Are we alone in the space? People have always wondered whether there is(or was) life on other planets. Since the 1960s, NASA has been interested in finding out more about Mars(火星). In 1975, NASA sent two spacecraft(航天器)—Viking I and Viking 2—to Mars. It took the two spacecraft a year to land on Mars. The spacecraft sent pictures back to the Earth from the surface of the planet.
In 2001, NASA sent another spacecraft named Odyssey to Mars. Odyssey entered the orbit(轨道) of Mars on October 24, 2001. The spacecraft flew around the planet and sent pictures back to NASA scientists. Odyssey found that Mars has ice under its surface. That indicates that Mars used to have lakes and rivers. If there was water, there might also have been life.
On November 26, 2011, NASA sent another spacecraft called Curiosity to Mars. It landed on Mars on August 5, 2012. Curiosity's job is to check whether there has ever been life on Mars and study more about the planet. Curiosity has many instruments to help it complete its job. Since landing on the planet, Curiosity has sent a lot of information to NASA scientists. They now have further information to support the idea that there could have been life on Mars in the past.
NASA sent another spacecraft to Mars in July, 2020. The new spacecraft has better instruments to help it search for signs of Martian life. By 2020, NASA scientists hope finally answer the question—________.
1. Viking I and Viking 2 landed on Mars in ________.| A．1975 | B．1976 | C．2011 | D．2012 |
| A．mentions | B．requests | C．shows | D．argues |
| A．More than 1 year. | B．More than 10 months. |
| C．More than 2 years. | D．More than 8 months. |
| A．Viking I. | B．Viking 2. | C．Odyssey. | D．Curiosity. |
| A．Was there ever life on Mars? | B．Who will be the first person on Mars? |
| C．Why is it important to find life on Mars? | D．Is it possible for humans to live on Mars? |
2 . Rain was beating heavily against the window. I was trying to read but the sound was too loud. Anger filled my heart little by little. I wanted to be outside playing, but the rain was keeping me inside.
My mom had gone to the supermarket, and my dad was spending Saturday at the office. I had planned to spend the day hiking(徒步旅行), but Mother Nature decided that today was the perfect day for rain.
It meant I would have to find something to do. I spent most of the morning playing with my pet dog and reading. I was sitting next to the window looking out when I got a strange idea: why not go outside anyway?
I put on a big raincoat and stepped out into the wet world. It was raining hard but it wasn't cold. All I could hear were raindrops and the wind. I decided to go on my hike anyway.
I walked to the forest. My feet didn't make any sound on the wet ground and the forest seemed different. I went to my favorite place and sat down. In the summer, my best friend Ellen and I would come here and sit for hours. Suddenly, I heard someone calling me. I turned and saw Ellen walking up behind me.
"Oh! It's really you, Tina!" she said. "I can't believe that you are out here right now. I thought I would be the only person crazy enough to go for a walk in the rain."
I was very happy to have some company. We thought that hiking in the rain was just as fun as hiking in the sunshine. We planned to hike in the rain again.
1. Tina was angry with ________ at the beginning of the story.| A．the window | B．the book | C．the weather | D．her parents |
| A．with an umbrella | B．to meet her friend | C．with her pet dog | D．to hike in the forest |
| A．陪伴 | B．自由 | C．交流 | D．改变 |
| A．She was Tina's only friend. | B．She was surprised to see Tina. |
| C．She asked Tina to hike in the rain next week. | D．She had sat for hours in the forest before Tina saw her. |
| A．A terrible day | B．A forest with special meaning |
| C．A rainy day walk | D．A friend with different hobbies |
Magazine writers wanted Wowee Magazine is looking for writers for its movie column(专栏) online. The more people read your articles, the more money you will get. You may also get free tickets to some events. E-mail us at info@wowee.com. | Calling all models (模特儿) Do you think you could be a model? If so, We'd like to meet you at Future Model! You should be over 16. Girls should be at least 172cm tall and boys should be at least 182cm tall. Call our office at 877-2926 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. |
Trainee hairdresser(见习理发师) at The Cut Above You will work 40 hours a week from Monday to Saturday. You need to wash hair, bring coffee and tea to customers, and keep the store clean and tidy all the time. You don't need to have much experience. If you're interested, please e-mail us at cathy@brighton.com. | Workers wanted Are you able to care for others? Are you good with old people? Can you work on weekends? If you have answered "YES" to all the questions, you can work at Good Care — the best old people's home in town. —￡9/hour —Free uniforms Call us at 494-3366. |
| A．movies | B．jobs | C．music | D．health |
| A．Linda, 15, 172 cm | B．Jack, 17, 183 cm | C．Gina, 18, 168 cm | D．Bob, 16, 180 cm |
| A．work 7 days a week | B．wash his hair every day |
| C．have a lot of experience | D．keep the store clean and tidy |
| A．￡9 | B．￡18 | C．￡54 | D．￡108 |
| A．One can call Future Model office anytime. |
| B．Good Care needs workers from Monday to Friday. |
| C．Writers for Wowee Magazine can go to some events for free. |
| D．One is able to e-mail The Cut Above at info@brighton.com. |
Evelyn Glennie is one of the most famous solo(独奏的) drum players in the world. The surprising thing about Evelyn is that she is deaf. Let's listen to her talk about her story.
When I was about 12, I became interested in percussion instruments(打击乐器) and began to play them. At that time, I lost all of my hearing. I remember when I started playing the tympani(定音鼓), my teacher didn't believe me. Then he said, "Well, how are you going to do this? You know, music is about listening. How are you going to hear this and that?" I asked, "Well, how do you hear it?" He pointed to his ear and said, "I think I hear it through here." Then I told him, "I think I can do too, but I also hear it through my hands, my arms, my back, my legs and so on." I mean that I can feel the music, see it and touch it. That's why I can experience every kind of music from classical(古典的) music to pop even though I can't actually hear it. Now I often travel around the world for concerts. When I am in different countries, I like to go to other people's concerts. I also like to find new instruments. I have a huge collection of them. They often remind me of how excited I was when I first saw local musicians playing them. |
1. What's wrong with Evelyn?
| A．She is deaf. | B．She can't walk. | C．She is blind. | D．She can't sing. |
| A．when she was born | B．when she was an adult |
| C．when she was four | D．when she was about 12 |
| A．The teacher thought Evelyn could play the tympani. |
| B．The teacher didn't think Evelyn could play the tympani. |
| C．The teacher thought it easy for Evelyn to play the tympani. |
| D．The teacher thought is possible for Evelyn to play the tympani. |
| A．Evelyn couldn't feel the music or touch it. | B．Evelyn became interested in the piano at first. |
| C．Evelyn can't experience every kind of music. | D．Evelyn has a huge collection of instruments now. |
| A．Some local musicians | B．Travel around the world |
| C．A famous solo drum player | D．How Evelyn became deaf |
5 . Little river run down from a high mountain through many villages and forests. Then it reached a desert (沙漠). “I went through so many difficulties. I should have no problem crossing the desert,” she thought. As she started, she found herself slowly disappearing (消失) into the sand. After many tries, she still failed. “Maybe I can’t reach the ocean,” she said sadly to herself.
At this time, a deep voice said. “If wind can cross the desert, so can a river.” It was the voice of the desert. But the little river answered, “That’s because the wind can fly. but I cannot.” The desert said, “That’s because you stick to what you are. Let yourself evaporate (蒸发) into the wind, and it can take you across.” “Give up what I am now? No! No!” The little river could not accept this idea. “The wind can carry the vapor (蒸汽) across the desert and let it leave as rain. The rain will form a river again,” said the desert. “And whether you’re a river or vapor, your nature never changes.” Hearing this, the little river went into the open arms of wind. It carried her to the next part of her life.
The way of our lives is like the little river. If you want to go through difficulties in your life and head for success, you should also change the way you are sometimes.
1. The little river wanted to reach ________.| A．the forest | B．the ocean | C．the desert | D．the mountain |
| A．believe in herself | B．meet any difficulties |
| C．want to cross the desert | D．worry about herself |
| A．粘贴 | B．坚持 | C．放弃 | D．展示 |
| A．evaporating into the wind | B．forming an ocean |
| C．disappearing into the sand | D．changing her nature |
| A．We should always be ourselves. | B．How to cross the desert. |
| C．Change the way we are if necessary. | D．The little river and the desert. |
6 . Billy is a farm duck. He dreamed of becoming a tightrope (钢丝) walker. Every day he spent hours practicing walking on the rope with his friend Artie. Both of them didn’t do well, but they didn’t give up.
One day, they met a tiger. The tiger told them they were doing well. The tiger took them to a valley (山谷). “The valley is so wide that no one can jump it. You can only cross it using a tightrope,” the tiger told Billy. Artie tried to stop Billy. Artie wanted him to know that he wasn’t such a great tightrope walker, and it was really dangerous. “Don’t worry. You are the best tightrope walker here. Artie is just jealous (嫉妒) of you,” the tiger said.
Billy finally decided to cross the valley. As soon as he walked onto the rope, he fell into the valley. Luckily, Billy landed on a big tree. He asked for help, but he only found Artie. Artie saved him. In the end, Billy realized that Artie told the truth all along. He felt really happy for having such a good friend.
1. Billy and Artie practiced ________ together every day.
| A．working on the farm | B．walking on the rope |
| C．crossing the valley | D．running in the field |
| A．were true | B．made Billy sad |
| C．encouraged (鼓舞) Billy | D．was believable |
| A．Artie | B．trees | C．the tiger | D．some birds |
| A．Billy was good at walking on the rope. |
| B．The tiger wanted to help Billy to become a good tightrope walker. |
| C．Artie tried to stop Billy from crossing the valley. |
| D．Artie was just jealous of Billy. |
| A．Tightrope Walkers | B．A Tiger and A Duck |
| C．A Duck’s Dream | D．True Friends |
 1. Get a pot (花盆). |  2. Put a layer (层) of gravel (碎石) in first. |  3. Fill the pot with soil (土) and put the seeds in the middle. |  4. Put in a thin layer of soil above the seeds. | |||
 5. Water the pot when you finish planting. |  6. Put your pot in the sun for some time. |  7. Water your plants every few days. |  8. Feed (施肥) and trim (修剪) your plants every few weeks. | |||
1. What is usually put under the soil?
| A．Paper. | B．Gravel. | C．Water. | D．Another pot. |
| A．between | B．above | C．beside | D．under |
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
| A．3. | B．6. | C．7. | D．8. |
| A．Plants do not need sunshine. | B．Plants need watering once in a while. |
| C．Gravel is better than soil for growing plants. | D．Too much feeding is good for plants. |
8 . “China is large, but the world is still much larger to explore (探索),” said Ma Ying, a 15 year-old girl from Beijing. She is now studying in the United Kingdom. Two years ago, Ma took a study tour in the country. Fascinated (被……吸引) by British culture, she talked with her parents and chose to study there.
Ma’s story is not rare. Studying overseas has become more common for Chinese students. But 70 years ago, things were different. Thousands of young students had to compete with each other to win a chance to study overseas. It was a valuable (珍贵的) and novel experience for people then.
Wang Huiyao, 61, is a founder of the Center for China and Globalization, a non-profit organization (非营利性组织). Over 30 years ago, he studied at the University of Windsor, Canada. As one of few Chinese students studying there, Wang found that Westerners knew little about China. “They even asked to touch my head to see if anything was different,” he said.
Such misunderstandings are less common today. About 662,100 Chinese went abroad to study last year, according to the Ministry of Education.
The ministry said 90 percent of these students are self-supporting (自费). This means it will be easier for them to expand (扩大) their horizons (眼界) and life experiences at a younger age, just as Ma is doing.
1. Ma Ying decided to study in the UK because ________.| A．she dreamed of exploring the world | B．she didn’t want to study in China |
| C．her parents sent her to study there | D．she was fascinated by its culture |
| A．Studying abroad was not common at that time. |
| B．Foreigners knew a lot about Chinese culture. |
| C．Students had to be self-supporting to study abroad. |
| D．Chinese people found it hard to move to a new country. |
| A．普遍的 | B．多余的 | C．全面的 | D．稀有的 |
| A．By asking the non-profit organization for help. |
| B．By working there to make money. |
| C．By using their own or their family’s money. |
| D．By getting help from the government. |
| A．it is getting harder to get into universities abroad |
| B．more Chinese students are studying abroad |
| C．studying abroad is becoming more expensive |
| D．Chinese education is better than foreign education |
9 . Kids' Activity Corner
Saturday. 12 October 2019
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm I Event Stage
AVAILABLE ACTIVITIES
Reading corner√
Lego builder set√
Board games and puzzles√
Doodling corner√
Sign up on the spot! Only
$5.00 per child for 2 hours.It's a shop n'drop haven for mums and dads.
1. Who may be the most interested in this poster?| A．Parents. | B．Teachers. | C．Students. | D．Teenagers. |
| A．Read books. | B．Play cards. | C．Eat food. | D．Ride bikes. |
| A．5 dollars | B．10 dollars | C．15 dollars | D．20 dollars |
| A．a shopping mall | B．a bookstore | C．a classroom | D．a park |
| A．Kids can go there on Sunday. |
| B．Kids can play with their parents there. |
| C．Parents can go shopping there. |
| D．Kids have to sign up on line. |
Dear Principal Becker,
I'm David Brown, a student from Grade 8. I'm sitting in the classroom to write you this letter because I really have something to say about the school lunchtime.
Well, I know that school is for learning. It is important to have good reading and Maths skills. But I think school is also important for another reason. It helps people learn to get along with others.
It may seem that lunchtime is not important. As you see, lots of us spend most lunchtimes just talking with our friends. But this activity is more important than it looks.
I'm learning how to get along with others. I'm learning how to solve problems. I'm finding out new things from others. I'm learning how to say sorry. These are all important skills to learn.
My problem is that the time for lunch keeps getting shorter. I know this is happening so we can spend more time in class learning. But please do not forget that we are also learning at lunchtime. We are learning people skills. It is important that we have enough time to spend with our friends.
I really hope that you can make our lunchtime longer. A little more time spent with friends each day would benefit everybody.
Yours,
David Brown
1. Where did David write this letter ?| A．At home | B．In the classroom | C．In his bedroom | D．In the music room. |
| A．How to get along with others . | B．How to solve problems |
| C．How to find new things from others | D．All the above . |
| A．To say sorry to the principal. | B．To show the principal his writing skills. |
| C．To ask the principal to make lunchtime longer. | D．To say thank you to the principal. |
| A．He hopes he can make more friends. | B．He spends a lot of time talking in class. |
| C．He writes a lot of letters to the principal. | D．He enjoys spending time with his friends. |
