One day a teacher stood before his class and picked up a large empty glass bottle and filled it with rocks. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. He then added a box of pebbles to the jar,shaking it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. “Is the jar filled now?” The students said yes.

   But then he poured a bag of sand into the bottle. The sand filled in everything else. Once more he asked if it was full and after some thinking they said that it was.

   The teacher then opened two cans of beer and poured them into the jar. The students were very excited about this demonstration.

   The teacher spoke again, “I want you to know that this jar represents (代表) your life. The rocks are the important things in your life： your family,your partner,your health …things that if everything else was lost and only they remained,your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter,like your job,your house,and your car. The sand is everything else. If you put the sand into the jar first,there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks”. “The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Play with your friends. Take time to get medical checkups. Take care of the rocks first. The else is just sand. ”

   Then one of the students asked what the beer represented.

   “It just goes to prove that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of beers. ”

1. What do rocks represent according to the passage?

   A. Things you have to do every day,like cooking and washing.

   B. Things without which you can't live,like house and job.

   C. Things that make your life full,like your family,friends and health.

   D. Things that help to relax yourself,like reading and watching TV.

2. The underlined word “demonstration ” in the passage probably means “ ”.

   A. 游戲   B. 指責(zé)

   C. 演講   D. 論證

3. What can we learn from the passage?

   A. We should listen to the teacher carefully at school.

   B. Never spend time and energy on the small things.

   C. Something like beer is necessary in our life.

   D. Take care of the most important things first.

4. What do you think of the teacher?

   A. Strict. B. Wise.

   C. Kind-hearted. D. Serious.

5. What did the teacher want to do in his class?

   A. To teach students the philosophy (哲學(xué)) in life.

   B. To teach them how to put more things into the jar.

   C. To show the students when the jar can be full.

   D. To make students work harder at school.

   My mother always breaks my dream. I feel very sad and unhappy.

   One day,I was doing my homework 1 my mother was surfing the Internet. I was 2 because my good friend had just called me and said that I might be a singer in the future!I was really happy that she could say so. And my dream is to be a 3 too. But I've never said it to my mother because she doesn’t like it. She wants me to be a flute (長(zhǎng)笛) player!Oh! How boring!

   After a long thought,I raised my head and turned to my mother. I told my mother the 4 一my dream.

   “5 your idea!It's impossible!You should pay more attention to your 6,not pop music!If you don't study hard,you will 7 be an excellent student!” her voice went up,and I was afraid.

   “But mum,I really want to be a singer!” I was expecting that my mother could change her 8 at once,but I failed. My heart was badly hurt. But that time I said to myself “ Don’t give up! 9 is nothing. I'll never give up although my mother doesn’t stand on my side,even try to break my dream."

   In a word,don't let anybody break your 10 , especially those teenagers of my age. It's your own dream.

1. A. what   B. where   C. while   D. which

2. A. frustrated   B. angry   C. worried   D. excited

3. A. doctor   B. scientist   C. singer   D. teacher

4. A. truth   B. accident   C. call   D. lesson

5. A. Keep on   B. Study with   C. Think over   D. Give up

6. A. friends   B. studies   C. club   D. health

7. A. always   B. often   C. never   D. sometimes

8. A. job   B. mind   C. place   D. style

9. A. Tomorrow   B. Dream   C. Impossible   D. Mother

10. A. rules   B. family   C. study   D. dream

   All the wisdom of the times,all the stories that have delighted mankind for centuries,are easily and cheaply available to all of us in books,but we must know how to make use of this treasure. The unluckiest people in the world are those who have never discovered how satisfying it is to read good books.

   I’m very interested in people and finding out about them. Some of the most amazing people I've met could only be found in a writer's imagination,then in this book,and then,again,in my imagination. I've found in books new friends and new worlds.

   Reading is fun,not because the writer is telling you something,but because it makes your mind work. Your own imagination works along with the writer's or even goes beyond his. Your experience,compared with his,brings you to the same or different conclusions,and your ideas develop as you understand his.

   We can often find something connected with ourselves in books. Every book stands by itself,like a one-family house,but books in a library are like houses in a city. Although they are separate (分開的) ，in some ways they are connected with each other. The same ideas,or related ones,appear in different places;the human problems that repeat themselves in life repeat themselves in books,but with different solutions according to different times. Books influence each other. They connect the past,the present and the future and have their own age groups,like families. Wherever you start reading,you connect yourself with one of the families of ideas,and in the end,you not only find out about the world and the people in it,you find out yourself,too.

   Reading can only be fun if you expect it to be. If you only read the books somebody tells you “ought” to read,you probably won’t have fun. But if you put down a book you don't like and try another till you find one that means something to you,and then relax with it,you will almost certainly have a good time!

1. 判斷正誤(“T”表示正確，“F”表示錯(cuò)誤) ：

() The writer is advising us to enjoy ourselves by reading.

2. 完成句子：

The people who don't enjoy reading good books are.

3. 簡(jiǎn)略回答問題：

According to the writer,why is reading books fun?

4. 找出并寫下第四段的主題句：

5. 將文中畫線句子譯成漢語：

   Deserts are areas of the world that are extremely dry. They don't get much rain. Officially a desert is an area that gets less than 10 inches of precipitation (降 雨) a year. Deserts don't necessarily have to be hot. Some of the world's largest deserts are cold deserts located at one of the Earths poles or in a cold area of the world. One thing is for sure,deserts are dry and barren places.

   Antarctic Desert (南極荒漠) 

   This is the world's largest desert and is located at the South Pole. Basically the entire continent of Antarctica is considered a desert because it gets very little precipitation. The Arctic desert covers the North Pole. They are both called polar deserts.

   Sahara Desert 

   The Sahara Desert is the largest non-polar desert in the world. It is located in North Africa,is nearly as large as Europe or the United States. The name Sahara comes from the Arabic word for desert,sahra. Areas of the Sahara Desert look like the classic desert you see in the movies sometimes with giant sand dunes that can get over 500 feet tall!There are oases of life in the Sahara such as the area along the Nile River in Egypt.

   Kalahari Desert 

   The Kalahari Desert is located in Southern Africa. Like many deserts,it has large temperature swings,with temperatures dropping to zero at night and then rising to above 40 degrees C ( 104 degrees F) in the day.

   Mohave Desert 

   The Mohave Desert is located in the Southwest of the United States. It is home to Death Valley,the hottest and lowest spot in the US. Mohave Desert means high desert and is named after the Mohave tribe of Native Americans.

1. We call the continent of Antarctica a desert because.

   A. it hardly rains all the year round

   B. the weather is very cold

   C. it's far away and no one lives there

   D. there is a lot of ice on the ground

2. The underlined word “dunes” in the passage can be replaced by.

   A. farms   B. gardens

   C. hills   D. lakes

3. The Kalahari Desert can be discovered .

   A. at the South Pole

   B. in North Africa

   C. in Southern Africa

   D. in the Southwest of the US

4. Death Valley is a desert valley located in .

   A. Antarctic Desert

   B. Sahara Desert

   C. Kalahari Desert

   D. Mohave Desert

5. The passage is most probably taken from .

   A. a geography magazine

   B. a police report

   C. a government information booklet (小冊(cè)子)

   D. an advertisement (廣告)

  A short Chinese man seems to be the tallest in the world right now. Jack Ma ( Ma Yun) is executive chairman (董事局主席) of Alibaba Group,a business-to-business online platform. On Sept 19 ,Alibaba went public on the New York Stock Exchange (紐約證券交易所) ，raising $25 billion through an IPO,the biggest in US history. Ma,a former English teacher,has become the richest man on the Chinese mainland.

   Bom in Hangzhou,Zhejiang,Ma grew up as a happy kid. At the age of 12 ,he wanted to learn English. Every morning,he awoke at 5 am,cycled 40 minutes to a hotel near the West Lake where he could chat to foreign tourists. He did it for nine years,rain or shine.

   The experience made him a fluent English speaker and also opened his eyes to the wider world. In a 1995 trip to the US,Ma was showed the Internet for the first time. He searched Yahoo using the word “Beer”，and found that there was nothing in there about China. Seeing the chance,Ma returned to China and set up a website called China Pages without even knowing much about computers.

   Four years later,18 people including Ma,his wife and his friends founded Alibaba in Hangzhou. He believed in the Internet business potential (潛力) when few other Chinese did. People called him “Crazy Jack Ma”. But 15 years later,Alibaba has developed into the world's largest e-commerce (電子商務(wù)) company,owning popular shopping websites like Taobao and Tmall. It makes more profit online than Amazon and e-Bay combined.

   No one thinks he's mad now. Ma's favorite line has been printed on Alibaba's souvenir T-shirts. It reads： “Everybody should have a dream. What if that dream comes true?”

1. We can tell from the first paragraph that .

   A. Alibaba Group is the biggest company in China

   B. Alibaba's IPO has raised $25 billion

   C. Jack Ma used to be a math teacher

   D. Jack Ma is the richest man in the world

2. Why did Ma cycle to a hotel near the West Lake?

   A. To do morning exercises.

   B. To work as a guide.

   C. To chat with foreigners.

   D. To work part time.

3. When did Ma and his team found Alibaba?

   A. In 1995.   B. In 1998.

   C. In 1999.   D. In 2014.

4. Which is the right order?

a. Ma became the richest man on the Chinese mainland.

b. Ma became executive chairman of Alibaba Group.

c. Ma worked as an English teacher in Hangzhou.

d. Ma set up a website called China Pages.

   A. c-b-a-d   B. b-c-a-d

   C. d-c-b-a   D. c-d-b-a

5. The title of the passage can be “ ”.

   A. Crazy Jack Ma

   B. Alibaba's First IPO

   C. The World's Largest E-commerce Company

   D. The Internet Business Potential

   When I finally caught his eye,he shook his head. “You can't come,Leslie. You’d just slow us down. ” I pulled on my grandfather's old leather ski boots,knowing that when my brother's friend Mark showed up,he would invite me.

   Mark arrived at the house. “You should come with us ,” he called to me as he knocked on the door for my brother. Sam glared at me as he came outside,but he couldn’t get me to stay home now.

   We made our way to the seasonal road. My grandfather's old wooden skis felt about a foot too long,but I didn't dare to show any hesitation (猶豫) . If I did,Sam would tell me to turn back.

   “Hey!” Mark surprised me. He’d been waiting for me to catch up. “ Do this. ” He walked like a duck. Then I tried to copy him. After a few minutes,I reached the top of the hill. I pushed off. Snow billowed (翻滾) out behind me as I raced down the slope. What a wonderful experience!

   Time passed quickly as I went for run after run. Too soon,I heard my brother yelling from farther down the hill, “Leslie,where are you? It's time to go. ”

   “I'm coming!” I stood up,but I fell down,with one ski on,one ski off. I wondered how I was going to get there. I sat on the skis to rest. That's it!Just then,I came up with an idea. I used my skis like a sled (雪橇) and started down the hill,then finally stopped at the boys’ feet.

1. Who said “You’d just slow us down”？

   A. Leslie.

   B. Mark.

   C. Sam.

   D. Leslie's grandfather.

2. Sam glared at Leslie because .

   A. he didn't want Leslie to go skiing with him

   B. Leslie was too young to go skiing

   C. Mark didn't invite Leslie to go skiing

   D. Leslie didn't have leather ski boots

3. What did Leslie do in order to catch up with Mark?

   A. She had to ask him to stop on the slope.

   B. She walked in the snow like a duck.

   C. She sat down and had a rest.

   D. She carried her wooden skis.

4. Which of the following is TRUE about Leslie?

   A. Leslie always fought with her brother.

   B. Leslie came back home by herself.

   C. Leslie didn't mind her old,long skis.

   D. Leslie didn't enjoy herself during the skiing.

5. Which is the best title for the passage?

   A. The friendship between the children

   B. A popular winter sport

   C. The naughty girl's boyhood

   D. Leslie's skiing experience

   Is taking a nap (小睡) during the day good or bad for your health?

   Many people who often take a nap tell us that it comes 1 benefits (益處) . First of all,you are more efficient after napping. You remember things better and make 2 mistakes. Also,you can learn things more 3 after taking a nap. A nap may increase your sdf-confidence (自信) and make you more active. It may even 4 you up.

   But,there are some simple rules you should 5 about taking a nap. First,take a nap in the middle of a day,about eight hours after you 6 in the morning. Next,a 20-minute nap is best. 7 you sleep longer,you may fall into a deep sleep. After waking from a deep sleep,you will feel worse. Also,you should 8 an alarm clock. That way,you can fully relax 9 your nap. You won’t have to keep looking at the clock so you don't oversleep.

   Now,the next time you feel 10 after lunch,don't reach for a coffee!Instead,just put your head down,close your eyes,and take a nap. Ifs good to have a daily nap.

1. A. with   B. after   C. along   D. over

2. A. worse   B. less   C. fewer   D. more

3. A. quietly   B. slowly   C. loudly   D. easily

4. A. call   B. cheer   C. give   D. hold

5. A. follow   B. enjoy   C. refuse   D. break

6. A. fall asleep   B. take off   C. go away   D. wake up

7. A. If   B. But   C. So   D. Or

8. A. buy   B. leave   C. set   D. keep

9. A. about   B. during   C. after   D. before

10. A. thirsty   B. tired   C. excited   D. sleepy

   考試之前，很多學(xué)生會(huì)非常緊張，以至于寢食 難安，美國(guó)專家布朗先生給我們來支招，請(qǐng)仔細(xì)閱 讀下面材料，從A-G七個(gè)選項(xiàng)中為每一段選擇恰 當(dāng)?shù)闹髦季洹?/p>

   Sometimes,hours before a test,you have such a sense of nervousness (緊張) at the eve of a test that you don't even want to go to school. Here are some ways to improve your confidence and keep the panic (恐慌) under control:

   1. Getting a full night of sleep before a big test can be a great help. You’ll feel better,think clearer,and be in a better mood to tackle anything the test can throw at you. This is one of the best reasons not to put off studying until the last minute ： you’ve got to go to bed on time the night before the exam.

   2. Food is the fuel for your body and brain,so eat a balanced breakfast on the morning of the test.

   3. In the days before the test,practice taking deep breaths,especially at times when you feel stressed. Feel the air flow through your lungs and the calm move through your body. This is a skill you can use when you’re sitting down for a test. Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep a level head.

   4. Have a picture in your head of something that makes you calm,relaxed,and happy. It might be your bedroom,or the ocean,or somewhere you once hiked in the mountains.

   5. Say things to yourself that will boost your confidence. Tell yourself this test can't scare you and you’re totally prepared to ace it. Push negative thoughts out of your head. If you think confident,you’ll be more confident.

   A. Think of something peaceful.

   B. Eat a healthy breakfast.

   C. Think positive.

   D. Forget the result.

   E. Avoid coffee.

   F. Just breathe.

   G. Get a good night's sleep.

   Have you ever complained why life is so tiring? Does the sky sometimes seem dark to you? Are your lessons sometimes not successful? Well,friends,cheer up and smile all the time. If you see the world with your warm heart,you will find the whole world smiling to you.

   On a sunny morning,you plan to have a walk to relax yourself. Just before you go out,it suddenly starts to rain. Maybe you would feel very sad and start to complain about the weather. But dear friends,why not sit down and listen to the free concert that the nature brings you? And with the timely rain,crops (莊稼) in the field will grow better and farmers will have a good harvest (收獲).

   Although everyone wants to succeed in what he tries to do. Life isn’t a bed of roses. It's very common to meet difficulties on the way to success. In fact,difficulty isn’t terrible. The real terrible thing is that we are afraid of it. Difficulty is like a spring (彈簧) .If you are weak,it will be strong. So when you meet difficulties,don't give up. Instead,you should face them with a smile.

   Attitude decides everything. With an optimistic attitude,life is easy and pleasant. If you want to be happy,try to remember these five easy rules. Free your heart from hate;Free your mind from worries;Live an easy life;Give more;Expect less. The quickest way to receive happiness is to smile. The fastest way to lose it is to complain.

1. When your lessons are sometimes not successful,you should .

   A. always cheer up and smile

   B. feel very sad

   C. complain about the weather

   D. plan to have a walk

2. Which of the following is NOT true in the passage?

   A. Smile to the world and the world will smile to you.

   B. Difficulty is like a spring;if you are weak,it will be strong.

   C. The real terrible thing is to meet difficulties on the way to success.

   D. The fastest way to lose happiness is to complain.

3. The underlined word “ optimistic” in the passage means “ ”.

   A. 消極的   B. 樂觀的

   C. 有意義的   D. 知足的

4. The writer writes the passage in order to .

   A. have a good harvest   B. complain

   C. make us happy   D. relax himself

   Do you know about London well? London is a A very diverse place. There are over 300 languages spoken by 9 London's school children alone,with many who do not use English as their first or main language at home. London has always been known to be culturally (在文化方面) very mixed (混合的).

   The first thing that we did when we came to London was to go to Harrods. Harrods is a huge department store where everything is very expensive. We went to the food court and saw a huge amount of different food from all over the world. I bought an American sort of lunch and when I tried it,I was very disappointed. Although the rest of my family ordered food that was not so American'they were also disappointed at their food.

   But Harrods is not only about the food. In fact,Harrods has one of the world biggest collections of clothes in one department store. The clothes were all very in fashion,as well as super expensive. It's one of those stores where if you don't have enough money to buy the clothes,you can look,but can't touch. Even though I couldn’t buy anything,I still enjoyed looking.

1. What's the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “diverse” ？

   A. 神秘的   B. 時(shí)尚的

    C.多元化的   D. 高消費(fèi)的

2. The writer and his family feel about the food in the Harrods.

   A. satisfied   B. happy

   C. surprised   D. disappointed

3. The writer thought London's clothes and the food are both.

   A. wonderful   B. expensive

   C. boring   D. cheap

4. Which is NOT true about Harrods’ clothes department store?

   A. You can buy all kinds of clothes from the world.

   B. You can find fashion clothes.

   C. The clothes are very expensive.

   D. You can enjoy trying on all the clothes.

5. The last two paragraphs tell us .

   A. London's culture

   B. London's language

   C. London's department store

   D. London's habit