1 . Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word you see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don’t understand the culture behind it.
For example, if an American boy asks his mother what’s for dinner tomorrow, she may say “I’ll play it by ear”, that means she doesn’t have plans for dinner and she will decide later. “Play by ear” used to mean playing music using the sheet music (活页乐谱), but now people often use it when they’re not talking about music.
There’re many idioms in English. If you learn to use them, your English will be more vivid (清晰的) and colorful. English idioms are more common in spoken English. They can be difficult to remember sometimes. Next time when you hear somebody saying to you, “Give me a hand”, you don’t necessarily stretch (伸) out your hand to him/her, but you do need to be helpful. And when the situation is out of hand, you usually can do very little to manage all that. What about a green hand? It’s not about the color of your hand! You’re a green hand when you are very new at your work and don’t have much experience. If you and your partner always work together hand in glove, you two definitely (肯定) work together very well.
Can you guess the meanings of some common English idioms to do with parts of your body?
1. An idiom is ________.| A．a phrase or a sentence that means exactly what the words say |
| B．a phrase or a sentence that doesn’t mean exactly what every word says |
| C．so difficult that nobody can understand |
| D．something to do with parts of your body |
| A．she will cook dinner while listening to music at the same time |
| B．she doesn’t hear what others are talking about |
| C．she will play music using the sheet music instead of cooking dinner |
| D．she doesn’t have plans for dinner and will decide later |
| A．he needs to hold your hand. | B．he works well with you |
| C．he needs your help | D．he is a new comer and can’t help with the situation |
| A．People use English idioms more in spoken English than in written English. |
| B．To understand the culture behind an idiom is important in understanding the idiom. |
| C．Idioms make your English more vivid and colorful so they are easy to remember. |
| D．You may not understand an idiom even though you know the meaning of each word. |
| A．to depend on oneself | B．to know something very well |
| C．to do something secretly | D．to have the habit of stealing |
Rabbit is the fourth of the 12 Chinese zodiac(生肖) parts, in the order of Rat(鼠), Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. It is the Year of the Rabbit this year. Because rabbits are gentle and smart, they are very popular with people from all over the world.
In China, rabbits are thought to be a lucky sign. That’s because rabbits can have many babies in the nature, even in terrible conditions. In the past, people thought the more children they had, the better their life would be.
The rabbit can make people think of the moon. Ancient Chinese people believed a rabbit was living on the moon. It was called the Moon Rabbit. The Moon Rabbit helped Chang’e to make medicine. Chang’e is a goddess(女神) and she was widely known in China.
Similarly, rabbits are seen to be lucky in Western culture. There are some traditions about how to get the rabbit’s good luck for yourself. For example, a rabbit’s foot is one of the most famous symbols of good luck and the person who holds it is supposed(推断) to be lucky. Also, people usually say the word “rabbit” on the first morning of every month. They’re looking forward to bringing themselves good luck for this whole month. Now it’s the Year of the Rabbit. Hope you are always lucky this year!
1. Will it be the Year of the Rabbit in 2033?2. Why are rabbits seen as lucky animals in China?
3. In Chinese ancient folk stories, what did Chang’e and the Moon Rabbit do on the moon?
4. Do you like rabbits? Why or why not?
3 . Michelle, a famous lady, has found that more than 25% of students are too fat in her country. It is a very serious problem. So she starts a Health Program to deal with it. The Health Program is to reduce(减少) the number of fat students today and in the future.
The program will get families, schools, newspapers, magazines and TVs to join together and deal with the students obesity so that students will be at a healthier weight(重量). The program includes: Food stores should sell healthier foods, schools should arrange(安排) healthier meals without too much fat and more gym classes.
The lady is trying to fight the students’ obesity all over the country because it can cause illnesses and high food cost(花费). She wants the students to eat right, exercise more and control them to have less sweet food and drink water, milk and fresh juices, but not to choose cokes. At the same time, she has also set a good example by planting a vegetable garden. She hopes that the garden will encourage more people to plant one, too.
The Health Program is really meaningful to the students today and in the future. As she says, “We can’t always build the future for the young, but we can build the young for the future.”
1. In Michelle’s country, over ________ of students are too fat.| A．15% | B．a quarter | C．a half | D．75% |
| A．厌食症 | B．抑郁症 | C．肥胖症 | D．强迫症 |
| A．To arrange gym classes. | B．To plant a vegetable garden. |
| C．To serve meals with less fat. | D．To sell healthier foods. |
| A．The lady fights obesity in students. |
| B．The lady cares about food cost. |
| C．The lady introduces healthy drinks. |
| D．The lady worries about the height. |
4 . Lots of scientists are studying robots today. Many robots don’t always look like people. Some are like big machines, and some are nothing but long arms. However, modern robots are smart. Some can solve problems on their own.
Robots are more and more useful and important in our life. They help us a lot. In factories, robots can help people do a lot of work. They work faster and do not need a rest. People will feel bored if they do the same job again and again, but robots will not. They can work in some dangerous places where people cannot.
Robots are useful in our homes, too. They can help us do some cooking. They can help the blind people read newspapers, and help the old people move some heavy things and so on. If we have some other problems, we can also ask them for help.
However, robots are not so clever as people. They cannot think like us. If we do not “teach" them how to do things first, they can do nothing.
It’s possible that we will have our own robots, and they will help us to do more things in the future.
1. What can we know from the first paragraph (段落)?| A．No robots are like big machines. |
| B．Robots all have long arms. |
| C．Robots are in different shapes. |
| D．Robots can’t work out problems by themselves. |
| A．In factories. | B．In banks. | C．In our houses. | D．In libraries. |
| A．They are as clever as people. |
| B．They will become tired. |
| C．They can think like people. |
| D．They can work in dangerous places. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A guide book. |
| C．Sports news. | D．A music textbook. |
5 . Students usually go to school in different ways. In our school, most students get to school between 7:30 and 8:00 in the morning. Some arrive on foot, and some take the bus. However, eighty percent (百分比) of the students arrive in their parents’ cars. The entrance (入口) to the school is crowded and dangerous. I think cars are the main problem. I think there are a few things we can do.
First, we should encourage (鼓励) students to take the bus or walk to school. Taking the bus can help cut down air pollution. Walking is healthier, too. Next, what should parents do if their children have to come to school by car? I think their parents should park (停车) their cars far away from the school entrance.
For example, they can park their cars at the end of the street. Finally, in my opinion, when parents park dangerously in front of the school entrance, they will have to pay some money — a fine (罚金). This way, they will be cautious (谨慎的) and think twice before parking.
In a word, cars are making it dangerous for students to enter the school safely. So encouraging students to walk to school, or asking parents to park away from the school gate (大门) could solve this problem.
1. What time do most students in our school usually get to school?| A．From 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. | B．Before 7 a.m. |
| C．From 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | D．After 8 p.m. |
| A．By bus. | B．On foot. | C．By car. | D．By bike. |
| A．Ways to arrive at school. |
| B．Ways to park cars at the school gate. |
| C．Ways to solve the air pollution around the school. |
| D．Ways to solve the traffic problem near the school gate. |
Set in the Tang Dynasty, 1,300 years ago, the film Chang An tells the stories of the poets.
Li Bai is one of China’s greatest poets. In the film, the Tang general Gao Shi tells of his lifelong friendship with Li Bai. Forty-eight poems created by different poets of the period are cited (引用) in the film.
The poem, which many Chinese people know by heart, starts with this:
“Can you see the Yellow River decanting (倒入) from the sky and racing to the sea never to return?” The popularity of its writer, Li Bai, box office (票房) sales topped 700 million yuan.
In recent years, Chinese animation (动画片) filmmakers have connected animations with traditional Chinese culture. The film, Ne Zha, is about Ne Zha fighting with a dragon king. Now Chinese animation has also been more and more popular.
根据短文内容，完成下列小题。
1. What’s the relationship (关系) between Gao Shi and Li Bai?
2. How many poems are cited in the film?
3. Who is the main character in the film Ne Zha?
4. Chinese animation hasn’t been more and more popular, has it?
5. Do you like the film Chang An? Why? At least 20 words.
7 . Double Ninth Festival is also called Chongyang Festival. It is the day for people to climb mountains, drink chrysanthemum(菊花)wine and eat Chongyang cake.
It is said that by climbing up a high mountain, diseases could be prevented. Many widely-known poems written by poets in the Tang Dynasty were created to describe the scene and feeling of mountain climbing. Now, family members or good friends get together to climb mountains to enjoy the beautiful scenery and share happiness of the holiday with each other.
Chrysanthemums are in full bloom during the festival, it is a pleasure to enjoy big chrysanthemum show. People always admire chrysanthemum with family on that day. Because it can drive the evil(邪恶) away. People often think that by drinking chrysanthemum wine.
Chongyang Cake is a kind of steamed cake having two floors with nuts(坚果)and jujube(枣)put between them. Since cake in Chinese is pronounced “gao” meaning high, personal progress is thought to be made in the following days after eating the cake.
As nine is pronounced “jiu” meaning long in Chinese, so the number nine is given the meaning of long life. And in 1989, Double Ninth Festival was set as Senior’s Day-a day to respect the elderly and to let them enjoy themselves.
1. Which of the followings is not related with Double Ninth Festival? ________A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．There are big chrysanthemum performances there. |
| B．They want to enjoy the scenery and share the happiness. |
| C．There are many visitors on the top of the mountain. |
| D．They are quite free during the holiday. |
| A．family relations will get better |
| B．people will be taller than before |
| C．physical health will improve |
| D．personal progress will make |
| A．To give the meaning of long life. |
| B．To give the meaning of chong and yang. |
| C．To lead us to know and enjoy traditional festivals. |
| D．To give an introduction about the delicious food. |
8 . Note-taking is a skill that can help you do well in all your schoolwork. It can make you confident when you are studying. But unluckily, most students don’t know how to take notes. Here are some suggestions.
Write down key facts. If your teacher writes notes on the blackboard, that’s great. You can copy them or write down the most important facts of all in class. Different teachers do things differently. For example, some teachers may focus on (关注) lots of dates and facts in class, but they only write the important ones on the blackboard. Other teachers may not write anything down, but they may say something important again and again.
Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher to repeat what you’ve missed. If your teacher speaks too fast and you can’t follow what he or she is saying, you can ask him or her after class.
Compare. Comparing your notes with classmates’ can be good for your learning. It can also help you and your classmates correct some mistakes.
Organize. Note-taking also needs organization. Keep notes for each subject in one notebook so that you can find everything easily when a test comes.
Good note-taking takes time. If you decide to recopy your notes every evening, you’ll surely have less time to watch TV. But you’ll save time in the coming test.
1. There are ________ main points about note-taking in this passage.| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
| A．Every word. | B．Lots of date. |
| C．The most important information. | D．Your complaints about the teacher. |
| A．Organizing the notes. | B．Recopying your notes after class. |
| C．Asking your teachers for help. | D．Comparing your notes with classmates’. |
| A．How to take notes | B．What to do in class |
| C．How to study for a test | D．What to do after class |
If you want to get healthy or stay healthy, there is one easy activity for you—walking.
You may think that simply taking a walk is not enough to make a big difference. You may think that you need to do something like running to stay healthy. Well, a new study says that is not true. It finds out that walking may be as good for us as running.
Running is a high-impact（高强度的）activity and can be hard on the body. So, many people cannot run. Walking seems to have all of the advantages and none of the disadvantages of running.
Dr. Russell Pate is a professor of exercise science at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. He says, “Walking is one of the easiest and safest exercises a person can do. You do not need to learn a lot to get results.”
Walking needs no special skills or equipment（器材）. You can do it anywhere. It fits easily into your daily schedule. You can walk at work.You can walk if you want to go shopping. You can take the stairs instead of the lift.
Walking is a great exercise for beginners. If you are out of shape or getting back into shape after an illness or accident, walking is perfect. You can do a little at a time, or as we like to say, take baby steps.
1. What does “that” in the second paragraph mean?2. What does the new study show?
3. Why does the writer prefer walking to running?
4. Why does Russell Pate think walking is one of the easiest and safest exercises a person can do?
5. Translate “take baby steps” into Chinese.
6. What is the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?
10 . Last night, a school night, my 11-year-old son’s baseball team played a game that lasted until 9: 30. By the time we got home and he had a quick dinner and shower, it was 10: 30—an hour and a half later than the usual bedtime for a child who gets up at 6: 30. We love baseball. My son is having fun, getting exercise, and learning patience, teamwork and sports spirit. But the truth is that the game also influences his sleep.
As parents, we want good things for our children. We want them to be healthy both in body and in mind. To this end, we look for ways to help our kids grow and develop. We help them with their homework. We sign them up for dance,soccer and baseball. We encourage our kids to take honors courses (培优课程) or to have after-school jobs. And we praise them for hard-earned success and achievements.
However, the irony (讽刺) is that all of these activities and responsibilities that we are giving our children to make their lives colorful could be badly influencing their health and taking happiness away. Activities, responsibilities, and goals are good. But if we want our kids to realize their full physical, learning and social ability,sleep is important. We have to start taking sleep seriously.
Parents make bedtime routines and carry out (执行) strict rules about nighttime. But in fact, these measures (措施) aren’t enough because getting our kids enough sleep isn’t just about carrying out stricter bedtime. It actually requires more than that. In order to ensure our kids get the sleep they need, both parents and schools should make an effort.
1. The school boy usually go to bed at ________.| A．8: 30 | B．9: 00 |
| C．9: 30 | D．10: 30 |
| A．his mother doesn’t like the game |
| B．his mother worries about his homework |
| C．the game influences his study |
| D．the game makes his sleep hours shorter |
| A．what children like is just what parents don’t like |
| B．activities can bring colorful lives and also take happiness away |
| C．parents sign their children up for activities but carry out strict rules |
| D．people realize that sleeping is important but they have no time for sleeping |
| A．Children themselves. |
| B．Parents and children. |
| C．School and parents. |
| D．School and children. |
| A．How is your sleep and activities? |
| B．Good ways to solve the problem. |
| C．Which is more important? |
| D．Problems about sleep and activities. |
