possibly change some things about us.
C．	There are no boundaries between genes and environment.
D．	Environmental differences can sometimes change our DNA．

（4）What is the passage mainly about？ 　    　

A．	The way the DNA behaves.
B．	The similarities between the Jim twins.
C．	The connection between intelligence and families.
D．	The effects of genes on personality and intelligence.

Eight hundred years ago，a man in southern Turkey invented an amazing clock.It was more than 7 meters high.At is base（基座）was a life﹣size model elephant.Every half hour，something amazing happened.The whole clock came alive Model birds，dragons，and people started to move.

The clock's inventor was an engineer named al﹣Jazari He lived in Turkey.Al﹣Jazari was probably one of the greatest engineers in history.Some historians call him "the father of modern﹣day engineering. "

We know about al﹣Jazari mostly from a book that he wrote._________They include clocks and hand﹣washing machines.The book also has drawings that show how each machine works.

Many everyday things today﹣from toys to car engines（发动机）--still use al﹣Jazari's ideas.Without his machines with moving parts，we might no have modern﹣day robots.

Today，it is still possible to see what al﹣Jazari's elephant cock looked like.A full﹣size working mode is in Dubai's Ibn Battuta Mal.There，every half hour，al﹣Jazari's most amazing invention comes to life once again.

How Does the Elephant Clock Work？

A bowl with a small hole floats（浮）in a water tank（水箱）inside the elephant's body.As the bowl slowly sinks（下沉），it pulls a rope that moves a human figure.His moving pen shows the number of minutes past he hour.

Every half hour，the water bowl becomes full and sinks completely. Thiscauses a ball to fall from the top of the clock.The movement of the ball causes a phoenix to move and make a sound.

The ball then drops out of a falcon's mouth into the mouth of a Chinese dragon.The weight of the ball causes the dragon's head to move down and the dragon's tail pulls the water bowl back up.

Finally，the ball drops out of the dragon's mouth and into a vase.As the ball lands in the vase，the elephant driver moves and makes a sound.The cycle begins again until there are no more ball in the top of the clock.

（1）Why is al﹣Jazari called "the father of modern﹣day engineering"？ 　 　

A．	His ideas are still widely used in machines.
B．	The elephant clock is an amazing invention.
C．	His inventions include some parts of modern robots.
D．	His book about machines is still popular with readers.

（2）Choose the best sentence to fill in the blank " 　 　"in Paragraph 3.

A．	He became famous when he was a young man.
B．	He invented a lot of everyday machines in history.
C．	It describes a number of machines fall shapes and sizes.
D．	People in Turkey enjoy reading his books in their free time.

（3）What does the underlined word "This" in Paragraph7 refer to？ 　 　

A．	The pen moves.
B．	The all drops.
C．	The bowl sinks completely.
D．	The bow pulls the rope.

（4）How does the elephant clock work？Put the steps in the correct order. 　 　

a.The ball drops into the vase.

b.The ball drops into the dragon's mouth.

c．The elephant driver moves and makes a sound.

d.After 30 minutes，a ball starts to fall from the top.

e.The bowl moves down in the water and pulls on ropes.

A．	b﹣d﹣a﹣c﹣e
B．	e﹣d﹣b﹣a﹣c
C．	a﹣e﹣b﹣d﹣c
D．	c﹣a﹣d﹣e﹣b

Today，by carefully choosing dog parents，humans have created many different kinds of dog Each kind has its own look and talents and its own role within human society.Here are three examples of "a dog's life" in the human world.

Today，many hospitals let specially trained dogs in to bring love and cheer to patients.Shaynee is a therapy（治疗）dog.She visits children who are in hospital.Dogs like Shaynee help patients feel calm and at peace which can be hard in a busy hospital.They help both children and adults stay strong during long hospital stays，and，some suggest，even help them get better.

Today some beagles（小猎犬）work in airports for the government They are part of the program called he Beagle Brigade.A beagle is good or the work because of its powerful nose，and ability to follow smells.The Beagle Brigade's job is to smell everything that comes into the country.They make officers notice illegal（非法的）fruits.vegetables，and other foods in luggage or in mail.The beagles do the job far better than any human could.

While some dogs are working hard others are free to spend their days resting and playing Across the world，many pet dogs are treated like children.Many have their own rooms and all the things a dog could want Some even have their own clothes.Many of these pets spend their days playing，learning to follow or even going to classes.Their owners give them the best，and enjoy doing so.

Whether as workers or objects of affection（钟情）dogs have become helpful to humans in many ways.There are plenty of advantages for the dog，too.Many kinds of wild dogs have nearly disappeared from the Earth.However，the domestic dog's special place as "man's best friend" has allowed it to survive （存活）in a human world.

（1）What is the main idea of Paragraph 2？ 　 　

A．	Hospitals need many special dogs.
B．	Dogs can take care of patients.
C．	Patients need love in the hospital.
D．	Doctors are too busy to see patients.

（2）What does the underlined word " domestic" in Paragraph 5 mean？ 　 　

A．	Trained.
B．	Smart.
C．	Hungry.
D．	Valuable.

（3）What's the purpose of the passage？ 　 　

A．	To ask people to treat dogs as their own children.
B．	To explain why humans need beagles in their work.
C．	To tell people about the history of dogs' development.
D．	To show a good relationship between dogs and humans.

（4）Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage？ 　 　

British adventurer（冒险家） Alastair Humphreys had ridden his bike around the world，walked cross India，and rowed （划船）from Africa to South America.In 2011，however，Humphreys had some of the biggest adventurers of his life﹣and he never even left the United Kingdom.

For a year，Humphreys went on microadventures ﹣ small，low﹣cost trips close to home.Why did he do this？ "I started to think that it was possible to have an adventure anywhere." He explains.For his first trip，he went hiking with a friend around the M25﹣a 188﹣kilometre road that goes all the way around London.Other adventures included swimming in the River Thames，sleeping outside on a hill，and going on a mountain biking trip.Humphreys learned something important from his microadventures：We find adventures when we try something new.

Humphreys wanted other people to make this discovery，too，so he decided to share his idea.He challenged people to go on microadventures and send him four﹣minute videos of their trips.He asked them to do things like climb a hill，go away for a weekend，or choose a random （任意的）place on a map and go there.People from all over the world accepted his challenge and posted their videos on Twitter.

（1）Which of the following belong to microadventures？Check and choose the right answer. 　 　

①Walk across India.

②Sleep outside on a hill.

③Go away for a weekend.

④Swim in the River Thames.

⑤Row from Africa to South America.

⑥Hike around the road around London.

A．	①③④⑤
B．	①④⑤⑥
C．	②③④⑥
D．	②③⑤⑥

（2）What can we know about Humphreys' personality according to the passage？ 　 　

A．	Brave，creative and active.
B．	Proud，humorous and kind.
C．	Careful，quiet and hard﹣working.
D．	Confident，strict and warm﹣hearted.

（3）What would be the best title for the passage？ 　 　

A．	A Big Challenge
B．	An Amazing Travel
C．	Keep a Trip Record
D．	Go for a Microadventure

ART FESTIVAL 14﹣24 August 2021
VIDEO An hourly show of videos presented by Pemberton Secondary School students.Video themes are about intellectually （智力）disabled youth and their parents. Venue：Capital Hall Dates：14﹣22 August Free admission	PERFORMANCE Alpine Youth Theater presents A Cat's Mind with cheerful songs and dance，promising to give a wonderful performance by 20 young people between 18 and 25 years of age. Venue：National Arts Theater Dates：15﹣23 August Free admission
CONCERT Eric Fawkins，two﹣time Prima Music Prizewinner，will perform an evening of classical and jazz ballads.Eric Fawkins' latest CD will also be on sale. Venue：Victory Theater Dates：22﹣24 August Tickets：available at ＄50（child）， ＄80 （adult）

（1）When will A Cat's Mind be performed？ 　 　

A．	14﹣24 August.
B．	15﹣23 August.
C．	22﹣24 August.
D．	14﹣22 August.

（2）What is the price of an adult ticket for the concert？ 　 　

A．	＄80.
B．	＄50.
C．	＄20.
D．	＄18.

（3）Which of the following is true according to the ads above？ 　 　

A．	A group of children perform A Cat's Mind.
B．	Fawkins has won Prima Music Prize once.
C．	The video show is presented by the parents.
D．	You can buy Fawkins' latest CD at the concert.

Ever wondered why your virtual（虚拟的）home helper doesn't understand your questions？Or why your navigation app took you on the side street instead of the highway？In a study published April 21st in the journal Science，Italian researchers，Arianna Pipitone and Antonio Chella，designed a robot that "thinks out loud".

To explore how inner speech might influence a robot's actions，the researchers built a robot called Pepper that speaks to itself.It has the ability to reason and think.They then asked people to set the dinner table with Pepper according to etiquette（礼仪）rules.In one experiment，the user asked Pepper to lay the napkin at the wrong place，going against the rules.Pepper started asking itself a series of self﹣directed questions and concluded that the user might be mistaken.To be sure，Pepper confirmed the user's order，which led to further inner speech.

"Ehm，this situation troubles me.I would never break the rules，but I can't make the user unhappy，so I'm doing what he wants，" Pepper said to itself，laying the napkin where it was required to be.Through Pepper's inner voice，the user can learn Pepper was facing a difficult situation and solved it by prioritizingthe user's order.

Comparing Pepper's actions with and without inner speech，Pipitone and Chella discovered the robot had a higher task﹣completion rate when having self﹣dialogue.

However，some people find the robot spends more time completing tasks when it talks to itself.The robot's inner speech is also limited to the knowledge that researchers gave it.Pepper's designers still say their work provides a framework（构架）to further explore how self﹣dialogue can help robots focus，plan，and learn. "In some ways，we are creating a generational（世代的）robot that likes to chat.From navigation apps and the camera on your phone to medical robots in the operation rooms，machines and computers alike can take advantage of this chatty feature，" says Chella.

（1）Why does the writer ask two questions at the very beginning of the passage？ 　 　

A．	To draw the reader's attention to the topic.
B．	To show the writer likes electronic products
C．	To tell the reader about the history of robots.
D．	To prove the writer often faces trouble in life.

（2）Why was Pepper asked to lay the napkin at the wrong place？ 　 　

A．	To see how much time Pepper spent laying the napkin.
B．	To confirm how popular Pepper was among its users.
C．	To test how many etiquette rules Pepper remembered.
D．	To study how self﹣dialogue might influence Pepper's actions.

（3）What does the underlined word "prioritizing" in Paragraph 3 mean？ 　 　

A．	repeating.
B．	dealing with…first.
C．	going against.
D．	complaining about.

（4）What can we infer from the passage？ 　 　

A．	The designers are proud of their work about Pepper.
B．	Pepper has already been in use in the operation rooms.
C．	Pepper's inner speech depends on its user's communication skills.
D．	With or without inner speech，Pepper could complete a task equally well.

As a mountain，1，642﹣foot Squaw Peak isn't that impressive.But its views attract many hikers（远足者）.Henry Grant，a college student at Ithaca College，was one of them.

While waiting for his mother one day in August，2019，Grant watched other hikers enjoy the view.One hiker，dressed in pink，was looking over the lip of the cliff（悬崖）with her husband.

When Grant's mother rejoined him，the two continued on their way.Suddenly，he heard something scaring： "Paula!Paula!" a man shouted crazily.Grant turned around quickly.________

Several hikers immediately started looking for her，but their view was screened by trees.Uncertain they could help，Grant and his mother headed down the trail.But when he saw some hikers still searching，he decided to lend a hand.After promising his mother that he would be safe，he went on alone.

After 15 minutes of climbing over large rocks，pushing past bushes，and slipping（滑） down loose earth，Grant found a pink figure.The woman had fallen about 75 feet.Luckily，she was alive.

"Paula!Paula!" Grant shouted.The woman didn't reply.She was badly hurt.Grant called the police to report her location.She kept trying to move，and every time she moved，she slipped a little more.Afraid that in her unclear state of mind she might fall off the rock to her death，Grant climbed on all fours up a tight，narrow path by digging into the earth with his fingers and feet until he reached Paula.

Paula was moaning，almost senseless.Grant gently put her hand in his，trying to keep her mind off the pain by keeping asking her questions： "Where are you from？Do you have kids？" Soon， theywere joined on their perch（歇脚处）by another hiker named Simon.

About 45 minutes later，first rescuers（救援者）arrived.Paula and her husband were flown to a hospital.Five hours after the woman in pink had fallen，Grant was back on top of Squaw Peak.

（1）Which sentence should go in the empty line in Paragraph 3？ 　　

A．	He ran as fast as possible to save Paula.
B．	His mother turned around at the same time.
C．	The woman in pink was nowhere to be seen.
D．	Other hikers were scared by the terrible shout.

（2）Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？ 　　

A．	Grant had no difficulty in reaching Paula.
B．	Simon and Grant's mother joined in saving Paula.
C．	Paula and her husband were both badly wounded and saved.
D．	Grant asked Paula questions to keep her mind off the pain.

（3）The underlined word "they" in Paragraph 7 refers to（指的是） 　 　.

A．	first rescuers
B．	Paula and Grant
C．	Grant and his mother
D．	Paula and her husband

（4）What does the passage mainly talk about？ 　 　

A．	How a woman fell 75 feet from a mountain cliff.
B．	How a young man tried his best to save a stranger.
C．	How a woman managed to survive a terrible accident.
D．	How a young man made a decision in face of danger.

Roberta，Peter and Phyllis lived in a large house in London.Father worked hard in a government office.He was never angry and always ready for a game.Mother was almost at home，ready to play with the children，and read to them，and help them do their home﹣lessons.

These three lucky children always had everything they needed：pretty clothes，good fires，a lovely playroom and a dog called James.They had a happy life，but they did not know how happy till the pretty life in the large house was over.

Peter had a toy engine and it broke.After dinner，Peter showed Father the engine.Father looked it over and promised to do it on Saturday.

At that moment two men came to see Father.Minutes passed.Father's voice came out from the study，loud and angry.

More time passed.Then Mother came in and said， "Father's been called away﹣on business."

A week after their father went away，their mother said， "Now，we're going to move to the country.A pretty little white house，called Three Chimneys. "

The family started packing：clothes，plates，candles and also tables and chairs. "We seem to be taking all the ugly things，" said Roberta.

"We're taking the useful ones，" said Mother. "We've got to play at being poor for a bit."

Peter said joyously， "I do like moving!I wish we moved once a month." Mother laughed and said， "I don't like moving!"

As she turned away，Roberta saw her face.She never forgot it.

"Oh，Mother，" she whispered， "how I love you!You are brave enough to laugh when you're feeling like that! "

Then they took a train to Three Chimneys.No one knew how long they had been in the train when Mother woke them up.

They stood in the cold night air on the dark platform. At that moment they didn't know how important the station and the trains would become to them.They didn't know they were going to be the railway children .

﹣Taken from The Railway Children

（1）The family packed things like plates and candles because Mother thought they were 　 　.

A．	useful
B．	new
C．	expensive
D．	beautiful

（2）Which of the following questions is answered in this passage？ 　 　

A．	How did Peter's toy engine break？
B．	When would the children's father be home？
C．	What was the family like before Father was away？
D．	What was the family's life like in Three Chimneys？

（3）According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE？ 　 　

A．	Phyllis wanted to move a house once a month.
B．	Father said goodbye to the children when he left.
C．	Mother wanted to leave London and move to the country.
D．	Mother was brave enough to laugh when she was feeling sad.

（4）What can we infer（推断）from the underlined sentences in the last paragraph？ 　 　

A．	The children don't like their life in London.
B．	The station has nothing to do with the family's future life.
C．	Something is going to happen to the children later in the story.
D．	Parents can better deal with life changes than their children.

Is it possible to have a diet（日常饮食）that's both healthy and friendly to our planet？Here are answers to your eco﹣friendly food questions.

Does what I eat influence climate（气候）change？

Yes.The world's food system is responsible for（为……负责）about one quarter of the planet﹣warming greenhouse gases that humans produce each year.That includes raising and harvesting all the plants，animals，and animal products we eat，as well as processing，packaging，and shipping food to markets all over the world.

Which foods have the largest influence？

In general，beef and lamb have the biggest climate footprint per gram of protein while plant﹣based foods like beans，rice，corn and wheat have the smallest influence.Pork，chicken，eggs are somewhere in the middle.

Is there a simple food choice I can make？

Studies have shown that people who eat a meat﹣heavy diet can reduce their food-related footprint by one third or more by moving to a vegan diet ﹣ no meat，dairy（乳制品），or eggs.If you don't want to go that far，just eat less meat.

Can I really make a difference to our planet？

We need more food to feed the world's growing population.One person alone can make only a tiny difference.If many people make changes to their diets，that will start to add up.It will make a greater difference if the world's heaviest meat eaters make some changes to their diets.

（1）According to the passage，which foods have the smallest influence on our planet？ 　 　

A．	Beef and lamb.
B．	Rice and corn.
C．	Chicken and pork.
D．	Beans and beef.

（2）According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE？ 　 　

A．	One person alone makes no difference to our planet.
B．	Shipping food a lover the world has no influence on climate change.
C．	All the planet﹣warming greenhouse gases come from the food system.
D．	Meat eaters can reduce their food﹣related footprint by eating less meat.

（3）What is the best title for the passage？ 　 　

A．	How to produce more meat.
B．	How to make more plant﹣based foods.
C．	How to eat better for the planet.
D．	How to ask eco﹣friendly food questions.

Narrator:There once was a beautiful princess whose favorite amusement was a golden ball. One day, the princess tossed the ball too high, and it landed in the well. As the princess cried over her lost treasure, she heard someone ask a question.

Frog:Why are you so sad, beautiful princess?

Narrator:The princess looked around and saw only a frog.

Princess:My favorite golden ball fell into the well.

Frog:I can retrieveit for you, but first, you must agree to one condition. You must promise to take me home and be my friend.

Narrator:The princess didn't want to be friends with a frog, but she promised anyway. When the frog brought her the ball, the princess snatched it from him and hurried home!

Frog:What a selfish princess. I'm certain that she has forgotten her promise. I'll just hop over to the castle to remind her.

Narrator:The frog hop-hop-hopped through the grass and knocked on the heavy door of the castle.

Princess:What are you doing here, you bumbling frog?

Frog:Dear princess, I am here to remind you of the promise you made.

Narrator:The princess slammed the door in the frog's face with a big BANG.

King:I heard a door slam. What's happening? If you made a promise, you must honor it.

Narrator:The princess was angry but obeyed her father. So, the king, the princess, and the frog enjoyed dinner together. It was mutton stew, the cook's specialty.

Frog:I was hungry, but now I'm full. Thank you for dinner. Kindly show me to my bed now.

Narrator:The princess did as she was asked, but the frog looked sad!

Frog:You have welcomed me into your home, but I can tell that you don't want to be my friend.

Narrator:The princess's face went red, for what the frog said was true. She bent down to kiss the frog, but ended up kissing a prince.

Frog:I am a prince who was turned into a frog, and your kiss turned me back. Thank you, dear friend!

Narrator:The prince and princess were wonderful friends from that day on and lived happily ever after.

（1）. The reading material above is ________.

A．

a poem

B．

a play

C．

an interview

D．

a questionnaire

（2）. What's the meaning of the underlined word "retrieve"?

A．

bring back

B．

take away

C．

break down

D．

put away

（3）. Why did he frog hop over to the castle?

A．	To ask the king for help.	B．	To visit his friends in the castle.
C．	To give the ball to the princess.	D．	To remind the princess of her promise.

（4）. What is the right order of what the princess did in the story?

① She went back to the castle.

② She bent down to kiss the frog.

③ She got help from the frog and made a promise.

④ She obeyed her father and ate the meal with the guest.

A．

②④③①

B．

③①④②

C．

③④①②

D．

④③②①

（5）. What can we learn from the story?

A．	It is often difficult to keep a friendship.
B．	We shouldn't be afraid of making friends.
C．	Once you make a promise, you must keep it.
D．	We should ask for help when we are in trouble.

Tips for being a super-organized student Posted 2 hours ago by Amy I have always admired students who hand in their homework on time and never forget to do it. Me, on the other hand…OK, I admit. I'm terrible at getting myself organized! So I was wondering, what are your tips for getting organized? Post your tips below. Thanks! Comments
	Gloria: 25 May, 2021-09:36 Recently I've started keeping a small study diary. I write down everything I need to do and when it needs to be done by. Then I write a reminder a few days before the date just in case. It's helping. Amy: Thanks, Gloria! I agree.
	Nick: 25 May, 2021-08:33 The most important thing is to start studying a few weeks before the exams and not leave it until the night before! That's just common sense, I think. Amy: Nice tip. Thanks, Nick.
	Leo: 25 May, 2021-08:06 Hi! Amy. My tip is to have a big noticeboard in your bedroom, divided into different sections. I've got one. It's a whiteboard. I've got a section for each school subject and another one for other stuff. I use board pens to write reminders and I make sure I look at it every day. The best part is when I remove something from the board! Amy: Great tip. I've got a board. I'll try to use it in the same way. Thanks, Leo.

（1）. Amy started the post to get ________.

A．	comments on her homework	B．	tips on how to be well organized
C．	suggestions on not forgetting things	D．	advice on how to do her homework

（2）. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．	Gloria was the first to give comments.
B．	Amy didn't agree with what Leo said.
C．	Gloria wrote down things she needed to do in a study diary.
D．	Nick thought it the most important to study hard the night before the exam.

（3）. What did Leo mean by saying " The best part is when I remove something from the board!"?

A．	The things he removes are the best part
B．	He is good at cleaning the noticeboard.
C．	He feels excited when finishing the most difficult task.
D．	He enjoys the moment when the tasks are completed.

Derek Redmond

It was the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992; the semi-final of the 400 metres. The sun was shining and the crowd were ready for a great race. The British athlete Derek Redmond was a top runner: he had a very good chance of winning a medal.

The race began. At first, Derek was running well. Then, after about 150 metres, he felt a pain in his leg. He fell down on one knee. He had a bad injury and couldn't carry on. The other runners went past him and finished the race.

After about five seconds, Derek got up and started to run again, on one leg only. Some organizers tried to stop him but he kept going. The crowd stood up and started to clap. Then another man came onto the track-Derek's father, Jim. His father put his arm around him and said, "Derek, you don't have to do this." Derek replied, "Yes, I do. I have to finish." And so together they walked the last 50 metres and crossed the line.

When he finally crossed the line, Derek was crying and 60,000 people were cheering him.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

In the summer of 2010, mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner was almost at the top of a mountain called K2 in Nepal. She was trying to climb the 8,61l-metre mountain for the fifth time and this time she was climbing with her friend Fredrik Ericsson,

It was about 7 o'clock in the morning and it was snowing a little. The two climbers were getting ready to go up the last 400 metres. Fredrik was trying to tie some rope but he slipped and fell past Gerlinde. He fell 1,000 metres and was killed.

__ _▲ K2 was now a very sad place for her, and she thought perhaps she would never climb the mountain.

But there was something very important that she wanted to do: K2 is one of 14 mountains in the world that are 8,000 metes or higher, and her dream was to climb them all.

So in August 2011 she went back to Nepal and K2, and tried again. This time, she got to the top. Her dream was complete.

（1）. What information is mentioned in the first story?

A．	The time Derek spent on the race.
B．	The person who crossed the line with Derek.
C．	The speed Derek ran for the first 150 meters.
D．	The names of the runners who went past Derek.

（2）. Which of the following can be put in ________.

A．	Gerlinde went back to base-camp	B．	Gerlinde went on climbing
C．	Gerlinde tied some rope to the rocks	D．	Gerlinde wanted to try again

（3）. What did the two main characters have in common?

A．	They both came from Britain.
B．	They both failed the 400-metre race.
C．	They both had the dream to climb high mountains.
D．	They were both brave people who didn't give up.

（4）. What does the writer mainly want to tell us?

A．	The most important thing is to win the race.
B．	When things go wrong, we must stop at once.
C．	When we start something, we should try to finish.
D．	We shouldn't start a race if we think we can't win.

The following is adapted from a promotional film about Yancheng.

Here, you can come and go as you please. ___ ① ___	Here, cars are manufactured, as well as happiness. Here, we open the door toward the future by upgrading industries.	Here, agriculture is about scientific cultivation, and also for tourism and education. ____ ② ___	Here, we live in harmony with nature. ____ ③ __	Here, the spirit of the Iron Army is remembered and carried forward. ____ ④ ___
Here, a modern city is being built and enriched with passion. Here, broaden your horizon and open your heart. Welcome to Yancheng!

（1）. What's the main purpose of the film?

A．	To introduce Yancheng to the world.	B．	To show the sights of Yancheng.
C．	To explain the history of Yancheng.	D．	To describe the development of Yancheng.

（2）. " Here, it is a paradise for animals and also ani mal lovers." can be put in _________.

A．

①

B．

②

C．

③

D．

④

（3）. What might be the best title for the film?

A．

Old Yancheng.

B．

Busy Yancheng.

C．

Natural Yancheng.

D．

Loving Yancheng.

There are certain foods which should never be stored（储存）in the fridge.Some of them may surprise you.

（1） 　 　.The cold temperature will make it hard.If you have made sandwiches with the bread，then you can store them in it.

We all love to have tomatoes. （2） 　 　.The cold air in the fridge stops the ripening（成熟）process.And as we all know，ripening is what gives every tomato more taste.For best results，keep them out.

（3） 　 　.It needs no help from us.Putting it in your fridge will in fact increase the speed of the crystallization（结晶）.This will make honey harder or nearly impossible to use.

If you haven't opened your watermelons，then there's no need to put them in your fridge.Research has shown that watermelons can be stored in room temperature. （4） 　 　.Watermelons that have been cut open should be put in the fridge.What's more，they should be covered.

Cucumber（黄瓜）enjoys room temperature.（5） 　 　.Cool temperature can make cucumber's skin（表皮）go bad faster，so find a dry and cool place at room temperature for your cucumber.

A.Do remember that they must be whole. B.There's no reason to keep honey in a fridge. C.The fridge is not a good place for storing it. D.Nothing makes bread dry faster than your fridge. E.It' a good way to keep the fruits and vegetables in the fridge. F.But storing them in the fridge will cause them to lose the taste.