1 . The small talk is a good way to kill time and make friends. But do you know what to say to start a small talk with foreign people?

In Britain, the best topic is the weather. Because the British weather changes quite often. It's a safe topic. So you can start a small talk simply by saying "It's a lovely day today, isn't it?" Besides the weather, it's good to talk about gardens. For example, you could say, "Those roses look really beautiful, don't they?" In addition（此外）, British people love their pets very much. So it's also nice to start with "What a lovely dog! What is its name?"

In America, people like to talk about sports, such as American football. They also talk about clothes by saying "It's a nice shirt! Where did you get it?" And the weather is a safe topic there, too.

Of course, there are also a lot of topics to avoid（避免）during small talks in western countries. For example, don't ask people "How old are you?", especially（特别）women. And never ask "How much money do you make?" It makes people unhappy and it's also impolite.

1. ________ is a safe small talk topic for British people.

A．Age

B．Weather

C．Money

D．Time

2. What do the underlined words "small talk" mean in Chinese?

A．讲小话

B．小声交谈

C．随意聊天

D．大声朗读

3. People like to talk about _________ in America.

A．money

B．sports

C．time

D．seasons

4. Which of the following is NOT a good topic for a small talk?

A．How old are you?	B．Lovely weather, isn't it?
C．Where did you get that nice shirt?	D．You look so pretty in red.

5. How many safe topics does the passage mention?

A．5.

B．4.

C．3.

D．2.

6. What's the main idea of this passage?

A．Why do we start a small talk?

B．Good and bad topics for small talks.

C．Americans like to talk about weather.

D．How to make friends with Americans and British people.

2 . Smart Phone, Poor Sight

Look around and you’ll see people busy on their smart phones. Smart phones do make our lives easier. But have you ever thought about what they mean to your eyes?

According to a study, half of British people own smart phones and they spend an average of two hours a day using them. There has been a 35% increase in the number of people in the UK who suffer from short-sightedness(近视) since smart phones were introduced there in 1997.

Staring(盯) at smart phones for long time gives you dry eyes. When looking at something in the distance, your eyes automatically blink(自动眨眼) a certain number of times.

However, when you look at things closer to your face, the blinking slows down. This reduces the amount of tears and causes discomfort in your eyes. This can do harm to the eyes and cause a disease called glaucoma(青光眼).

While you’re probably not going to stop using to your smart phone, there are a few things you can do to protect your eyes. Hold your phone at least 30 centimeters away from your eyes when using it. Take a break every hour and try the following: look at something at least five meters from you and then focus on the tip of your nose. Repeat this several times. It should reduce the discomfort in your eyes.

1. The article is mainly about ________.

A．the reason why teenagers get short-sightedness

B．the harm that smart phones do to users’ eyes

C．the rules to obey when using smart phones

D．advantages and disadvantages of smart phones

2. From Paragraph 2, we learn that _________.

A．half of the British people began to use smart phones 17 years ago

B．more British people have suffered from shortsightedness since 1997

C．the number of British people who own smart phones increases by 35%

D．each of the British people who own smart phones increases by 35%

3. According to Paragraph 3, using smart phones improperly may cause __________.

A．more tears in the eyes	B．smaller pupils
C．too many blinks	D．dry eyes and glaucoma

4. Which of the following is suggested by the writer?

A．Hold the phone at least half a meter away from the eyes.

B．Turn off your phone for a couple of hours every day.

C．Look at something green far away for several minutes.

D．Don’t use the phone for over an hour without a break.

5. This article is written to advise people _________.

A．to make full use of smart phones	B．to stop using smart phones
C．not to buy smart phones	D．to use smart phones properly

3 . Really learn English!

A Special Bonus-English Short stories for Beginners

Ideal for complete beginners or children learning English:

●54 pages long
●Fully illustrated (有插图的)
●Simple and easy

There are many English short stories for English learners, but not many of them are suitable for complete beginners or children.

Complete beginners are those learners who have just learned the alphabet, learned the basic simplified sounds of the letters and hardly have any vocabulary.

As mentioned above, it can be a real challenge to find stories and activities that are suitable for students. Most stories at this stage are either too complex or simply not interesting. This is especially true if they are beginners. Most stories have at least some of the following flaws:

●too advanced, or too complicated (难懂的) for beginners
●hard to understand
●not really interesting
●contain idioms and other advanced vocabulary structures
●too long

These things are likely to reduce the student's motivation and make lessons less effective.

1. Really Learn English is ________.

A．a book.

B．a magazine

C．a newspaper

D．a website

2. The book English Short Stories for Complete Beginners is ________ pages long.

A．34

B．45

C．54

D．80

3. After reading, you will find the passage above is a(an) ________.

A．advertisement

B．story

C．book review

D．speech

4. Ideal books for complete beginners should have the below except ________.

A．contain many idioms

B．simple and easy

C．not be too thick

D．be fully illustrated

5. The underlined word "flaws" in the text means "something ________".

A．helpful

B．not good enough

C．different

D．educational

6. The passage above is written to ________.

A．introduce a book	B．tell how to read stories
C．make lessons more effective	D．learn the alphabet

4 . Bullying（欺凌）can happen to anyone. It happens to millions of children around the world. Every year, a great many children around the world are bullied, but there are things that can be done to help.

What is bullying?

Bullying is when someone makes you feel bad or hurts you again and again. Bullying can happen at school, out of school or online. Bullying includes:

calling people mean（恶意的）names.

laughing at people.

telling lies about people.

taking someone’s things without permission（允许）

not letting someone play in a group

hitting people

What is cyber-bullying?

Cyberbullying happens online and includes:

sending bad messages online

sharing photos online without permission

not letting someone be in an online group

spreading lies online What can you do?

If someone is not kind of you, tell an adult who you know and like. For example, talk to parent or a teacher.

If you get bad messages, don’t reply. You should save them and give them to your teacher, your family or the police. Ask an adult for help. Don’t share something before you make sure it is true. That will stop the cyberbullying.

Talk to your parents or teacher or an adult if you are worried about a friend.

Say sorry if you are not kind to someone. You can write a message or talk to the person. And always remember: think about how to be kind in the future.

For more information, visit our home page at www.kidsworld.com.

1. According to the passage, the following are bullying EXCEPT .

A．telling lies about people	B．calling people mean names
C．laughing with people	D．not letting someone play in a group

2. Cyberbullying means bullying________.

A．at school

B．on the street

C．at home

D．on the Internet

3. When you get bad messages online, you should________.

A．share then with friends	B．give them to your teacher
C．reply to them at once.	D．keep them as your secrets

4. If you are not kind to someone , you should________

A．say sorry to him	B．talk about it is public
C．ask your parents to say sorry	D．feel sad and keep quiet

5. This passage is mainly written for________.

A．teachers

B．parents

C．children

D．the police

6. The passage mainly tells the readers________.

A．who are usually bullied	B．where bullying is and how to find it
C．how to get rid of bullying	D．what bullying is and how to deal with it

5 .

Deborah Sampson was born in Massachusetts, US in 1760. She was the fifth oldest of the seven children in her family. The family was so poor that the mother sent the kids off to live with friends and relatives. At the age of 5, Deborah was taken in by an old woman and was then sent to work as a servant in another home one year later.

At the age of 10, she helped with the housework and worked on a farm for about eight years, growing to be about 173 cm tall, almost 30 cm taller than the average woman of her day. Hard physical work helped her develop a strong body.

She dreamed of going on some adventures. When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, women were not allowed to serve in the army. But Deborah dressed herself to look like a man and joined the army in 1782. She called herself Robert Shurtliff.

One day, during an attack, Deborah was shot (射中) in the back and leg. Another soldier took her to the hospital. A doctor treated the wound on her back and asked if she had any other wounds. Deborah lied and said no. She was afraid that if the doctor examined her leg, he would find out her secret. The bullet was deep in her leg. Using a pocket knife, Deborah took it out. She left the hospital and continued to fight.

After the war ended, Deborah got married and had children. But she still longed for adventure. So she put on her soldier’s uniform and traveled around the country telling of her life as Robert Shurtliff, the young and brave soldier.

1. Deborah Sampson started to work as a servant in         .

A．1760

B．1765

C．1766

D．1770

2. Deborah’s          made her different from the average woman of her day.

A．unusual height

B．long hair

C．poor childhood

D．beautiful face

3. Deborah joined the army successfully because of the following reasons EXCEPT that         .

A．she dressed herself like a man	B．she used a man’s name
C．she had a strong body	D．The old woman asked her

4. The word “it” in paragraph 4 refers to (指的是)         .

A．the pocket knife

B．the bullet

C．the secret

D．her leg

5. Which of the following statements is NOT true about Deborah?

A．Deborah denied having another wound when being asked.

B．Deborah treated the wound in her leg by herself.

C．Deborah walked to the hospital after being shot.

D．Deborah went on fighting in the war after being treated.

6. What was the story mainly about?

A．Deborah’s adventurous life.	B．Reasons why Deborah liked adventures.
C．A big poor family Deborah had.	D．Fight for women’s right.

6 .

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No trip to Sydney is complete without visiting SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. Specialties: ★More than 12,000 sea animals. ★Over 100 metres of glass viewing tunnels. ★Within inches of huge sharks, rays, dugongs（儒艮）and turtles swimming above your head.
Dugong Island Dugong Island hosts some dugongs and a variety of tropical fish. It is said that when early delirious sailors from Europe finally arrived in Australia’s waters, they mistook the animals for mermaids（美人鱼）after too long out on the ocean.	Shark Valley Face your fears on the Shark Walk and walk over some of the world’s biggest aquarium sharks, such as Grey Nurse Sharks. Although their sharp teeth make them look terrible, they offer no threat to humans.
Discovery Rock-pool Not all the animals are behind glass at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium! Come and meet one of our experts and make an amazing discovery at our rock-pool. You’ll be able to see and touch sea stars, shark eggs, shells and more! And yes, hand cleaner is provided.
Opening time this summer Regular Trading Hours: 9:30 am - 7:00 pm (last entry 6:00 pm) Christmas Day Hours: 9:30 am - 3 pm (last entry 2 pm) New Year’s Eve Hours: 9:30 am - 3 pm (last entry 2 pm)	Price (Children under 4years old are free!) TICKET Save up to 20% - Online Only! GENERAL ADMISSION $46 at the door $36.80 ADULT FROM (CHILD $26.40)

1. How many specialties of SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium are mentioned in the material?

A．12,000

B．100

C．46

D．3

2. The underlined word “delirious” probably means “too ________ to recognize what one sees.”

A．sad

B．excited

C．nervous

D．confused

3. If Mr. Clark takes his wife and 10-year-old daughter to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and he buys the tickets online, he should pay ________ for the entrance fee.

A．$ 63.2

B．$ 73.6

C．$ 100

D．$ 128.8

4. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A．There are only dugongs in Dugong Island.

B．The opening hours on Christmas Day lasts 5 hours and a half.

C．Grey Nurse Sharks offer great threat to human beings.

D．All the animals are behind glass at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

5. What can we infer（推测）from the passage?

A．The population of Grey Nurse Sharks is smaller than before.

B．SEALIFE Sydney Aquarium is the best tourist attraction in Australia.

C．It is not convenient for kids to clean their hands after touching starfish.

D．SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is an educational place for people to learn about sea life.

6. Which of the following is NOT the writing purpose of the text?

A．To ask people to take action to protect sea animals

B．To attract the tourists to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

C．To provide useful information for tourists before their visit.

D．To introduce some exciting places in SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

7 . Happiness is important to everyone. Most people want to be happy but few people know how to find happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness.

Some people believe that if they are rich, they can do anything they want, and that means happiness. On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high place in the government is happiness. In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things. However, other people pay attention to their health. They think it can make them happy.

Here are the ways to help you be happier.

The secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. We shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about the future. For example, will I get a good job in the future? Instead, we should enjoy a simple life right now, such as reading a good book, listening to our favourite songs, or spending time with close friends. People who have close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives.

The secret of happiness is also to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.

Besides, many people find happiness is helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to do many meaningful things for other people. If you want to feel happier, something nice for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbour, or just help around the house.

Now maybe you know how to find happiness!

1. Some people who hold a high place in the government think they can ________.

A．do everything they want

B．enjoy health, which makes them work hard

C．take an active part in all kinds of activities every day

D．get money and something they can’t buy with money

2. The writer shows us ________ ways to help people to be happier.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．four

3. ________ is NOT the simple life you can enjoy.

A．Reading a good book	B．Worrying about the future
C．Listening to one’s favourite music	D．Staying with close friends

4. Many people find it happy to ________.

A．go shopping to get some food	B．make much money and little progress
C．remember the old days and troubles	D．do some meaningful things for other people

5. The passage mainly tell us ________.

A．how to find happiness	B．how to be healthy
C．How to save happiness	D．to do something good for other people

8 . In Chinese culture, some numbers are believed to be lucky or unlucky based on the Chinese word that the number sounds similar to.

For example, the word for the number 8 sounds similar to the word for “making a fortune（财富）”. So, people consider it a very lucky number. Some people will even spend a lot of money to have 8s in their phone numbers or vehicle license plate（车牌照）numbers. The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics began at 8:08 p. m. on August 8th, 2008.

The number 9 is also a lucky number because of its connection to the emperors（皇帝）of China. There were nine dragons on emperors’ robes（龙袍）and Chinese myth held that the dragon has 9 children. The number 9 also means “long lasting”. That’s why a man always gives a woman 99 or 999 roses.

So what’s a “bad luck” number in China? It might be 4. Many Chinese people see 4 as a “bad luck” number because it sounds similar to the word “death”.

Because of this, many buildings skip the fourth floor, and simply call it the 5^th floor. In Hong Kong, some buildings even skip all floors numbered with 4, such as 4, 14, 24, 34 and all 40 to 49 floors. Some buildings also skip the 13th floor, as this is considered an unlucky number in many Christian countries.

1. The passage is mainly about ______.

A．good luck and bad luck in China

B．lucky and unlucky numbers in China

C．some facts with lucky or unlucky numbers

D．lucky and unlucky numbers in culture

2. The time of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic shows the number 8 means “_______” in Chinese meaning.

A．long lasting

B．bad luck

C．death

D．making a fortune

3. Lucky or unlucky numbers are mostly based on _______ in Chinese culture.

A．Chinese traditions	B．people’s hope for good luck
C．similar sounds of Chinese words	D．people’s belief in certain numbers

4. A man always proposes to a woman with 99 or 999 roses because _______ in Chinese culture.

A．nine means “long lasting”	B．the dragon has nine children
C．nine is unlucky number	D．nine dragons are on emperors’ robes

5. From the passage we can guess the number “4” sounds similar to “_______” in Chinese meaning.

A．death

B．the birth date

C．good luck

D．sure

6. What can we learn from the passage?

A．4 is an unlucky number because it predicts death to the Chinese.

B．9 is a lucky number in Chinese culture for only one reason

C．Many people like the number 9 because it can bring them much money

D．Much money is sometimes spent on 8s in people’s phone numbers in China.

9 . Last year, I was invited to attend a party for "Tuesday's Child", an organization that helps children with the AIDS virus. I was asked to attend because I am on a TV show. I went there because I care.

At the party, they had all kinds of small rooms. I went into a special one. In this room, anyone could paint a square. They gave everyone paints in bright, beautiful colors and asked the kids to paint something beautiful. As I looked around at all the squares, I saw the pictures were all bright, except one.

The boy sitting next to me was painting a heart, but it was dark, empty, and lifeless. It lacked the bright colors that other children used.

At first I thought maybe he took the only paint that was left and it just happened to be dark. But when I asked him about it, he said his heart was that color because his own heart felt dark. I asked him why and he told me that he was very sick and his mother was very sick, too. He said that his sickness was not ever going to get better and neither was his mother’s. He looked straight into my eyes and said, "There is nothing anyone can do to help."

I told him I was sorry that he was sick and I could certainly understand why he was so sad. I could even understand why he had made his heart a dark color. But I told him that it isn't true that there is nothing anyone can do to help. Other people may not make him or his mother better but we can do things like giving him or her hugs. Then I hugged him for a long time. I thought my own heart would burst with the love I felt for this sweet little boy. After that, I asked him if he felt any better. He said he did, but he was still sick and nothing would change that. I walked away felling sad.

As I was getting ready to head home, I fell a tug on my jacket. I turned around and the little boy was standing there with a smile on his face. He told me, "My heart is changing colors. It is getting brighter. I think those hugs really work."

On my way home, I felt my own heart had changed into a brighter color.

1. "Tuesday's Child" was ________.

A．the name of a TV show

B．the name of a party

C．the name of an organization that helps cure the AIDS virus

D．the name of an organization that helps children with the AIDS virus

2. The sick boy painted a dark heart because ________.

A．he is not good at painting	B．he as well as his mother was seriously ill
C．his mother was dying	D．he took the only paint that was left

3. After a long hug, ________.

A．nothing happened	B．the writer felt her heart had changed brighter
C．the boy felt better	D．the boy wasn't sick any more

4. The underline word "burst" in paragraph 5 means ________.

A．be filled

B．come into

C．beat suddenly

D．feel

5. The best title of the passage is ________.

A．Tuesday's Child

B．Bright Heart

C．Heart Trouble

D．The AIDS Virus

10 . We often hear the words "a red-letter day" in everyday life. But what's "a red-letter day"? It is a day that people are very happy. It may be a day that you have long waited for. Or it may be a day with a happy surprise. You might tell a friend that yesterday was a red-letter day, because you won some money in the lottery（彩原）.

Rolling out the red carpet "is also a popular group of words. It tells a very warm welcome of any kind. A city may" roll out the red carer" for its basketball team, when the team arrives home after winning a game. A lot of people go to the airport to meet the team The red-carpet welcome has a lot of cheering by thousands of fans, a parade, music and speeches of praise by some famous Red is also used in some word groups that are not happy. "red-handed" is one, To be caught red-handed" is to be found in an act of wrong doing. It is clear that you are guilty or you do bad things. Today "to be caught red-handed" is not so serious. For example, a mother might say she caught her son red-handed, taking cookies out of the cookie box.

1. The passage mainly talks about__________.

A．how people celebrate important days	B．the expression about the colour "red"
C．different culture in different countries	D．how to learn some important word groups

2. Yesterday is a red-letter day for you because you.

A．lost your wallet	B．wrote a letter in red pen
C．failed an exam	D．went to Jays concert

3. Which following is NOT TRUE?

A．The meaning of "to be caught red-handed "is changing

B．The same word has different meanings in different situations

C．If you won some money in the lottery, you may "roll out the red carpet

D．A red-letter day can be a day that you have long expected