1 . Nature’s Warnings
When the sky suddenly turns dark and the wind is strong, watch out! A dangerous storm might be coming. Storms are scary, watch for flashes of lightning. Listen for thunder. If nature sends these warnings, don’t wait for rain. Act right away to keep safe.Safety Steps
At the first flash of lightning, quickly get inside a building or a car. Do not go into a shed (棚) for protection. It is not closed like a building, so it is not safe.
Even after you are indoors, be careful. It is not smart to go near doors and windows. They can blow in or break. A room with no windows is the safest place to be.
Do not wash your hands during a storm. Do not use anything that runs on electricity either. Water and electrical lines are like roads for lightning. Even if you really want to play computer games, don’t! It is better to be bored than to risk getting hurt. Try reading a book instead. Reading is more fun than playing computer games.
If you can’t get to somewhere safe, stay out in the open. You may feel safe under a tree, but that is not a good place to be. Lightning is pulling to ward tall poles and trees. Stay down in an open space and cover your ears to protect them. Loud thunder can damage our hearing.
Lightning Strikes
Lightning does not strike people very often. It is not likely that you will ever see that happen. If you do, call 120．Only trained emergency workers should care for a person who has been hit by lightning.
If you follow these rules, you should stay safe during a storm.
1. From Paragraph 1, we learn that ______.| A．storms are frightening and harmful |
| B．storms often come without warnings |
| C．people should wait and watch lightning |
| D．people should take action after the storm |
| A．A building | B．A car |
| C．A room | D．A shed |
| A．use a computer for a while |
| B．listen for thunder by a window |
| C．go into a shed for protection |
| D．find a closed or an open place |
2 . Paper cutting is a cultural tradition in China. For centuries, it has been passed down from one generation (一代人) to the next, especially from mothers to daughters.
This beautiful art created by skillful artists is used to decorate doors, windows, and beds in people’s homes, or at celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. At Chinese New Year, window flowers are glued to windows, creating beautiful patterns.
The two main techniques (技艺) used are cutting the paper using a knife or scissors, or tearing (撕) it by hand. If the paper is cut, the edges (边，边缘) are very smooth. Paper cutting can produce very fine work. This type of work is typical of southern China. If the paper is torn by hand, the edges are more simple and natural. Tearing is used more in northeast China. Different parts of China have their own motifs or pictures. These motifs can express many stories and ideas.
It can be hard to hold on to traditions like these because young people don’t know much about traditional art. Often they prefer spending their time on newer pastimes. The experts are getting older. If young people don’t learn the traditions, they won’t be able to pass them down to their own children. But recently there is a change. There are more exhibitions of traditional art. Artists are going into schools to teach children how to do paper cutting. Children enjoy working together with artists and talking to them about the meaning of their art. In this way, they are becoming proud of their culture and traditions.
1. Who created paper cutting?| A．Popular stars. | B．Skillful artists. | C．Excellent teachers. | D．Famous scientists. |
| A．In Northeast China. | B．In Southern China. | C．In Southwest China. | D．In Northern China. |
| A．It is easy to hold on to this form of art. | B．Only the rich can afford to learn it. |
| C．Teenagers should give up this old tradition. | D．It will continue in China for future generations. |
| A．Habits. | B．Reasons. | C．Subjects. | D．Hobbies. |
| A．Chinese Paper Art | B．Great Changes in China |
| C．Famous Chinese Artists | D．Two Main Techniques |
3 . Studying is usually not a happy task, especially when there are so many things you can do for fun. The balance (平衡) between study and play is a lifelong matter. What should you do if you’re not interested in study? Here are some ways you can do to deal with the problem.
Change your thoughts. If you’re lack of passion (缺乏热情) for study, just think about your future. Only good grades can give you a chance to achieve your dreams. Good grades will help you get into your dream high school. No matter how old you are, you’re always growing and learning. | Work hard to achieve your dreams. You must work for what you want to achieve. Winning a game, passing a test, doing something difficult and so on. These are all valuable experiences because of the time you spent and the effort you made. The harder you work, the happier you’ll be. |
Relax yourself at times. You don’t need to study as often as you think you should do. I am not telling you not to study. You still should, but you can try studying less if it doesn’t influence your grades. | Find your favorite subjects. Discover your interests and develop them carefully. Keep studying and stay healthy. |
1. In which section of a magazine can you probably read the passage?
| A．History. | B．Culture. | C．Education. | D．Technology. |
| A．Doing things for fun. | B．Doing something difficult. |
| C．Dealing with problems. | D．Balancing study and play. |
| A．Relaxing myself. | B．Discovering my interests. |
| C．Winning a game. | D．Getting good grades. |
| A．You can win a game by relaxing yourself. |
| B．You can achieve your dream by working hard. |
| C．You should work for what you can’t achieve. |
| D．You should study as often as you think you should do. |
4 . Step out of your door and what do you see? Ever since humans walked here and there on the Earth, we have been crazy about nature. And this gave birth to the subject called “natural history”.
It began with ancient scientists who looked at the diversity (多样性) of the natural world. Soon, more and more “naturalists”—those who study and practice natural history-were busy studying, collecting and naming the world’s animals, plants and so on. Observing (观察) skills are the key tools of a naturalist. They helped naturalists find out the secret of life on the Earth.
Today, natural history museums around the world offer people a place to think about natural history. But it has a long way to go.
In China, natural history as a field is developing quickly. Books and apps (应用程序) on plants and animals are very popular. Environmental protection groups and activities have all seen great growth during the past years. And behind it is China’s push to build an ecological civilization (生态文明).
Natural history is now seen as a kind of lifestyle. When you visit a natural history museum or just step out in the nature, you can enjoy the nature and learn about the secret of life at the same time. “Naturalist lifestyle” is good for the mind and the body.
We need naturalists now more than ever. The secret of life on the Earth is still incomplete, and the pieces are changing rapidly. So come on and discover your part!
1. What are the key skills of a naturalist?| A．Reading skills. | B．Listening skills. | C．Observing skills. | D．Studying skills. |
| A．It is growing rapidly. |
| B．It has become an online culture. |
| C．It builds the ecological civilization. |
| D．It records environmental protecting activities. |
| A．Natural history is a popular subject. |
| B．Naturalist lifestyle is good for people. |
| C．People like travelling more than before. |
| D．People love to visit natural history museums. |
| A．Not correct. | B．Not simple. | C．Not known. | D．Not whole. |
| A．To Be Good Readers | B．To Live as Naturalists |
| C．To Be Crazy about Nature | D．To Discover the Secret of History |
5 . There are two paths (路) in life: Should and Must. We arrive at these crossroads again and again. And each time, we have to choose.
Should is how others want us to show up in the world—what we should or shouldn’t do. When we choose Should, we’re choosing to live our life for someone or something other than ourselves. The journey to Should can be smooth, and the risk is small.
Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest self. Must is why Van Gogh painted his whole life without ever receiving public recognition (认可). Must is why Reyna Marder Gentin started to write for the first time after 23 years of being a lawyer.
Choosing Must sounds fantastic, right? To choose Must is to say yes to hard work and endless effort, to say yes to a journey without a road map or tour guides.
How can we actually choose Must?
Ask yourself, “What is my Must?” If you don’t know the answer, write down your biggest, most impossible dreams! Don’t worry! It’s just the first step.
Now, think about what’s actually in your way. Is it your parents? Maybe they’re just worried that you haven’t thought it through. Try to make a practical plan for what you want to do. Your parents may find it a good one. Is it money? Well, the best way to make money is to do what you love because it’s very likely that you will pay great attention to it. Choosing Must doesn’t mean we need to give up everything we already have. It’s about changing one small thing at a time.
If you believe that you have something special inside of you, it’s about time you give Must a try—today.
1. What happens if we choose the path of “Should”?| A．We have to live our life for ourselves. |
| B．We’ll have a clear picture of ourselves. |
| C．We have to give up what we have. |
| D．We don’t need to take great risks. |
| A．By comparing. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By asking questions. | D．By listing numbers. |
| A．Easy and educational. | B．Impossible and foolish. |
| C．Hard and challenging. | D．Smooth and exciting. |
| A．We’d better change a lot at a time |
| B．We’d better make money by doing what we love. |
| C．We’d better make a practical plan. |
| D．We’d better make sure what our Musts are. |
| A．To tell us to do what others want us to do. |
| B．To tell us something about his choice. |
| C．To encourage us to be our truest self. |
| D．To take others’ advice. |
6 . With the development of society, people pay more attention to environmental protection. In order to find out people’s attitude and ways of protecting the environment, 400 students in No. 5 High School were surveyed with the theme of “saving paper”.
Almost everyone agrees that it is necessary to save paper. However, only more than half of them know that the country’s forest resources are not enough. Even worse, nearly half pay little attention to the situation of China’s forest resources. The following two diagrams are about ways to deal with used paper and reasons for saving paper.
Diagram 1 Ways to deal with used paper
make other artworks 3%
print the other side 12%
use as draft paper 80%
throw away or sell it 5%
Diagram 2 Reasons for saving paper
15% 27% 58%
In conclusion, the forest resources in our country are facing a big crisis (危机). Luckily, most of the people have realized that and have their proper ways to save paper. But we still need to strengthen the action. As long as we start from the little things, we can make a big difference.
1. If the paper can be reused, what will most students do?| A．Use it to do something creative. | B．Use paper as draft paper. |
| C．Print the other side. | D．Sell it. |
| A．58. | B．60. | C．108. | D．232. |
| A．The Only Earth. | B．School Life. |
| C．Sports World. | D．Science Study. |
7 . Four New Books of 2023
River’s New Friend by Michael Roth When River first meets Willow, she thinks Willow is a perfect friend. But River quickly finds herself wrong. Willow often eats River’s food, plays with River’s toys, and takes away River’s time with Mom and Dad! What will River do? |
Children Who Dance in the Rain by Susan Justice Sophie is a young girl. She spends much time on her iPad. This changes when she takes a trip to India. There, she meets some children. They’re poor but still live a happy life. She learns a lot from them. |
Sally And Philbert’s—The Great Oak Adventure by Oliver Messner The book follows Sally and her teddy bear Philbert on a trip to find a big oak tree (橡树). Along the way they meet some of their forest friends who join them on their trip. |
School Trip by Jerry Craft Jordan, Drew, Liam and Maury plan to go on a school trip to Paris. But after their guide gets ill before the trip, the four children have to travel by themselves. Can they find their way in the end? |
1. Why does River think Willow isn’t a perfect friend?
①Because Willow makes her home dirty. ②Because Willow often eats River’s food.
③Because Willow often plays with River’s toys. ④ Because Willow spends time with River’s parents.
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．②③④ | D．①③④ |
| A．She often travels to India. | B．She comes from a poor family. |
| C．She often does her homework on iPad. | D．She learns a lot from poor children in India. |
| A．People who enjoy traveling | B．Scientists who study animals |
| C．Players who are good at running | D．Children who love reading books |
8 . Make It a Good Day
Mom and Dad are going out today, and you’re in for a whole day of fun. However, Mom leaves you with a list of “duties”—finishing your homework, playing the violin and tidying up your messy wardrobe (衣柜). You also really want to play video games and read comics (漫画). There’s so much to do!It’s time to make a plan.
| A．A list you will do. | B．A thank-you note. |
| C．A diary you write. | D．A thing you like to do. |
| A．To begin with tidying up rooms. |
| B．To do all the things one by one. |
| C．To tell parents and let them help you. |
| D．To divide the things into different groups. |
| A．By doing things as usual. | B．By putting the list in order. |
| C．By using a helpful timer. | D．By doing things at the end of the day. |
| A．Does the writer want to show his busy day? |
| B．Does the writer help us do homework well? |
| C．Does the writer remind us to eat yummy fruits? |
| D．Does the writer teach us to take up a good habit? |
9 . Why did Chinese people have more than one name in ancient times (古代)? In ancient China, people’s names had three parts, their family name, given name and courtesy name. Take famous poet (诗人) Li Bai for example. His family name, which came from his father’s name was Li. His given name was Bai, and his courtesy name was Taibai.
Family members call people’s given name, But in social life, they call each other by their courtesy names to show respect (尊重). This was mostly called by people of similar age. If you were talking about yourself, or if your parents were talking about you, the given name would be used instead of courtesy name.
Men would get their courtesy name when they turned 20. It was a symbol of adulthood (成人礼). Women would get their courtesy name after getting married (结婚).
One’s courtesy name often had something to do with one’s given name. For example, Zhuge Liang’s given name was Liang, which means “bright”. His courtesy name was Kongming, which means “very bright”.
1. How many parts are there in people’s names in ancient China?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．字 | B．名 | C．姓 | D．昵称 |
| A．To show their love. |
| B．To show their friendship. |
| C．To show their respect. |
| D．To show their good wishes. |
| A．The Famous Poet Li Bai. |
| B．Three Parts of Ancient Name. |
| C．The Similar names. |
| D．The Meaning of Family Name. |
10 . Dumplings are traditional Chinese food. On the lunar New Year’s Day, most families make a lot of delicious dumplings. To make them, we can follow these easy steps.
The first step is to mix the flour (面粉) with water. When the dough (面团) is ready, we can begin to make dumpling wrappers (饺子皮). We roll (卷) the dough into small, thin and round pieces so that they can be easy to cook. Then it’s time to prepare the filling (馅). We often use meat such as beef or pork, and some vegetables for filling. Remember to cut these things into small pieces, put some salt and oil into it and mix it.
When all these are ready, we can start making dumplings. First put a spoonful of filling in the center of the wrappers. Then stick (粘) the two opposite sides together. The best shape of dumplings is like a ship. When they are boiling in the pot they look like ships sailing (航行) in the sea. The smell can make your mouth water.
1. Most families make a lot of dumplings on _______.| A．Boxing Day | B．Christmas Day | C．the lunar New Year’s Day | D．National Day |
| A．some meat | B．some vegetables | C．some salt and oil | D．all of the above |
| A．round | B．like a cake | C．like a ship | D．like a dough |
