What inspires you to work hard? Having your own goals is important. Good sleep also helps. But as it turns out, having a plant on your desk can improve your work as well.
Mike Robinson, an engineer from Canada, owns his own small company. One day, his wife suggested picking out some plants and putting them on his workers’ desks.
Robinson doubted the idea at first. What good would plants do? He thought they might even be distracting（让人分心的). But he decided to try out the idea.
First, Robinson bought 20 plants for his workers. He asked each worker to make a small sign that said ―My name is___ and write their own name on the sign. Then, they put the sign on the plant they chose and took it back to their desk. Soon Robinson found that his workers were working much harder and getting along much better than before. It could because his workers formed ―friendships" with their plants. They would take good care of them, and in turn, take more care with their work. Plants can help to create a relaxed atmosphere（氛围）as well.
What about you? Does your classroom have any plants? If not, you might want to ask your teacher about this.
You and your classmates could take turns taking care of some plants in your classroom? It could be a nice way to make your classroom more lively and get to know your classmates even better.
1. The story is mainly about_______.| A．how to get inspiration for your work. |
| B．how having a goal helps with your work. |
| C．why good sleep is important for your work |
| D．how plants can improve your work |
| A．His company was too small to do it. |
| B．He didn’t think it would be different. |
| C．He thought it would cost too much money. |
| D．He didn’t want to try it. |
| A．Robinson’s name. | B．Their plant’s name. |
| C．Their company’s name. | D．Their own names. |
| A．Because Robinson gave them much more money than before. |
| B．Because looking after plants helped them take more care with their work. |
| C．Because the plants helped the workers become good friends with each other. |
| D．Because Robinson’s wife helped create a relaxed atmosphere for the workers. |
| A．creates a crowded atmosphere |
| B．takes up too much time |
| C．helps students build good friendships |
| D．distracts students from their studies |
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Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male (雄性) animal, considers as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species (物种) are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and frighten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting (筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting (吸引) mates and setting up territories.
1. How does the writer explain birds’ singing?| A．By telling a bird’s story. | B．By describing birds’ daily life. |
| C．By reporting experiment results. | D．By comparing birds with human. |
| A．an expression of happiness | B．a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger | D．a way of greeting |
| A．An area which a bird considers to be its own. |
| B．An area for which birds fight against each other. |
| C．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| D．A place where families of other species are not welcome. |
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| C．Because they want to express their happiness. |
| D．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| A．The differences of human and birds | B．How birds keep an outsider away |
| C．The reasons of birds’ singing | D．Birds’ singing for happiness |
【推荐2】Have you ever heard of the saying “when pigs fly”? That means something can’t happen-like pigs growing wings（翅膀）and flying like birds! For example, a person who hates riding roller coasters（过山车）might tell a friend, “I’ll go on that ride with you when pigs fly.”
Well, one pig in San Francisco may not be flying, but she is helping people relax before they fly in planes.
LiLou is a small pig working at the San Francisco airport. She is a treatment animal（治疗动物）that is quiet and likes to be touched by humans. She and other treatment animals aim to help travelers who get nervous about flying in planes. She was trained by the SPCA.
This is LiLou’s first week on the job as a member of the airport’s “wag brigade”. She only works at the airport once a month, so not all travelers to the San Francisco airport will see her. She works with a group of trained dogs. Their trainers walk around the airport with them. The animals wear signs that say “Pet me!”
LiLou, the pig has been getting a lot of attention（关注） at the airport and on social media. One Twitter user said he made fun of the airport’s decision to provide a relaxing yoga room for travelers, but he really loved LiLou.
LiLou is the first pig to be ever certified（证明）by the SPCA in San Francisco. Jennifer Henley is the manager of the SPCA’s program. “It’s wonderful to see the surprise and fun that LiLou brings to people during treatment visits,” she said.
1. The writer expresses（表达）the saying “when pigs fly” by ________.| A．asking questions | B．telling stories | C．giving examples | D．comparing with others |
| A．carry bags for the travelers | B．offer travelers health service |
| C．take the plane with travelers | D．make travelers feel peaceful |
| A．is quite popular at the airport | B．is easy to get nervous about flying |
| C．practices training twice a month | D．will work in a yoga room soon |
| A．LiLou isn’t happy with people | B．Jennifer is satisfied with LiLou |
| C．LiLou makes money for the airport | D．Jennifer brings people more fun |
| A．Amazing and lovely. | B．Honest and hard﹣working. |
| C．Strong and clever. | D．Beautiful and creative. |
“Joe, you are a very old dog,” says policeman Fred. “Today is your birthday. You were 14 years old last year.
“ARF! ARF!” barks (犬吠) Joe.
“You are welcome,” says Fred. “Now let’s get your birthday dinner.
Joe takes Fred down the street. Good smells come from all the eating places. But Joe walks on. At last he stops at a small place. He smells (闻) around the door.
“Is this where you want to eat?” asks Fred. But Joe does not bark. He puts his nose to the floor and runs across the room. Then he jumps (朴向) onto a man at a table!
“Good boy, Joe!”says Fred.
Joe and Fred take the robber (强盗) to the police station. Then Fred says, “All right Joe, you are a good dog.
| A．Then he opens the door. |
| B．Show me where you want to cat. |
| C．Now do you want that birthday dinner? |
| D．But you are still a good police dog in the world! |
| E．Joe and Fred have looked for this robber for a long time. |
【推荐1】If you live in Shanghai, Beijing or many other cities, you may see many orange bicycles on the streets these days.
These bikes are owned by a company called Mobike. You can order a bike through an app on your phone. When you find a bike, you just scan a QR code (扫描二维码) on the bike so you can use it. You don’t need to return the bike to a station— you can park it anywhere and pay for it on your phone.
China was known as “the kingdom of bicycles” and was famous for its largest number of bicycles in the world about 30 years ago. But more people choose to drive cars and catch the subway these days. Bike rental (租赁的) services like Mobike are bringing bikes back.
“Back then, I got the feeling that Chinese people were trying to be modern and push away the past. So they did not want to be linked with bicycles,” said Ines Brunn, a German woman who runs a bike store in Beijing. “I do believe changes (变化) in people’s tastes will shape new thinking about bikes.”
Online rental services are making biking more convenient, but it’s still not easy to ride bikes in Chinese cities. Cars often take up bicycle lanes (道路). Bikers have to ride next to cars in car lanes, which can be very dangerous.
Beijing plans to build over 3,200 km of new bike lanes. Drivers who drive in bike lanes will be punished. Traffic signs will be put up to better protect bikers.
1. If you want to use a Mobike, ________.| A．you have to scan a QR code | B．you don’t need to pay for it |
| C．you don’t have to return it | D．you have to pay for an app |
| A．China had the most bicycles in the world about 30 years ago. |
| B．More people are driving cars or taking the subway these days. |
| C．To be modern, people thought of bicycles in a good way. |
| D．It’s still very dangerous for bikers to ride bikes in Chinese cities. |
① People will not be allowed to ride bikes next to cars.
② Beijing will build new bike lanes.
③ Beijing will punish drivers who drive in bike lanes.
④ Beijing will put up traffic signs to protect bikers.
| A．①③④ | B．②③④ | C．①②③ | D．①②④ |
| A．How to use a Mobike | B．Orange bikes will be fashionable |
| C．Bringing back bikes | D．Why is Beijing building new bike lanes? |
The lunar Chinese calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气). Cold Dew is the 17th solar term of the year, which falls on October 8 and ends on October 22 this year.
Cold Dew, known as “Hanlu” in Chinese, is regarded as the real end of autumn, when the day comes with a wet land and dewdrops shine over leaves and flowers. It’s much colder than the White Dew.
During the Cold Dew, temperatures decrease quickly and sunshine cannot reach deep water. Fish swim to shallow waters where the temperature is higher.
It is a good season to enjoy pomegranates (石榴) around Cold Dew. Pomegranates have been praised for their outstanding beauty, smell, color, and health role for centuries.
There is a saying that goes “It is time to harvest hawthom (山楂) during Cold Dew.” The fruit has long been used in Chinese medicine.
Hawthom is thought to be good for heart health by making blood vessels (血管) strong and stimulating (促进) blood flow.
Southern Hunan province is a famous area for producing tea seed oil. Cold Dew is the right time to pick the seeds.
1. Why do fish swim to shallow waters during Cold Dew?| A．Because sunshine can reach deep water thoroughly. |
| B．Because they like the leaves there. |
| C．Because the temperature is less higher there. |
| D．Because it’s warmer there. |
| A．Pomegranates | B．Hawthom | C．Tea seed oil | D．Pomegranates and hawthorm |
| A．The Cold Dew falls on October 8 and ends on October 22 this year. |
| B．The land is wet during Cold Dew. |
| C．The White Dew is much colder than the Cold Dew. |
| D．Chinese medicine has used hawthomn for a long time. |
| A．Cold Dew is known as “Hanlu” in Chinese | B．Plants during Cold Dew |
| C．The history of Cold Dew | D．The introduction of Cold Dew |
Susan writes something about horse-riding in her blog (博客).
When you ride a horse for the first time, it’s very difficult! The first thing you learn is to get onto a horse. Then you learn to move(移动) up and down like the horse. If you don’t do that, it is very uncomfortable(不舒服) for you and the horse! At first you learn to walk the horse around. Then you learn to run slowly. When your teacher thinks you ride well, you can learn to jump(跳跃).Not everyone has to learn to jump, but I like jumping. It is exciting!
1. Susan comes from ______.
| A．America | B．Thailand |
| C．Australia | D．China |
| A．ride a horse |
| B．give food to the horses |
| C．teach others how to ride a horse |
| D．clean the horses |
| A．horses | B．classes |
| C．schools | D．foods |
| A．interesting | B．boring |
| C．scary | D．not good |
| A．Susan’s father works in a middle school |
| B．Susan goes to the horse-riding school every day |
| C．Susan can’t use a computer |
| D．Susan likes jumping on the horse |
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1. You have to pay if you buy THE SECRET GARDEN and PETER PAN online.
| A．¥30 | B．¥12 | C．¥50 | D．¥42 |
| A．the power of hope | B．her uncle |
| C．the magic of nature | D．friendship |
| A．GONE WITH THE WIND | B．PETER PAN |
| C．THE SECRET GARDEN | D．A LITTLE PRINCESS |
| A．discover the fact | B．protect your family |
| C．fight for new life | D．imagine and create |
| A．there are only three books with tapes |
| B．we can buy all the above books in bookstores |
| C．two of the books are written by Frances Hodgson Burnett |
| D．THE SECRET GARDEN is ¥5 cheaper in bookstores than online |
| A．practise listening | B．write a story |
| C．do online shopping | D．choose novels |
【推荐2】Jim loved traveling in his free time. Once he walked to a sacred shrine (圣地) in the Himalayas.
The journey was long and the mountain road was hard to walk on. Though he carried little baggage (行李), the road was very difficult for him. He kept sweating (流汗). Just ahead of him, he saw a little girl, less than 10 years old, carrying a boy on her back. She was also moving on slowly. She panted (喘气) heavily, but her hands still firmly held the boy on her back.
When passing by the little girl, Jim said to her, "My girl, you must be very tired because what you carry is so heavy!" Hearing this, the little girl said, "What you carry is a weight, but what I carry is not a weight: He is my little brother. I must take him to the hospital."
It is true that both a brother and a burden (负担) have a weight. But what the little girl said is also true: What she carried was her little brother, not a weight. She loved her little brother from the bottom of her heart.
1. Jim went to the Himalayas to .| A．do a survey | B．visit a sacred shrine |
| C．spend his vacation | D．lake some photos |
| A．She could carry her brother easily. |
| B．She loved her brother very much. |
| C．She was 10 years older than her brother. |
| D．She didn’t want to carry her brother at all. |
| A．Jim never carried his brother on the back |
| B．Jim asked the boy to walk with them |
| C．the boy on the girl's back was ill |
| D．the girl was silly to carry her brother |
| A．Love Me, and Love My Dog |
| B．If You Put Your Heart into It, There Is Nothing Difficult |
| C．Carry Your Brother Instead of the Baggage |
| D．Love Is Not a Burden, So Love Has No Weight |
Maria: Sure, Sam. I want to give him a computer game.
Sam: No, Bill never plays computer games.
John: I want to buy a CD of his favourite songs.
Sam: Good idea. Bill likes listening to music.
Maria: How about buying a birthday cake for him?
Sam: Oh, you don’t have to do it. His mother usually buys a birthday cake for him.
Maria: How about buying him a cinema ticket? I remember Bill likes watching films.
Sam: That sounds a good idea.
Maria &John: What about you? What would you like to buy for Bill, Sam?
Sam: It’s a secret.
1. Bill’s birthday is ________.
| A．this Sunday | B．this Saturday | C．this Friday | D．this Thursday |
| A．watch films | B．like music |
| C．play computer games | D．like birthday cakes |
| A．a cinema ticket | B．a birthday cake | C．a CD | D．a concert ticket |
| A．John | B．Bill’s mother | C．Maria | D．Sam |
| A．Bill likes playing computer games. |
| B．Maria wants to buy a CD for Bill. |
| C．They would sing a Chinese song for Bill. |
| D．We don’t know Sam’s present for Bill. |
