1 . "Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It's Friday, and we don't have any _______.   Can I, please?" Mum was sitting at the kitchen table.   Dad was _______next to her, resting his head on his arms.   Mum could _______that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

"I'm so sorry, James," she said.

"I'm never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?" James asked sadly, almost in _______.

"I know it's _______for you," Mum said softly.   "But I'm just worried other people might think we're a little. . .   strange.   And then they would make fun of you. "

"No, they wouldn't, Mum," James protested.   "We're not _______at all.   We're just ordinary people. "

Mum sighed heavily.   "To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it's given me a heavy _______.   And your poor father — he doesn't feel _______.   He really needs a rest. "

"I can help, Mum!" James said.   " _______I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?"

"Well. . . " Mum began.

"Great! Thanks, Mum!" James almost shouted.   "Just sit there, don't move. " He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and ________what he needed — two spanners(扳手).   "Hang on, Mum," he said.   "This won't take a second. " After some ________, James was finished.   With a smile of ________on his face he said, "There! How does that feel?" "Oh, James," Mum said.   "That's much better! How did you do it?"

"Easy," James said ________.   "Dad had tightened your neck bolts(螺栓) too much! I just________them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school. "

"What about your father? Can you ________him?" asked Mum.

"I'll try," James replied.   He ________up Dad's hair at the back of his neck, and plugged the electric wire into Dad's head.   Then he turned the ________on.   Dad opened his eyes and ________immediately.   "He just let his ________run too low, that's all," James said.   "Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?"

"I guess so," replied Mum.   "Your friends will just have to ________that we are a very unusual family.   Thanks, son!"

1.

A．chance

B．message

C．homework

D．difficulty

2.

A．asleep

B．reading

C．alone

D．standing

3.

A．explain

B．see

C．agree

D．doubt

4.

A．terror

B．tears

C．surprise

D．silence

5.

A．fair

B．easy

C．good

D．hard

6.

A．strange

B．normal

C．popular

D．anxious

7.

A．headache

B．loss

C．task

D．day

8.

A．ill

B．funny

C．sorry

D．well

9.

A．As

B．If

C．Since

D．Before

10.

A．kept

B．controlled

C．found

D．returned

11.

A．requests

B．thoughts

C．repairs

D．instructions

12.

A．sympathy

B．satisfaction

C．bitterness

D．politeness

13.

A．embarrassedly

B．gratefully

C．impatiently

D．proudly

14.

A．adjusted

B．collected

C．produced

D．covered

15.

A．greet

B．accompany

C．help

D．ask

16.

A．lifted

B．caught

C．gave

D．filled

17.

A．television

B．power

C．light

D．gas

18.

A．grew up

B．lay down

C．broke down

D．sat up

19.

A．food

B．temperature

C．battery

D．blood

20.

A．prove

B．expect

C．suspect

D．accept

3 . I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”(风格)of directions every time I ask “ How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑的)in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “ Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat. In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “ Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time, not miles. “ How far away is the post office?” you ask. “ Oh,” they answer, “ it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “ Yes, but how many miles is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “ Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “ I don't know”. People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually _______ .

A．describe the place carefully

B．show him a map of the place

C．tell him the names of the streets

D．refer to recognizable buildings and places

2. What is the place where people measure distance in time?

A．New York.	B．Los Angles.
C．Kansas                 C. Iowa

3. People inYucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________ .

A．in order to save time	B．as a test
C．so as to be polite	D．for fun

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

C．People have similar understanding of politeness.

D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

4 . Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food”.

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil(麻油) chicken soup every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radishes, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry(枸杞子), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.

So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of fish soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.

1. What is the present situation of tonic food?

A．It is catching less attention.	B．It is enjoyed by many young people.
C．It is well-known worldwide.	D．It is becoming increasingly popular.

2. What is believed to benefit new mothers?

A．Chinese cabbage.	B．Fruit tea.
C．Sesame oil chicken soup.	D．Fish soup.

3. Which of the following best explains “catering” underlined in Paragraph 3?

A．Medicine.

B．Restaurant.

C．Manufacture.

D．Agriculture.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Charm of Chinese Cuisine	B．The Popularity of Tonic Food
C．An Introduction of Chinese Tonic Food	D．Differences Between “Hot” Food and “Cold” Food

5 . How does an ecosystem (生态系统) work? What makes the populations of different species the way they are? Why are there so many flies and so few wolves? To find an answer, scientists have built mathematical models of food webs, noting who eats whom and how much each one eats.

With such models, scientists have found out some key principles operating in food webs. Most food webs, for instance, consist of many weak links rather than a few strong ones. When a predator (掠食动物) always eats huge numbers of a single prey (猎物), the two species are strongly linked; when a predator lives on various species, they are weakly linked. Food webs may be dominated by many weak links because that arrangement is more stable over the long term. If a predator can eat several species, it can survive the extinction (灭绝) of one of them. And if a predator can move on to another species that is easier to find when a prey species becomes rare, the switch allows the original prey to recover. The weak links may thus keep species from driving one another to extinction.

Mathematical models have also revealed that food webs may be unstable, where small changes of top predators can lead to big effects throughout entire ecosystems. In the 1960s, scientists proposed that predators at the top of a food web had a surprising amount of control over the size of populations of other species—including species they did not directly attack.

And unplanned human activities have proved the idea of top-down control by top predators to be true. In the ocean, we fished for top predators such as cod on an industrial scale, while on land, we killed off large predators such as wolves. These actions have greatly affected the ecological balance.

Scientists have built an early-warning system based on mathematical models. Ideally, the system would tell us when to adapt human activities that are pushing an ecosystem toward a breakdown or would even allow us to pull an ecosystem back from the borderline. Prevention is key, which scientists says because once ecosystems pass their tipping point (临界点), it is remarkably difficult for them to return.

1. What have scientists discovered with the help of mathematical models of food webs?

A．The living habits of species in food webs.

B．The rules governing food webs of the ecosystems.

C．The approaches to studying the species in the ecosystems.

D．The differences between weak and strong links in food webs.

2. A strong link is found between two species when a predator ______.

A．has a wide food choice	B．can easily find new prey
C．sticks to one prey species	D．can quickly move to another place

3. What will happen if the populations of top predators in a food web greatly decline?

A．The prey species they directly attack will die out.

B．The species they indirectly attack will turn into top predators.

C．The living environment of other species will remain unchanged.

D．The populations of other species will experience unexpected changes.

4. How does an early-warning system help us maintain the ecological balance?

A．By getting illegal practices under control.

B．By stopping us from killing large predators.

C．By bringing the broken-down ecosystems back to normal.

D．By signaling the urgent need for taking preventive action.

6 . Metro Pocket Guide

Metrorail (地铁)

Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out. Up to two children under five may travel free with a paying customer.

Farecard machine are in every station, Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the station and farecard machine only provide up to $ 5 in change.

Get one of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9:30 a.m. until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.

Hours of Service

Open: 5 a.m. Mon — Fri                  7a.m. Sat — Sun.

Close midnight Sun — Thur.          3. a.m. Fri — Sat. nights

Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train time posted in the station.

Metrobus

When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1.35. When paying with a smatTrip CARD the fare is $1.25

Fares for the Senior /disabled customers

Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTrip card. For more information about buying senior/disabled farecards, farecard or SmarTripR card and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors.com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.

Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100

Travel tips

Avoid riding during weekday rush periods — before 9:30 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.

If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.

1. What should you know about farecard machine?

A．They start selling tickets at 9:30 a.m.

B．They are connected to change machines.

C．They offer special service to the elderly.

D．They make change for no more than $5.

2. At what time does Metrorail stop service on Saturday?

A．At midnight	B．at 3 a.m.
C．at 5 am	D．at 7 p.m.

3. What is good about a SmarTrip card?

A．It is convenient for old people	B．It saves money for its users[
C．it can be bought at any time	D．it is sold on the Internet

4. Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?

A．202-962-1195	B．202-962-1100
C．202-673-7000	D．202-673-8000

7 . One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?

Listen - Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.

Help them - If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (额外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.

Be there for them - Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!

______   Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!

1. While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should _____.

A．give him or her some advice	B．just listen unless asked
C．calm him or her down	D．share your feelings as well

2. When we provide help for our friends, we should _____.

A．try to do everything for them	B．ignore their faults
C．change their bad habits first	D．put them before ourselves

3. What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?

A．Life without a friend is death.	B．A friend is easier lost than found.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	D．A man is known by his friends.

4. Which of the following can be put in the blank of the last paragraph?

A．Make plans.	B．Enjoy yourself.
C．Understand your friends.	D．Play with your friends.

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to find a good friend.	B．How to help friends in trouble.
C．How to be a good friend.	D．How to make more friends.

8 . Born in America, I spoke English ,not Chinese, the language of my ancestors. When I was three, my parents flashed cards with Chinese _______ at my face, but I pushed them_______. My mom believed I would learn_______ I was ready. But the_______ never came.

On a Chinese New Year’s Eve, my uncle spoke to me in Chinese, but all I could do was_______ at him, confused, scratching my head . “Still can’t speak Chinese? ” He_______ me, “You can’t even buy a fish in Chinatown.”

“Hey, this is America, not China. I’ll get some_______ with or without Chinese.” I replied and turned to my mom for_______ . “Remember to ask for fresh fish, Xin Xian Yu,” she said, handing over a $20 bill. I _______ the words, running downstairs into the streets of Chinatown.

I found the fish ______ surrounded in a sea of customers. “I’d like to buy some fresh fish,” I should to the fish man. But he______ my English words and turned to serve the next customer. The laugh of the people behind increased _____ their impatience. With every _____, the breath of the dragons (龙) on my back grew stronger—my blood boiling— ______ me to cry out. “ Xian Sheng Yu, please.” “Very Xian Sheng,” I repeated. The crowd erupted into laughter. My face turned_______ and I ran back home ______ , except for the $20 bill I held tightly in my pocket.

Should I laugh or cry? They’re Chinese. I should feel right at______ . Instead, I was the joke, a disgrace (丢脸)to the language.

Sometimes, I laugh at my fish_______ , but, in the end, the joke is on _______ . Every laugh is a culture_______; every laugh is my heritage (传统) fading away.

1.

A．custom

B．games

C．characters

D．language

2.

A．ahead

B．around

C．along

D．aside

3.

A．when

B．before

C．unless

D．until

4.

A．success

B．study

C．time

D．attempt

5.

A．aiming

B．joking

C．nodding

D．staring

6.

A．cared about

B．laughed at

C．argued with

D．asked after

7.

A．right now

B．from now

C．at times

D．in time

8.

A．decision

B．permission

C．information

D．preparation

9.

A．repeated

B．reviewed

C．spelled

D．kept

10.

A．farm

B．stand

C．pond

D．market

11.

A．guessed

B．forget

C．doubted

D．ignored

12.

A．by

B．as

C．with

D．from

13.

A．second

B．effort

C．desire

D．movement

14.

A．forcing

B．allowing

C．persuading

D．leading

15.

A．bright

B．blank

C．pale

D．red

16.

A．open-mouthed

B．tongue-tied

C．empty-handed

D．broken-hearted

17.

A．service

B．home

C．risk

D．root

18.

A．trade

B．deed

C．challenge

D．incident

19.

A．it

B．us

C．me

D．them

20.

A．thrown

B．lost

C．divided

D．reflected

9 . A little girl lived in a simple and poor house on a hill. Usually she _______ play in the small garden. She could see over the garden fence and across the valley a wonderful house with shining golden windows high on another hill._______ she loved her parents and her family, she desired to live in such a house and _______all day about how wonderful and exciting   _______must feel to live there.

At the age when she gained some _______ skill and sensibility (识别力), she _______ her mother for a bike ride _______ the garden. Her mother finally allowed her to go，_______ her keeping close to the house and not   _______ too far. The day was beautiful. The little girl knew________ where she was heading! ________ the hill and across the valley, she rode to the ________ of the golden house.

________ she got off her bike and put it against the gate post, she focused on the path________to the house and then on the house itself. She was very disappointed when she ________ that all the windows were ________ and rather dirty.

So ________and heart­broken, she didn't go any further. She ________， and all of a sudden she saw an amazing ________. There on the other side of the valley was a little house and its windows were golden. Looking at her little home, she________ that she had been living in her golden house filled with love and care. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her house.

1.

A．might

B．should

C．would

D．must

2.

A．Unless

B．Although

C．Since

D．But

3.

A．dreamed

B．worried

C．asked

D．shouted

4.

A．this

B．that

C．it

D．which

5.

A．different

B．scientific

C．musical

D．basic

6.

A．begged

B．blamed

C．invited

D．paid

7.

A．inside

B．outside

C．through

D．along

8.

A．insisting on

B．relying on

C．arguing about

D．wondering about

9.

A．traveling

B．running

C．riding

D．walking

10.

A．madly

B．rapidly

C．exactly

D．possibly

11.

A．Over

B．Down

C．Around

D．Beside

12.

A．windows

B．steps

C．center

D．gate

13.

A．Until

B．As

C．While

D．Because

14.

A．getting

B．introducing

C．leading

D．moving

15.

A．felt

B．learned

C．concluded

D．found

16.

A．transparent

B．bright

C．plain

D．wide

17.

A．anxious

B．angry

C．serious

D．sad

18.

A．turned around

B．cheered up

C．settled down

D．dropped in

19.

A．hill

B．valley

C．background

D．sight

20.

A．imagined

B．decided

C．realized

D．guessed

10 . Holidays

Holiday News Vacancies(空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season.

The Snowdonia Centre The Snowdonia Centre for young mountain climbers has a mountain climbing lesson. The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.

The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about — from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokoy and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours.

1. What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?

A．Choose the holiday in Devon.	B．Go to the Snowdonia Centre.
C．Join the World Sea Trip of 2008.	D．Visit Acapulco and Hawaii.

2. In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?

A．It provides chances of family gatherings.	B．It provides customers with good food.
C．It offers a sports lesson.	D．It offers comfortable rooms.

3. What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?

A．You can have free meals on deck every day.

B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places.

C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play.

D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking.