1 . Do you know that the falcon (猎鹰) is among the fastest animals in the world? It can fly at a speed of about 200 miles per hour. You might think a bird that could fly so fast would be safe from most types of danger. Unfortunately, that is not true. By the 1970s, they had already been endangered. What was causing the number of falcons to drop so quickly?
In America, a pesticide, a chemical, called DDT was harming the falcon eggs. Luckily, DDT is no longer used. The number of falcons is rising now.
One unusual thing about falcons is that they like to make their nests (巢) in high places. In nature, they often nest on mountaintops and on the sides of cliffs (悬崖). Falcons have also got used to life in cities. They nest on tall buildings and bridges in cities. The height of these nests is from 50 to 200 feet in the air.
They also like to return to the same nesting place every year. Both the mother and father falcons help to raise the babies. The mother stays more time in the nest. The father hunts and brings back food for her and the babies.
Many people all around the country work very hard to help falcons live to adulthood. There are even video cameras fixed up in many places. This way, people can make sure the birds and their eggs stay protected. Falcons are lucky to have so many people who keep an eye on them.
1. What does the underlined word “pesticide” mean in Chinese?| A．流感 | B．杀虫剂 | C．枪支 | D．捕猎网 |
| A．falcons fly so fast that nothing can hurt them |
| B．falcons suddenly died out in the year 1970 |
| C．people can’t find falcons’ nests in cities |
| D．baby falcons are brought up by their patents |
| A．Nervous. | B．Hopeful. | C．Curious. | D．Unsure. |
| A．SPORTS | B．LIFE | C．SCIENCE | D．BUSINESS |
Nowadays transportation is getting more and more important in our daily life. In the past, people had to spend a long time in making a long journey. They also had to move heavy things by hard work. Today, it is very easy for us to go anywhere we choose. We can go by ship, by plane or by car. If we have a lot of heavy things, we can take them to any place where we would like to go in trucks (卡车).
But modern transportation has also brought some problems. Every day we can see a lot of traffic accidents on the road. Our air has become dirtier because of the air pollution. So much noise has made us feel so worried. So I hope to have some transportation with no traffic accidents, no air pollution and no noise in the future.
| The Development of Transportation In the past ★It took people a long time to ★It was hard for people to move heavy things. Nowadays Advantages about today’s transportation ★Going to the places we choose becomes ★Truks can help people carry Disadvantages about today’s transportation ★Transportation causes a lot of ★Transportation causes air pollution. ★Transportation also makes |
3 . Sixteen is a special age in the United States. There’s often a special celebration for a girl’s 16th birthday—a big party called Sweet-l6. It is like a wedding reception(结婚晚宴) in the number of guests and gifts handed out.
About a month before the party, the girl’s family sends out invitations to the guests.They must buy a special present for the birthday girl and the girl guests find good dresses to wear. A Sweet-16 present usually costs $40 to $60. This is about $20 more than the usual cost of a birthday present.
The party itself is not held at someone’s house. The hostess rents(租赁) reception hall for the event. Food, cake and a DJ are provided. Around 6 o’clock, guests arrive and meet the birthday girl. Then the girl and father have a special father daughter dance. After that, guests dance for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Then there is the most important part of the Sweet-16 party, the candle-lighting ceremony.
The Sweet-16 hostess stands behind 16 unlit(未点燃的) candles and dedicates(献给) each candle to her friends, family, and anybody that she feels is important to her. A lot of crying and hugging go on at this time.
After wards, people sit and eat. Most guests begin leaving around 11 o’clock.
This school year, I have been to two Sweet-16s. I am one of the youngest students in my grade(My birthday is in December). I’ll have to wait another year before I can have my own special Sweet-16 party. I can’t wait for it!
1. Why is sixteen a special age for an American girl?
2. How much does a usual birthday present for a teenager cost in the USA?
3. What is the most important part of the Sweet-16 party?
4. How old is the writer?
5. What do you think of the Sweet-16 party in the USA?(请自拟一句话作答）
Famous Landmarks | |
The Great Wall of China was begun in 214 B.C.. It was built for preventing the enemies. It is the largest building ever built. We can see it from space. |
The Colosseum in Rome was opened in 80 A.D.It was sometimes filled with water for ship battles. |
The Taj Mabal in India was built between 1630 and 1652. It is a grave for the wife of an Indian prince. It attracts lots of visitors every year. |  The Eiffel Tower in Paris was completed in 1889. It was built for the 100th anniversary (周年纪念日) of the French Revolution (革命). |
| A．China | B．France | C．India | D．Italy |
| A．Nearly 80 years. | B．Almost 100 years. |
| C．About 22 years. | D．Around 214 years. |
| A．The Great Wall. | B．The Colosseum. |
| C．The Taj Mahal. | D．The Eiffel Tower. |
| A．the Great Wall is the biggest building ever built |
| B．the Colosseum was opened to the public in 80 B. C. |
| C．the Taj Mahal was built for an Indian prince |
| D．people built the Eiffel Tower to remember Paris |
5 . Dragon Head Raising Day: time for a haircut
China is a country with many colorful days and festivals. The Dragon Head Raising Day (Longtaitou) is one of them.
This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). It stands for (代表) the start of spring and farming. This year, the day fell on March 10.
The dragon is important in Chinese culture. We Chinese people call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. Therefore, people celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons.
On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰) in the kitchen. This was to “lead the dragon into the house”. People believed that with the help of the dragon, they could have a good harvest (收成) in autumn.
Also, people eat special foods on that day. The foods are usually named after dragons. For example, people eat “dragon whisker (细须)” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth”.
Today, many customs have faded away (消退). But one that has remained is the cutting of hair. It was said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother’s brothers. So many people have their hair cut on the Dragon Head Raising Day.
1. The Dragon Head Raising Day is one of the ______ festivals.| A．English | B．French | C．Chinese | D．American |
| A．March 10 | B．February 2 | C．March 4 | D．March 8 |
| A．Because the dragon liked the ashes. | B．Because the ashes stood for the harvest. |
| C．Because the ashes led the dragon into the house. | D．Because the ashes could bring good luck. |
| A．the cutting of hair | B．the dragon boating | C．to eat Zongzi | D．to eat mooncakes |
| A．The Dragon Head Raising Day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. |
| B．The dragon is important in Chinese culture. |
| C．People eat “dragon whisker” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth” on the Dragon Head Raising Day. |
| D．The Dragon Head Raising Day stands for the start of spring and harvest. |
Brush your teeth every day, dentists say. In the south of Africa, some people brush their teeth with sticks first.
They keep a small stick in their mouth to chew(咀嚼) or scrub(洗刷) their teeth all day. People cut the sticks from trees. They are the African toothbrushes. People there are used to brushing their teeth with sticks.
Africans think the sticks work better than toothbrushes. The sticks come from nature, and it is said that there is something special about them. The special thing may stop many kinds of tooth problems. “If you have a bad tooth, it is a medicine,” said Diop, a seller in Africa.
The sticks also cost less than toothbrushes.
In Senegal(塞内加尔), the chewing stick is called “sothio”. It means “to clean” in their language. In east Africa, the stick is called “mswaki”. It’s their word for “toothbrush”.
Nowadays, some nice health stores in the United States start to sell chewing sticks. They think that the stick is natural kind of tooth care.
1. Some people2. Africans keep
3. The sticks
4. “Sothio” means “
5. The special thing in the sticks may help
7 . Though you are a teenager now, there will finally come a time when you start to earn (赚) money. While it may be fun to have your own money to spend, it can also be difficult trying to manage it properly. Here are some tips on how to manage your money.
Use your money wisely
Most teenagers earn money for everyday use, or because they are saving up for something. So when they receive their money, they must first decide what they want to do with it. However, try to avoid the temptation (诱惑) to spend it all in one go (一口气)! Remember: Money takes a long time to earn, but it goes very quickly.
Bank your savings
The money you don’t need can be saved at home or in a bank. If you want to save your money at home, get yourself a piggy bank or something else to keep your money in. The other choice is to save your money in a bank. One of the advantages is that you can earn interest (利息) on it.
Use the money to make money
Rather than saving your money at home or in a bank, you can use the money you earn to invest (投资) in things to make more money. For example, if you are selling something around your neighborhood, you could pay someone else to sell your things in their neighborhood. This way, by spending a little, you can make a lot.
1. The first thing for the teenagers to do after receiving their money is _________.| A．to consider how to deal with it |
| B．to spend it for everyday use |
| C．to let it go very quickly |
| D．to invest in things correctly |
| A．Don’t earn it for everyday use. |
| B．It’s saved up for something. |
| C．Don’t spend it all in one go. |
| D．It takes a long time to earn. |
| A．to get yourself a piggy bank |
| B．to save your money in a bank |
| C．to make some other choices |
| D．to leave your money at home |
| A．spend less money | B．give less money |
| C．waste more money | D．make more money |
8 . Do you always find it is raining when you walk out? Or are you always buying umbrellas and leaving them home when it rains? There is a new umbrella that could solve both problems.
The umbrella will not only tell you the weather, but also let you know you’ve left it behind. How does it work? The umbrella will send a message to your smartphone. And it says “Hey, it’s going to rain in 15 minutes where you are, so you’d better take your umbrella.”
Besides, if you are forgetful, you may never leave an umbrella on a bus or somewhere else again. The umbrella will send a warning to your smartphone if you leave it behind. The new umbrella is expected to go on sale soon. Though it is a good idea and it looks pretty cool, the umbrella will cost you $185. Maybe you will just check the free weather apps (应用程序) on your smartphone and take an umbrella with you when it is going to rain.
1. How many problems can the new umbrella solve?2. What else can the new umbrella tell you besides the weather?
3. Where will the new umbrella send a warning?
4. When will the new umbrella be sold?
5. Does the writer think the new umbrella looks cool?
9 . Can you think of any questions you have about the natural world? By trying to find the answers to your questions, you are acting like a scientist.
Why does the sky look blue on a sunny day? Sunlight is made up of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (靛蓝), and violet (紫色) light. The air is made up of many tiny bits (小块). Most colors in the light move directly through the air. The blue and indigo parts of the light bump into (碰撞) the bits of air. The light spreads out and makes the sky look blue. Light can make a glass of milk look blue, too.
Let’s Do It!
☆ Fill a glass partway (部分) with milk.
☆ In a dark room, shine a flashlight (手电筒) into the top of the glass of milk.
☆What happened? The glass looked blue because the bits that made up the milk took in (吸入) the red, orange, yellow, green, and violet colors but not the indigo and blue colors in the light. Instead the milk pushed the blue light to the sides.
Keep looking at the world like a scientist. Just start with a question and try to find the answer. You are sure to uncover lots of fun facts about the natural world. No matter what you want to find out next, remember to have fun. Learning about the natural world can be a lifelong (终生的) adventure.
1. You can act like a ________ by trying to find the answers about the natural world.| A．violinist | B．scientist | C．policeman | D．teacher |
| A．five | B．six | C．seven | D．eight |
| A．Light | B．Air | C．Milk | D．Glass |
| A．orange and yellow | B．violet and indigo |
| C．green and blue | D．indigo and blue |
| A．we should try to find the answers with the help of the scientists |
| B．because you are scientists, you have to uncover the facts |
| C．no matter whether you are young or old, try to learn about the natural world |
| D．if you want to have fun, keep looking at the world like a scientist |
The British Museum is the biggest one in the world. There are lots of things in the museum to see: clocks which have been telling the time for six hundred years. Roman money, the earliest books in the world, including Shakespeare’s own works…
The British Museum was set up nearly 300 years ago by a doctor. Sir Hans Sloane. The man liked to collect such things as books, drawings, clothes, money, animals, flowers, and also hoped that his things would be well kept and visited by people after his death. His wish came true, and the museum opened in 1759, six years after Sir Hans Sloane died.
Later, more antiques(古董) arrived at the museum, more books, old and new, came to it, and more people wanted to visit it. All this made Pauizzi design the famous round Reading Room. There was something unusual in it. Cool air came up through small holes in the tables. Hot air under the floor kept readers’ feet warm. Since its opening, many famous men have written and studied there, including Karl Marx. And the library is growing faster and faster. Many tourists come to visit it every year.
It is now open every day of the year, except for two holidays (New Year’s Day and Christmas). Entrance(进入) is free. There are lots of special exhibitions (展览) and every day there are different films and talks, some of them for children. So if you are one of its two million visitors this year, don’t try to see it all too quickly. There is a lifetime of looking in the British Museum.
1. Hans Sloane’s hobby was to ________.| A．visit museums | B．keep animals |
| C．collect things | D．read old books |
| A．before 1759 | B．in 1765 |
| C．after Hans Sloane’s death | D．when Hans Sloane was old |
| A．Pauizzi | B．Shakespeare | C．Hans Sloane | D．Karl Marx |
| A．Christmas Day | B．Thanksgiving Day |
| C．Christmas Eve | D．New Year’s Day |
| A．We have to pay to visit the museum. |
| B．The library is getting smaller and smaller. |
| C．Children will get bored in the museum. |
| D．The museum has about two million visitors this year. |
