【推荐1】Every thirty seconds there is an earthquake in the world. Some of these earthquakes are so weak that people can’t feel them. But some of them are very serious and many people get hurt or die in them. Do you know what cause earthquakes?

The earth’s surface (表面) has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake. Scientists are trying to predict (预测) big earthquakes, but it’s very hard. Do you know how to protect yourself during an earthquake? Here are some ways. You should remember them.

If you are inside the door.

◆Quickly move under a desk or along a wall. It will protect you from falling things. Don’t run out of the door.

◆Keep away from windows.

◆Turn off lights.

◆Don’t get into a lift. If you are in a lift, get out as quickly as possible.

If you are outside.

◆Don’t stay near tall buildings and trees. Things may fall on you.

◆Be careful of fallen power lines.

◆Lie on the ground in clear areas until the shaking stops.

1. How often does an earthquake happen in the world?

A．Once every thirty seconds.	B．Once every thirty minutes.
C．Once every three hours.	D．Once every thirteen seconds.

2. Where should you stay during an earthquake?

A．Near the window.

B．Along the wall.

C．In a lift.

D．Near a tree.

3. In the passage, you can know ________.

A．you don’t be afraid when an earthquake happens

B．you’d better lie on the ground in clear areas until the shaking stops

C．you should look for your family after the earthquake

D．you should not rebuild your homes after the earthquake

4. The passage tells us ________.

A．how to predict an earthquake	B．how to save people after an earthquake
C．what to do before an earthquake	D．how to protect ourselves during an earthquake

【推荐2】Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying (摧毁) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.

A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.

“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him, safe but very frightened.”

Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.

“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”

Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.

1. How many homes altogether (总共) were damaged in the storm?

A．Fourteen.

B．Twenty-one.

C．Twenty-nine.

D．Thirty-six.

2. Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?

A．He was in bed.	B．He was inside the house.
C．He was outside the house.	D．He was on the roof.

3. Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because ________.

A．her husband knew there would be a storm

B．they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

C．she felt the house moving and they ran out immediately

D．the welfare department helped her

4. The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ________.

A．something to eat

B．something to wear

C．somewhere to study

D．somewhere to stay

5. Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?

A．A Terrible Storm

B．A Lucky Woman

C．Good Soldiers

D．Clever People

【推荐3】When disaster happens you might find yourself without water, gas and electricity. You might even need to leave your home right away. So you are supposed to plan for the bad situations before the disaster comes. Here are some suggestions:

First, have a family meeting. Plan a way to get your family members together if they can’t find each other after the disaster. Choose two places for everyone to go to if it isn’t safe to return home. The first should be near your house. You can go there in an emergency（紧急情况）like a fire. The second meeting place should be outside your neighborhood.

Next choose a person outside your area who can help your family get in touch with each other. After a disaster. It is often easier to communicate over a long-distance call than a local one. The person can pass messages between your family members.

Then, get a family disaster kit ready. It should include things your family needs. It can help you survive（生存）at least for three days like bread, water, medicine and things like that. Put them in a bag so you can carry it if you leave in a hurry. When doing it, remember that different people have different needs, including special things necessary for elderly or young members of your family.

Finally, practice your emergency plan, and update（更新）it as necessary.

You may not be able to stop disasters, but with a little planning you can be helped.

1. Why does the writer suggest choosing a person outside your area?

A．To send food and water to you family.	B．To help your family move to a safe place.
C．To choose two places for your family to go to.	D．To help your family get in touch with each other.

2. What does the underlined word “kit” probably mean?

A．救护车

B．搜救犬

C．应急用品

D．防毒面具

3. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Planning for Disasters	B．How Different Disasters Happen
C．Practicing your Plan	D．Where to Stay away from Disasters

【推荐2】

Bicycle Safety

Operation

Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus(校园).

Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.

Theft Prevention   

Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack—even if you are only away for a minute. Register(注册)your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It’s fast, easy, and free. Registration is useful when your bike is lost or stolen.

Rules of the Road

Riding on Campus: As a bicycle rider, you have to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine(罚款). The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of ways to walkers. If you get into an accident, you are required to offer some help, call the Department of Public Safety and stay there until the officer lets you go.

Bicycle Parking   

Only park in areas for bikes. Trees, handrails(扶手), hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such posts can result in a fine.

If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating(违反) rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:

No bicycle registration—$25       Wrong bicycle parking—$30

Blocking path with a bicycle—$40     Riding without a helmet(头盔)—$35

1. We can infer(推断)from the first part that _____.

A．walkers and bicyclists often fight	B．there must be a light on a bicycle
C．we cannot ride bikes when it’s dark	D．we should watch how others walk and ride

2. Registration of your bicycle may help you _____.

A．find your stolen bicycle	B．pay less when you are fined
C．receive free repair services	D．get a bicycle at a lower price

3. When you ride a bicycle on the campus, _____.

A．ride on posted bicycle paths and sidewalks	B．cycle at a speed of over 15 mph
C．call the police before leaving in a case of accident	D．put the walkers’ right of way first

4. If you lock your bicycle to a tree on the campus, you could be fined _____.

A．$25

B．$30

C．$35

D．$40

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Rules for a bicycle race on campus.	B．Directions for a bicycle tour on campus.
C．A guide for safe bicycling on campus.	D．Rules for riding motorcycles on campus.

【推荐3】Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge. If you remember the following information, your life will be much safer.

Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn’t walk alone outside. Make sure you know where the public phones are. If anything dangerous happens, you can find them easily.

Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back. When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back.

If you are followed by someone whom you don’t know, cross the street and go to the other way. Let the person understand that you know he or she is after you. Next, don’t go home at once. You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift.

If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves. This stops other people from studying you. On the bus, don’t sit alone. Sit behind the driver or with other people. And don’t sleep.

1. You’d better put your bag ________ when there are too many people on a bus.

A．on your back

B．on the seat

C．in front of you

D．behind the driver

2. When you are followed by someone on your way home, you should ________.

A．walk towards him or her at once	B．find a lift and go in
C．go back home at once	D．cross the street and go to the other way

3. What should you do about taking a bus?

A．Get to the station a little earlier.	B．Never sit with others.
C．Have a good sleep on the bus.	D．Study on the bus.

4. Which of the following is NOT safe when you are out?

A．Know where the public phones are.

B．Go home alone late at night.

C．Don’t get to the bus stop too early.

D．Go with your family or classmates if possible.

5. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．How to take a bus.	B．How to use public phones.
C．How to cross the street.	D．How to be safe in your everyday life.

【推荐1】Do you know how to get on well with people? Do you ever feel shy? What situation makes you feel shy? Do you sometimes feel that you don’t know how to interest people and have conversations with them? Do people find an excuse to leave you as soon as they can?

Try listening! Here is an example of mine.

One evening last week, I was sitting with Hannah, and she said to me, “You are a great mom!” And I said, “Why do you say that suddenly?” She said, “Well, although you are always busy, you always stop to listen to me.”

Here is some advice about listening:

※ Show the other person that you are listening.

※ Look at them.

※ Smile and nod quite often.

※ Shake your head or raise your eyebrows if you don’t follow what they are saying.

※ Don’t tap your foot because this will show impatience.

※ Don’t look at your watch unless you really have to know the time. If you show the impatience, then the other person won’t make friends with you any more.

A good listener has magic! A good listener can make people feel good, and is as important as a good talker at a party. But just listening is not enough. One should listen smartly by trying to find out what the other person would really like to communicate.

1. Hannah thought her mother was great because ________.

A．her mother always listened to her	B．her mother was busy
C．her mother got on well with others	D．her mother was sitting with her

2. When you are listening to others, you shouldn’t ________.

A．look at your watch all the time	B．look at their eyes
C．smile and nod	D．show your attitude

3. If you tap your foot when listening to others, maybe you’ll ________.

A．be a good listener	B．lose their friendship
C．agree with them	D．be a good friend

4. What should be the best title of the passage?

A．How to make friends.	B．How to talk to people.
C．How to be a good listener.	D．How to know a person.

【推荐2】Now, more and more mothers wear the same clothes as their daughters, so people often mistake them for each other. According to a new study, mothers today look to their daughters for fashion（时尚）and beauty ideas. The study questioned 343 mothers and daughters, with an average（平均）age of 44 for mums and 16 for daughters.

A report from Temple University, Philadelphia also says that many children act and dress up older than their years. But they don’t listen to the ideas from their parents in wearing.

Some mothers buy the same clothes as their daughters do. They like the same color and style as their daughters. They do so because they want to keep as young as their daughters. And now many more mothers compare（与……比较）beauty with their daughters. So an interesting thing happens: the woman may look like a teenager from behind, but she is already middle-aged from the front.

The report shows that if a mum is young at heart and fashion, she is more likely to see her daughter as a style expert（时尚专家）and copy her. So what are the mothers going to wear in the future? This may be up to their daughters.

1. Why do people mistake mothers and their daughters?

A．Because they have the same habits.	B．Because they often wear the same clothes.
C．Because they often walk together.	D．Because they often have the same hairstyle.

2. What do many children like to wear in their everyday life?

A．Clothes that are expensive.	B．Clothes that are cheap.
C．Clothes that make them look older.	D．Clothes that make them look younger.

3. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Daughters should wear as their mothers do.

B．Mothers should learn from their daughters in the lifestyle.

C．Ideas of wearing different clothes are up to money.

D．Daughters’ fashion may play an important role in their mothers’.

4. Where may we read this passage?

A．In a magazine.

B．In a story book.

C．In an ad.

D．In a diary entry.

【推荐3】Do you know about Huaguxi? It originated in Hunan Province. Some other provinces, like Hubei, Anhui, Henan, Shanxi, also have Huaguxi.

People could watch Huaguxi as early as the Qing Dynasty. At that time, most of the Huaguxi players were farmers. They wore colorful clothes and painted their faces. They always sang songs and danced along the streets to celebrate some special festivals. These players were popular with the people in the countryside.

During the early 19th century, there were only two roles in Huaguxi: chou and dan. Chou is a male clown(男丑角) and dan is a young girl. Both roles were played by men. In the 1860s, Huaguxi added a new role: sheng(a handsome young man). In the early 20th century, women began to play in Huaguxi.

The early Huaguxi lasted only 45 minutes to an hour. Most plays were about the life of the farmers. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, some Huaguxi performance groups moved to Changsha. There Huaguxi developed quickly. Now, Huaguxi has more roles and can last two to three hours. People can enjoy different kinds of stories.

1. The underlined word “originated” in the first paragraph means “________ ” in Chinese.

A．发现

B．发掘

C．起源

2. When did people start to watch Huaguxi?

A．In the Qing Dynasty.

B．In the 1860s.

C．In the early 20th century.

3. What new role did Huaguxi add in the 1860s?

A．Chou.

B．Sheng.

C．Dan.

4. What were most plays about as for the early Huaguxi?

A．Different kinds of stories.

B．People in Changsha.

C．The life of the farmers.

5. The passage is most likely(可能) to be found in _________.

A．a storybook

B．a culture column(专栏)

C．a science report

【推荐1】My family had a four-day trip to Yunnan during the Spring Festival. It was great that we enjoyed different views there.

Time	Activities
Day 1	On the first day, we arrived in Shangri-la County. We met the local guide at the airport. We took the travel bus to the hotel. After lunch, we visited Napa Lake in our free time in the afternoon.
Day 2	It took us 2 hours to Lijiang and we saw the Tiger Leaping Gorge on the way. In Lijiang, we visited the Black Dragon Pond. In the afternoon, we climbed the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Then we took a cable car to Baisha village.
Day 3	The next morning, we planned to go to Dali. We spent 4 hours getting there. Then we visited Bai village, Xizhou and Zhoucheng. And there is a Dali old town. We ate the local food at a farmer's house. It was delicious.
Day 4	We flew to Kunming in the morning. It is the capital of Yunnan Province. Then we took a tour to the Stone Forest. I was so happy that I took lots of beautiful photos there. In the afternoon, we went to some local shops to buy some gifts and then left Kunming by air.

1. In which season was this wonderful trip?

A．Spring.

B．Summer.

C．Autumn.

D．Winter.

2. On which day did they visit Napa Lake?

A．The first day.

B．The second day.

C．The third day.

D．The fourth day.

3. They didn't visit ________ in Lijiang on the second day.

A．the Tiger Leaping Gorge	B．the Black Dragon Pond
C．the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain	D．Baisha village

4. How long did it take them to go to Dali from Lijiang?

A．2 hours.

B．3 hours.

C．4 hours.

D．4.5 hours.

5. How did they go home after ending their trip?

A．By bus.

B．By car.

C．By train.

D．By plane.

【推荐2】Winter solstice, as the name shows, means the coming of winter. As an important solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar, it is also a traditional holiday for Chinese, which is also called “冬节”， “长至节”，“亚岁”, etc. Generally, winter solstice occurs between December 21st and 23rd. According to the traditional Chinese calendar, five days constitutes a pentad and three pentads constitutes a solar term. One year is divided into twelve periods and twelve climates which are regarded as twenty-four solar terms. The Winter Solstice is one of twenty-four solar terms. On this day, in the Northern Hemisphere the period of daytime is the shortest of the year and the period of night is longest. . In Northern China during winter solstice there is a custom of eating dumplings.
1. There are _________ solar terms in a year.

A．twelve	B．five
C．twenty-four	D．thirty-one

2. People often eat _________ during winter solstice

A．mooncakes	B．dumplings
C．noodles	D．chicken

3. Winter solstice is in ____.

A．January

B．September

C．October

D．December

4. On winter solstice the period of night is ________in China.

A．the longest	B．the shortest
C．darkest	D．brightest

5. Which day has the longest daytime in China?

A．The beginning of spring

B．Summer solstice

C．Grain full

D．The beginning of autumn

【推荐3】The choice of colours for a room's walls and ceilling(天花板) can help you decide whether your design is successful or not. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your home's colours.

Bright colors, like blue, yellow and orange, provide an expansive(膨胀的) feeling. These are friendly and happy colours. They can encourage communication and are especially welcome in the dining room and kitchen.

Dark colours, such as red and purple, have a constricting(收缩的) and gloomy effect. But when they are used in the right place, they can help create a safe and comfortable feeling.

Warm colors, orange and yellow, for example, raise the temperature of a room. For that reason, they're best used in rooms that face north. Warm colours are also active colours, so you'd better not use them in room for relaxation, like the bedroom.

Cold colors, such as icy blue and green, have a calming effect. They are especially suitable for bedrooms. They help you fall asleep easily in the evening and become energetic when you get up the next morning.

Navy blue can make people unwilling to communicate, so do not use it in the living room or the dining room.

Red raises the energy level of a room, but it may also make people get angry more easily. Therefore, it's not suitable for a child's room.

Grey should not be used in the dining room or kitchen if you want to enjoy your meals.

1. My friend finds it hard to sleep well, what colour should she use in her bedroom?

A．Orange

B．Purple

C．Green

D．Grey

2. What does the underlined word "gloomy" mean in Chinese?

A．忧郁的

B．乐观的

C．舒适的

D．积极的

3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Bright colours are happy and friendly colours.	B．Purple sometimes has a gloomy effect.
C．A child's room should be painted red.	D．Grey is not suitable for dining rooms.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How to choose colours when designing rooms.	B．Different colours have different meanings.
C．Colours are important in our lives.	D．Colours influence our moods.