In some places in North Africa, great cities once stood. There were gardens and trees and grass. But now these places are like deserts(沙漠). Scientists have begun to study this land to find out what happened. Many of them think the land died when the trees were cut down. Trees help other plants grow. Tree roots hold the earth in place. They stop the soil from being blown away. In forests, leaves on the ground keep rainwater from running off. Trees near farms protect growing plants from strong winds.
Once there were hundreds of farms in the Southwestern United States. Then the farms turned into fields of dry land, because few trees grow in the dry Southwest.
Now we try to save trees. In many forests, when a tree is cut down, a new tree is planted in its place. We do not want the land to die.
1. From the passage, we can see .| A．tree roots hold sand | B．men may destroy the land |
| C．trees grow only in deserts | D．land can never become desert |
| A．Trees keep other plants away. | B．Trees help other plants grow. |
| C．Trees hold other plants down. | D．Trees destroy other plants. |
| A．Because there have been few trees growing there. |
| B．Because people planted quite a few trees there. |
| C．Because many people moved there to make a living. |
| D．Because when a tree was cut down, a new tree was planted in its place. |
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【推荐1】One day, a boy was playing in a garden. He was running after butterflies and trying to catch them. He was very happy to see the beautiful flowers.
Then he saw a frog jumping. As he ran behind the frog, it jumped into the lake.
A cow was also eating grass in the garden. He saw how the cow was eating grass. A fly (苍蝇) then came there and buzzed over the cow. The cow moved her tail to make the fly move away. The child laughed.
The boy was enjoying the beauty of nature (自然). He said, “Nature is wonderful. Its beauty is enjoyed by everyone.”
When he saw a squirrel, he ran after it and reached near the bed of roses. He tried to pick (采摘) some of the roses, but a thorn (刺) pierced him. The boy started crying and ran to his house.
His mother asked him, “What is the matter? Why are you crying?” The boy said, “The thorn of the rose hurt (伤) me while I was picking it and now it feels pain.”
His mother said, “You did something wrong. You should not have tried to pick the flower. The flowers are meant to be seen and not to be picked. Besides, natural beauty should never be harmed. We should help to protect the nature.”
The son said, “I will always follow what you have just told, mama.”
The mother said, “Let me know what you have learned today.” Her son said, “We should protect animals and plants. We should never harm them.”
1. Which of the following showed the right order according to the story?a. The boy ran after the squirrel and the rose hurt him.
b. The boy saw a fly coming to the cow.
c. The frog jumped into the lake.
d. The boy tried to catch the butterflies.
| A．d-b-c-a | B．d-c-b-a | C．b-d-c-a | D．b-a-d-c |
| A．He hurt himself when picking roses. | B．He couldn’t reach the bed of roses. |
| C．He couldn’t catch the butterflies. | D．He made the fly move away. |
| A．nature is the most beautiful thing in the world |
| B．the boy has no interest in the wonderful nature |
| C．everyone should try his best to protect nature well |
| D．the boy likes the beauty of nature very much |
The British summer is beautiful. Trees, flowers, birds and butterflies make the whole country look like a big garden. However, many British people have noticed that butterflies have been gradually disappearing from this nice scenery during the past several years. What has happened to them?
Butterfly Conservation, a charity in the UK, is running a survey to help answer this question. The result is more serious than people expected. According to the survey, among 59 butterfly species (物种) found in the British Isles, more than three-quarters of them are suffering a declining (衰弱) population, including the most popular Meadow Brown. Moreover, half of all butterfly species are dying out.
Some common species such as the small Tortoiseshell butterfly and the Wall butterfly are dropping sharply. The Wall butterfly cannot even be seen in many parts of central and southern England. And the Blue butterfly, which was commonly seen in the south, has started settling in Edinburgh in the past few years.
The numbers of butterflies have dropped to a record low in the past three years because the summer in the UK is getting cooler and their living conditions are also degrading.
Luckily, Britain is experiencing a long hot summer this year compared to the last few summers. Scientists believe the warm weather will be good news to the butterflies.
Sir David Attenborough, president of Butterfly Conservation, said, “A great number of butterflies around us is a signal that all is well with nature. But when they decline, it’s a warning that other wildlife will be soon heading the same way.”
The survey is still going on. The public is also encouraged to focus on the UK’s butterfly population. The organizers hope the survey will help more and more people realize the value of butterflies in the UK. Butterflies give a symbol of the well-being of nature and the environment.
1. What has the survey taken by Butterfly Conservation found?| A．The UK butterflies enjoy a cool climate. |
| B．The UK butterflies prefer settling in the north. |
| C．The number of the UK butterflies is getting smaller. |
| D．Butterflies make the British summer more attractive. |
| A．By listing examples (举例子). | B．By providing data (列数据). |
| C．By giving explanations (作解释). | D．By making comments (作评价). |
| A．Turning better. | B．Getting worse. |
| C．Keeping the same. | D．Becoming different. |
| A．warn people to care more about the change of weather |
| B．keep the charity running more smoothly than ever before |
| C．help the British government protect nature and the environment |
| D．help the British better understand how important the butterflies are |
【推荐3】Fraser Island is in Queensland, Australia, about 200 kilometres north of Brisbane.
It is a very important island because it is completely made of sand, but there is a long beach along the east coast. Planes arrive and leave from here.
The sand makes unusual shapes. There are hills made of sand called sandblows. Nothing grows on them. They move one or two metres a year from the northwest towards the southeast of the island, getting bigger and bigger. At other places on the island,such as Rainbow Gorge, The Cathedral and Red Canyon, the sandy rocks have different colours. Sometimes the rocks are so brown that they turn the sea brown,like coffee.
Surprisingly, the sandy island has a lot of different plants and animals. There are dark forests－eucalyptus woods, beautiful flowers and over a hundred lakes. There are many kinds of birds, like owls and curlews. There are many animals there, too, such as crocodiles, flying foxes and wild dogs called dingoes.
About 50,000 people visit the island every year to see the island’s beauty and nature. People enjoy camping and hiking there. Unluckily, the visitors create problems. They damage plants and frighten（惊吓）animals. Their sun cream（防晒霜）makes the water dirty. So it is necessary to manage the visitors. For example, people may not use motor boats or go fishing in the lakes, and they need official papers to drive there.
1. Fraser Island is a very important island because ________ .| A．it is made of sand | B．it has a long beach | C．it has a large airport | D．it is unusual in shape |
| A．A sandy hill can be formed in a year. | B．The sandy hills are red or brown. |
| C．There are lots of plants on the sandy hills. | D．The sandy hills keep moving. |
| A．flying foxes | B．crocodiles | C．wild dogs | D．birds |
| A．Fraser Island needs to be protected |
| B．Fraser Island was seriously polluted |
| C．people will not be allowed to visit Fraser Island |
| D．plants and animals are in danger on Fraser Island |
| A．A trip to Fraser Island. | B．Nature on Fraser Island. |
| C．Changes of Fraser Island. | D．The life on Fraser Island. |
【推荐1】A lot of animals travel from one place to another. We call this migration (迁徙).
In Africa, large animals, like elephants and zebras, migrate to find food and water. They usually follow the same ways every year.
A lot of birds migrate to find food and better weather, too. They are usually birds that eat insects. They spend the summer in northern Europe, because there are lots of insects there. In winter there aren’t any insects, so the birds fly south to southern Europe and Africa.
Arctic terns (北极燕鸥) travel the furthest when they migrate. They spend the summer in the Arctic, but when winter comes, they fly to the Antarctic, because it’s summer there. The next year they fly back to the Arctic again. In one year these small birds travel 36,000 km from one end of the earth to the other and back again. Nobody knows how they do it.
Some fish migrate to breed. Salmons (鲑鱼) can swim over 20,000 km in their life. They are born in rivers in Ireland, Scotland and other places in northern Europe. The young fish swim down the river to the sea and into the Atlantic Ocean. They live in the ocean until they are grown-ups. Then they return to the river where they were born. They lay their eggs in the river and then they usually die. Salmons do this, because their eggs are safer in the river. Other fish can’t eat them.
1. According to the passage, many birds fly to Africa in winter to find ________.| A．partners | B．water | C．land | D．food |
| A．They live in Antarctic all year. | B．They migrate to find food. |
| C．They travel further than the salmon. | D．They are big birds. |
| A．produce babies | B．look for food |
| C．live longer | D．avoid winter |
| A．In the rivers in Ireland. | B．In the Atlantic Ocean. |
| C．In the river where they were born. | D．In the sea in Scotland. |
| A．the migration of animals | B．the time of migration |
| C．the direction of migration | D．the result of migration |
【推荐2】The Sardar Patel Stadium (体育场) in India is the world’s largest cricket (板球) stadium. Although the sport is not well-known in places like China or the US,the UK and Australia.
Cricket is similar to baseball because it is played with a bat and ball. The rules of cricket are quite complicated (复杂的). This might be because the sport itself is very old. It was first played in 1646 in England,making it older than nearly any other sport in the world. As years passed,especially as the sport spread from the UK to British colonies (殖民地) in Australia and India.
In the UK,many people think cricket is slow and old-fashioned. Players usually dress in all-white uniforms and must be very polite to the umpire (裁判), and all shake hands and have a cup of tea together at the end. This has given the sport a reputation (声誉).
In India,cricket is a thing that makes the whole nation obsessed. The Indian Premier League (超级联赛) is to cricket what the English Premier League is to soccer. Players are big celebrities earning millions of dollars,and huge crowds gather to watch their matches.
Cricket is Australia’s most popular summer sport. Many people say summer does not start until Australia plays their first cricket game of the season. Most Australians will watch games on TV,listen to commentary (评论) on the radio or play games themselves.
1. What do the baseball and cricket have in common?
| A．They are both played with a bat and ball. |
| B．Their rules are easy to understand. |
| C．They are both not changed with time. |
| D．They are both modern sports. |
| A．In the US. | B．In England. | C．In Australia. | D．In India. |
| A．bored | B．relaxed | C．slow | D．crazy |
| A．To show the importance of soccer in India. |
| B．To show people’s love for cricket in India. |
| C．To ask people to watch soccer matches. |
| D．To show soccer is more popular than cricket. |
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about what to believe or what to do. According to a report on the World Economic Forum (2016), critical thinking, creativity, and their practical application(应用) are widely accepted as the top three skills that young people need to possess (拥有) in their future career.
A good critical thinker usually takes the following steps before he decides what to do. Whenever he needs to do something, he would, first of all, reason. He checks why he needs to do it and whether he really needs to do it. Then, analyze. He tries to find out what it really is and as the best way to do it. After that, evaluate. He makes sure whether he is able to do it and how to do it well. Finally, he makes the decision and takes action. Take the "Double 11"(a popular online shopping day in China) as an example. A few days before it, he checks carefully what he needs and whether he really needs them, and makes a shopping list. He goes to the online shops to compare the quality and the prices of the things that he is going to buy. He compares the shops that sell these things. Then he checks whether he can afford them and in which shops he is going to buy them. Although it takes him some time to make the decisions, he would not regret after the shopping.
Then what would happen if he didn't think critically before he made the decisions? After the crazy "Double 11", there were usually a lot of complaints on the Internet. There were regrets about buying more things than they needed. There were complaints about the poor quality and the prices of the things they bought. There were also complaints because they received wrong things or simply received nothing. There were all kinds of regrets and complaints. Why so? They had not thought critically before they made the decisions.
Critical thinking helps you make wiser decisions. It helps you avoid wasting time, money and so on. Therefore, do look before you leap.
1. According to the passage, critical thinking is a thinking skill that ________.| A．helps make better choices | B．will appear in the future |
| C．helps make quick decisions | D．makes us spend more money |
| A．He checks what he needs to buy. | B．He studies the quality and the prices. |
| C．He makes a proper shopping list. | D．He checks how much money he has. |
| A．satisfied | B．confident | C．interested | D．responsible |
| A．Daming did a new science experiment before reading instructions. |
| B．Lingling’s parents became very angry when they knew her bad marks. |
| C．After looking at the other team’s weak points, the coach made a new plan. |
| D．After hearing the stranger’s words, the girl followed him into a supermarket. |
【推荐1】Xu Rujun with his classmates in Shanghai did something special this year. They worked in groups with traffic police at different crossroads in the city. Holding small red flags, the students helped keep order and stopped people from jaywalking (乱穿马路).
As part of the school project, Xu’s school has told its students to do more community work.
After the half day of exhausting (筋疲力尽的) work, Xu told himself not to jaywalk any more. “I think through community work, we get to help others and more importantly, we grow a sense of responsibility (责任感),” he said.
Community service is an important part of education for teenagers around the world. In the US and Canada, high school students need to finish 40 hours of community service before graduation (毕业). For those Americans who have finished 1,400 hours of community work. They can be awarded (奖励) nearly ¥5,000(33,000 yuan).
Chinese students today do more community work, too. For example, starting from 2010. Sichuan high school students have been asked to do 10 days of community work. It will become part of their school grade.
Qian Lijun, 16, and her classmates in Suzhou, Jiangsu went to a local elder care home this winter. They put Spring Festival couplets (对联) on the walls and cheered up the people living there.
Li Xiaotian, 15, of Anshan said he used to clear flyers(小广告) from telephone poles(电线杆)with his classmates. They brought tools, towels and buckets and worked for three hours under the summer sun. “It was tiring, but seeing the clean poles without ugly ads-we really felt proud,” he said.
1. What was the special thing Xu Rujun did this year?| A．He became a cleaner to work in the street. |
| B．He helped the traffic police at a crossroad. |
| C．He became a policeman. |
| D．He stopped people from talking. |
| A．Xu Rujun’s school is in the middle of a big city. |
| B．Xu Ruiun and his classmates do some community work every day. |
| C．Xu Rujun and his classmates often hold small flags when they cross the roads. |
| D．Xu Rujun and his classmates think it is good for them to do some community work. |
| A．It has become a very important art of education only in China. |
| B．It is very important in school education in some foreign countries. |
| C．It is the only part of the school project for teenagers around the world. |
| D．It needs students to finish at least 1,000 hours of community work. |
| A．The students in Shanghai helped people to keep the traffic rules. |
| B．The students in Suzhou visited the old people’s home. |
| C．The students in Anshan cleaned the telephone poles under the summer sun. |
| D．The students in Sichuan sent Spring Festival couplets to the old people. |
| A．In a textbook. | B．In a diary. | C．In a newspaper. | D．In a novel. |
Over 3，000years ago, first fans began to be used. They were made of feathers(羽毛)，bamboo or silk. They came in different shapes, including rounds and squares.
Later, with the invention of paper, folding(可折叠的) paper fans became popular during the Song Dynasty. There are usually beautiful pictures on fans. Some are landscapes(风景).Others are flowers and animals. Moreover, many great people including SuDongpo, a poet of the Song Dynasty, and Tang Yin, a scholar(学者)and painter of the Ming Dynasty, once painted their masterpieces(杰作)on fans. This made fans not only useful tools in daily life but also great art works.
Therefore, with their value of beauty, people take fans as a symbol of status(地位).That's why in ancient China, emperors(皇帝)and scholars often held fans.
Today, fans are also great collectors' items and gifts. On the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, folding fans were given to leaders and officials of other countries, as well as other audiences. While they were waving fans to get cool, they were also experiencing Chinese culture.
1. The first fan was made of the following EXCEPT_________ before the SongDynasty.
| A．feathers | B．paper | C．bamboo |
| A．The invention of paper. |
| B．Emperors and scholars used fans. |
| C．Many great people painted their masterpieces on fans. |
| D．Fans can be folded. |
| A．A poet of the Song Dynasty. |
| B．An emperor in the Ming Dynasty. |
| C．A painter in the Qing Dynasty. |
| D．A scholar and painter in the MingDynasty. |
| A．Athletes. | B．Leaders and officials of other countries. |
| C．Other audiences. | D．Both B and C. |
| A．Today, many people collect fans and send them as presents. |
| B．In ancient China, emperors and scholars often held fans to get cool |
【推荐3】Rainforestsare some of the most beautiful places on the Earth. Tall trees grow high into the air. Millions of different kinds of animals run and play under the trees. Rainforests cover two percent of the earth, but they have over 50 percent of the world’s plants and animals.
It takes at least one minute to plant a tree. In that minute, 60 hectares（亩) of rainforests are destroyed forever. Six kinds of animals become extinct; they will never be seen again.
Every second, people cut down one hectare of rainforests. They use the trees to make things like paper. Because they cut down the trees so fast, the rainforests become smaller and smaller. By 2030, they will all be gone.
You can help save the rainforests. Try not to use too much paper; then paper companies will not cut down so many trees.
Choose the best answer:
1. Rainforests are some of _______ on the earth.
| A．the most beautiful places | B．the most exciting places |
| C．the most interesting places | D．the most wonderful places |
| A．Million of | B．Thousand of | C．Millions of | D．Thousands of |
| A．a half | B．a quarter | C．three quarters | D．one-fiftieth |
| A．第二 | B．秒 | C．两次 | D．其次 |
| A．they cannot get enough light | B．people cut down trees too fast |
| C．many trees are dying | D．people don’t love trees |
【推荐1】In China, learning some safety knowledge is becoming more and more important now. How should you keep yourself safe?
At school：
When students around you begin to push, try to hold onto something, or stay in a safer corner.
On your way home or to school：
Wait for the green traffic light.
Stay calm and leave quickly. Use a piece of wet cloth to cover your mouth and nose so that you don't breathe in smoke.
For riding on the escalator（自动扶梯）：
| A．When there's a fire |
| B．Here are some tips for you |
| C．It is dangerous to run up and down on the escalator |
| D．If you see a car coming, don't cross until it really stops |
| E．If you fall down in a crowded place, cover your head with both hands |
【推荐2】Want to say "hello" from Disneyland? Send a postcard! Want to say "hello" from abroad? Send a postcard! Beautiful scenes (风景), wild animals, excellent buildings, silly pictures, wonderful handwriting—you can find them all in one place. Where? On a postcard! Have people always sent postcards? No. Before postcards, people like to send letters in envelopes (信封).
The idea for the first decorated postcard was first patented (取得专利) in 1861. Sending a simple postcard with decorations (装饰) would be a great way to send a note. Then in the early days, postcards with pictures appeared (出现). By law, people had to write their note on the front— on the picture! The back was only for the address. Several years later, England allowed a divided—back postcard. Then people could write their note on the back left side and put the address on the right. During the early 1900s, the golden age of postcards, picture postcards became a craze of the world. Many people love these postcards. For example, in 1908 Americans
alone mailed over 677 million postcards. Today, postcards are the third most popular collection (收藏品) in the world after stamps and coins.
1. When was the idea for the first decorated postcard first patented?
| A．In 1861 | B．In 1908 | C．During the early 1900s |
| A．Under the picture. | B．Beside the picture. | C．On the picture. |
| A．唾弃 | B．热潮 | C．象征 |
| A．Stamps and coins | B．Postcards and coins | C．Stamps and postcards. |
| A．Letters. | B．Postcards. | C．Collections. |
【推荐3】Your third year of middle school was probably a difficult and busy time. You may have had trouble getting enough sleep. We all know that not getting enough sleep is not good for our health. But it has be found that less sleep could even cause you to have fewer friends, the Guardian reported.
According to researchers from the University of California, people who don't get enough sleep are less willing to socialize(社交)with others. They are simply too tired to go out.
The researchers did a small study. They tested 18 young people who had just had a good night's sleep -as well as tested them again after a sleepless night. The participants watched videos of people with expressions walking toward them. When the person on the video got too "close" to them, they pushed a button to stop the video, which recorded how close they allowed the person to get.
The results showed that the participants kept the person at a further distance if they hadn't gotten enough sleep. They might think the person intruded their personal space. But when the participants got a good night's sleep, they allowed the person to get much closer to them.
According to a lead researcher Matthew Walker, the less sleep you get, the less you want to socialize with others. In turn, other people may think you look strange and stay away from you. This can make you feel lonely and cause you to sleep even less. It becomes a vicious cycle(恶性循环).
So if you want to be a more sociable and popular person, seeping well might help. "One night of good see makes you feel more outgoing and confident." Walker told the Daily Mail.
1. According to the passage, in the third year of your middle school, you may meet ____.| A．schoolwork problems | B．sleeping problems |
| C．feeling problems | D．eating problems |
| A．They wanted to know how they slept well. |
| B．They wanted to know how they closed to others. |
| C．They wanted to how much courage they had. |
| D．They wanted to know how sleeping influenced them. |
| A．丢弃 | B．侵犯 | C．远离 | D．拥有 |
| A．you are easy to get on well with others |
| B．you'll get much closer to other people |
| C．it causes you to sleep more the next time |
| D．you can't be a more social and popular person |
| A．Sleeping well. | B．Socializing with other people. |
| C．A sleeping test. | D．Being more outgoing and confident. |
