1 . Programs for High School Students
Below is a list of programs for high school students conducted by a variety of teachers, students and staff of Carnegie Mellon University.
AI4ALL
This program provides rising high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to use artificial intelligence (AI) to address problems. Students learn from staff and researchers who’ve been leaders in AI since the field was invented at this university in the 1950s. For more information, call (412) 268-2082.
SPARK Saturdays
SPARK Saturdays is a Saturday workshop series created by volunteers studying Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University that aims to introduce beginners to concepts about electrical and computer engineering and expose them to engineering as a potential career choice. For more information, call (412) 268-3669.
Linguistics(语言学) Olympiad
This olympiad is a competition in which high school students solve linguistic puzzles. In solving the problems, students learn about the diversity, and consistency of language. No knowledge of linguistics or second languages is necessary. There is NO participation fee! For more information, call (412) 268-7517.
SUCCEED
SUCCEED is a 5-day program for rising 10th graders that is designed to expand your understanding of energy, the environment, and how those relate to climate change. For more information, call (412) 256-8162.
1. Which program is for rising high school juniors?| A．AI4ALL. | B．SPARK Saturdays. | C．Linguistics Olympiad. | D．SUCCEED. |
| A．It aims to expand students’ AI knowledge. |
| B．It is conducted by university students. |
| C．It helps enlarge students’ vocabulary. |
| D．It asks for no participation fee. |
| A．AI4ALL. | B．SPARK Saturdays. |
| C．Linguistics Olympiad. | D．SUCCEED. |
| A．(412) 268-2082. | B．(412) 268-3669. | C．(412) 268-7517. | D．(412) 256-8162. |
| A．AI4ALL. | B．SPARK Saturdays. |
| C．Linguistics Olympiad. | D．SUCCEED. |
2 . Xi'an
It was called Chang'an in ancient times. As the cradle (发源地) of Chinese civilization, it has a really long history. The city passed through the Zhou Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and some other dynasties as the capital city. It enjoys the title of the “four major ancient civilization capitals” with ancient Athens, Cairo and Rome.
Luoyang
It was the capital city of 13 dynasties, and it was listed as the world's largest city six times in history. Luoyang once was the starting point of the Silk Road in eastern countries. It connected Europe and North Africa with Asia.
Kaifeng
As early as the Neolithic Age (新石器时代), our ancestors lived here. Its history can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty, the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty. It was the capital city of the Later Jin Dynasty, the Later Han Dynasty, the Later Zhou Dynasty as well as the Northern Song Dynasty. It achieved great prosperity (繁荣) in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Yangzhou
As one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities listed by the State Council, Yangzhou has a history of about 2,500 years. It reached great prosperity in the Han, Sui, Tang, and Qing Dynasties. It used to be an important business center and a center of transportation.
Chengdu
It is an ancient cultural city, with two miracles in Chinese history. One is that its name has been the same for 2,000 years; the other is that it has always been the capital city of Sichuan region. It's a capital with a glorious history.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．Five of the largest cities with a long history in China. |
| B．Five famous modern cities with a long history in China. |
| C．Five of the most beautiful cities with a long history in China. |
| D．Five famous ancient cultural cities with a long history in China. |
| A．Xi'an. | B．Kaifeng. |
| C．Luoyang. | D．Yangzhou. |
| A．history | B．culture |
| C．economy | D．beauty |
| A．business | B．schooling |
| C．parenting | D．traveling |
3 . 阅读短文，并根据短文内容回答问题。
The most wonderful thing that has come into my life is a Golden Retriever called Bonny. Bonny has been trained by an organization called Assistance Dogs for Independence, so she could help me become independent. I often rely on other people in my life, and it even keeps me from making my own decisions in most situations. Why? Because when you have to depend on others, the decision does not become totally yours.
I developed Cerebral Palsy(脑瘫) at the age of twelve months as a result of food poisoning(中毒). That made me physically disabled, making me totally rely on others. Because of that, I often felt sad. I considered myself to be useless and was often in a low mood.
My recent visit to the Spastic Centre with Bonny caused the therapists(治疗师) to notice the change in my attitude and mood. They always tried to help me become positive, but they said it was Bonny that had made such a difference. They were so impressed that they invited me to talk to Assistance Dogs for Independence about such dogs because they were sure that other people like me would also need the assistance of such a dog.
I totally agreed with them and decided to do that. The costs of carers who are paid to help people like me are very high. And family members have to spend a lot of time taking care of such people as me. With such a dog as Bonny, things could be much easier.
However, I will still need the carers’ help in areas where a dog can’t help. I just want to say such a dog is really helpful to such people as me.
1. Why can’t the author make his own decisions sometimes? (no more than 10 words)Katie always felt there had to be something more to life than just partying, buying clothes and driving a cool car. She finally discovered what she was missing out on when she traveled halfway around the world to help poor kids.
When she was 14, she discovered a club at school called Operation Smile, an organization that supports free operation for facially deformed (面部畸形的) kids in developing countries. At that time, she joined Operation Smile just to satisfy her school’s community service requirement.
After working with Operation Smile for a while, she learned different countries have different deformities. The more she learned about what affects kids around the world, the more she wanted to go abroad with Operation Smile.
At 15, she was chosen to go abroad. Before her trip, she attended a weekend “mission (使命) training”. That’s when she was told she’d be going to the Philippines. Although she was excited, one night during training, she broke down in tears. She felt pity for all those unfortunate kids. After her arrival in the Philippines, she met the kids waiting for operation, and they were running around and happy. It seemed normal. Her job was to play with the kids before their operation to help them feel more relaxed. She also went to nearby schools to hand out toothbrushes and teach students how to brush their teeth.
When their operation was over, the kids were always overjoyed, but their parents were blown away. Sometimes they couldn’t even recognize their kids because their appearances had improved so much. They would cry and hug the doctors and nurses and give them presents — they were so grateful.
1. According to the text, what is “Operation Smile”? (no more than 15 words)2. What was Katie’s original purpose in joining Operation Smile? (no more than 10 words)
3. Why did Katie break down in tears one night during training? (no more than 10 words)
4. What did Katie do to help relax those kids? (no more than 8 words)
5. Would you like to join the club? why? (no more than 20 words)
5 . Harvest Celebrations
People around the world pick, or harvest food that grows. Then they have a holiday. Let's read about some harvest celebrations!
 Every February, the people of Mendoza, Argentina, harvest their grapes. Then they celebrate for a month! There are parades (游行), shows, and fireworks. They always choose a Harvest Queen, too. |  Chanthaburi, a town in Thailand, is famous for its tasty fruit. People celebrate the fruit at harvest time in May. The Fruit Fair begins with a parade of floats (游行彩车) made from thousands of fruits and vegetables. |
 The Argungu Fishing Festival began in 1934 in Nigeria, a country in Africa. It's a four-day festival held at the end of February to celebrate the end of all farming activities. On the last day there's a fishing contest. People have one hour to catch the largest fish. But it's not that easy. They can only use traditional fishing tools. But many use only their hands to catch the fish. |  France's famous Menton Lemon Festival starts in February. There are big parades with floats decorated with lemons and oranges. More than 200, 000 people from around the world come to Menton for this festival. |
| A．The Harvest Festival in Mendoza. | B．The Harvest Festival in Chanthaburi. |
| C．The Argungu Fishing Festival. | D．The Menton Lemon Festival. |
| A．Argentina | B．Thailand | C．Nigeria | D．France |
| A．The big parades. | B．The Fruit Fair. |
| C．A fishing contest. | D．A Harvest Queen. |
| A．Sport. | B．Business. | C．Science. | D．Culture. |
6 . A SCHOOL REPORT
Name: Edward
School: Kelvin Grove High School
Grade: 7
Term ending: May 6th
Subjects:
Maths: He is a little weak in this but he has tried his best to catch up with others.
English: He is the best in the class. Keep it up.
French: His reading is very good, and he can remember many words.
History(历史): He is familiar(熟悉) with the names of many places in the world.
Music: He doesn’t like pop music, though he sings very well.
Conduct: Fair
No. in class: 9
Absence(缺课): 8
Remarks(评语): Edward can do a lot better. More work is needed next term.
Class teacher: Ivy
Principal: M. L. Martin
School reopens: September 11
1. After reading this, we know this is________.| A．a studying plan of Edward Scott | B．A teaching plan of Ivy |
| C．a school report of Edward Scott | D．a working plan of M. L. Martin |
| A．PE. | B．Music. | C．Maths. | D．History. |
| A．Science | B．English | C．geography | D．History |
| A．Science and geography | B．Maths and history |
| C．French and history | D．music and English |
7 . Job for You!
Family Alliance Meal Delivery Family Alliance is looking for people who can deliver hot Chinese meals one to two times a week for people with disabilities in north suburban Fairfield County. All applicants must have a driver's license and access to a car. Gas will be covered for each delivery. Working hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays For more information, contact Charles Chen at cchen@famd.com Or call 740-6668988 | Lancaster Design We provide full furnishings, like donated kitchen equipment and furniture items, for the new homes of people who were oncehomeless. We need people who can work at our warehouse （仓库）sorting and packing items to be delivered to families, repair donated furniture and more. Candidates will be matched with a task based on skill set. Interested? Submit your application to www.lancasterdesign.org Or call 740-6119735 |
Lancaster Weekly Would you like the opportunity to earn extra cash close to home? If so we have a vacancy in our team which would suit you. Both adults and youngsters aged 13+ are required to deliver our newspaper. You may have to cover some distance. Bicycles are available if needed. Working hours: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturdays For more information Call 740-6538360 | Parkview Nursing Home Caregivers are wanted. We seek people who are patient and caring, and who have experience and interest in working with older adults. As part of the package, initial and follow-up training sessions are provided and accommodation is available if required. For more details, visit us at Unit 3 Park View Lane Or contact Ellen White at 740-6968399 |
| A．Delivering meals. |
| B．Delivering newspapers. |
| C．Working at the warehouse. |
| D．Working at the nursing home. |
| A．Applicants are expected to design furniture. |
| B．Work is arranged according to one's skill set. |
| C．It involves collecting furniture from homes. |
| D．It favors applicants who are homeless. |
| A．Family Alliance Meal Delivery |
| B．Lancaster Design |
| C．Lancaster Weekly |
| D．Parkview Nursing Home |
| A．740-6668988. |
| B．740-6119735. |
| C．740-6538360. |
| D．740-6968399. |
8 . From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created：the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem. Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are the perennial（长期的）victims and martyrs. They are leaves tossed（摇摆）by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
If you associate with positive-thinking people, you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary, the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding, planting, and nurturing the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks.
In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.
1. People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they ______.| A．are ready to change their minds | B．are easily affected by windy weather |
| C．don't have the power to face their fate | D．can't exercise control over themselves |
| A．success is the result of hard work | B．working hard will lead to success |
| C．their failure is only because of bad luck | D．they don't make efforts to succeed |
| A．whether we will succeed depends on our attitudes |
| B．one’s expectation is the key to future success |
| C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind |
| D．setting our expectations is essential before taking action |
| A．the proof of the author's points | B．the conclusion of the argument |
| C．an introduction to another topic | D．a comparison between two views |
| A．The secrets of success． | B．Success is a choice． |
| C．Develop our confidence． | D．How to achieve success． |
9 . Spring lifts our spirits. It's a time for Nature to bring us back to life after a cold season. I live not far from the Kairaku Park, which is one of the largest gardens in Japan, and famous for its near 10,000 plum trees. I am fortunate to have them all outside my backyard, and take advantage of the walking paths daily.
I see the same trees and swans every day, but that day was different. At the edge of the small lake, I saw some new -born black swans. They were pretty and cute. They stayed with their mom.While taking a few photos of the sunset, I was interrupted by a high sound going on for some time. So, I turned around and saw one little swan was stuck by two stones. Its mother was trying to make it out but failed. I tried to get near but the mother was ever so angry! She wouldn't allow me to get close, so I turned to an old man sitting on the bench and said,“Excuse me, the swan baby can't move and I want to help it, but the mother is extremely angry! Could you please do me a favor?"
After hearing my words, the man smiled at me first and then agreed to help me. He drove the mother away with great efforts, and for several times, he was almost hurt by the mother. Thanks to him, I was able to get there and push the little swan out of the gap finally. Oh, I really hoped it wasn't injured, but at least it was alive and swimming!
In spring, I become more physically active. Things around don't make us, but Nature does, and it keeps us going. I am positive that all of us have a little piece of nature in our own neighborhoods. Somewhere we will be reminded why natural life is so important-- -because we grow with it! Personally, I am happy that baby birds can put a smile on my face! I struggle for having a small number of "things" in life, and being filled with simple reality--at one with Nature.
1. What can we know about the author from Paragraph 1?| A．Her favorite season is spring. | B．She enjoys doing outdoor sports. |
| C．Her backyard is filled with plum trees. | D．She is satisfied with her living environment. |
| A．She took a few photos of the sunset. |
| B．She made a little swan's mother angry. |
| C．She met some swans and helped one of them. |
| D．She met an old man and made friends with him. |
| A．Well-known. | B．Warm-hearted. | C．Selfish. | D．Outgoing. |
| A．Nature. | B．kindness. | C．The garden. | D．The things around. |
| A．is really a nature lover | B．is short of some life skill |
| C．asks people to help the weak | D．calls on more people to protect the environment |
10 . Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people worried about getting older. Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of 50. In fact, they say by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were when they were 18 years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008. At that time, the people were between the ages of 18 and 85. The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 24 and 25. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply（突然地） after people reached their fifties.
The study also showed that men and women have similar feeling patterns as they grow older.
However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their feelings. They so spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be connected to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being（幸福） related to age.
1. According to the survey of the Gallup Organization people are most likely to become happier.| A．when they are between the ages of 18 and 85 |
| B．when they come to their old age |
| C．when they are in their twenties |
| D．when they are 18 years old |
| A．20 | B．25 | C．35 | D．40 |
| A．have a positive attitude towards their life |
| B．know how to spend money wisely |
| C．dream about good things every day |
| D．control their behaviors better |
| A．Those who are worried about getting old |
| B．Those who are single and unemployed |
| C．Those who feel unhappy all the time |
| D．Those who suffer from mental stress |
| A．Women Are Easier to Be Happy in Life |
| B．The Young Are Happier Than the Old |
| C．Getting Older Means Getting Happier |
| D．The Younger, the Happier |
