1 . When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? If you were like most children, you probably let your imagination run wild. Maybe you dreamed of flying into space. Then perhaps over years, your dreams became more realistic (现实的). Or you might have given up dreams.
If that’s true, then there is a day for you. January 13th is Make Your Dreams Come True Day. If you’ve been putting off reaching your dreams, this is the day to make a fresh start.
It’s important to have dreams because dreams can really give us the energy to succeed in life. Dreams encourage us. They might take a few years even a lifetime to achieve. The important thing is that you’re always working toward your dream. And the best way to do that is to set goals (树立目标).
What is the difference between a dream and a goal? It’s been said that dreams are the final destination and that goals are the stops along the way.
Dreams can be very common. But the steps you take to reach them should be very specific (具体的). Your dreams show what you want, but goals explain how you’ll get there. That makes goal setting a necessary step in reaching your dreams.
Many successful people have spoken about dreams. Former (前任的) US Secretary of State Colin Powell explained the importance of working for the dreams. “A dream doesn’t become reality (现实) through magic; it takes decisions and hard work.” Writer Les Brown reminded us that dreams have no age limit (界限). “You are never too old to set another goal or to have a new dream.”
If you’ve been dreaming about doing something for years, start now. Write down your dreams, set up your goals. Then you’ll be on your way to making your dreams come true.
1. What is the best way to work toward your dream?| A．Setting goals. | B．Dreaming dreams. |
| C．Changing plans. | D．Remembering dreams. |
| A．the stop on the way to some place | B．the final goal which someone reaches |
| C．the way by which we go to somewhere | D．the person who has reached his/her dream |
| A．everyone can have a dream | B．a dream takes no decision or hard work |
| C．a dream lets your imagination run wild | D．a dream doesn't come true through magic |
| A．To talk about some famous people. | B．To show us his important dreams. |
| C．To encourage us to reach our dreams. | D．To encourage us to set up goals. |
2 . To travel around the world is the dream of many adventurous people. But very few people can afford a global tour because hotels, food and airplane tickets are too expensive. Some people, however, have thought of some ways to realize their dreams.
Laura Cody and Tanbay Theune, a couple from Britain, decided to travel around the world. They have found a good way to pay for their trips. They look after pets for rich house owners. In exchange, they can stay in the houses for free. They have looked after horses, cows, cats, dogs and fish. In two years, the couple has been to Australia, Germany, Spain and Italy. They have stayed in big cities and small villages. The home owners are usually very generous and have given them food, wine and day trips.
Another person who tries to realize her travel dream is photographer Rhiannon Taylor. She travels around the world to visit, review and take photos of the best hotels. She shares the places she stays and the food she eats on the Internet with tens of thousands of followers.
With these ways of making money, traveling around the world is no longer a dream. More and more young people are thinking creatively to make their dreams come true.
1. Why do most people feel hard to make their travel dream come true?| A．Because they can hardly find hotels. | B．Because the food is not healthy. |
| C．Because the cost of travel is high. | D．Because they are afraid of adventure. |
| A．staying in the house for free | B．being given food and day drinks |
| C．going to Australia and other countries | D．looking after pets for rich house owners |
| A．吝啬的 | B．友善的 | C．慷慨的 | D．冷漠的 |
3 . The Sardar Patel Stadium (体育场) in India is the world’s largest cricket (板球) stadium. Although the sport is not well-known in places like China or the US,the UK and Australia.
Cricket is similar to baseball because it is played with a bat and ball. The rules of cricket are quite complicated (复杂的). This might be because the sport itself is very old. It was first played in 1646 in England,making it older than nearly any other sport in the world. As years passed,especially as the sport spread from the UK to British colonies (殖民地) in Australia and India.
In the UK,many people think cricket is slow and old-fashioned. Players usually dress in all-white uniforms and must be very polite to the umpire (裁判), and all shake hands and have a cup of tea together at the end. This has given the sport a reputation (声誉).
In India,cricket is a thing that makes the whole nation obsessed. The Indian Premier League (超级联赛) is to cricket what the English Premier League is to soccer. Players are big celebrities earning millions of dollars,and huge crowds gather to watch their matches.
Cricket is Australia’s most popular summer sport. Many people say summer does not start until Australia plays their first cricket game of the season. Most Australians will watch games on TV,listen to commentary (评论) on the radio or play games themselves.
1. What do the baseball and cricket have in common?
| A．They are both played with a bat and ball. |
| B．Their rules are easy to understand. |
| C．They are both not changed with time. |
| D．They are both modern sports. |
| A．In the US. | B．In England. | C．In Australia. | D．In India. |
| A．bored | B．relaxed | C．slow | D．crazy |
| A．To show the importance of soccer in India. |
| B．To show people’s love for cricket in India. |
| C．To ask people to watch soccer matches. |
| D．To show soccer is more popular than cricket. |
4 . A number of amazing plants grow in the nature world, including bamboo. Many people prefer to call it a tree because of its shape and size. In fact, it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant which grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo which grow around the world on both mountains and plains(平原).
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in a variety of colors, from gold to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things, such day-to-day items as hats and kitchen tools. Because it is strong, bamboo can also be used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building and supporting new buildings while they are being built. The cables(缆绳) which hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan, China are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and it is still holding strong.
As we know, pandas feed on the plant of bamboo. But not all the bamboos fill their appetite(胃口); only about 20 kinds of them can be their fine food.
1. There are over ________ kinds of bamboo around the world.| A．1,000 | B．20 | C．30 | D．24 |
| A．China | B．Sichuan | C．Europe | D．Japan |
| A．holiday | B．everyday | C．someday | D．weekday |
5 . If you want to enjoy fun holidays, look at these festivals.
 Chocolate Cake Day Chocolate Cake Day is celebrated on January 27. Here are some ways to celebrate it. Have chocolate cake for all your meals. Bake a chocolate cake and bring it with you to school and share it with your teachers and friends. |
 Festival of Sleep Day Take a break on January 3 by just staying in bed the whole day long. Here is how people celebrate it. Get into comfortable clothes, lie in bed and get out only when you want to. A clean bed and a temperature-controlled environment help you have a good sleep. |
 Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day On December 8, you can pretend to travel in the past or in the future. How can you celebrate it? Host a past party by choosing a past date and design the party around clothing, food and the language of that period. Get dressed like someone from the past or future. Speak old English or Latin or any other ancient language when asked why you are dressed the way you are. |
 Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day Discover your unique talent and celebrate it on November 24. Our unique talents make us who we are and show our attitude (态度) to life. Here are some ways. Host a talent show at school or among your friends and give them a chance to show off their skills. Make a video of your talent and post it on a video sharing website. |
| A．On January 3. | B．On January 27. | C．On November 24. | D．On December 8. |
| A．stay in bed the whole day long | B．make a video and post it online |
| C．have a piece of cake before sleeping | D．get dressed like someone from the past |
| A．Chocolate Cake Day. | B．Festival of Sleep Day. |
| C．Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day. | D．Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day. |
6 . Seventy percent of the people who catch a cold feel better within a week, but it is not unusual to have the common cold for as long as two weeks.
Why does your cold seem to be staying longer than it should be? Here are some possible reasons.
Sleep plays an important role in our immune system（免疫系统). In fact, this year a study showed that people who got less than seven hours of sleep per night were nearly three times more likely to catch a cold than people who slept for eight hours or more.
Water plays an important part in our body. If your cold won’t go away, think about drinking more hot water.
In fact, taking too much medicine can make things worse.
The common cold can easily be mixed with other illnesses. Often, people believe they’ve had a cold for a few weeks and may not realize that they aren’t getting better because they’re being treated for the wrong illness.
People ask “Should I exercise when I have a cold?” all the time. The answer is usually yes. But do it at a low level and listen to your body. For example, try taking a walk instead of running five miles. If you do it at a high level, it’ll do more harm to your body. It’ll also make the cold stay longer.
1. It takes most of the people who catch a cold _________ to feel better.| A．two days | B．less than one week | C．more than one week | D．two weeks |
| A．People who sleep for 6 hours per night. |
| B．People who sleep for 8 hours per night. |
| C．People who sleep for 9 hours per night. |
| D．People who sleep for 10 hours per night. |
| A．not getting enough rest | B．taking too much medicine |
| C．exercising too hard | D．taking a walk |
| A．Taking too much medicine helps us get well soon. |
| B．Drinking more cold water is good for curing the cold. |
| C．To get well, we should tell other illnesses from the common cold. |
| D．We can’t do any exercise when we have a cold. |
| A．How to get away from the cold | B．Why your cold stays longer |
| C．The right medicine for a cold | D．Treating the wrong illness |
7 . Sometimes the easiest way to get somewhere is on the back of a bike.
More and more people are using cars in many places in Africa today. However, things are different in Malawi（马拉维）. Bikes are the most popular in this African country.
Bike riding is a way of life in Malawi. People use them to carry heavy things. They also use bikes to carry people, especially visitors. These years, taking a bike taxi to go around Malawi has become quite popular for visitors from all over the world.
If you go to Malawi, you will find a lot of bike taxis waiting on the sides of the roads. The riders make the bikes comfortable for passengers to sit on. You can jump on a bike taxi and get around at a very good price.
Alice is a 21-year-old student from Canada. She enjoys the special bike riding a lot. “I really like the bike taxi,” she says. “It’s easy and cheap.” Alice usually pays just $ 1 for going shopping in town. 28-year-old Panjira Khombe began to ride a bike taxi two years ago. The young man enjoys this job. “I used to make boats for a living, but that’s a hard job. Being a bike taxi rider is easy for me and I don’t mind carrying heavy people.” he says.
1. In Malawi _______ are the most popular way for people to get somewhere.| A．cars | B．bikes | C．trains | D．buses |
| A．on the side of the road | B．popular and heavy | C．all over the country | D．cheap and easy |
| A．going shopping is easy | B．making boats is difficult | C．riding a bike taxi is cheap | D．carrying heavy people is interesting |
| A．It will be more expensive for the bike taxi rider to carry heavy people. |
| B．The seats of the bikes are comfortable for people to sit on. |
| C．People in Malawi use bike riding to carry both things and people. |
| D．The bike taxis are often waiting on the sides of the roads. |
| A．Bike Riders | B．Bike Taxis | C．Special Country | D．A Cheap Journey |
8 . Are shorter people less happy with their lives than tall people? A recent study says yes. Short people feel that they don’t get as much respect as tall people.
It’s true that tall people earn more money, get more respect, and have more important jobs than short people. In the US, the taller presidential candidate（候选人）is more likely to win.
It’s also hard being a short celebrity（名人）. Former French President Sarkozy（168cm）once visited a factory to talk to the workers there. People said that he made the shortest workers stand near him so that he would look taller in the photos. When Hollywood star Tom Cruise（173 cm）married Katie Holmes（179cm）, he tried to make himself look the same height as Katie in their wedding photos.
But life isn’t so bad for short people. Shorter people can move more quickly and react（反应）faster than tall people. Short people are usually the best gymnasts（体操选手）, skiers and rock climbers. Shorter people are also less likely to get some kinds of disease, including cancer. Short people may live longer than taller people..
In the end, it shouldn’t matter if a person is tall or short. There are good and bad sides to each.
1. The examples of Sarkozy and Cruise show that ________.| A．short people are afraid of having their photo taken | B．short people can also become famous |
| C．it’s not easy being short and famous | D．life isn’t so bad for short people |
| A．They can earn more money. | B．They can get more respect. | C．They can get better jobs. | D．They can move and react faster. |
| A．Playing basketball. | B．Gymnastics. | C．Skiing. | D．Rock climbing. |
| A．it is a good thing to be a tall person | B．tall people are healthier than short people |
| C．it is not that important if a person is tall or short | D．short people have better luck in life |
9 . China is famous for its tea. To teach more people about the history and culture of tea, there will be a tea art show in Dongfeng Square this Saturday morning from 9:30 to 12:00. Here are four activities that will be held at the show.
Activity 1: A lecture（讲座）by Professor Liu
Professor Liu is a well-known tea master. He will talk about the culture of tea and the characteristics of some famous kinds of tea, such as Longjing.
Activity 2: A tea history dance performance
A group of tea farmers will give a dance performance that will show the history of tea. All of the farmers have been growing tea since they were young. They have a great passion for tea and want to show this through their performance.
Activity 3: Tea picking and preparation
Several teachers will show how to pick tea leaves, as well as how to boil and serve tea. They will teach us about traditional tea culture.
Activity 4: A tea art game
Everyone is welcome to join this game. Gifts will be given to participants（参加者）. If you want to participate, please bring tea pots, spoons and leaves. Please join us for a fun morning of learning about tea culture!
1. How long will the tea art show last?| A．1.5 hours | B．2.5 hours. | C．3 hours | D．3.5 hours |
| A．a lecture | B．a dance performance | C．a musical performance | D．an art game |
| A．to encourage people to buy more tea | B．to help people pick tea leaves |
| C．to invite people to play games and win gifts | D．to teach people about tea history and culture |
1. You can find that the theater is ________.
| A．behind the department store | B．near the train station |
| C．across from Tony’s Pizza | D．between the park and the coffee shop |
| A．eat a delicious pizza | B．rent (租赁) video tapes | C．see a movie | D．buy beautiful shoes |
| A．Go down Holiday Street and turn right to Park Street. It’s on the right. |
| B．Go down Holiday street and turn left to Park Street. It is on the left. |
| C．Go down Spring Street and turn left to Park Street. It’s next to the park. |
| D．Go down Spring Street and turn left to Park Street. Walk to the end. |
