The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Rain (Chinese: Gu Yu)，as the last term in spring, starts on April 19 and ends on May 4.
Grain Rain came from the old saying, “Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains,” which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops. The Grain Rain marks the end of cold weather and a rapid rise in temperature. Here are five things that you may not know about the Grain Rain.
Key time for agriculture
Grain Rain brings a marked increase in temperature and rainfall and the grains grow faster and stronger. It’s a key time to protect the crops from insect pests.
Sandstorms occur
Grain Rain falls between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, with infrequent cold air moving to the south and wandering cold air in the north. From the end of April to the beginning of May, the temperature rises much higher than it does in March. With dry soil, an unpredictable atmosphere and heavy eastern winds, gales and sandstorms become more frequent.
Drinking tea
There is an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during Grain Rain is rich in vitamins and amino acids (氨基酸), which can help to remove heat from the body and is good for the eyes. It is also said in the south that drinking tea on this day would prevent bad luck.
Eating toona sinensis

People in northern China have the tradition to eat the vegetable toona sinensis during Grain Rain. An old Chinese saying goes “toona sinensis before the rain is as tender as silk”. The vegetable is nutritious and can help to strengthen the immune system. It is also good for the stomach and skin.
Grain Rain Festival
The Grain Rain festival is celebrated by fishing villages in the coastal areas of northern China. Grain Rain marks the start of the fishermen’s first voyage of the year. The custom dates back to more than 2,000 years ago, when people believed they owed a good harvest to the gods, who protected them from the stormy seas. People would worship the sea god and stage sacrifice food on the Grain Rain festival, praying for a wonderful harvest and a safe voyage for their loved ones.
1. Grain Rain got its name to show ________.

A．the cold weather is already gone

B．rain at this time is important to the crops

C．The highest temperature

D．the last term in lunar calendar

2. People in southern China drink tea on this day ________.

A．to prevent bad luck

B．to cure the eye diseases

C．to fight against the sandstorm

D．to strengthen the immune system

3. It is a custom to eat the vegetable toona sinensis ________.

A．in the coast areas	B．in the south
C．in the north	D．in the east

4. If a fisherman wanted to get fish in the sea in the past, he would ________.

A．get the fresh vegetables

B．drink tea in this festival

C．fight against the sandstorm

D．worship the sea god

I was desperately nervous about becoming car-free. But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed. No problem, I thought: we’ll buy another. But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car－I worked out that, with the loan, we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as £600 a month.

And that’s when I had my fancy idea. Why not just give up having a car at all? I live in London. We have a railway station behind our house, a tube station 10 minutes’ walk away, and a bus stop at the end of the street. A new car club had just opened in our area, and one of its shiny little red Peugeots was parked nearby. If any family in Britain could live without a car, I reasoned, then surely we were that family.

But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family. My teenage daughters were horrified. What would their friends think about our family being “too poor to afford a car”? (I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach.)

My friends, too, were astonished at our plan. What would happen if someone got seriously ill overnight and needed to go to hospital? (an ambulance) How would the children get to and from their many events? (buses and trains) People smiled as though this was another of my mad ideas, before saying they were sure I’d soon realize that a car was a necessity.

Eight months on, I wonder whether we’ll ever own a car again. The idea that you “have to” own a car, especially if you live in a city, is all in the mind. I live—and many other citizens do too—in a place that has never been better served by public transport, and yet car ownership has never been higher. We worry about rising car costs, but we’d be better off asking something much more basic: do I really need a car? Certainly the answer is no, and I’m a lot richer because I dared to ask the question.

5. The author decided to live a car-free life partly because ______.

A．most families chose to go car-free

B．he was hurt in a terrible car accident

C．the cost of a new car was too much

D．the traffic jam was unbearable for him

6. What is the attitude of the author’s family toward his plan?

A．Supportive.	B．Disapproving.
C．Optimistic.	D．Unconcerned.

7. What did the author suggest his daughters do about their friends’ opinion?

A．Argue against it.	B．Take their advice.
C．Think it over.	D．Leave it alone.

8. What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life?

A．Life cannot go without a car.

B．Life without a car is a little bit hard.

C．His life gets improved without a car.

D．A car-free life does not suit everyone.

Are you addicted to computer games? Do you stay up all night playing them? Do you feel happy after you play computer games?

There’s no doubt that the excitement and appealing of games these days makes them hard to put down. We are attracted by the choice when it comes to gaming: You can role play—creating your own fantasy characters and stories, giving you a chance to step out of everyday life into an imaginary world. And there are shooting games where you can let out your anger and depression in violent situations where you kill people with guns. You can get excited from the games.

However, can these kinds of games really be fun and can being absorbed in virtual reality be good for us? Should we worry about their effects on our health? Popular games like Grand Theft Auto have been blamed for everything from falling results at school to causing acts of extreme violence. Internet safety adviser, Alan MacKenzie, thinks “any people understandably will just think that a game is just a game and not realizing the exact content that’s in there”. He gives an example of the violence, which he says is “wholly inappropriate for anybody, not to mention children.”

Others will argue that gaming is a harmless form of entertainment. There is evidence that playing video games could actually be good for us. Some games like Game of Thrones and World of Warcraft are educational and using games certainly can help children learn good qualities. Studies have also shown that the skills used in playing games can cause growth in certain areas of the brain, the ability to think in 3D and even improve our eyesight.

Video game players are also no longer just simple creatures. For some, gaming is having a positive effect on their social lives with games like Halo and World of Warcraft often being played in groups. When your group works together to win the game, your sense of achievement is higher than when winning by yourself.

So every coin has two sides. It seems today, gaming isn’t just for game fans and if used in a proper way, we can all take part. If video games have two sides, what side do you stand by?

9. The writer used a lot of questions at the beginning to _______.

A．show his worries about the effect on health

B．lead into the topic of the passage

C．ask the reader for their own opinions about games

D．doubt the advantage of playing computer games

10. Paragraph 3 mainly talks about _______.

A．the contents of the game are complex

B．games contain extreme violence

C．popular games lead to students’ falling results at school

D．gaming is a harmful form of entertainment

11. According to the passage, which of the following shows the good influence on social lives?

A．Han Meimei passed the exam after playing the games.

B．Li Hua leant many English words from playing games.

C．Sunyan worked well with his teammates

D．Yang Li let out his anger and expressions.

12. In Paragraph 4, the author supports his idea _______.

A．by giving some examples

B．with descriptive words

C．by providing some numbers

D．with some research results

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

What is health？The definition from WHO states that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. So, rather than having a balanced diet or a balanced workout and so on, people need to find a balance between all those factors for health living.    13    

Try to eat more fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables provide enzymes(酶) for the body, which help to absorb the nutrients from your meal. Drink as much water as possible throughout the day. Keep improving your diet plan, by learning about different healthy food.

    14    No matter which type of exercise you take up, try to get around 20 minutes every day. Don’t give up!

If you are suffering from some health problems, you should find the causes behind them，and then try to avoid them. For example, load yourself up with vitamin C rich food to avoid a common cold.    15    

Deep breathing is not only good for your lungs, but also can be used to calm your mind. Take a deep breath whenever you get stressed and then breathe out; repeat it around 10 times. The result will be surprising.

    16    There are various types of meditation. Try to experiment with different types，and then choose the one that feels suitable; try to practice it for an hour a day.Whenever you think you have become overloaded with study，take a break. Plan a small vacation alone or with a friend, or go to a garden.    17    

A．Many people want to stay healthy.

B．Then how do you stay healthy?

C．Doing exercise is also important.

D．Walking is a good way to keep healthy.

E．To prevent sport injuries, make sure you warm up well before any exercise.

F．Meditation is also a good way to relieve stress.

G．Just forget everything and enjoy watching the trees and birds.