1 . We’ve been driving around in gas (汽油)—powered cars for over 100 years. Once we run out of all the oil from the earth, we can’t make more. Is it time for a change?
Biofuel
One simple way to use less gas is to fill up with biofuel, a fuel (燃料) made from plants. Biofuels can be brewed (酿制) from corn, wheat stems or other plant waste. Even old cooking oil can be turned into diesel, a fuel used in trucks. Most cars can’t run only on biofuel, so it’s mixed with gas. But every little bit helps!
Go electric
An electric car has an electric motor that runs on batteries, which come in a big pack. Instead of filling up the tank, an electric car owner plugs (插) it into an outlet to recharge (充电). What happens when the batteries run down? You need to find somewhere to plug in. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours to recharge an electric car. That’s not as handy as a quick stop at a gas station.
Hybrid (gas + electric)
A hybrid car has two engines—one uses gas and the other uses electricity. For short trips, it turns on batteries like an—electric car. But if the batteries are low, the car can change to the gas engine. This can be a good choice for people who are worried about the batteries running out halfway through a trip. But when the car burns gas, it still gives off waste gases like a regular car.
Solar power
Could we use the sun to power cars? Some car companies are working on it. A solar car has an electric motor that runs on batteries. But instead of being plugged in, the batteries are recharged by the solar panels (太阳能板) on the car’s roof and body. To charge up, you just need to park the car in the sun! But making solar panels and batteries that are powerful enough to move a car is very expensive. It might take a good bit of time before solar cars are available to the general public.
1. What is biofuel made from?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．方便的 | B．耗时的 | C．时尚的 | D．便宜的 |
| A．It can only be used for short trips. |
| B．It is difficult to repair a broken hybrid car. |
| C．It still produces harmful gases when burning gasoline. |
| D．It is not easy to change from the electric engine to the gas one. |
| A．They cannot only run on solar power. |
| B．They need to be plugged in for recharging. |
| C．They are too heavy for the batteries to run. |
| D．They are too expensive for common people to afford now. |
| A．Ways to replace gas. | B．Qualities of different cars. |
| C．Suggestions on reducing air pollution. | D．Disadvantages of different kinds of energy. |
2 . Have you heard of a bike bus? It carries a group of children to school in the same way a school bus does, except everyone is on bikes. The “bus driver”—an adult on a bike—guides a slowly moving group along a route (路线) that has already been chosen. Kids and their parents join the group on their own bikes when the group rides by.
Bike buses are a way for everyone to bike together for fun, convenience and safety. On busy streets, a big group of five to ten kids is much more visible (明显的) than one or two kids biking alone.
Sam Balto is a PE teacher. He leads a bike bus to school. His bus is especially visible because it has hundreds of shouting kids and parents. It stretches out over several blocks (街区). Sam vlogs his bike bus trip. As the parent of two kids, I can’t watch his videos without crying. The bike bus calms my fear that the kids will get hurt on the road. Laughing kids! Outside, in person! Together! So when a friend asked if I would lead a bike bus in our neighborhood, of course I said yes.
Using active transportation to go to work and school—whether that’s a biking bus, or even a walking bus—has many advantages. Yes, people are healthier and happier when they’re more active, but reducing the number of cars around a school can also reduce heavy traffic and air pollution.
I was shocked by what starting or driving a bike bus meant to different people. For Luke Bornheimer, the leader of the San Francisco Bike Bus, it’s amazing to see children take care of themselves. “Kids are really smart and strong.” Bornheimer says. “They get how to ride responsibly (负责任地) and have fun. We’re just giving them that chance.” For me, the bike bus was the start of rejoining my community. My kids love the bike bus, but we parents might love it even more. We talk about everything, from the bike bus to other topics, such as planning neighborhood roller skating meetups and party nights.
I do accept that getting more kids to safely bike and walk in more places will take a lot more work than parents just trying to get their kids to school every day. But our efforts are a start. We live on a planet that has many environmental problems. Maybe the best way to remind ourselves that we and the Earth are worth (值得的) protecting is by moving through it, not in cars, but with fresh air on our faces and the sounds of kids’ laughter echoing in our ears.
1. According to the passage, a bike bus is __________.| A．a special bus that parents take to go to their workplace |
| B．a school bus with parents riding bikes as guides in front |
| C．a fun game for children as they’re on their way to school |
| D．a way for children to ride to school with a “driver” on a bike |
| A．She couldn’t stand her kids shouting. |
| B．She decided to do something for the school. |
| C．She liked how it kept children safe on the road. |
| D．She thought cycling was a popular outdoor activity. |
| A．The writer is the leader of her neighborhood activities. |
| B．Different people started the bike bus in different ways. |
| C．Bike buses offer kids chances to be responsible on the road. |
| D．The writer started riding a bike because of the heavy traffic. |
| A．To introduce the good and bad points of active transportation. |
| B．To invite some experienced bus drivers to be bike bus leaders. |
| C．To advise the local government to offer more public services for kids. |
| D．To ask people to help kids and the environment by starting bike buses. |
3 . Being fit is a state (状态) of a person who eats well, gets a lot of exercise and keeps a healthy weight. Here are some suggestions if you want to be fit.
First, eat different kinds of foods, especially fruit and vegetables. You may have your favorite food, but you’d better eat something different. If you eat different foods, you will get more nutrients (营养物) your body needs.
Second, drink water and milk as often as possible. When you are really thirsty, water is the No. 1 choice. Milk is a great drink that can give you calcium (钙) your body needs to grow strong bones.
Third, listen to your body. How do you feel when you are full? When you are eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Eating too much will not make you feel comfortable and will make you fat.
Fourth, limit (限制) screen time. Screen time is the time when you watch TV or use a computer. It is better to take more exercise such as playing basketball, bike riding and swimming. It is harmful to watch TV for more than two hours a day.
Fifth, be active. One thing you’d like to do is to see which activity you like best. Find ways to be active every day.
Follow these suggestions and you will be a healthy kid.
1. You should eat different kinds of foods, especially ________.| A．meat | B．hamburgers | C．sweets | D．fruit and vegetables |
| A．Juice | B．Milk | C．Water | D．Tea |
| A．When you are eating, you don’t have to notice how your body feels. |
| B．You can eat your favorite food as much as possible. |
| C．You can watch TV whenever you like to get more information. |
| D．You should try to live in an active way in your life. |
| A．How to Make Yourself Important | B．How to Be a Healthy Kid |
| C．How to Be a Popular Kid | D．How to Make Your Parents Healthy |
4 . Do you believe that only boys do well in science? Does it seem to you that girls have better language skills than boys? In your opinion, are boys better at building things? If your answer to each of those questions is “Yes,” you are right, according to an article in Current Science." There are exceptions(例外), but here are the facts.
Usually, boys score higher on tests about math, while girls do better in tests about words, spelling and memory. But these differences may not always be true. In the future, a person’s abilities may not be decided by sex. As one scientist says, “Nothing is impossible for a person to be or do.”
A recent study by Jerome Kagan, a scientist at Harvard University is studying the watching ability of children 10 months old. Baby boys and baby girls are watching a “show” while seated on their mothers’ laps. In Act One of the show, an orange-colored ball is lifted from a blue box and moved slowly. Then it is returned to the box. This is repeated six times. Act Six is almost the same, except that the orange ball is smaller.
Baby boys do not seem to notice the difference in the size of the ball, but girls immediately become excited and begin to make noises that sound like language.
It’s also known that baby girls usually talk at an earlier age than baby boys do. Scientists believe that the left side of the brain develops faster in girls than in boys. As a result, by the time they start to school, little girls have an advantage that boys don’t have, but what have the boys been doing in the year before starting school? They have been developing something called aggression. An aggressive person feels strong and independent. He is often the first one to start a fight. It is said that aggression is caused by hormones (荷尔蒙). Scientists believe that hormones are not the only cause. They say aggression in boys is also caused by mothers.
1. According to the article in Current Science, what are girls better at?| A．Finding facts | B．Using language | C．Learning science | D．Building things |
| A．Girls don’t like the show. |
| B．Boys are strong enough to lift a blue box. |
| C．Boys and girls have the same watching abilities. |
| D．Girls quickly notice the difference in the size of the ball. |
| A．Girls become independent earlier. | B．Mothers teach girls more patiently. |
| C．Girls’ hormones develop more completely. | D．The left side of the brain develops faster in girls. |
| A．An angry feeling. | B．A good habit. | C．A friendly action. | D．A strong person. |
| A．The research on girls’ advantages. | B．The result of school education. |
| C．The differences between boys and girls. | D．The children’s abilities to memorize. |
5 . American schools begin in September after a long summer vacation (假期). There are two terms in a school year: the first term is from September to January, and the second is from February to June. Most American children go to public schools (公立学校). High school students take only four or five subjects at a time. They usually go to the same classes every day, and they have an assignment (作业) for every class. After class they have many activities. After high school, many students go to college.
1. Most American children start school life in ________.| A．September | B．February | C．June | D．January |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．four | B．five | C．six | D．four or five |
| A．In July students don’t need to go to school because of vacation. |
| B．Students have the same classes every day. |
| C．Students don’t have homework for every class. |
| D．Most American children go to public schools. |
| A．do homework | B．go back home | C．have many activities | D．go to movies |
6 . A new policy(政策) about school education has come out. It brings some changes in students’ everyday life. Let’s have a look.
According to the policy, students in the primary and junior high schools should have a clear time to do their homework. They are supposed to finish their homework in a certain time.
And the homework is neither too difficult nor too much. For example, the first and second graders must finish their homework at school. They needn’t do written homework at home. The third to sixth graders should finish their homework in 60 minutes. The junior high school students are expected to do their homework in 90 minutes.
Besides less homework, schools are required to provide more physical training so that students can learn basic sports skills and become healthier. For example, many schools divide the after-school time into two parts. In the first part, students have one hour of physical exercise each day. In the second part, students can take part in all kinds of interesting activities. The two parts are expected to meet the different needs of students.
There are also some rules for training schools. They are not allowed to give lessons on school subjects on weekends or holidays. Each online class should be no more than 30 minutes.
We think that these changes will promote(提升) the all-around development of students.
1. How long should the third to sixth graders finish their homework?| A．In 30 minutes. | B．In one hour. | C．In 90 minutes. | D．In two hours. |
| A．The first-grade students. | B．The third-grade students. |
| C．The sixth-grade students. | D．The junior high school students. |
| A．More physical training. | B．More physical work. | C．More food. | D．More housework. |
| A．Each online class should be more than 30 minutes. |
| B．The third to sixth graders needn’t do written homework at school. |
| C．Many schools divide the after-school time into three parts. |
| D．The training schools aren’t allowed to give lessons on school subjects on weekends or holidays. |
| A．A New School | B．New Changes in School Life |
| C．Everyday Life | D．Different Activities at School |
7 . As the old saying goes, do as the Romans do. But do you know the western dining table customs (习俗)? We know the westerners like to plan their time carefully in order to do all the things that are important to them. So if your American or English friend asks you to dinner, he usually invites you a week ahead (提前). But if you really have no time and can’t go to the dinner, you can ring him to say sorry. The dinner is usually served (招待) at home, sometimes at a restaurant. You should get there on time. And don’t forget to put on your fine clothes. It is also a good idea to take some little gifts to your friend, such as flowers, chocolate and so on. At dinner, if you don’t know what to do, you should also observe some other people. Here I’ll give you some matters about them needing attention (注意) in the following:
★Don’t leave bones (骨头) on the table or the floor. (You should put them on your plate with fingers.)
★Don’t use your bowl to drink soup, but use your spoon to help you instead.
★Don’t talk with much food in your mouth.
★Don’t ask others to have more wine (酒). (This is quite different from that in China.)
★After dinner, use your napkin (纸巾) to clean your mouth and hands.
★Make sure small pieces of food are not left on your face.
1. The westerners like to plan their time because they want to ________.| A．invite you to dinner | B．do other important things for you |
| C．do all the important things well | D．get time to have a big dinner |
| A．get there on time | B．take some little gifts |
| C．use your spoon to drink soup | D．talk with much food in your mouth |
| A．watch | B．help | C．invite | D．visit |
| A．Do as the Romans Do | B．The westerners Like to Make a Plan |
| C．The Difference between West and East | D．Customs at Dinner Table in the West |
8 . Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. You look young. In 2035, many people can live to be about 150 years old. So at the age of 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents look the same age as you!
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” can change the color and style as you like. You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but you hear the voice, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge remembers the information about the milk. It knows that the milk is not fresh. In 2035, every household appliance(家用电器) is like your secretary(秘书).
It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend with your watch. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “All these things will come true, even better.” says a scientist.
I couldn’t agree more with the scientist. I am looking forward to the new life.
1. How do “you” look in the mirror in 2035?| A．Young. | B．Fat. | C．Healthy. | D．Tired. |
| A．The watch. | B．The secretary. | C．The milk. | D．The fridge. |
| A．They run in the sky. | B．They don’t need gas. |
| C．They don’t need drivers. | D．They can talk with humans. |
| A．People won’t get old. | B．People don’t need to wear clothes. |
| C．People don’t need to have breakfast. | D．People can call their friends with a watch. |
| A．It will be as good as now. | B．It will be much better than now. |
| C．It will be as bad as now. | D．It will be much worse than now. |
9 . Many people like to travel by plane, but I don’t like it because an airport(机场) is usually far from the city. You have to get there early and wait for hours for the plane to take off and it is often late. You can’t open the window. You can’t choose(选择) the food. Many people think planes are fast, but they still(仍然) take hours to get out of the airport and into the city(城市).
I like traveling by train. I think trains are safe. Railway stations(火车站) are usually in cities. When you are late for a train you can catch another one. You can walk around in the train and look at the things on the way. You can see many interesting things on your way. I know it takes a little more(更多的) time.
I also like cars. You can start your trip when you want to, and you don’t need to get to a railway station or a bus stop(公交站). Also you can carry many things with you in a car. But sometimes there are too many cars on the road.
1. Why do many people like to travel by plane?| A．Because planes are fast. | B．Because they can open the window. |
| C．Because they can walk around in the plane. | D．Because they can choose the food. |
| A．It is safe. |
| B．It takes a little more time. |
| C．You can see many interesting things on your way. |
| D．When you are late for a train you can catch another one. |
| A．A bus. | B．A car. | C．A train. | D．A bike. |
| A．You needn’t go to a station or a stop. | B．You can start your trip when you want to. |
| C．Sometimes there are too many cars on the road. | D．It takes a lot of time to get out of the car. |
| A．An Interesting Trip | B．Planes Are Fast |
| C．Come and Buy Cars | D．How Do I Like to Travel |
10 . How do you spend your spare time? There will be different answers to it. Most people in Britain have their own ways of spending free time. Sometimes they just want to have a rest, but they try to do something more pleasant most of the time. They have many different hobbies. They help them to get away from their everyday problems and spend their free time happily.
Many British people like traveling. They look for new places that they have never been to and add new and exciting experiences to their journey. Some of them like to climb mountains, others like to go to the sea or a lake to swim, because these can make them get exercise and are good for their health.
Many British people also like to do sports in their free time. They are usually crazy about football, and football is seen as the British national sport. Many football fans may support a certain team, so they go to watch every match of the team they support (支持), and they buy many things about the team. Watching sports and doing it are both good ways to relax.
What’s more, doctors say that doing sports is very good for the health. Many people in town, especially young men, often go to the gym to take the exercise classes to keep fit.
Besides these ways, British people have many other ways to spend their free time. And they really enjoy their free time.
1. British people have many different hobbies in order to ________.| A．solve their daily problems | B．finish all their work |
| C．make some friends | D．relax themselves in their spare time |
| A．Because they hate traveling. |
| B．Because they can get exercise from it. |
| C．Because they can find a new place. |
| D．Because it is comfortable and funny. |
| A．Playing football. | B．Climbing mountains. |
| C．Skating. | D．Swimming. |
| A．Football is many British people’s favourite sport. |
| B．Young British people often go to the gym. |
| C．All the British people do sports in their spare time. |
| D．Most British people like watching sports. |
| A．British culture is colorful. |
| B．We can have many ways of spending our free time. |
| C．A doctor can give you good advice. |
| D．It is no need doing sports. |
