Have you ever heard of netball? It is a team sport which is similar to both basketball and handball.
Netball was first played in England in 1895 at Madame Ostenburg’s College. In the first half of the 20th century, Netball’s popularity continued to grow, with the game being played in many countries, it is particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand. In 1995 Netball became a “recognized” sport of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and one of the International Netball Federation’s goals is to encourage the IOC to include netball in the Olympic Games Programme in the future.
There are seven players on each team and they each wear a bib (号码布) which shows the name of the position they play. Players must throw the ball to one another and the aim of the game is to pass the ball to the “Goal Shooter” or “Goal Attack” who can shoot the ball into the net to score a goal. However, the key rules of netball are that you cannot bounce (拍) the ball and you cannot move your feet when you have the ball. This is called the footwork rule and it can be quite difficult to grasp (掌握) for young children playing the game! A full match lasts for one hour and in a single match often about 100 goals are scored which shows what a fast-paced and exciting game netball is!
Netball is typically played by women and girls. However, at many universities, there are mixed netball leagues (联赛) in which teams must have both male and female players.
In the UK, there are many different ways to try to attract women to play netball. One such plan is called “Back to Netball” which encourages women who have not played netball since they were at school to rediscover their love for the sport and get back on the court! Walking Netball is another variation (变化形式) of the sport aimed at older women and those who want to exercise in a gentler way. So, why not watch a video of netball online and then have a go for yourself?
1. What is netball similar to?2. When was netball first played?
3. How long does a full netball match last?
4. What is Walking Netball?
5. What is Paragraph 3 mainly talking about?
2 . Hello, boys and girls! I’m Helen. The Student Art Festival starts in our middle school. Today is December 13th. There is a photo show. Students take many photos. All of them are great. I love one of the photos a lot. It’s a photo of a big family. It’s named “Happy Birthday, Grandpa!” I think this student must have a happy family, just like me.
In the next two weeks, we have other fun things—the talent show, Chinese painting show and the DIY show. I like the talent show very much. The talent show is on the afternoon of December 19th. My classmate Tony and I will play the piano in the show. Our parents will come and watch the show. I hope we can do well. Do you have time? Please come and watch our show.
1. There is a(n) ________ in Helen’s school.| A．sports meeting | B．art festival | C．English party | D．book sale |
| A．students | B．Shows | C．photos | D．schools |
| A．her classmate | B．her mother | C．her teacher | D．her cousin |
| A．There is a photo show on the second day. | B．There is a basketball game. |
| C．Helen likes the DIY show very much. | D．There is a talent show on the afternoon of December 19th. |
| A．A Photo Show | B．A Happy Family |
| C．The Student Art Festival | D．A Talent Show |
3 . John is from New York. His home is near the school. So he often goes to school by bike. Every day it takes him about fifteen minutes to get there. He always gets to school on time.
Mary is a student of a middle school in Tokyo. The school is far from her home. Every day she has to go to school by subway. It takes her about forty minutes. She often gets up very early because she doesn’t want to be late for school. She is a good student. Jenny’s home is in London. It is far from her school. She usually goes to school by bus. This kind (种类) of bus has two floors (两层). It takes her an hour every day. She must get up very early every morning. She often gets to school early.
Tom is a student of a middle school in Iceland (冰岛). There is snow (大雪) all year round. So he usually goes to school by sledge (雪橇). It takes about twenty minutes to get there. He is sometimes late for school.
1. How does Jenny go to school every day? ________| A．By bike. | B．By bus. | C．By subway. | D．By car. |
| A．15minutes. | B．40minutes. | C．An hour. | D．20minutes. |
| A．John | B．Mary | C．Jenny | D．Tom |
| A．Because his home is near the school. |
| B．Because there is no bus in Iceland. |
| C．Because there is snow all year round in Iceland. |
| D．Because he can't ride a bike. |
| A．how students can get to school on time |
| B．how students in other countries (国家) go to school |
| C．students should get up early |
| D．students should study hard |
4 . In many English homes people eat four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.
People have breakfast at any time from seven to nine in the morning. They eat porridge, eggs or bread. English people drink tea or coffee at breakfast. Lunch comes at one o’clock. Afternoon tea is from four to five in the afternoon and dinner is about half past seven. First they have soup, and then they have meat or fish with vegetables. After that they eat some other things, like bananas, apples or oranges.
But not all English people eat like that. Some of them have their dinner in the middle of the day. Their meals are breakfast, dinner, tea and supper and all these meals are very necessary.
1. Many English people have _______ meals a day.| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．three or four |
| A．tea and eggs | B．porridge, eggs, bread, tea or coffee |
| C．tea and coffee | D．bread and eggs |
| A．any time | B．nine o’clock | C．five o’clock | D．one o’clock |
| A．porridge | B．bananas and apples | C．some soup and meat | D．meat and fish |
| A．at one o’clock | B．about half past seven | C．at noon | D．at night |
5 . Many people like to travel when they have time off from school or work. They might go to their hometown to see their family, or travel somewhere far. But not everyone does this—some people take a “staycation” instead.
A staycation is when you spend your holiday at home. Some people might travel around their city. Others might try rural tourism in the countryside. People like myself prefer to just stay at home.
I had a staycation of my own over the summer. I slept in late every day. I worked on music and played video games. I wasn’t too lonely — I had my cat to play with, and I visited some of my friends around the city.
Traveling is fun from time to time. But it’s also nice to just stay at home and relax. It’s also cheaper, since I don’t have to pay to travel. You can choose to do just about anything you want — or, if you want, just do nothing. There’s nothing wrong with that.
1. What is a “staycation” ?| A．Working overtime during vacation. | B．Staying at home for vacation. |
| C．Going back to your hometown for vacation. | D．Traveling somewhere during vacation. |
| A．农家乐 | B．自驾游 | C．跟团游 | D．自由行 |
| A．Where he used to go during vacation. | B．How he felt about staying at home alone. |
| C．Why he prefers staycations over traveling. | D．What he did during his staycation. |
| A．Bored. | B．Lonely. | C．Relaxed. | D．Busy. |
| A．People should spend some time alone during weekends. |
| B．Doing nothing at home is OK for vacation. |
| C．People choose to stay at home because it’s cheap. |
| D．Traveling is not always fun. |
6 . Smoke fills the sky. The day is as dark as night. Heat makes it hard to breathe(呼吸). This is the world of a wildfire fighter(消防员)!
Wildfires are a part of nature. But, as one firefighter says, “Fire is not a problem. People living near fire—that’s the problem.”A wildfire can destroy(毁坏) everything in its way. But there are ways to fight it.
By air
Smokejumpers(空降森林灭火员) are often the first firefighters to reach a fire. To get closer, they jump from a plane. They are especially important when the area is difficult to walk to. If smokejumpers can’t stop a fire in 24 hours, other firefighters join them. This second group drops water on the fire from an airplane.
On the land
On the ground, firefighters work together to stop the fire. First, one group digs a fire line. This is a long deep ditch(沟). It is difficult for the fire to cross this line.
Then, while those firefighters dig, others start a backfire(回火). They burn the dry grass and leaves between the wildfire and the fire line. When the wildfire comes, there is nothing for it to use as fuel.
Other firefighters cut down dead trees. That way the fire can’t move to other trees. Firefighters risk their lives to keep people safe. Their job takes hard work, and it takes courage.
1. The underlined phrase “use as fuel” means ________.| A．drop | B．fire | C．burn | D．live |
| A．Fire is natural, but it’s dangerous to people living near it. |
| B．Fires in forests are not a big problem, but fires in cities are. |
| C．Fighting fires should be the job of people living near fires. |
| D．Putting out fires in cities is always a problem for firefighters. |
| A．Smokejumpers are often the last firefighters to reach a fire. |
| B．The firefighters dig a fire line to stop the fire crossing the line. |
| C．The firefighters start a backfire by burning the dry grass and leaves. |
| D．Some firefighters cut down dead trees so that the fire can’t move lo other trees. |
| A．explain why fire is not a problem | B．show us how fires destroy everything |
| C．tell us how firefighters fight wildfires | D．teach us how to be a good firefighter |
7 . Today's Shanghai
Shanghai, one of the largest cities in China, attracts people at home and abroad like a magnet(磁铁). People come here for its culture, its people, and its history. Shanghai is also named "Hu(沪)" or "Shen(申)" in short. It is in the middle part of China's east coastline. It has a pleasant climate(气候), with four distinct seasons.
These years, a number of modern buildings have been added to the city, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Library, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Circus City and Jinmao Tower. They have become new scenic sights in Shanghai.
Shanghai, this modern city, succeeded in winning the bid of sponsoring the 2010 World Expo in 2003. The theme(主题) of 2010 Shanghai World Expo will be "Better City, Better Life. " So Shanghai will be more beautiful.
1. How is Shanghai in China?2. Do people of Shanghai like a magnet?
3. Why do many people come to Shanghai?
4. What is the short name of Shanghai?
5. Is Shanghai in the middle of China?
6. List three modern buildings in Shanghai.
7. What is the theme of 2010 Shanghai Expo?
8 . Most Americans go to work five days a week. American school children go to school five days a week as well. American families usually have a two-day weekend. They are Saturday and Sunday. During the weekend, they usually spend (度过) their time in many d
And many American families often do sports at the weekend. Running, going c
The weekend is also a time for American families to work on something in their yards (院子) or on their houses. They also plant flowers and vegetables in their yards.
For most Americans, the weekend is very b
9 . Eating habits are different in different countries. The Chinese have a saying, “Eat good things for breakfast, eat a big meal for lunch, but eat less at dinner.” Americans agree that one should start the day with a good breakfast, but their ideas about lunch and dinner are different.
Most Americans only give themselves a short time for lunch, so they usually eat a small lunch. But after work they will have more time to eat a big dinner. Also a quiet dinner at home with all the family talking about their day is a way to take a good rest after a long, hard day of work.
Eating at restaurants is also different. In America, people like a quiet place where they can eat a good meal far away from the noises of the outside world. If someone is talking too loudly, the manager of the restaurant may come out and ask them to be quiet. But in China, people like to talk and laugh while eating. Very often you can hear them talking and laughing, and they are just having a good time.
1. Are eating habits the same in different countries?2. What does the Chinese saying want to tell us?
3. Chinese people and Americans have the same idea about lunch and dinner, don’t they?
4. What kind of lunch do most Americans have?
5. What do Chinese people like to do while they are eating?
10 . People eat different things in different places. In some eastern countries, people like eating rice as their main (主要的) food. Sometimes they eat it two or three times a day, for breakfast, lunch and supper. They usually eat it with meat, fish and vegetables. Japanese people like eating fish and rice. So they make different kinds of seafood sushi (寿司). They are delicious. Now Chinese people also like eating sushi very much. There’s a famous sushi restaurant called Sumo Sushi. In western countries, the most important food is bread and potatoes. And people there cook potatoes in different ways.
But some people eat only fruit and vegetables. They don’t eat meat or fish, or anything that comes from animals. They are vegetarians (素食者). They think it’s healthier for them to eat vegetables than meat.
1. What do people in some eastern countries like eating as their main food?2. What is the name of the famous sushi restaurant?
3. How do people in western countries cook potatoes?
4. What do vegetarians like to eat?
5. Why don’t vegetarians eat anything that comes from animals?
