2 . 1. Do you yawn (打哈欠)? There are about 20 reasons that scientists think are possible for yawning after research. They do not know exactly why yawning happens, but they do know many facts about yawning.

2. We know that everyone yawns in the same way. First you open your mouth slowly. Your mouth stays open for about five seconds. You take in a lot of air and then push it out. Then you quickly close your mouth. We also know that yawning is contagious. When you see someone yawn, you yawn, too.

3. Many people say they yawn because they are bored or tired. That might be true. People do often yawn before they sleep and after they wake up. However, we know that people also yawn when they are excited or nervous. Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a race. Why is that? In 2007, scientists found that a yawn can help a warm brain cool down.

4. Some scientists believe that yawning makes you notice things more quickly. When you are young, you breathe deeply. You also stretch (强化) the muscles (肌肉) in your face, mouth, and neck. Your eardrums (耳膜) stretch, too. Maybe this helps you to be quicker to notice things.

5. In some countries, people think yawning is not nice. People put their hands over their mouths to cover a yawn. In other countries, people think yawning is healthy. They think that opening the mouth very big can let good things in. When they breathe out, they think that bad things go out of the body with the air.

6. Scientists do not spend much time studying yawning. That is probably because yawning does not hurt. It is just something we do.

根据短文内容选择最佳答案。
1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in Paragraph (段落) 2 mean?

A．Able to spread quickly.

B．Able to sleep quickly.

C．Able to change easily.

2. Why do Olympic runners often yawn before a race?

A．They are too tired or too bored.

B．A yawn can let good things in.

C．A yawn can help a warm brain cool down.

3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5?

A．Reasons for yawning.

B．Advantages of yawning.

C．Different ideas about yawning.

4. What can we probably infer (推断) from the passage?

A．People use different ways to yawn.

B．Some scientists think yawning is good for people.

C．Scientists will do further research on yawning.

5. What would be the best structure (结构) of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

3 . I don’t like bullies (恃强凌弱者). Bullies are people who keep saying things or doing things that hurt you. Bullies make you feel scared. They hurt you or make you awful. Sometimes they take things from you. Sometimes they break your things.

I don’t know why people become bullies. Maybe they think that bullying makes them look strong. Maybe they think bullying makes them popular. Or, maybe some of them just feel bad about themselves and want other people to feel bad too. I think some bullies can’t stand people who are better than them, so they bully. Whatever the reasons they are, bullying is wrong.

Everyone needs to work together to let bullies know that we won’t allow bullying in our school. At the same time, our parents, teachers and us students should take bullying seriously. If bullies hurt us but we are afraid to tell our parents and teachers for help, bullies will continue bullying us. If we see bullies hurt others and we don’t stop them, then we are just as bad as bullies. We all need to let bullies know that they behave badly. We need to tell them we don’t like it. We must help people who are being bullied.

Let’s say “No” to bullying. Our school is a NO BULLYING school!

1. What does the underlined word “scared” probably mean?

A．Sick.

B．Afraid.

C．Excited.

2. How many reasons for becoming bullies are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

3. What should we do to fight against bullying according to the passage?

A．Make friends with bullies.

B．Pay no attention to bullying.

C．Work together to stop bullying.

4. Which of the following is TRUE about the bullies?

A．They are often popular at school.

B．They all feel bad about themselves.

C．They may hurt people in different ways.

5. The text is mainly written for ________.

A．bullies

B．students

C．parents

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容案要求完成任务。

When the first person looked up to the sky, people’s imagination of space began. In China, there are many stories about the exploration (探索) of space.

Thousands of years ago, there was a lady named Chang’e that flew to the Moon and lived there with a rabbit. It’s just a story in myths (神话).

In the Ming Dynasty, a man named Wan Hu used a machine which was made of a chair, some fireworks and a kite as a rocket to fly to space but failed. He was considered as the first human that tried to explore space.

Our exploration of space never stopped until it became a reality in modern times. Without doubt, Chinese space technology has made great progress.

In 2003, when Shenzhou V set off successfully, Yang Liwei’s words “I am proud of our motherland” brought tears to our eyes. Carrying the flying dream of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, as the first space visitor of China, he started the Space Age for the Chinese.

In 2008, Zhai Zhigang in Shenzhou VII had the first Chinese spacewalk, “I am out of the capsule (太空舱), and I feel good,” he told the world proudly.

In the next years, China kept making its way in order to step further on exploring space. Especially in the recent years, China has sent up Shenzhou XI and Shenzhou XV. Six astronauts have been sent to space with two women included. On May 30, 2023, Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao in Shenzhou XVI were sent into space successfully.

From 2003 to 2023, Chinese people go farther and farther in space, In the near future, China will send astronauts to the Moon and explore the Moon.

Task I: Finish the chart according to the passage. Fill in each blank with no more than 3 words.

Stories about China’s    1
Thousands of years ago	Chang’e flew to the Moon in myths.
In the Ming Dynasty	Wan Hu made a machine and tried to explore space.
In 2003	Yang Liwei started     2     for the Chinese.
In 2008	Zhai Zhigang had the first Chinese spacewalk.
In the next years	We Chinese people kept making our way     3     we could step further on exploring space.
On     4	China sent Shenzhou XVI into space successfully.
In the future	Chinese astronauts     5     to the Moon.

Task II: Answer the following questions.
    6    In which dynasty did Wan Hu live?
______________________________________________________
    7    How did Zhai Zhigang feel when he had the first Chinese spacewalk in Shenzhou VII?
______________________________________________________
    8    What do you think of Chinese space technology? Explain your reason(s) in about 20 words.
______________________________________________________

5 . The traditional Chinese Longtaitou Festival, or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival, falls on the second day of the second lunar month every year, and recognizes (认知) the start of spring and farming. A well-known phrase goes, “Er yue er, long tai tou.” meaning “On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts his head.” This year it falls on March 11th.

Ancient people believed that after this day, rainfall increases because the rain-bringing Dragon King has awakened from his winter sleep.

The most famous tradition for this festival is getting a haircut. Some believe that going to the barbershop on this day gets rid of bad luck, while others believe getting a haircut during the first month of the lunar calendar brings bad luck. Although today few pay attention to it, it was once tradition to line up outside barbershops on the day of Longtaitou, having avoided haircuts for the first month.

People eat tofu balls in East China’s Fujian Province during the festival, and often make tofu and vegetable balls to pray for family and business. Fried beans are the traditional fare for people in parts of Shangdong Province.

Eating chengyao cakes, which are made from sticky rice (糯米), during the festival is a tradition in Suzhou, East China’s Jiangsu Province. There is an old saying, “If you eat chengyao cakes on Longtaitou, your waist (腰) won’t hurt all year round.”

Meanwhile, other foods like noodles, dumplings, spring rolls and popcorn, are named after dragon body parts to mark the day. Noodles are dragons’ beard (longxu), dumplings are dragons’ ears (longer), spring rolls are dragons’ scales (longlin), and popcon is dragon seeds (longzi).

1. From the first paragraph, we can know the Longtaitou Festival is _______.
①on the second day of the second lunar month ②On March 11th every year
③a traditional festival in some parts of China ④the start of spring and farming

A．①②③

B．①③④

C．②③④

2. According to the passage, the most famous tradition for this festival is _______.

A．eating all kinds of delicious food

B．going to a barbershop to get a haircut

C．waking the dragon up from its sleep

3. The underline word “fare” in Paragraph 4 most probably means _______.

A．food

B．event

C．reward

4. How does the writer develop the passage?

A．By listing traditional foods for the Longtaitou Festival in some parts of China.

B．By telling the stories of traditional foods for the Longtaitou Festival.

C．By asking the questions of the tradition for the Longtaitou Festival.

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

A．The history of the Longtaitou Festival

B．The interesting activities of the Longtaitou Festival

C．The culture and traditions of the Longtaitou Festival

6 . It’s normal for parents to disagree and argue from time to time. Sometimes parents stay calm when they disagree, and they give each other some time to listen and talk. But many times when parents disagree, they argue.

It’s OK for parents to argue sometimes.

It’s common for people to have different pinions, feelings, or ways to do thing’s. Talking about these differences is the first step to solve the problem. It’s important for people in a family to be able to tell each other how they feel and what they think, although sometimes they may disagree with each other. Sometimes parents can feel so terrible about their differences that it may cause arguments.

Try to create a happy and healthy family.

If your family argue from time to time, try not to worry about it. ______ Even in the happiest home, problems will happen and people will argue. Usually the family members should know what the problems are and talk about them. Then everyone feels better and life can get back to normal.

In short, being part of a family means everyone should try to make life better for each other. Arguments may happen but with love, understanding, and some work, families can solve almost any problem.

1. Parents will _______ when they disagree with each other most of the time.

A．talk

B．listen

C．argue

2. What’s the first step to solve the problem?

A．To argue with each other.

B．To talk about the differences.

C．To ask the children for help.

3. Which of the following can be put back into the blank _______?

A．Arguments will help solve problems.

B．Every family is happy.

C．No family is perfect.

4. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Everyone should try to solve the family problems.

B．It’s terrible and boring for parents to argue.

C．Parents should get on well with each other.

5. What’s the structure (结构) of the the passage?（P=Paragraph）

A．P1P2P3/P4

B．P1/P2P3/P4

C．P1/P2P3P4

7 .

Have you ever heard of National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest? It is a magic land of mountains, forests and rivers. If you travel there, what can you enjoy?

The park is home to Hainan gibbons (长臂猿). They look like monkeys, but have no tails. They eat fruits and leaves from over 130 kinds of plants. In the 1980s, there were fewer than 10 gibbons in the park. In 2022, there were 36 because people protected their homes and planted trees.

The park is a “live museum” of plants. It is also the home to 133 kinds of national key protected plants. Cycas hainanensis (海南苏铁) is an example. It has big leaves. It grows slowly, but can live as long as 200 years. It probably won’t grow flowers or fruits in North China. But in Hainan, cycas hainanensis over 10 years old blossom and bear fruits almost every year.

Miao and Li people have lived in the park for thousands of years. Their houses look like upside-down boats. They are built above the ground to keep away animals. Li people make clothes from bark (树皮). Their history of tree bark clothing dates back to about 10,000 years ago. Some people still use bark clothing nowadays.

1. How many Hainan gibbons were there in the 1980s?

A．No more than 10.

B．More than 30.

C．Over 130.

2. What can we know about cycas hainanensis from the text?

A．It can grow very quickly.

B．It never grows fruits.

C．It can live up to 200 years.

3. What does the underlined word “blossom” mean in Chinese?

A．发芽

B．开花

C．结果

4. What is tree bark used to do by Li people?

A．To avoid animals.

B．To produce boats.

C．To make clothes.

5. In which part of a magazine can we probably find the text?

A．Art.

B．Nature.

C．Health.

8 . 阅读下面材料，按要求完成下列各题。

World Book Day falls on April 23rd every year. It was set up by UNESCO (联合国教科文组织) in 1995 to encourage people to discover the pleasure of reading. But look around when you’re in a bus. What is the most popular time-killing activity? In China, most people play on smart phones. While in other countries, people often enjoy reading.

We all know that reading books builds a bridge between our life and the unknown world. Good reading habits lead you to a lifelong love of books. Here are some tips on how to develop good reading habits.

Choose the books which suit you. In most middle schools, teachers give students a reading list every few weeks. Most books are easy to read, like youth novels. The students themselves can also buy books which they’re interested in or the best-selling books.

Reading in short periods. 15 minutes after getting to school, 15 minutes while waiting for friends, 15 minutes before going to sleep. Then you can read books for about five hours every week in total.

Talk about your reading with your family or friends. This helps you have a better understanding.

1—5题Finish the chart according to the article. Fill in each blank with no more than 3 words.请根据短文内容填空，每空不超过3个单词；6—8 Answer the following questions. 根据以上短文内容，回答下列问题。
1. ________
2. ________
3. ________
4. ________
5. ________
6. Why did UNESCO set up World Book Day?
____________________________________
7. What is the most popular time-killing activity in China?
____________________________________
8. Do you like reading books? Why or why not? Explain your reason(s) in about 20 words.
____________________________________

9 . Have you ever been to Singapore? For thousands of tourists from China, this small island in Southeast Asia is a wonderful and safe place to take a holiday. On the one hand, more than three quarters of the population are Chinese, so you can simply speak Putonghua a lot of the time. On the other hand, Singapore is an English-speaking country, so it’s also a good place to practice your English!

Have you ever tried Chinese food outside of China? Maybe you fear that you won't be able to find anything good to eat when you travel. In Singapore, however, you’ll find a lot of food from China, you won't have any problem getting rice, noodles or dumplings. Singapore is also an excellent place to try new food. Whether you like Indian food, Western food or Japanese food, you’ll find it all in Singapore!

Most large cities have zoos, but have you ever been to a zoo at night? Singapore has a Night Safari. It might seem strange to go to a zoo when it's dark. However, if you go to see lions, tigers or foxes during the daytime, they’ll probably be asleep! A lot of animals only wake up at night, so this is the best time to watch them. At the Night Safari, you can watch these animals in a more natural environment than in a normal zoo.

One great thing about Singapore is that the temperature is almost the same all year round. This is because the island is so close to the equator (赤道). So you can choose to go whenever you like—spring, summer, autumn or winter. And, of course, it’s not too far from China! Come and experience the life in Singapore!

1. According to the passage, Singapore is in ________ Asia.

A．Southwest

B．Southeast

C．Northeast

2. You can speak ________ when you go shopping in Singapore.

A．Chinese and Japanese

B．French and English

C．Chinese and English

3. What animals can you see during the night at the Night Safari?

A．Lions, tigers or foxes.

B．Tigers, pandas or giraffes.

C．Lions, tigers or pandas.

4. Which of the following picture shows the position of Singapore best?

A．

B．

C．

5. This passage is to ________.

A．show the best time to visit Singapore

B．introduce the food you can find in Singapore

C．attract people to travel on vacation in Singapore

10 . Did you know that vocabulary is more important than grammar? If you have good vocabulary, you can communicate successfully, even if the grammar is not completely perfect.

However, one common problem is learning new words and then forgetting them. So when you want to use a new word in a conversation, you can’t remember it at that moment. Does this often happen to you? The reason for this difficulty is that most students try to learn vocabulary by studying lists and dictionaries and remembering the words. But it may not work if you don’t have a very good memory.

The best way to learn vocabulary and remember the words successfully is to learn new words and use them at once. You can do this with a very simple exercise. Every time you learn a new word, for example, from an English lesson or an article, write it down in your vocabulary notebook. Writing is more active than just reading a definition (释义). You should write the word, the definition in English or translation, one example sentence from the article or dictionary and one example sentence that you create.

Imagine you just learn the word “generous”, write in your vocabulary notebook: generous (adjective), definition—giving or willing to give freely. Example one, from the article: Thanks for paying for my dinner, you’re very generous. Example two, my example: My brother is generous because he volunteers at the animal shelter on weekends. It’s best if your example sentences are true to your life, because this creates a personal connect ion with the new word. The next day, read your vocabulary note book again and try to add one more example sentence using the new word. It’s helpful for you to remember it: These two simple steps—writing the word and using it at once—help you remember and use new words.

Do you have a vocabulary notebook? If not, start now.

1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The problem.

B．The new word.

C．The conversation.

2. What’s the correct order of the following steps of taking vocabulary notes?
①Make your own example sentence.
②Write the word, its English definition or translation.
③Copy an example sentence from the article or dictionary.
④Read your notebook again and add one more example sentence.

A．②③①④

B．②③④①

C．③②①④

3. How can we make the best example sentences according to the writer?

A．By connecting them with our life.

B．By adding words from the article.

C．By explaining words’ definitions.

4. Which of the following opinion will the writer most probably agree with?

A．Vocabulary is not so important as grammar.

B．Reading a definition is more active than writing.

C．The best way to remember new words is to use them.

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

A．Ways of Learning New Words

B．Abilities of Creating Examples

C．Suggestions on Using Grammar