1 . Ranjan and Summer were good friends. They went to the same school and were in the same class.

Ranjan was not strong. He could not play football or other games with boys of his age. All that he did was to watch Summer and other boys play. He usually went with them to the playground. When they ran off to play, he would sit under a tree and read storybooks. Books became his best friends. The reading made him successful in all the exams. He always stood first in the class.

Summer was tall and strong. He spent most of his time running, swimming or riding bicycles. He was an extremely good player in every game. He was a member of the school’s football team and cricket team. The PE teacher thought he would make it big in the game when he grew up.

One day, the two friends went for a walk. Ranjan got tired soon. “I have no strength. What is the use of all this knowledge if I am not healthy? I would give away all my knowledge if I could be half as healthy and strong as you,” said Ranjan.

Summer was surprised and replied, “So you are not happy with yourself too? I always wished I could have done as well as you did in the studies. I even thought I could have given away my sporting skills for better grades in those exams.” The two friends looked at each other and cried out at the same time. “The grass looks greener on the other side of the hill.”

1. What did Ranjan usually do when he went to the playground with Summer?

A．He studied for the exams.

B．He played with his friend.

C．He read his favorite books.

D．He took care of the clothes.

2. Why did the PE teacher think Summer might become a sports star?

A．Summer was very tall.

B．Summer was very strong.

C．Summer was good at doing sports.

D．Summer spent a lot of time playing sports.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Ranjan was proud of his knowledge.

B．Summer was unhappy with his studies.

C．Summer could do as well as Ranjan did in the studies.

D．Ranjan and Summer decided to learn from each other.

4. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．Practice makes perfect.

B．Nobody knows his own advantages.

C．Grass usually appears greener in faraway places.

D．We always want something better and feel unhappy.

2 . Impolite cellphone users are anywhere where there’s a cellphone signal.     1    . Could that be you? Follow our expert phone rules to avoid being rude and annoying.

Know where not to use your phone.     2    , so avoid talking on your cellphone or having it ring while in such places as hospitals, libraries and movie theaters. Turn you phone off if necessary.

Don’t talk too loudly. When in public, try not to raise your voice while on the phone. Generally you don’t have to shout on the phone to be heard on the other end. In fact, doing so often makes it harder for you to be understood.     3    .

Don’t use your phone when having a meal with someone. If possible, turn it off. If you’re waiting for an important call, let the person you’re with know beforehand (事先) that you’re expecting a call that you’ll need to take.     4    . If you have to, step away but don’t stay away any longer than a bathroom break.

    5    . When you’re in an enclosed space, or you can’t put yourself 10 feet out of everyone’s way, it’s inappropriate (不适当的) to talk but it’s potentially acceptable to receive and send text messages. But you’d better not text while doing anything that requires you to be focused.

A．Learn to text

B．Focus on your messages

C．Some places are inappropriate for cellphone usage

D．Limit phone use during gatherings with your friends

E．Try not to hold a phone conversation at table

F．In addition, shouting on the phone disturbs people around you

G．Most people who are impolite don’t even realize what they’re doing

5 . Catalin Baciu from Romania wanted to make money in Germany. So, he and his wife, Oltita went to Bucharest, the capital city of Romania to get legal papers to move to Germany. However, when they arrived, they were surprised by what they saw. “Hundreds of street children were living in a busy and dirty city of two and a half million people. Many of them were using drugs. They all seemed lost. Most of them were under ten years old. Oltita had tears in her eyes,” Catalin said.

Many of these streets children were orphans. They had grown up in the government orphanages, but had run away. They thought any place would be better than the orphanages. But the streets were cold and hard. The winters were freezing. The children had to sleep in warm sewers(下水道) under the ground. Many of the children even became involved with crime and violence.

The Bacius did not like the sight of so many pitiful children in Bucharest. They wanted to leave immediately and go to Germany. However, that night, Catalin and Oltita stayed with a friend in Buchares. “The friend we were staying with was working with street children. I was deeply touched by what he and his fellows were trying to do…they were sacrificing their jobs and lives to save street children, ” Catalin said.

After that visit, the Bacius completely changed their life plan. Instead of moving to Germany, they began working with street children in Bucharest. They started by opening a home called House of Hope, which provided a warm and loving place for children who needed to get away from the streets. Many hospitals and business workers called House of Hope when they found troubled kids. Everyone knew the House of Hope would help.

1. Oltita had tears in her eyes because ________.

A．she felt pity for the street children

B．she almost lost her Way in Bucharest

C．she didn’t get legal papers

D．she would leave Romania

2. We can infer that the orphans in the orphanages ________.

A．liked to run around	B．lived a very busy life
C．didn’t receive good care	D．were under ten years old

3. Which of the following can best describe the couple’s friend?

A．Kind-hearted.	B．Short-sighted.
C．Hard-working.	D．Self-confident.

6 . A Service Trips for High School Students

Are you a high school student who loves to be outdoors and is eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? WTA offers first-time participants country trips and returning students have the option to go on trips in the back country (边远地区). 

Front Country Trips

Our front country trips provide opportunities for people to experience projects near the ocean, in the scenic Cascade Mountains and in northeast Washington. Our trips also provide you with experienced leaders, a great project, some camping tents, sleeping bags and all your meals for the week.

Advanced Back Country Trips 

On these trips you will be backpacking to the work site and will have a chance to advance your trail and leadership skills under the supervision(监护) of a WTA leader. 

Trip Details

In 2015, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip and can be qualified to be members in the second trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, please submit your payment and application within two weeks. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please call us at 206/625-1367 or email trail-teams@wta.org. 

Scholarships

We believe no student should have to stay at home this summer because he or she can’t afford to go outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Application Deadline: May 1, 2016.

1. If you are going on Front Country Trips, you can’t go on trips ________.

A．near the ocean​	B．in northeast Washington
C．in the Cascade Mountains​	D．in the back country

2. How much will you have to pay for your first trip if you’re not a WTA member?

A．$145.  ​    ​

B．$185.      ​

C．$235.

D．$195.

3. After choosing a trip, you ________.

A．must submit your payment and application within two weeks.

B．can cancel your trip and get all your money back.

C．will be added to the waiting list.

D．will naturally become a WTA member

8 . Earthquake rescue robots experienced their final tests in Beijing. Their designers said with these robots, rescuers would be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.

This kind of robot looking like a helicopter is a flying robot. It’s about 3 meters long, and it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions (功能) are to collect information from the air, and send goods of up to 30 kilos to people trapped by an earthquake. It has a high-definition 360-degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and is also able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.

Dr Qi Juntong, a researcher at Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, “The most important feature of this flying robot is that it doesn’t need a distant control. We just set the destination information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3, 000 meters, and as fast as 100 kilometers per hour.

This robot has a different function—it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers are unable to go. As well as a detector (探测器) that finds victims and detects poisonous gases, a camera is placed in the 3-metre-long robot, which can work in the dark. Another use for the rescuers is the supply bot. With its 10-metre-long pipe, people who are trapped in the ruins will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquids.

Experts have said that the robots would enter production and serve as part of the national earthquake rescue team as soon as possible.

1. What does Dr Qi Juntong think makes this robot mainly different from the others?

A．It has more functions.	B．It has a unique shape.
C．It has more advanced cameras.	D．It can work by itself once given the information.

2. What does the underlined word “which “ in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．A camera.

B．A detector.

C．A rescuer.

D．A supply.

3. What can we learn about this robot from the text?

A．It is carried by the helicopter.	B．It weighs about 30 kilos.
C．It is a machine with a length of 10 meters.	D．It hasn’t been put into production so far.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．What the robot looks like.	B．An introduction to a robot.
C．How the robot is made.	D．Information about earthquakes.

9 . Johnny Cash was born in 1932 in the southern state of Arkansas. His parents were poor cotton farmers. As a school boy, he began writing songs and he performed on radio programs. After high school, he joined the United States Air Force and served as a radio operator in Germany.

He returned to the United States in 1954 and formed a band with two friends and performed at local events. They began recording for Sun Records in Memphis. One of the songs Cash wrote became the first country music hit record for the company. It was “Cry, Cry, Cry.”

Johnny Cash performed all across the United States and Canada. By 1958, Johnny Cash was a successful recording artist, songwriter and singer. He was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Johnny Cash won many awards, including eleven Grammy Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. He was elected to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

He died on September 12, 2003, in Nashville at the age of seventy-one.

Fans say that Johnny Cash's music was important because it told simple stories about life and death. They say he cared about social issues and continued to express support for those who are poor and without political power. One of the last songs he recorded was one made popular by the rock and roll group Nine Inch Nails. It is called “Hurt.”

1. Johnny Cash returned to the United States after ________.

A．he finished high school	B．he formed a band
C．he served in US Air Force in Germany	D．his song Cry, Cry, Cry became famous

2. From the passage we can infer that ________.

A．Johnny Cash performed his famous song Cry, Cry, Cry at the Grand Ole Opry

B．Johnny Cash didn't care about social problems

C．Johnny Cash's music was only loved by his fans

D．the Grand Ole Opry is a place where famous singers hold their concerts.

3. What does the underlined word “hit” mean in the second paragraph?

A．Beat

B．Failure

C．Strike

D．Success

4. Johnny Cash's songs were loved by his fans because ________.

A．he won many awards in his lifetime

B．he often performed in the Grand Ole Opry

C．his songs expressed support for the poor people with no political power

D．his songs were sung by the rock and roll group Nine Inch Nails

10 . If ever we have to wait for something in the UK一for the bus, to get into a concert, or to get into a shop, we form a queue. Everybody knows that when you roll up, you join the back of the queue.     1    It is an absolutely fair system and we all agree with it. British people would never dream of “jumping the queue”!

    2     If you are seen to push in, it is considered very rude. People think pushing in is unfair to other people who have been waiting. So, if you see a line of people and you are not sure about it, then ask: “Is this the back of the queue?”    3     You might even get chatting! Brits are happy to chat while queuing.

If ever somebody pushes in, you can almost feel others upset about him or her! People will be silently angry! However, rarely will anybody say anything.    4     If somebody does say something to the rule breaker， the rest of the people in the queue will be very embarrassed and they will look away.

    5    For example, they may give bad looks to the transgressor (违规者). They may also turn around and talk about the transgressor in a whisper with the person next to them in the queue. You would need a skin as thick as a rhinoceros (犀牛皮) to miss these signals that you have transgressed a sacred British rule. So, if you come to the UK, get used to queuing.

A．You have to wait for your turn in the queue.

B．People do not welcome queue-jumping in England.

C．Queue-jumping can be seen everywhere in the world.

D．British people do not like to cause a scene by arguing.

E．Some people want to break the accepted rule sometimes.

F．People will be very polite to you and let you know where you should stand.

G．People will show that they are annoyed, but in ways that are not easy to notice.