1 . There are many kinds of plants in the world. Now I’ll tell you two kinds of them. They are very special and they are quite different from other plants.

Rafflesia arnoldii (大王花) People discovered this flower in Sumatra in 1818, and it is considered to be the largest flower in the world. It can grow up to one meter in diameter (直径), and weigh as much as 11 kg. Though Rafflesia arnoldii is a large flower, it is very difficult to find. It takes 9 to 21 months for the plant to develop, but its flower lasts for only five days. The flower can reach up to 6 meters tall and 4.8 meters wide, but it smells awful.

Dancing plant Have you ever watched a plant move all by itself? The dancing plant actually moves its leaves. It can grow up to 2 meters high. The period (时期) of its movements is from 3 to 5 minutes, and when all of the leaves move, it brings a very cool wind. The plant lives in Asia. People can also find it in the South Pacific. It is very wonderful. This plant is famous for being a favourite of Charles Darwin, and it is important in his book The Power of Movement in Plants.

1. What can we know about Rafflesia arnoldii?

A．It is about 20 metres wide.	B．People discovered it in 1922.
C．Its flower lasts for 9 to 21 months.	D．It is the largest flower in the world.

2. How does Rafflesia arnoldii smell?

A．Wonderful.

B．Terrible.

C．Sweet.

D．Fresh.

3. Where can we find dancing plants?

A．In Sumatra.

B．In the North Pacific.

C．In Asia.

D．In Europe.

4. In which part of a magazine can we find this text?

A．Amazing Nature.	B．Exciting Sports.
C．Colourful Cultures.	D．Interesting Places.

2 . The Internet has changed the world. People are able to get and share information in seconds. Nowadays, people begin to wonder: Is the Internet good or bad? “It’s impossible to answer that question because the Internet is so many things,” says psychologist (心理学家) Patricia Greenfield.

Some are truly wonderful. In many ways it makes life easier and simpler. It helps us get things done more quickly. It opens up the world to us. And if a friend lives far away, the Internet makes it easy to stay in touch.

However, the issue (话题) isn’t black and white. Some can become real problems if we don’t take care. Spending too much time online is harmful to people’s health. It may even cause them to be less social with family and friends. Apart from (除……之外) that, some people attack the web or use the Internet to steal others’ personal information, even banking information. Most of the young students think the Internet is simply an icon on the screen. Kids won’t realize that the Internet is a network of millions of computers until about 10 years old.

The Internet can be a useful tool, but don’t let it take up all of your time. Use the Internet properly (适当地) and carefully and it can make your life more colourful.

1. What does Patricia Greenfield mean by saying “the Internet is so many things”?

A．The Internet is hard for people to master.

B．The Internet brings advantages as well as disadvantages.

C．The Internet has more advantages than expected.

D．The Internet has more disadvantages than expected.

2. What is the Internet in the mind of very young children?

A．Harmful.

B．Simple.

C．Difficult.

D．Everything.

3. What might the writer talk about in the following paragraphs?

A．Advantages of using the Internet.	B．Disadvantages of using the Internet.
C．How to stop using the Internet.	D．How to use the Internet wisely.

3 .

We can know about the weather by listening to the weather report. We can also know the weather in some other ways. Let’s see what Tom and Wang Hong found on the Internet.
	When we see birds fly high out to the sea, we know it is a nice day because birds don’t like to fly out if it rains. When the weather is bad, the birds will come back to the beach. A big wind may come with a heavy rain. Birds do not like to fly in a big wind. They may sit in a tree when the rain is coming.
	It is a cloudy day. The rain is coming. Chickens are not quiet and they run here and there. Frogs (青蛙) make a big noise in the pool. If it is a nice day, the frogs will come out of the water.

1. When can we play beach volleyball?

A．When birds fly back to the beach.	B．When birds fly high above the sea.
C．When birds hide in their nests.	D．When birds sit in a tree.

2. What might chickens do when it is going to rain?

A．They run here and there.	B．They keep quiet.
C．They lay eggs everywhere.	D．They fight with each other.

3. If frogs make a loud noise, what will the weather be like?

A．Sunny.

B．Windy.

C．Rainy.

D．Warm.

5 . Community (社区) Cleanup

A community cleanup brings volunteers together to clean, repair and improve public (公众的) places with rubbish or being broken. The cleanup project (项目) covers all kinds of public places-parks, playground s and even parking lots (停车场).

How to make the project welcome

A cleanup can be a one-time event. It doesn’t have to be held very often or last for a long time. If you like, you can keep on the activity by moving the cleanup from one place to another.

Sharing the work—letting people do different jobs that interest them and making each new cleanup a fresh chance for volunteers.

Make sure your project is realistic (可行的). It’s a good idea to start with a project that can be finished in one afternoon. Don’t start a large project at the beginning because it is difficult to finish.

No matter your cleanup project is a one-time event or a year-long one, don’t forget to celebrate the results. Take photos and videos, then put them on the Internet and write thank-you letters to those who helped. Making a meal in the end can make volunteers look forward to working together again.

1. Which of the following doesn’t the cleanup project cover?

A．To take out the rubbish in Mr. Black’s garden.	B．To repair broken things in the park.
C．To clean the street in the neighborhood.	D．To clean up the parking lot in the community.

2. How many ways are mentioned (被提到) to make the project welcome?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

3. What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined (划线的) word “chance”?

A．机会

B．改变

C．职责

D．荣耀

4. Which of the following is Right according to the passage?

A．To interest more people, you have to hold the activity often.

B．Let people do different jobs without thinking about their interest.

C．To start with a small project is better than to start with a large project.

D．It’s better to celebrate the results before finishing the project.

6 . 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.

2. What does the underlined word “courtesy name” in Paragraph 2 mean in Chinese?

A．字

B．名

C．姓

D．昵称

3. Why did people call each other by their courtesy names in social life?

A．To show their love.

B．To show their friendship.

C．To show their respect.

D．To show their good wishes.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．The Famous Poet Li Bai.

B．Three Parts of Ancient Name.

C．The Similar names.

D．The Meaning of Family Name.

7 . 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

2. To make the filling, we need to prepare _________.

A．some meat

B．some vegetables

C．some salt and oil

D．all of the above

3. The best shape of dumplings is _________.

A．round

B．like a cake

C．like a ship

D．like a dough

8 . In some western countries, many children do chores to get pocket money (零花钱). They usually start to do this when they are ten years old.

School students have to do homework and study for tests. They don’t have much free time on weekdays. They often do chores on weekends.

Young kids only do easy chores. So they don’t get much money. But that’s enough. Many of them only want to buy candy. And candy is cheap! They often help do the dishes, sweep the floor, or feed the pet cat or dog.

When they get older, they want to buy more and more things. They want things that are more expensive than candy. So they have to work harder! They often help their parents wash the family car, cut the grass, or cook meals.

Some jobs are a good way for kids to learn new things. For example, they can learn how to use a lawnmower (割草机) or how to cook. Of course, their parents help them at first.

1. How do many children get pocket money in some Western countries?

A．They study hard.	B．They do chores.
C．They do part-time jobs.	D．They ask their parents for it.

2. When do many children usually begin to do chores in some Western counties?

A．At the age of 10.

B．At the age of 13.

C．At the age of 15.

D．At the age of 17.

3. Mary wants to get more pocket money to buy something expensive. She may ________.

A．do the dishes

B．feed the pet cat

C．cook meals

D．sweep the floor

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Kids can learn how to cook with the help of their parents.

B．School students often do chores on Saturdays and Sundays.

C．If kids get older and want something more expensive, they have to work harder.

D．Young kids do easy chores because they can get much money from their parents

5. The passage mainly tells us how children in some Western countries ________.

A．find jobs

B．learn new things

C．study at school

D．get pocket money

9 . You don’t have to feel terrible all the time on school days. Your school days can be some of your happiest time! Yes, it is possible. Let me tell you what you should do.

On every weekend, take a piece of paper and write down the title “My Plan”. Under it, you write the days of the week. Next to the days you can write what you should do. You should give yourself enough time for study and some time for activities you like to do.

In class, you have to listen to the teachers carefully. Also, try to answer the questions he asks in class and talk about your ideas. You will be someone interesting for the teachers and someone special for your classmates.

Try to make friends with your classmates. If they don’t like to make friends with you, it’s fine. Notice if there is someone whom you feel you can be friends with.

Invite your friends to your home or ask them if they’d like to hang out with you. Other times, do homework with them in the same time or place. You could give them ideas and they may have helpful thoughts that would help both of you.

1. When does the writer advise students to write down the plan?

A．On Monday.

B．On Tuesday.

C．On Friday.

D．On Sunday.

2. The plan should be ________.

A．for study and activities	B．full of subjects
C．full of activities	D．made with your friends

3. What should you do in class?

A．Think about your ideas.	B．Try to answer the teachers’ questions.
C．Help your classmate with his studies.	D．Discuss your problems with your friends quietly.

4. What does the underlined word “helpful” mean in Chinese?

A．遥远的

B．有益的

C．真实的

D．无意义的

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to Study at School	B．How to Make Friends
C．How to Be Happy on School Days	D．How to Get Good Grades

10 . The computer is a very wonderful machine, and it is so popular today that it seems we cannot live or work without it. Computers are used in many places—in offices, in factories, in big shops, at schools and even at home. With the computer, people are living a better life.

The computer was one of the greatest inventions in the 20th century. The first computer was built in America, and it was not only very large, but also quite heavy. It was as big as two rooms!

But the computer is developing very fast. Today they are becoming smaller and lighter. And they work faster and faster. There are various kinds of computers in the market and you can easily choose one that you like best.

As the computer can do a lot of things for people, it helps us learn about the real world. With the computer, you can send an email just in a few seconds to your friend or receive your message.

Now you can see the computer really gives us a very nice picture about the world of tomorrow. So as students in the 21st century, we have to work hard and learn how to use the computer very well. Don’t you think so?

1. What does the writer think of the computer today?

A．People can’t live without it.	B．It helps people to live a better life.
C．It makes people become lazier.	D．It is the most useful invention in the 21st century.

2. What was the first computer like?

A．Small and light.

B．Small and heavy.

C．Large and heavy.

D．Large and light.

3. What does the underlined word “various” probably mean?

A．Different.

B．Dry.

C．Tiny.

D．Big.

4. What does the writer advise students in the 21st century to do?

A．Learn how to use the computer well.	B．Learn to develop the computer.
C．Learn when to use the computer.	D．Learn to use the computer quickly.

5. What’s the best title for the text?

A．How to choose a right computer	B．Different kinds of computers
C．The history of the computers	D．A wonderful machine—the computer