1 . The pupils of Grange town High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate, a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school
The giraffe is a huge sculpture made by a local artist. The school's headmaster noticed the sculpture in the artist's garden as he drove past one day. He thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as Grange town giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write a letter to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver in six weeks - all for nothing. It was expected to arrive on Sunday morning so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday - at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.
The artist, Tom Bennett, was a university professor of chemistry before he left that job in 2006 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago. “I've always drawn pictures,” he said, “I can even remember doing it on my first day at school - I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever, but I don't think I succeeded.” Tom's first metalwork was a bicycle for two that he and his wife could go cycling on together. “It was a most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “So I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”
Meanwhile, the pupils at Grange town High are very happy with their new classmate. “We are going to hold a competition to give it a proper name.” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on his face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”
1. According to the text, the giraffe _______________.| A．was as tall as a basketball player | B．was given to Grange town High for free |
| C．was sent to Grange town High on Monday | D．was specially made for a basketball team |
| A．excited | B．nervous | C．worried | D．confident |
| A．He learned a lot about sculpture at university. | B．He visited Grange town High |
| C．He was good at drawing, especially horses. | D．He showed interest in art at an early age. |
| A．It was a difficult job to name a giraffe. |
| B．Tom Bennett is well-known as a sculptor. |
| C．A metal giraffe arrived at Grange town High. |
| D．The Grange town Giraffe is a strong basketball team. |
2 . When the leaves begin to change colors,it means one thing for many travelers：Fall festival season is here.If you’re interested in visiting a fall festival in America,here are some of the country’s best fall festivals for you to choose from.
Wellfleet Oysterfest
Wellileet Oysterfest is a two-day event held in Wellfleet,Mass.The meeting on Cape Cod is one that the locals look forward to all year long.Feed on oysters(牡蛎）and other seafood，while you watch the fastest oyster-eaters in the world compete in the famous Oyster Shuck-Off,a competition for taking the outer covering of oysters.The competition is taken very seriously.
Harvest on the Harbor
It takes place in Portland,Maine.The festival celebrates all that is best about Maine’s food and wine.This celebration is held every October,and includes the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition and Savory Samplings at the Marketplace.The latter allows travelers to taste the best local food that Maine has to offer at Casco Bay.
Killington Hay Festival
If you’re looking for a fall festival that includes hay sculptures(干草雕塑)，take part in the yearly Killington Hay Festival.When you begin to see the giant hay sculptures,you’ll know you’ve arrived.Past sculptures have changed from a 20-foot-tall kangaroo to a family of penguins.
1. What can we learn about the meeting on Cape Cod?| A．It takes place twice a year. | B．It lasts three days in all. |
| C．It’s loved by the locals. | D．It’s not open to tourists. |
| A．People who want to go to a festival in November. |
| B．People who want to try Maine’s local food. |
| C．The fastest oyster-eaters worldwide, |
| D．The best cooks around the world. |
| A．They all serve seafood. | B．They are all liked by eaters. |
| C．They all last for two days. | D．They all take place in fall. |
3 . Teenage life is quite dramatic but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy your life in these years. Even with your daily troubles, your life is not very hard if you know how to deal with them.
I know exactly how you feel. Life as a teenager can be hard. You are not a kid anymore, because you are smart enough to observe and analyze your surroundings. However, you are still not an adult because there are still lots of experiences that you need to have and lessons that you need to learn from these experiences. To top it all, the hormonal (荷尔蒙的)imbalance in you body can really mess you up emotionally. I have been there. I was in it for 6 years exploring what life is about.
As a teenager, I had a major problem completing my chores on time. And at that time, all that I needed to do was to finish my assignments, study for the upcoming test and clean my room. Now, I have much more things to do: cooking, cleaning and working while striking a balance between all my relationships related to work, family and friends. That really is a lot of work. So, I will just give you one golden tip, quoting from Benjamin Franklin," Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."
Life becomes much easier now because I finish all my work on time and I have enough time to let my hair down. Half the problems as a teenager are because we hate doing things. We'd rather go and have fun than sit down and take care of our duties and responsibilities. That is why you have so much trouble in your life; your parents won't let you go out with friends because you haven't cleaned your room or your teacher is always criticizing you because you haven't finished your assignments.
1. What does the writer mainly want to tell us in paragraph 1 ?| A．Teenage life is tough. | B．Teenagers can't enjoy life. |
| C．Teenage life is changeable. | D．Teenagers should learn more. |
| A．The adolescent changes. | B．The lack of life experience. |
| C．The failure of concentration. | D．The unfamiliar surroundings. |
| A．It was difficult. | B．It was simple. |
| C．It was enjoyable. | D．It was boring. |
| A．Abandon their friends. | B．Go and have fun. |
| C．Complete their homework. | D．Shoulder the burden. |
