1 . Several months after l was badly hurt in a car accident, my father sent me to a blind school.
That morning was the new beginning. I went to this school and I heard lots of children. My new teacher took me to the class where we were taught to write and type in Braille. I found it quite difficult.
“Hi, sweetheart, how is school going?” asked my father.
“Daddy, I can’t do this. I try and try but l just don’t get it. I don’t know if I am ever going to learn to read Braille. It’s too difficult,” I cried.
Daddy just held me in his arms and said. “Do you remember that we went to the temple which is on the top of a mountain? When we were climbing the mountain, your legs started aching. You sat down and said, ‘I can’t see the temple’, you can’t see it because it is covered with fog. Although you can’t see it, you know it is there. I will make sure you will climb up to it.”
“That day you showed me that although I can’t see anything, it does not mean it is not there. Although climbing the mountain was difficult, I knew I would get to the top.” I was clear what my dad wanted me to understand.
________ Very soon I could read.
One of my classmates said. “You are lucky, you know. You have at least seen the world. I have just heard it. I have been told there are many colors in this world but I don’t understand what colour means.”
After listening to her for the first time in two years, I felt lucky. And on that day I learned that although the light in my eyes is gone, I must see the world with the light in my heart.
1. What can we know about the writer?| A．He was born blind. |
| B．He couldn’t see anything after a car accident. |
| C．He was sent to a blind school because he wanted to learn Braille. |
| A．The temple. | B．The fog. | C．The mountain. |
| A．I thought of the temple in my heart. |
| B．I thought it was easy to write and type in Braille. |
| C．I went back to school and started with new energy. |
| A．The most beautiful thing in the world must be felt with the heart. |
| B．The writer will live a happy life with the light in his heart. |
| C．The writer’s pain will go away in the wind. |
2 . Chinese Acrobatics (Zaji) is one of the oldest performing arts. The history of acrobatics can be traced back of between 475—221 BC in China. In the past, the acrobatics was never performed in theaters. The acrobats (杂技演员) had a hard life and they moved from place to place to make a living. Since 1949, the Chinese government has tried to develop national arts and acrobatics. In the past years, many Chinese acrobatic troupes (剧团) have toured more than one hundred countries all over the world.
The Lion Dance is one of the traditional acts of the Chinese acrobatics. It comes from an old folk dance in China. In the dance, there are two types of lions—the big lion (played by two acrobats) and the small lion (played by one acrobat). The acrobats not only perform different movements of the lion like rolling and jumping but also show us the lion’s strength. Wushu is another kind of the Chinese acrobatics. With the movements of somersault (翻跟头), pulling, jumping, kicking and other actions, Wushu has become an acrobatic symbol.
1. How long is the history of Chinese acrobatics?| A．It is more than 200 yearslong. |
| B．It has a history of over 2000 years. |
| C．It has a history of less than 2000 years. |
| A．The Lion Dance and Wushu. | B．Somersault and Wushu. | C．Rolling and jumping. |
| A．two | B．four | C．six |
| A．The Chinese acrobats have a hard life now. |
| B．The Chinese acrobatics is not very popular at all. |
| C．The Lion Dance comes from an old folk dance in China. |
3 . China covers large areas and has a big population. Different living habits have always been an interesting topic in the country. Recently another difference between southern Chinese and northern Chinese became a hot one: the way people shop at markets.
People from southern China say that they always buy what they need for just one or two meals. It is normal for them to buy half of a Chinese cabbage two potatoes and 0.25 kilograms of beef at a time.
However, __________. Instead, buying vegetables and meat enough for a week is usual. Also, you can buy a small amount (数量) of fruit, such as a single apple or pear, each time in the south. Shop owners even help you peel and cut them. But shop owners in the north hardly offer such service. And many fruits are sold in baskets and boxes.
The difference could be due to the different weather.
Food can be kept for a long time in the north, as it is usually cold and dry there. Many northern Chinese have the habit of storing food, especially for the long winter. But the hot and wet weather in the south makes southern Chinese buy just enough food for one meal or one day, or else the food may go bad.
1. In southern China, people usually buy ________ at a time.| A．a small amount of food |
| B．enough food for a week |
| C．a lot of meat and vegetables |
| A．northern Chinese buy large amounts of food at a time |
| B．in northern China people go shopping once a week |
| C．one may be laughed at if he does this in the north |
| A．food goes bad quickly |
| B．the weather is cold and dry |
| C．they live far away from markets |
| A．由于 | B．所以 | C．然而 |
4 . The air in Antarctica is nice and clean on our earth. It’s the coldest place in the world, and it’s also the most difficult place to live in. Antarctica is the land of snow and ice near the South Pole. Most people do not think there is much life in the icy waters around it. They are wrong.
Antarctica’s seas are full of life. There are many kinds of fishes, water birds, seals and whales. They eat the thick plants in the sea and the smaller water animals. Some whales, for example, eat more than a ton of food every day.
The most famous animal of Antarctica is the penguin. It struts around the ice as if it were a movie star walking down the street.
It is said that the weather in Antarctica is getting warmer and warmer, and perhaps in the near future there will be “summer” there. It will be hard for life around Antarctica. People today think it important to keep there a good condition in environment, so scientists are doing research work there.
1. The most famous animal of Antarctica is the ________.| A．whale | B．seal | C．penguin |
| A．much ice | B．warm weather | C．few animals |
| A．swims gracefully | B．walks proudly | C．jumps happily |
| A．penguins | B．thick plant life | C．life around Antarctica |
5 . On August 24, 2023, Japan started pouring nuclear-contaminated water (核污染水) into the sea. It plans to keep pouring it slowly at least from 2023 to 2053.
In the water, there are over 60 radioactive elements (放射性元素). These elements give off a lot of radiation (辐射). This can give people cancer (癌症) and even change our DNA.
When the contaminated water goes into the sea, it moves with the ocean currents (洋流). A study shows that the water from Japan will cover all the seas on Earth in 10 years. So, is it now safe to eat seafood or play in the sea? China has stopped importing (进口) seafood from Japan. Also, it is checking the radiation in the sea.
Is there a safe way to deal with nuclear water? Finland (芬兰) puts it under the ground. It is now building Onkalo a big storage (存储) area for nuclear (核能的) waste. Onkalo is 450 meters deep under the ground. Finland may start using it in about two years. However, Japan chose a low-priced but irresponsible way.
1. How long does Japan plan to keep pouring nuclear-contaminated water into the sea?| A．At least 30 years. | B．At least 40 years. | C．At least 50 years. |
| A．Radiation. | B．Radioactive elements. | C．Seafood. |
| A．It’s safe to eat seafood from Japan. |
| B．More and more people will play in the sea in the future. |
| C．China is checking the radiation in the sea. |
| A．高效的 | B．不负责任的 | C．低成本的 |
6 . After a long week, Sunday is the perfect day to sit down with families, relax and enjoy a special dinner: Sunday roast (周日大餐) .
British people have eaten Sunday roasts for centuries. In the old days, people had to go to church on Sundays. After that, people would be hungry.
So what is this tasty dish? Every Sunday dinner has roast meat, usually chicken or beef, roast potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding.
What if you don’t have time to make the traditional dinner? Not to worry. In Britain, there are special restaurants, called carveries.
With many traditions fading (逐渐消失)， traditional Sunday dinners are as strong as ever. And I have a feeling that this traditional dinner will be on British tables.
| A．Besides the tasty food, this meal is also a great time for families. |
| B．This is tradition for many British people on Sundays. |
| C．It is becoming popular in other countries now. |
| D．This is a pudding made with eggs, milk and flour (面粉) . |
| E．There you can eat a Sunday roast. |
| F．So families would get together to eat a big meal. |
Are you a good young person? Your answer may be yes. But being a young person is one thing, and being a good one is another thing.
A healthy body is the best.
A young person should have the skill to work with others Cooperation (合作) and communication are very important for people. Everyone needs friends because no one can live through life alone or do everything he wants to.
We know patriotism (爱国主义) is something we should never forget.
| A．Do something for others. |
| B．Without it, no one can do things well. |
| C．So they can live better and enjoy more. |
| D．Patriotism means love for one’s country. |
| E．A good young person should have the following qualities(品质). |
8 .
The World for Teenagers |
| Learning Feelings Communication Community Activities ☆☆☆ Question in June: What do you often do after class? Linda from Britain I often use old clothes that people don’t wear any more to make bags. I opened a small shop in my community and set up a website (网站) to sell the bags online. Many customers think they are fantastic. Now I plan to write a new way to use old clothes. |
| Linlin from China Museums often teach me a lot. I have ever been to many museums, such as the ones in Harbin and Xi’an. But the Hangzhou National Tea Museum is my favorite. It’s in this museum that I knew about the history of tea. I watched the tea art performances (表演). They showed how to make a perfect cup of tea with tea sets. |
| Amy from Canada I often cook Chinese food at home. My favorite is Yunnan Rice Noodles. To make the food, we need to have rice noodles, chicken soup, chicken, vegetables and eggs. My parents often cook Chinese food as well, especially gongbao chicken. |
1. Teenagers from _________ countries answered the question.
| A．three | B．two | C．one |
| A．makes Yunnan Rice Noodles | B．uses old clothes to make bags | C．visits museums |
| A．the museum in Harbin | B．the skill of making tea sets | C．the history of tea |
9 . 
Start of Winter is one of the 24 solar terms (节气) in China. It is the start of winter. Chinese people usually have a big meal on that day. In the north, people love eating dumplings very much. In the south, people eat chicken, duck and fish. It is said that eating well can help people keep warm on cold days.
In the old days, the Start of Winter was also a time for people to store vegetables. At the time, there were not many fresh vegetables to eat during the winter in the north. There were also no supermarkets like today. People had no place to buy fresh vegetables in winter. So, around the Start of Winter people put lots of cabbages in a cellar, a room under a house, often used for storing things. They also make fresh tomatoes into tomato sauce (酱). It is delicious if you put some salt into it and you can use it instead of vegetables when you eat noodles in winter.
1. What does the solar term Start of Winter mean?| A．There are no leaves on the trees. |
| B．Winter begins from this day on. |
| C．We should eat a lot from this day on. |
| A．Dumplings. | B．Chicken. | C．Fish. |
| A．it was too cold to go shopping |
| B．there were not many fresh vegetables to buy |
| C．they didn’t know how to store meat |
| A．How Chinese people stored vegetables in the past. |
| B．Why Chinese people eat well in winter. |
| C．What Chinese people usually do when the Start of Winter comes. |
10 . 
When I was in Grade 8, I had a heated argument with my classmate, Tony. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.
I believed that I was right and he was wrong, and Tony believed that I was wrong and he was right. Our teacher, a kind and smart lady, decided to teach us a lesson. She brought us to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large and round object. I could clearly see that it was black. The teacher asked us what color the object was. “White,” Tony answered. I couldn’t believe he said the object was white! “Clearly, it was black!” Another argument started between Tony and me, this time about the color of the object.
The teacher told me to go and stand where Tony was standing and told him to go and stand where I was standing. We changed places, and now she asked me what color the object was. I had to answer, “White.” It was an object with two differently colored sides from his side it was white, while from my side it was black. “Boys, now, what do you say?” The teacher smiled at us. Tony has been my best friend ever since.
My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: When you disagree with others, you’d better be in their shoes. That will help you look at the situation through their eyes, and truly understand their ideas and ways of thinking.
1. What did the teacher do at first?| A．She called the boys’ parents. |
| B．She brought boys to the front of the class. |
| C．She shouted at the boys. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Pleased. | C．Afraid. |
| A．Because he turned around the object. |
| B．Because he changed his place with Tony. |
| C．Because he wanted to have another argument. |
| A．He would forget the arguments. |
| B．He would sit in the front of the class. |
| C．He would stand in other people’s shoes. |
