Every year, in late March or early April, a boat race takes place on the Thames River, England. This boat race is an event between the two most famous and also the oldest universities in Britain – the Oxford（牛津大学）and the Cambridge（剑桥大学）.
The idea for the boat race between the universities came from two friends – Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his friend Charles Wordsworth who was at Oxford. They decided to set up a boat race between the two universities. On March 12, 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford first.
When the first boat race took place in a small town by Thames, eight students from each university became the competitors. Crowds of twenty thousand traveled to watch. It was so exciting. And the Oxford was clear winners. Later on, not only did the students from the two universities take part, but also some social groups attended the event. By 1845, with the small town becoming too crowded, the boat race had moved six miles up to the village – Putney. From 1856 on, the race has been held every year except war years. This boat race is considered to be “the world’s oldest sporting challenge”.
The race is four and a quarter miles in just 20 minutes and the competitors often face difficulties. It usually takes six months for the two teams to prepare for the big days. In the past, the Oxford was mostly the winners. But things have changed from 1993 on. The Cambridge has won more.
根据短文内容，判断正（T）误（F）。1. The boat race takes place between the Oxford and the Cambridge.
2. On March 12, 1829, Oxford sent a challenge to Cambridge first.
3. Eight students from each university became the competitors of the first boat race.
4. From 1856 on, the boat race has been held every year with no stop.
5. It usually takes six months for the two teams to prepare for the boat race.
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【推荐1】The village Zalipie is in Poland. It is famous for its painting. The villagers decorate（装饰）both the inside and the outside of their houses with colorful floral designs. Today if you travel to the village, you can still find about 20 such houses. The women of Zalipie paint flowers on their walls, doors, windows, doghouses, wells and other things. The whole village looks really pretty. What’s more, you can also find another twelve houses with such designs in the neighbouring villages.
It isn’t clear when the tradition began. A local story says that it began from a time when smoke from stoves went through little holes in the ceilings. In order to cover up the small holes, a woman started to paint flowers on the walls. About a hundred years passing, people still decorate their houses in this way.
The villages hold a competition every year to celebrate their old tradition. Local painters and the women in the village go to the competition by making beautiful floral designs on the walls of houses.
1. The underlined word “floral” here means “________” in Chinese.| A．漂亮的 | B．特别的 | C．吸引人的 | D．绘有花的 |
| A．the history of the village Zalipie |
| B．how to decorate the houses with floral designs |
| C．how to cover up the small holes in the ceilings |
| D．when the tradition of decorating the houses with floral designs began |
| A．to cover up the little holes in the ceilings |
| B．to show her painting skill |
| C．to welcome people to visit |
| D．to show happiness to others |
| A．The houses in neighbouring villages are quite different from those in Zalipie. |
| B．The villagers in Zalipie hold a competition every year to celebrate their old tradition. |
| C．There are about twelve such houses in Zalipie now. |
| D．Today the women in Zalipie don’t decorate their houses in this way. |
【推荐2】As we all know, kites and kite-flying have a long history in China. A man named Gongshu Ban made the first kite more than 2,000 years ago. In Tang Dynasty, Chinese people started to celebrate the kite festival. But kites are also important in the US.
Kites were important tools in the US. American scientists have used kites for science experiments (实验). Benjamin Franklin, a famous scientist, used a kite to learn about electricity (电) in 1752. The Wright brothers used kites to test their ideas before they built the first airplane in 1903. When other scientists were trying to make a plane fly by itself, the Wright brothers thought people can “drive” a plane on the wind the way we fly a kite.
People in the US also like to fly kites for fun. Kite festivals have been popular at different times of the year. In California, people fly kites that can be bigger than a house. In New Jersey, illuminated kites are sent into the night sky so you can see them from far away even late at night. In the Louisiana Kite Night Flying, you can also see kites with LED lights on them.
The largest kite-flying festival in the US is the Washington State International Kite Festival. This week-long festival takes place each year during the third week of August at Long Beach, Washington. It invites famous kite flyers from around the world to show off their kites. They put on shows that are so fantastic that lots of kite lovers travel from around the world just to watch!
1. The writer writes the first paragraph to ________.| A．tell readers about the history of kites in China | B．teach readers more about Gongshu Ban |
| C．show the differences between China and the US | D．tell readers kites are also important in the US |
| A．learn about electricity | B．build a plane |
| C．do experiments | D．drive a plane |
| A．colorful | B．bright | C．large-sized | D．a lot of |
| A．watch kite shows put on by famous kite flyers | B．enjoy kite festivals in different countries |
| C．see kites bigger than a house | D．fly kites for a week in August |
| A．Flying High and Having Fun | B．Festivals All Over the US |
| C．Kite Flying in the US | D．Kites: Science and History |
Let’s play with pumpkins!
You may have seen many pumpkins in posters and TV shows recently, since Halloween came on Oct 31.
Lanterns made of pumpkins, also known as jack-o’-lanterns, are often seen during Halloween. Many people in the US like to make them and put them in front of their houses. People hollow out a pumpkin, carve a face on one side, and place a candle inside to make the pumpkin glow. The lanterns can look funny or scary.
This is not the only way in which pumpkins are part of American culture.
During the Thanksgiving holiday, pumpkin pie is a common food. It is made from pumpkins and has some delicious spices to give it a nice flavor. People often put some whipped cream on top of it before serving it. It is one of my favorite things to eat during Thanksgiving.
There is also “pumpkin chucking”. It’s a competition where people build machines to throw pumpkins through the air. The person whose pumpkin flies the farthest wins the competition. The world record for pumpkin chucking was set in Utah in 2010. The distance for that world record was about 1.69 kilometers!
Finally, there are also pumpkin growing contests. For these contests, farmers try to grow the biggest pumpkins they can. The person who has the biggest pumpkin will win first prize.
1. What is a common tradition during Halloween in the US?| A．Making lanterns from pumpkins. | B．Making gingerbread houses. |
| C．Decorating Christmas trees. | D．Cooking turkey dinners. |
| A．Carve a face on a pumpkin and place a candle inside. | B．Paint a face on a pumpkin. |
| C．Hang a pumpkin on the front door. | D．Fill a pumpkin with candy. |
| A．挖 | B．吃 | C．绘制 | D．扔 |
| A．Pumpkin pie is a traditional food during Halloween. |
| B．Jack-o’-lanterns are made of the pumpkins. |
| C．People who grow the smallest pumpkins can win the prize. |
| D．The world record for pumpkin chucking was about 1.69 kilometers. |
| A．“The Origins of Halloween Traditions” | B．“The Art of Pumpkin Carving” |
| C．“Pumpkins in American Culture” | D．“Competitive Pumpkin Growing” |
【推荐1】Traveling can be a fun way to have a good holiday. But what will you do if you’re a student and don’t have enough money for a trip? Don’t worry. Here’s some useful advice.
Save: This may be the most important preparation for traveling. Cut costs and save money so you’ll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead （提前）: Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought in a hurry. Giving yourself several months to get ready can save more.
Travel in groups : Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experience together.
Choose places: Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a less-known place. Smaller towns may have many interesting activities and sights.
Use the Internet or travel books: No matter where you go, study the places you will visit and decide what to see. The net can help to save money. Some useful websites such as www. travelcity. comand www. economy-travel.com are good. Travel books will give you the information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
1. Before your trip, the most important thing you should do may be to .| A．decide where to go | B．buy tickets ahead |
| C．cut costs and save money | D．get information on the Internet |
| A．not to buy tickets ahead | B．not to go to well-known places |
| C．not to share costs with other people | D．to buy anything they want to buy |
| A．should pay more money |
| B．should make more friends |
| C．should use the Internet and travel books |
| D．can get useful life experience from your parents |
| A．Plan Your Trip Cleverly | B．Where to Travel |
| C．Find the Cheapest Hotels | D．Look for the Cheapest Restaurants |
【推荐2】On Sept 5, China’s 13th scientific expedition(科学考察) to the Arctic Ocean(北冰洋) reached the North Pole region(北极点区域). You may want to know: What’s the difference between doing research(研究) in the Arctic(北极) and Antarctica(南极)?
Research in the Arctic is difficult but it is easy in Antarctica. Antarctica is mainly land. So scientists can set up research stations(站点) on the land. However, the Arctic is mainly an ocean(海洋). Scientists can only set up drifing(流动的) stations or stations on boats in the Arctic.
There are also other differences between the two poles.
The Arctic is at the north end of Earth. Canada, Norway, Russia and five other countries have land there. Antarctica is at the south end of Earth. There are no countries there. People from all countries and regions can go there.
Antarctica is very cold. The winds at the South Pole are very strong. They blow away(吹走) the winds from warm places. But winds at the North Pole are not that strong. They mix(混合) with air from warm places.
1. What do we know from Paragraph 1?| A．September is the best time to go to the Arctic. |
| B．China did 12 scientific expeditions to the Arctic Ocean before Sept 5. |
| C．Thirteen Chinese scientists are in the Arctic. |
| D．The scientists are studying the difference between the Arctic and Antarctica. |
| A．Because it is mainly land. |
| B．Because there are many research stations. |
| C．Because there are many boats in the Arctic. |
| D．Because scientists have to use boats as research stations. |
a. Part of it is in the Arctic
b. It is at the south end of Earth.
c. People there can go to Antarctica.
d. It has land in Antarctica
| A．ab | B．ac | C．bc | D．bd |
| A．Because there is air from warm places. |
| B．Because there is more water. |
| C．Because the winds there are strong. |
| D．Because it is south of Antarctica. |
| A．Chinese scientists’ studies of the Arctic. |
| B．Research stations in the Arctic and Antarctica. |
| C．Differences between the Arctic and Antarctica. |
| D．The weather in the Arctic and Antarctica. |
【推荐3】Getting excited over the Christmas ads (广告) becomes a big tradition for people in the UK. This year, Sainsbury’s, the second largest supermarket in the UK, shared its ad called Mog the Cat. Now the ad is known as “the best Christmas ad ever” according to Twitter.
The ad is about a cat of the Thomas family. In the ad, the cat blew up the Christmas tree and almost burned the house. Luckily, she succeeded in phoning the fire service and saved the house. But she messed up Christmas Day.
Mog felt sorry. As they were worried, the neighbors came together to help the family clean up and enjoy Christmas dinner. Its ending will make you feel all sweet inside. It also carries “Christmas is for sharing”, Christmas saying of Sainsbury’s. Another reason why the ad is popular is that Mog the Cat is the star of a much-loved children’s book. The writer Kerr herself appears in this ad as a neighbor of the Thomas family. This ad also tells us some fire safety facts.
The users of Twitter were talking about and enjoyed the ad. One little boy named Jim wrote the ad was the best Christmas gift he had got this year. Jill mixed feeling with the ad. She wrote this ad made her laugh and cry at the same time. And she said, “I don’t even like cats.” Another woman wrote, “So far Christmas ad of Sainsbury’s is the best I’ve seen this year”. People like the ad not only for the funny story but also for the spirit of Christmas it shows.
1. The underlined word “she” in the second paragraph refers to ______.| A．the cat | B．the neighbors | C．the family | D．the writer |
①The ad shows the spirit of Christmas.
②The writer Kerr appears in the ad.
③That is the ad made by Sainsbury’s.
④Mog the Cat is a star of a much-loved children’s book.
| A．①② | B．③④ | C．①④ | D．②③ |
| A．few people like the ad Mog the Cat. |
| B．Jill doesn’t like cats any more after watching the ad. |
| C．people like the ad just because it’s really funny. |
| D．the ad Mog the Cat is very popular with people. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐1】People often think that plants fight with each other for sunlight, water and soil (土壤). Now a new study tells us that this is not true.
A group of researchers studied plants in southern Spain over three months this summer. The plants grew in very poor soil, with little nutrients (营养) or water. However, the researchers found that the plants help each other deal with these difficulties. A study in the past showed that plants use fungus (真菌) in the soil as a way to “talk” to each other. It’s kind of like the Wi-Fi that we use. For example, if a tomato plant gets a leaf disease, it can tell nearby plants about the disease.
Bigger plants would protect smaller ones from the sun. They would keep the soil moist (湿润的). Their fallen leaves gave nutrients to the smaller plants. This helped them grow.
At the same time, the bigger plants grew more flowers than those that grew alone. The researchers said that if big and small plants grow together, more pollinators (传花粉) will come to them. They can also attract more animals like insects and birds. Both sides win!
1. According to the passage, plants use __________ to “talk” to each other.| A．the Wi-Fi | B．the fallen leaves | C．fungus in the soil | D．nutrients or water |
| A．sharing sunlight with them | B．having more flowers than other trees |
| C．growing bigger and having more leaves | D．giving them a moist environment and nutrients |
| A．big plants will help small plans a lot | B．plants will grow better by helping each other |
| C．there will be one winner between the two sides | D．more pollinators will come to them if plants fight |
The girl is Megan, she is staying at John’s for her holiday now. Her parents and brother Andy are now visiting the zoo. Their father is taking photos of many animals, like elephants, pandas, zebras and tigers. But Andy likes monkeys most and he is now watching them jumping and playing.
Andy’s cousin Julia is at her friend’s birthday party. There she meets Lily, Daming, Joy and Lingling. They are having a happy talk and drinking some juice. Julia’s grandparents are having a Taijiquan class, while her mother is shopping for presents. Julia’s family is going back home to the Unite States next Thursday, so her father is booking plane ticket on the Internet.
1. John’s mother is ________.
| A．watching a magic show | B．visiting the zoo |
| C．taking photos | D．at a birthday party |
| A．Joy | B．John | C．Andy | D．Julia |
| A．at John’s with Lily |
| B．at a party |
| C．at the Capital Stadium with his daughter |
| D．in the zoo |
| A．Julia’s mother is buying presents. |
| B．Julia is from Australia. |
| C．Andy likes monkeys best. |
| D．Julia’s family is going home by plane. |
| A．A Happy Weekend. | B．A Magic Show |
| C．In a Zoo. | D．At a Party. |
【推荐3】A little boy invited his mother to attend his first teacher-parent meeting. To his disappointment, his mother said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he was embarrassed by her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a scar that covered the right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the little boy was embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, hear them speaking.
“How did you get the scar on your face?” the teacher asked.
The mother replied, “When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, so I went in. A beam (横梁) came down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. This scar will be with me forever, but to this day, I have never regretted doing what I did.”
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.
根据短文内容，判断正(T) 误 (F)。
1. The boy really wanted his mother to go his teacher-parent meeting.
2. The boy’s mother was not beautiful at all because a scar covered her whole face.
3. The teacher asked the boy’s mother how she got the scar.
4. The boy’s mother got the scar while she was saving her son in a fire.
5. The boy was too moved to show his love to his mother.
【推荐1】Do you think England teaches math the same way China does? The answer is yes!
In England, students have math lessons very similar to what kids have in China. During each lesson, the teacher teaches them about a new math concept(概念). Later, students finish the homework to improve their understanding. Students have a test once every term to see how much they have learned.
But things are a little different in Year 7. Students don’t do any end-of-year exams. They do something different — a math test to form “sets”. What does set mean? In each class of 26 students, only 30 percent will reach the top set. The other students will be in the medium set. To get into the top set, you need to get high scores on your math exams. With the sets, teachers can focus on a smaller group of students who are good at math. They can pay more attention to them and give them harder questions to do.
The math sets exam has two parts, A and B. For Part A, students have 40 minutes. It is mainly arithmetic(算术) and questions about numbers. For Part B, students have 50 minutes to answer problem-solving questions.
Everyone wants to get into the top set. It is true that the lessons are much harder. But all students like it because it makes them more competitive.
1. How often do students in England have a math test?| A．Once a week. | B．Once a month. | C．Once a term. | D．Once a year. |
| A．Group. | B．Mark. | C．Level. | D．Grade. |
| A．The full mark of the paper is one hundred. |
| B．The exam is made up of Part A and Part B. |
| C．Students have one and half an hour to finish the exam. |
| D．Students need to do arithmetic and answer problem-solving questions. |
| A．British students didn’t like the math lessons. |
| B．The math lessons are much harder in the top set. |
| C．Only a few students want to take the math sets exam. |
| D．Students take the math sets exam when they are 7 years old. |
【推荐2】The junior high school graduates have to take a P.E. test in many places around China. The full marks are usually 30 points and it counts for much in the senior high school entrance exam.
In Nanjing, the test is held in April. Students have the test in their own schools. Each student is tested on three sports. They can choose long jump, basketball dribbling(运球) or volleyball. The pull-up is for boys and girls can choose the sit-up. Both boys and girls must skip in the test.
Most students find the test easy and more than 90％of them can get full marks. That’s because they have been training for it during the three whole years. Students in Junior Three usually do lots of practice in P.E. classes. The training makes the test easier than it seems to be.
Students in Nanjing don’t need to run a lot for the test, but students in Beijing must do lots of running for the test. Running is one of the sports in test. So in P.E. classes, they usually run a lot. Sometimes they have to run 3,000 meters in one class. Most teachers and parents welcome the P.E. test. They say it helps students build up their health.
1. The P.E. test in Nanjing includes all of these sports except _______.| A．skipping | B．basketball | C．volleyball | D．football |
| A．仰卧起坐 | B．引体向上 | C．俯卧撑 | D．跳高 |
| A．It is difficult. | B．It is easy. | C．It is useful. | D．It is bad. |
【推荐3】What language do they speak in Brazil?
How hot is the sun?
If you can answer these questions, maybe you’ll enjoy a pub quiz (智力竞赛).
Pub quizzes have been popular since the 1970s. The person who is in charge of (主管、负责) the quiz is called the quizmaster. The quizmaster makes the questions and reads them. The people who answer the questions make the quiz teams. They also have to choose a name for their team, and they must write the name of their team on the same piece of paper as their answers.
There can be several rounds in a quiz. Each round can be about similar things, or there can be lots of different kinds of questions in a round.
Examples include questions about history, geography, science, sport, TV and films, and music.
What can you win? If you have to pay to be in the quiz, usually there is a money prize. In other quizzes you can get free drinks if you win.
Some people try to win by using their mobile phones to look for answers, and that is a problem. You can lose all your points if the quizmaster finds out that you are using a phone or the Internet!
1. How does the writer start the text?| A．By telling stories. | B．By raising questions. |
| C．By giving suggestions. | D．By comparing numbers. |
| A．The one who has to choose names for all the teams. |
| B．The one who needs to write down the answers on the paper. |
| C．The one who needs to divide all the players into different teams. |
| D．The one who has to make sure that everything happens in the right way. |
| A．轮次、回合 | B．圆形、圆圈 | C．圆的、环状的 | D．环绕、包围 |
| A．You will win a money prize. | B．You will win some free drinks. |
| C．You will lose all your points. | D．You will lose the name of your team. |
| A．Sport and health. | B．Science and Technology. |
| C．Entertainment and Culture. | D．Environment and Nature. |
