【推荐1】How do you feel when you have to make a speech in front of the class? What about when you go to a birthday party? Do you get really shy?

Shyness means feeling nervous or frightened when you’re around other people. Experts found that more than 80 percent of middle school students feel afraid to be the centre of attention. Some kids are born shy. Some become shy later because of their life experiences.

It’s OK if it takes you a while to feel yourself again when you go to a new place or meet new people. In fact, everybody gets a little shy sometimes. It’s just a case of how much.

Most people have red faces and talk in broken sentences when they get shy. But some become so shy that they won’t go to a restaurant because they are too nervous to order and pay for their food. Some are afraid of meeting new people, so they seldom go outside. This kind of shyness can be bad for a person.

If shyness doesn’t stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn’t a very big problem. Some experts say shy people are cleverer because they think more and talk less. Shy people are also good at working with others because they think more for other people. Some great people in history were shy, too.

You see, being shy isn’t all bad. But remember not to let good opportunities(机会) pass by just because of it! If you have to sing a song at a birthday party or practise your spoken English in front of others, just do it! There’s nothing to be afraid of.

1. The underlined phrase “to feel yourself again” in the third paragraph means ________.

A．to hurt yourself

B．to be yourself

C．to enjoy yourself

D．to help yourself

2. What kind of shyness can be bad according to the passage?

A．You find it hard to enjoy yourself at a party.

B．You feel a little nervous when you go to a new place.

C．You seldom go outside and are afraid of meeting new people.

D．You have a red face when you’re asked to answer a question in class.

3. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．almost all children are born shy	B．you can never change yourself
C．shy people can also be successful	D．shy people can’t get on with others

4. What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Are You Shy Before Others?	B．Be Active Before Others
C．Find Out What You Are Like	D．Shy, Good or Bad?

【推荐2】Have you ever watched a show about the wild? A shark eats a seal! Lions run down a gazelle! Is all nature like that? All about eating and blood? Or is that just what keeps our eyes glued to the TV screen? Let’s look at sonic living things who work with each other instead of ripping each other apart. When a lion kills a gazelle, it wants to eat as much as it can and maybe share the rest with its family. There are some living things that will take small pieces of another living thing’s body.

Parasitism is when one living thing gets its energy from another living thing, does not give anything back, and hurts the thing it’s taking things from.

Now let’s get a little nicer. Sometimes a living thing will live off the body of another living thing without hurting it. They do not steal anything. They do not bite. Commensalism is when two living things live together and one gets good things out of it while the other is not hurt by it. Have you seen a picture of a whale (鲸) with rocky white things stuck to its skin? Those are barnacles (藤壶) . They attach (贴) themselves to the whale, so nothing will try to eat them and they can eat things that float by.

Now let’s get really nice. While sharks are biting and lions are fighting, are there any animals that just get along? Yes! Actually, there are many. Mutualism is when two living things work together and both get good things out of it. Bees and flowers are the most common example. Without flowers, bees could not make honey. Without bees, flowers could not make new seeds. It’s win-win for these two. There are lots of animals that get along. Birds will live on the backs of zebras and eat the ticks that are drinking the zebra’s blood. The bird gets food. The zebra gets its ticks taken away. In some of these cases, one animal could not live without the other.

We use the word “Symbiotic (共生的) ” for all of these kinds of relationships. Sometimes it’s good for one and bad for the other. Sometimes it’s just good for one. Sometimes it’s even good for both. So, it is nice to know that there are some living things out there that are finding ways to live together. We could pay attention to the animals that do not always make it on TV.

1. How many kinds of “Symbiotic” relationships among living things are mentioned in the passage? ________

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

2. The writer mentioned a TV show about the wild in Paragraph 1 to ________.

A．tell a story	B．solve a mystery
C．Introduce a subject	D．discuss a programme

3. Which of the following best describes the relationship between bees and flowers? ________

A．Neighbours.

B．Friends.

C．Strangers.

D．Partners.

4. How does the writer develop the passage? ________

A．By showing pictures.	B．By giving examples.
C．By presenting reasons.	D．By drawing conclusions.

5. What can we infer from the passage? ________

A．The world of living things remains to be explored.

B．More actions should be taken to protect living things.

C．TV programmes about living things require to be improved.

D．More money will be spent on documentaries about living things.

【推荐3】DNA is the whole “map” of the human body. It is something that all humans have, and it tells the body what to do. DNA is the reason that we look like our parents, because we get some of the DNA to make our own.

People have been trying to understand the human body for a long time. In 1860, Mr. Mendel discovered why we look similar to other people in our family. It is because of small things called “genes（基因）” in our body. In 1953, two scientists, Watson and Crick, found out that those small parts are real messages. They are written in the DNA with a special language.

In 1961, another two scientists found the first “word” that they could understand in that language. It shows how DNA tells the cell（细胞）to build its parts. So far, scientists have found all the words in the DNA map, but we do not understand what they all do. By understanding what just   one “word” means, we can help to save people from several illnesses. So the more we understand, the more doctors will be able to do.

Most people hope that this will help to make better medicine to help sick people. Other people worry that when we learn more “words” and find out more information, we will use in the wrong way, just to make people more attractive（有吸引力的）, or stop sick people getting jobs.

1. Who discovered why we look like other people in our family in 1860?

A．Crick.

B．Watson.

C．Mr. Harris.

D．Mr, Mendel.

2. The two scientists found ________ in 1961.

A．all the words in the DNA map

B．small things called “genes” in our body

C．the first “word” that they could understand in that language

D．the small parts are written in the DNA with a special language

3. How can we help sick people if we understand more “words” in the DNA map?

A．Make better medicine	B．Stop them getting jobs
C．Tell them what to do	D．Make them attractive

4. According to the passage, all of the following are true except that ________.

A．we look like our parents because of “genes” in our body

B．we have understood what all the words in the DNA map do

C．DNA is the whole “map” of the human body

D．DNA tells the cell o build its parts

5. What do people think of this research about DNA?

A．It can be bad	B．It can be good
C．It can be good but won't work.	D．It can be good and bad.

【推荐1】

The American Museum of Natural History Address: Central Park West at 79th, St., New York Tel: 212-769-5100 Traffic: located on the Upper West Sideof Manhattan, the museumis conveniently reached by bus, underground or car. Parking: There is a small parking place which charges only $7.75 per day, but is often full. Parking in the neighborhood is also limited. Museum hours: 10:00 am to 5:45 pm Sunday through Tuesday; 10:00 am to 9:00 pm Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Admission: $3.20 for grown-ups, one-fourth for children, and free on Friday and Saturday evening from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The museum is open every day of the year except Christmas and Thanksgiving.

1. The American Museum of Natural History is in 　　　.

A．Philadelphie	B．Washington
C．Boston	D．New York

2. There is a parking place outside the museum, but 　　　.

A．people cannot park their cars there

B．it is not big enough to park all the cars

C．it will cost you $7.75 per week

D．nobody wants to park his car there

3. If four grown-ups and four children want to pay a visit to the museum at 3:00 pm on Saturday, they will pay 　　　.

A．$16

B．$19.2

C．$25.6

D．no money

4. You can visit the museum 　　　.

A．at 7:00 am on Monday

B．at 8:00 pm on Tuesday

C．at 11:00 am on Sunday

D．at 10:00 pm on Friday

5. From the passage, we can learn that 　　　.

A．the museum lies in the east of New York

B．the small parking place charges more than $8 a day for a car

C．one can get to the museum by car, by under-ground or by bus

D．the museum is the most popular one in America

【推荐3】My name is Xiao Jun. I come from the countryside. Now I’m studying and living in a big city. The city is very beautiful. There are many wide roads and tall buildings here. People can eat all kinds of foods and it is easy to do lots of things. It’s so convenient. Many people like living in the city. But I don’t like it very much. In the city, the traffic is heavy and the cost of living is high. It’s noisy, too. I can’t sleep very well here at night.

I miss the life in the countryside. There are many houses with big yards. The air is fresh and the water is clean. We can see green trees and colorful flowers here and there. I miss my home and want to go back soon.

1. Xiao Jun is studying and living ________ now.

A．in the countryside	B．in a big city
C．in a tall building	D．in a big high school

2. The underlined word “convenient” means ________ in Chinese.

A．方便的

B．有效的

C．快速的

D．紧张的

3. What can people see in the countryside?

A．Heavy traffic.	B．Noisy streets.
C．Tall buildings.	D．Green trees and colorful flowers.

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．There’re too many cars and buses in the city.

B．The air in the countryside is fresh.

C．Xiao Jun likes living in the city very much.

D．Xiao Jun misses the life in the countryside.

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．It’s good to living in the city.

B．Many people don’t like the city life.

C．The countryside is more beautiful.

D．Xiao Jun likes the life in the countryside more than that in the city.

【推荐1】Different countries have different customs. When you are in different countries, you should follow the customs there. In China, you are not supposed to start eating first if there are older people at the table.

Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip (给小费). It is usual to tip waiters, taxi drivers and porters who help carry your bags at a train station, an airport or in a hotel. Waiters expect to get a fifteen percent tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same amount.

In England, you can see people standing in line almost everywhere, at the bus stop, in a bank, in the post office, in the doctor’s waiting room and so on. So when you are in the UK, make sure to wait in a queue even if there are only two of you. It’s a good idea to talk about the weather there. It’s a favorite subject of conversations with the British.

In Spain, it’s a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late, and restaurants do not usually open until 9:00 p. m.

In Saudi Arabia, men kiss one another on the cheek (脸颊). Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite for you to do the same.

In Japan, people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card, don’t put it into your pocket soon. The person expects you to read it before you put it away.

Don’t forget to be careful of your body language when you express something in conversations. A kind of body language that is acceptable in one culture may be impolite in another.

1. How does the author write the text?

A．By telling stories

B．By giving examples

C．By giving reasons

2. According to Paragraph 2, when you eat in a restaurant in the US and the cost of your meal is $120, you’re supposed to leave _________ as a tip.

A．$24

B．$18

C．$15

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

A．Restaurants in Spain usually close at 9:00 p. m.

B．It’s impolite to talk about the weather in England.

C．When people in Saudi Arabia meet, they kiss each other on the cheek.

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Customs in different countries.

B．How to use body language.

C．Table manners in six countries.

【推荐3】Old Cremona Violins
Most musicians(音乐家) agree that the best violins(小提琴) were first made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments(乐器) like the Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old violins from Cremona are special(特殊的). So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood must be from certain kinds of trees.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape(形状). The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood.
Size and shape may not be the answer, either. Scientists can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish. Varnish is what covers the wood of the violin. It makes the wood look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. But no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish.
1. The passage is about          .

A．making violins	B．musical instruments
C．scientific ideas	D．the old Italian violins

2. Other people think the Italian violin makers          .

A．did not know much about violins	B．were lucky
C．used many kinds of wood	D．knew something special

3. Violins made today          .

A．have the same size and shape as the old ones

B．sound the same as the old ones

C．are better than the old ones

D．have the same varnish as the old ones

4. Some scientists believe that the secret of the old violins was          .

A．their sound

B．their colour

C．their varnish

D．the music