1 . As an English, I can speak three languages—English, German and French, so do you think the British people are very good language learners? The fact is that they aren’t.
Some statistics (数据) from the survey done by the European Commission (欧盟委员会) showed that 62% of the British people only speak English. 38% speak at least one foreign language and 18% speak two or more. Compared with the British people, 56% of the people in other European countries speak at least one foreign language and 28% speak two or more. From this you can see that the British people are famous for not speaking foreign languages and that they are not good language learners in Europe.
And the survey also showed that English is the most widely-spoken foreign language. Many European people can have a conversation in English. That’s why my people don’t think it is necessary to learn a foreign language.
In Britain, students are not required to learn a foreign language. That means learning a foreign language is only an option at school. In UK schools it is common for children to start learning a foreign language at 11 and many of them give it up at 14. So why don’t students continue learning foreign languages at school? Because they think it is more difficult to get good marks in languages than in other subjects such as science or history.
To solve this situation, the British government is looking for different ways to improve language learning at school. One way is to start learning it at a much younger age. Another one is to give school children more choices.
Changing the British attitude (态度) to learning foreign languages may be a hard task but the government decides to try!
1. Which country does the writer come from?| A．America. . | B．China. . | C．Britain. . | D．Egypt. |
| A．They are good language learners. |
| B．62% of them speak two or more languages. |
| C．They are famous for speaking foreign languages. |
| D．More than half of them only speak English. |
| A．science or German . | B．history or German |
| C．science or history . | D．German or French |
| A．a choice . | B．a game . | C．a mistake . | D．a conversation |
| A．Speaking English . | B．Foreign Language Learning in UK |
| C．Schools in UK . | D．Young English Learners |
Dawn Loggins of Lawndale, N.C. is on her way to Harvard, one of the eight world-famous universities in the eastern US. Nobody encouraged her to study or paid for her special classes. This girl created her own future.
The teen was abandoned by her family last summer, when her parents and two sisters moved to Tennessee. She found herself homeless and had to spend the night on friend's sofas.
The school bus driver learned about Dawn's situation and invited Dawn to move in with her family. Soon, Dawn had a job at Burns High School. She worked from 6 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. before the first school bell rang. she swept floors and picked up trash again in the afternoons, before diving(跳水)into her studies in the evenings.
Dawn's hard work paid off. she finished school with a 3.9 GPA and scored 2,110 on the SAT.
"There were times when I felt like it would be easiest if I gave up," the 18-year-old said."But it was never in me to give up, because I realized that I was never going to be successful unless I got an education."
Even before Dawn's family left her, she led a difficult life. Her family was poor and cups of noodles were often the only food. Dawn "studied by candlelight" because her parents couldn't afford to pay the electricity bill(电费).
Dawn has now reconnected with her family. They are proud of her accomplishments(成就) and are attending her high school graduation.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. Why didn't Dawn give up her studies?
| A．To reconnect with her family. |
| B．To thank those who had helped her. |
| C．To get an education to be successful. |
| D．To realize her dream of going to Harvard. |
| A．Her teachers. | B．Her neighbors. | C．A Tiger Mom. | D．A school bus driver. |
| A．宠爱 | B．抛弃 | C．鼓励 | D．虐待 |
| A．Open-minded. | B．Good-natured. | C．Strong-willed. | D．Warm-hearted |
| A．Another Harvard girl. | B．A girl in candlelight. |
| C．From homeless to Harvard. | D．The role of Tiger Moms. |
3 . Kaitlin Riffel’s dream to end poverty(贫困) started when she was visiting her father, who worked for the homeless.
＂I never realized there were people in the world who didn’t have a home or food before,＂ said Kaitlin, who is now sixteen. ＂I knew there was something I had to do about that.＂
At age eight, she started raising money to build a playground. ＂It took me two years,＂ Kaitlin said. ＂We started small. We wanted to do something to make a difference.＂
In 2014, When Kaitlin was thirteen, she visited Central America, and saw people going hungry and families living in houses made of cardboard. That year, we set Kids on a Mission, which has helped hundreds of people there.
＂The rooms were smaller than my bedroom, but there would be eight people living in each one,＂ Kaitlin said. ＂We also got to see the dirty rivers that those people were drinking out of.＂
Providing clean drinking water, food and clothes for people living in poverty is now an important task for Kids on a Mission. ＂This young lady is changing the hearts of people, and also changing the world,＂ said the headmaster of Kaitlin’s school.
1. The job of Kaitlin’s father was to__________.| A．sell foods | B．build playgrounds |
| C．visit schools | D．help homeless people |
| A．In 2009. | B．In 2011. | C．In 2014. | D．In 2017. |
| A．They lived in strong houses. |
| B．Their drinking water was dirty. |
| C．Their bedrooms were very big. |
| D．They had enough food and clothes. |
| A．Kaitlin is always ready to give and help. |
| B．Kaitlin has many chances to travel around. |
| C．Kaitlin often changes schools for her study. |
| D．Kaitlin has a serious problem with her heart. |
| A．School life in America | B．Gift from a headmaster |
| C．Father’s duty in the family | D．Girl’s dream to end poverty |
4 . A rich American went into a shop in London．He wanted to buy a nice looking watch．He saw a watch and he liked it．But the shop owner asked 500 dollars for it．Just then a young man came in，took the watch out of the owner’s hand and ran out with it. It all happened in a minute．When the owner ran out into the street，the young man was already gone.
The American walked out of the shop．At the next corner，he saw the young man with that watch in his hand“Do you want to buy a fine watch，sir？”he said in a low voice，“It’s made in Germany．It’s only 100 dollars”
“The young man didn’t know I saw what happened in the shop just now，”he thought．The American paid at once and went back to his room with the watch．He was happy and told his friend about the fine watch
His friend took a look at his watch and started laughing．He said，“You are a fool. This watch isn’t worth even 10 dollars．”
1. The rich American wanted to ________ in a shop in London.| A．have a look | B．buy a fine watch |
| C．steal a fine watch | D．run out with a watch |
| A．went to his room | B．ran out into the street |
| C．came to the American | D．wanted to look at it |
| A．大声的 | B．低声的 | C．吵闹的 | D．张扬的 |
| A．a thief | B．a kind man |
| C．a fool | D．the owner’s partner |
| A．The American | B．A Nice Watch |
| C．Two Cheats(骗子) | D．The Young Man |
While he was there, Marco Polo worked for Kublai Khan, the emperor（皇帝）of China. He was able to learn and experience many things that were new to Europeans. In his diary, he wrote, “Kublai Khan’s palace is the greatest I’ve ever seen. The streets of the new capital. Daidu, are so straight and so wide.” Paper money also took him by surprise, since it was not yet in use in the West at that time. Homes were heated with “black stones... which burn like wood.” These stones were coal, and most of the Europeans knew little about it then.
After 17 years in China, Marco and his family finally returned to Venice in 1292. After he returned home, Marco completed a book about his trip, full of facts about his wonderful experiences in China.
1. How was Marco Polo’s three-and-a-half-year journey to China?
| A．Expensive. | B．Comfortable. | C．Difficult. | D．Smooth. |
| A．1271 | B．1275 | C．1288 | D．1292 |
| A．He worked for the emperor. |
| B．He learned to build city streets. |
| C．He helped to dig for coal. |
| D．He finished a book about his trip. |
| A．Magic “black stones” |
| B．Marco Polo in China |
| C．Paper money on Daidu |
| D．Kublai Khan—the greatest emperor |
Confidence is very important in daily life. It can help you to develop a healthy attitude. A study shows that the people who are more confident are much happier. They can have more chances to make themselves successful. But how to be more confident. Here are some suggestions:
Speak loudly. When you are not confident, you can’t do well what you want to do. You speak in a voice so low that other people can’t hear you. Try to speak aloud enough so that people can hear you clearly. The high voice can help you become more confident.
Play sports. Physical exercise makes you tired but completely relaxed. When you are athletic, you will be full of confidence.
Encourage yourself. Write down a list of things you did during the day and see how many things you have done well. Did you finish your homework? Did you tell a joke that made everybody laugh? Give yourself praise for the good things you’ve done.
Get rid of (消除) fear. Fear comes along with failure (失败). But it’s easy to get over if you know that failure is a part of your life. Don’t hide your head just because you said something foolish last time. Try to start again and believe you can do better.
Pick up a hobby. If you like singing, singing as much as you can. In some ways, a hobby can make you outstanding. And it will make you happy and confident.
1. Confidence can help .| A．to develop a healthy attitude |
| B．to get completely successful |
| C．to play sports |
| D．to have a hobby |
| A．three | B．four | C．five | D．six |
| A．Finish my homework. |
| B．Make everybody laugh. |
| C．Tell a joke. |
| D．Give myself praise for the good things I’ve done. |
| A．When you are confident, you can’t do well what you want to do. |
| B．Physical exercise makes you tired but not relaxed. |
| C．Fear is easy to get over if you know that failure is a part of your life. |
| D．A hobby can make you outstanding, but it won’t make you happy or confident. |
| A．Encourage yourself |
| B．How to be more confident |
| C．Pick up a hobby |
| D．Get rid of fear |
Dolphins travel in a group. We call a group of fish“a school(一群)。” They don’t study, but they travel together. Dolphins are mammals(哺乳动物)，not fish, but they swim together like fish in a school.
Dolphins talk to the other dolphins in the school. They give information. They tell when they are happy or sad or afraid. They say” welcome” when a dolphin comes back to the school. They talk when they play.
They make a few sounds above water. They make many more sounds under water. People cannot hear these sounds because they are very, very high. Scientists make tapes of the sounds and study them.
Sometimes people catch a dolphin for a large aquarium(水族馆). People can watch the dolphins in a show. Dolphins don’t like to be away from their school in an aquarium. They are sad and lonely.
There are many stories about dolphins. They help people. Sometimes they save somebody’s life. Dolphins’ meat is good, but people don’t like to kill them. They say that dolphins bring good luck. Many people believe this.
1. The word“school”means .
| A．a place for students to study |
| B．a special kind of animals |
| C．a group of fish traveling together |
| D．a place for training dolphins |
| A．show other dolphins they are happy |
| B．tell other dolphins they are sad |
| C．let people know they are afraid |
| D．give information to other dolphins |
| A．because they are very, very low |
| B．because they are very, very high |
| C．because they only make a few sounds |
| D．because they want to keep it as a secret |
| A．study at schools | B．be away from their schools |
| C．stay with other dolphins | D．be in shows |
| A．The Dolphin | B．Schools of Dolphins |
| C．Dolphin’s Talk | D．Man’s Friend |
8 . Zheng He was an amazing man. He was born in 1371. Eleven years later, he was caught by the army of a rich young man called Zhu Di and made to work for him. Over time the rich man saw that Zheng He was very clever and strong and they became close friends. In 1403, Zhu Di was made the King of China and he asked Zheng He to join his government.
The King wanted to learn more about the world and show other countries his power. He ordered many new ships to be built and made Zheng He their leader. between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He led seven sea trips to different parts of the world. He certainly travelled to India, Africa and the Middle East. A few people think his ships have even reached South America and Australia.
Each trip lasted between two and four years and it is believed he sailed more than 50,000 kms during the years of his travels.Zheng He led a fleet with 28,000 men and over 300 ships, such as boats for food, water and even soldiers' horses.
On these trips, he brought with him many Chinese goods like silk and medicine to give to foreign kings or to sell for local goods. He returned from each trip with boats filled with expensive things such as gold and treasures, foreign guests and strange animals like a giraffe.
It is a pity that we may never learn everything about Zheng He' s travels. The Columbus of the east, Zheng He, died in 1433. After that, the new king, had these trips stopped and he burned almost all the books about Zheng He's travels, because he believed the trips were unlucky and too expensive. It is only in the last 50 years that historians have begun to carefully study the adventures of great Zheng He.
1. Why did Zhu Di want Zheng He to sail to many different countries?| A．To learn more about the world. |
| B．To bring new countries under the control of China. |
| C．To show other countries his power. |
| D．Both A and C. |
| A．He travelled to India and Africa. |
| B．Each trip lasted six years. |
| C．When he died, he was 72 years old. |
| D．He was a great king. |
| A．Gold | B．Treasures | C．Giraffes | D．Silk. |
| A．nobody remembered him |
| B．almost all the books about his travels were burned |
| C．the new king thought these trips were lucky |
| D．sea trips to other countries lasted 50 years |
| A．The King's Seven Sea Trips |
| B．Zheng He's Travels to Western Countries |
| C．Zheng He, the Columbus of the East |
| D．Zhu Di, the Great King |
9 . There was a farm, where lived Farmer John with his wife Molly. They raised a pig, a cow and many other animals on their farm. Also there lived a little mouse.
One day John came back with a bag. From the bag, John took out a mousetrap and set it. When the mouse saw this, it ran away in fear and decided to run around the farmyard to warn all its animal friends.
First it met the chicken. "There is a mousetrap on the farm!" The mouse said in fear. But the chicken answered peacefully, "There is nothing to do with me. This is a danger for you, not for me." Then the mouse rushed to the pig and the cow to tell them about mousetrap. But they showed no worry about it, either. Sad and depressed, the little mouse returned to the house.
On that night, Molly heard a sound of the mousetrap. She hurried to see what was in it, but because of the darkness, she did not see that it was a poisonous snake, caught in the trap by the tail. Unluckily the snake bit Molly. John drove her to the hospital at once. Later, when they returned home, Molly still had a fever. John remembered that chicken soup was good for a fever, so he went to his farmyard to bring the chicken. Molly's sickness continued and many friends came to visit her, the farmer killed the pig so he could treat all the visitors.
Unfortunately, Molly became weaker and weaker and one day she died. Many neighbors, relatives and friends arrived for the funeral . John had to kill the cow to treat all of them.
The mouse watched all that happened with great sadness.
1. How many kinds of animals are mentioned in this passage?| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
| A．Afraid | B．Excited | C．Sad | D．Peaceful. |
a.The mouse went to warn his farm animal friends.
b.John made chicken soup for Molly.
c.Friends came to visit Molly.
d.Molly went to find out what was in the mousetrap.
e.The cow and pig showed no worry for the mousetrap.
| A．a-d-e-b-c | B．a-e-d-b-c | C．c-b-d-e-a | D．c-a-b-d-e |
| A．聚会 | B．田园 | C．牛棚 | D．葬礼 |
| A．Don't tell anybody about your own trouble. |
| B．Sometimes helping others is helping yourself |
| C．When using a mousetrap, you must be careful. |
| D．It's better to leave your friends to their own trouble alone. |
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(薄皮). We roll 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), usually, we 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 them.
When all these are done, 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 pan, they look like ships sailing in the sea. The smell can make your mouth water.
1. Most families make a lot of dumplings on ____.| A．Dragon Boat Day | B．Christmas Day |
| C．the lunar New Year’s Day | D．Mid-autumn Day |
| A．to make wrappers | B．to mix the flour |
| C．to prepare the filling | D．to cook them in the pan |
| 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 |
| A．What Dumplings Look Like | B．How to Make Filling |
| C．How to Make Dumplings | D．The Lunar New Year’s Day |
