1 . Bill Gates was born in 1955. He grew up in Seattle, Washington. When he was young, he was good at science and maths. And he wanted to be a scientist.

Bill started to play with computers when he was 13. At that time, computers were very large machines. Once he was interested in a very old computer. He and some of his friends spent lots of time doing unusual things with it. In the end, they worked out a software program with the old machine. Bill sold it for 4,200 dollars when he was only 17.

In 1973, Bill went to Harvard University. He developed the Basic Language for the first microcomputer. In his third year, he left Harvard. Bill began his company in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. They thought that the computer would be a very important tool in every office and in every home, so they began developing software for personal computers. They developed the software to make it easier for people to use computers.

In 1999, Bill wrote a book. In the book, he told people how computer technology could solve business problems in new ways. It was one of the best-sellers on The New York Times’ list. Bill Gates has many hobbies. He enjoyed reading very much. He also enjoys playing golf and bridge.

1. When did Bill begin to play with computers?

A．In 1968.

B．In 1966.

C．In 1965.

D．In 1972.

2. How old was Bill when he went to Harvard University?

A．17 years old.	B．18 years old.
C．19 years old.	D．20 years old.

3. Bill wrote a book about _______.

A．how to do unusual things

B．how to play computer games

C．how to work out a software program

D．how to solve business problems with the help of computers in new ways

4. We can learn from the text that _______.

A．Bill worked for Microsoft before he went to Harvard University

B．Bill sold his first software program for 420 dollars

C．reading is one of Bill’s hobbies

D．Bill began his company in 1976 with his friend

5. Which of the following is true?

A．Bill Gates developed the Basic Language for the first microcomputer.

B．Bill Gates enjoys playing computer games.

C．Bill Gates wrote many science books.

D．Bill Gates books are on the top of best-sellers.

2 . I have been in England three months now. I hope you don’t think I’ve forgotten you. There have been so many places to see and so many things to do that I’ve not had much time for writing letters.

I shall soon be starting my studies at King’s College. So far I’ve been learning about England and British ways of living. I won’t tell you about London. There are lots of books you can read and lots of pictures you can look at about this famous city. I’m sure you’ll be more interested to know what I think about life here.

I find some of the customs interesting. People here do not shake hands as much as we do in the mainland of Europe. During the first few weeks I was often surprised because people did not put out their hands when I met them. Men raise their hats to women but not to each other.

1. The writer came to London from _______.

A．Asia

B．the mainland of Europe

C．America

D．Africa

2. The writer did not write the letter earlier because _______.

A．she had forgotten her friend	B．she was lonely and sad in this strange land
C．she was too busy to write	D．she was too busy with her courses at King’s College

3. How does the writer feel about British ways of living?

A．Happy.

B．Angry.

C．Sad.

D．Interesting.

4. The writer came to London _______.

A．to make a living	B．to study
C．to learn British ways of living	D．for sightseeing only

5. Which of the following about people in England is true?

A．Men raise their hats to women but not to each other.

B．Men often shake hands with others when they meet.

C．Men raise their hats to all friends when they meet.

D．Men do not shake hands with friends when they meet.

3 . How exercising changed their life

Name: Katelyn Block, 19 The problem: At the end of her junior year of high school, she fell into a serious eating disorder. The change: She was an athlete, but while she was sick, she stopped running. Later, she decided to get back into running. She made the decision to build her body back from the ground up. With a few months of hard work and determination, she graduated from high school with a healthy body.

Name: Amalia Biro, 24 The problem: Amalia was a horseback rider with her sight set on the Olympics, until one day she was thrown off a horse, leaving her left knee badly injured. The change: She ran a 5K at the request of her friend. Running lets her clear her head. She found herself starting to turn to running instead of breaking away from her social life. And she was in good shape and felt better than before.

Name: Sarah Jane Parker, 28 The problem: She had a lot of fear and anxiety about different things. The fear was taking over her life. The change: She tried indoor rock climbing with her friend’s encouragement. When she finally managed to climb to the top, she fell in love with the sport. Eventually she used the courage she got from climbing to break away from her fear.

Name: Kimberly Whittaker, 25 The problem: Two car accidents in one month made Kimberly have joint problems in both knees and pain in her lower back. The change: She joined a gym and worked with a physical trainer three times a week to help her become healthy again. She took spin classes (动感单车) the most often because she felt like she was able to focus her energy just on riding.

1. What was the problem that Katelyn was facing?

A．She got a fever.	B．She was anxious.
C．She couldn’t eat normally.	D．She hurt her knees.

2. What do Amalia and Sarah have in common?

A．They had the same dream.	B．They attended the Olympics.
C．They didn’t trust themselves.	D．They should thank their friends.

3. How did Kimberly become healthy again?

A．By changing her diet.	B．By seeing a doctor.
C．By joining a gym.	D．By studying hard.

6 . Five Family Films to Enjoy with Your Family

Lost Horizon

In Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon, the passengers on a plane attacked after the take-off in China are thrown together against their will only to be deposited in Shangri-La. During their stay there, they realize that a family gathering should be about forming connections and taking time to consider one’s place in the family, in the community and even in the world.

The Human Comedy

Maybe as the finest film about the US home front during World War Ⅱ, The Human Comedy is a portrait of a family dealing with life after the oldest son is drafted into military service(兵役). Mickey Rooney plays the younger son missing his older brother but trying to get on with his life in high school.

Miracle on 34th Street

The Christmas classic was released in 1947, but it essentially set the stage for the 1950s. It’s about the birth of the post-war consumer culture, and how affection for family and friends can be best expressed by the act of spending money.

Mary Poppins

Sometimes a family needs to make a change but the Banks family is definitely in a rut(一成不变). George seems to care more about his banking job than his wife and children. He needs to learn that sometimes all he needs is a laugh for a laugh’s sake, tuppence(两便士)to feed the birds and the time to fly a kite. In the end, his change is as powerful as Ebenezer Scrooge’s.

Star Wars: Episode Ⅳ-A New Hope

Star Wars is about what happens after you make the choice to leave home for good. Of course, for Luke Skywalker, the choice to “take the first step into a larger world” is made for him when his family is killed. But his process of going out into the universe and discovering himself also involves gathering a new family.

1. Who of the following acted in one of the above films?

A．Mickey Rooney

B．Frank Capra

C．Luke Skywalker

D．Ebenezer Scrooge

2. Which film attracts people loving Christmas most?

A．Last Horizon

B．Mary Poppins

C．Miracle on 34th Street

D．Star Wars: Episode Ⅳ-A New Hope

3. The text is written to ________.

A．advertise some new films	B．interest foreign film lovers
C．present some film standards	D．recommend some films

9 . Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men.” he said, “Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die.”

They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.

The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.

The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.

1. Hundreds of years ago, the Romans ________.

A．came from the north through England to make war on Scotland

B．came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland

C．came from the north of England to fight the Scots

D．came to the north from the south of Britain to fight the Scots

2. The Scots were waken because ________.

A．they were too tired to sleep well

B．one of the guards pretended to sleep

C．one of the Romans stepped on a thistle and let out a cry

D．the Romans got too close and they discovered them

3. What is the meaning of the underlined words “were on their feet” on paragraph 4?

A．get on their feet	B．at their feet
C．under their feet	D．back on their feet

4. The Scots made thistle their national flower because thistle ________.

A．is lovely, though not beautiful

B．gives them happiness

C．is a kind of useful plant

D．helped the Scots to win the battle against the Romans

10 . In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts find that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.   

Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes use several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial (空间的) reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions (分数).   

Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memories. The secret lies in the way the brain processes music. One area near the forehead, the medial prefrontal cortex(脑前额叶外皮), connects music with memories stored in two other areas: the amygdale(杏仁核) and hippocampus(海马体). That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.   

With the evidence of music's benefits, it's no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.

1. According to the Canadian study, which children increased IQ scores?

A．Those who already had high IQ scores.

B．Those who had always played music.

C．Those who could not play any instrument.

D．Those who studied music for a period of time.

2. Which of the following is a kind of disease?

A．Spatial reasoning.

B．Alzheimer's.

C．The amygdale and hippocampus.

D．The medial prefrontal cortex.

3. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Music and health

B．Music and education

C．Music and the mind

D．Music and instruments

4. Scientists are studying music because ________.

A．music can be used for medical treatments

B．music plays a very important role in our lives

C．our brains can process music in different ways

D．music education has received a lot of attention