Starting one Saturday, the boy got up early and worked____until evening, just like any other farmer. Time passed____Jim’s crops grew very well. On the last day of the year, the father called his son to him. “I’m happy to see that you have worked very hard the whole year,” said the father. “Now, tell me____you want.”

The boy smiled and showed his father a big piece of bread made from his wheat. “I’ve already got the____present. No pains, no gains. I think this is what you wanted me to____” His father was very pleased to hear that.

【1】

A. asked B. invited C. promised D. helped

【2】

A. happy B. unhappy C. excited D. familiar

【3】

A. a few B. so little C. too much D. too many

【4】

A. shall B. must C. need D. can

【5】

A. refused B. answered C. agreed D. began

【6】

A. hard B. hardly C. easily D. difficultly

【7】

A. fast B. quickly C. slowly D. immediately

【8】

A. that B. which C. how D. what

【9】

A. least B. worst C. best D. smallest

【10】

A. decide B. like C. take D. know

Once there was a lovely vegetable field with a very big tree in it. Both the vegetables and the t【1】made the garden look wonderful.

No one knew that the vegetables in the field and the tree couldn't get on well with each other. The vegetables h【2】the tree. They thought the tree did not leave them e【3】light to survive. On the other hand, the tree hated the vegetables. He complained that the vegetables drank nearly all the water b【4】it could get to him.

The situation became worse and worse. One day, the vegetables got angry and decided to use up all the w【5】in the ground so that the tree would dry up. The tree fought back by refusing to give the vegetables shade(樹蔭) from the hot sun. Soon they both began lo dry up.

Neither of them thought that the gardener would stop watering his vegetable f【6】when he saw it becoming worse. When the gardener did that, the tree and the vegetables really felt how t【7】they were. There seemed to be no ways to solve the problem, but one of the vegetables, a small pumpkin r【8】what was going on, and decided to deal with it. Though there was little water and it was too hot, the little pumpkin did all he could to grow. F【9】he grew very big, the gardener noticed that and started watering the field again because he wanted to win the beautiful big pumpkin competition. At the same time, the tree and the vegetables grew better. They realize that it was better to help each other than to f【10】.

From then on, they worked together and lived in harmony with these around them.

【1】The woman waited for half an hour but the bus didn’t come. Then she became _________ (patient) and decided to take a taxi.

【2】The novels written by Mo Yan are well worth _____(read)

【3】David went on ____ ( play) football in Spain after he left the UK.

【4】In ancient times ,people thought lightning was one of the greatest ____(mystery) of nature.

【5】Everybody got ______(scare)and began to run in all directions.

【1】Please _________ (承諾) me that you will not waste your time.

【2】Christmas Day is a _____(傳統(tǒng)的）fetival in many Western countries.

【3】The match you ‘re watching wasn’t _______(錄制）.It’s covered live.

【4】Of all the American _______(導演）,Steven Spielberg is my favourite.

【5】The teacher’s advice is very ______ (寶貴的） to me.

The Panama Canal --Connecting Oceans

A short canal saves ships thousands of miles

The Panama Canal (巴拿馬運河) is an artificial 51-mile waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The idea for a Panama Canal dates back to the discovery of the Isthmus of Panama (巴拿馬地峽) by Spanish explorer Vasco De Balboa in 1513. He discovered how narrow it was. Only 80.5 kilometres of land separated the Atlantic from the Pacific! The Spanish surveyed the area in hopes of building a canal. But the local government decided it was impossible.

Fast-forward to 1869, Ferdinand De Lesseps had completed the 163-km-long Suez Canal (蘇伊士運河), a waterway linking Europe and Asia. France asked him to repeat his success at Panama. He agreed to have a try. When digging started in 1881, Ferdinand De Lesseps thought building a canal across Panama would be easy. But he didn't realize that digging in a jungle (叢林) would be so dangerous. Ferdinand De Lesseps and his team gave up their project after thousands of workers died from diseases caused by mosquitoes(蚊子). American President Theodore Roosevelt quickly took over where the French crew had left off. He bought the canal property (運河的所有權) and sent a team of workers to finish the project. Led by John Stevens, the American team got rid of the mosquitoes. This effort helped the team of nearly 40,000 workers to stay healthy and productive (富有成效的) . The team used powerful steam shovels (蒸汽挖土機) to make a path for the canal. But even with the help of such large equipment(裝備), the work progressed slowly. Finally, after nearly 10 years of non-stop digging, the canal successfully opened in 1914.The story didn't make the headlines, though. The public was focused(專注) on World War I. Therefore the canal wasn't dedicated (舉行落成典禮) until July 12, 1920. Since the canal first opened, more than 960,000 ships have traveled through it. The Panama Canal has become an important link in global（全球性的）shipping. A journey that used to take months now takes two weeks.

【1】How wide was the Isthmus of Panama which separated the Atlantic from the Pacific?

____________________________________________________________________

【2】Who bought the Panama Canal property?

_________________________________________________________________

【3】What did the team use to make a path for the canal?（in no more than three words）

___________________________________________________________________

【4】How long did it take people to complete the work on Panama Canal?（in no more than three words）

_________________________________________________________________

【5】Why is the Panama Canal an important link in global shipping?

_________________________________________________________________

Starting a book club is easy—all you need is to love reading. Here’s how to get yours off to a flying start.

When you set up your book club, the first thing is to get members for your club. They could be friends, family, or those you know through different kinds of activities, but they should all love to read. A small group of seven to ten people is usually an ideal size for a book club. Too many make discussions difficult.

Once you have a group, agree on how often you want to meet—usually clubs meet monthly. Pick a date and stick with it. That way, members can easily plan for it. Send out emails a week before the meeting to give people a written reminder. Set meeting time length. An hour is a good start. Two hours usually does the trick.

Then, you need a good place. Libraries, parks and restaurants—all make good meeting places. For many clubs, homes are the best place as you don’t have to get dressed up, and noisy public places can make talking hard. If members bring a plate of food or a bottle, it can help start conversation.

Please don’t forget the most important thing— the book! Think about the books your club will enjoy. Fiction? Non-fiction? Your club can choose books in different ways. You can take turns to recommend books. Let everyone vote upon what book to read. Anyway, make sure to keep it light and fun.

After all this has been decided, your book club is ready. Now, it’s time to hold the first meeting. Enjoy your reading.

One way to produce more food is growing stronger plants. For thousands of years, farmers have made plants better. Every season, they pick the best plants for the next season. It works very slowly. Since 1983, scientists have been able to change plants more quickly by changing their genetic (遺傳的) material. Foods from plants grown in this way are called genetically modified (轉基因的) foods, or GM foods.

By changing the genetic material of a plant, it is possible to make new plants. Scientists make plants which are strong against plant diseases. They can also help in our diseases; a kind of rice will be grown, for example, which stops people becoming blind.

Rich countries produce GM foods because they are easy to grow and bring in more money. Poor countries are interested in them because they help produce more food.

GM plants are not natural. No one knows how good or bad they are. Making GM foods is only one way of feeding people in 2050. There are strong feelings against them because they are unnatural. They may feed people, then hurt them or their children later. But both rich and poor countries are interested in their uses, and they are not going to go away. In 2050, we may think differently about them.

【1】There may be billion people by the year 2050 on the earth.

A. 6.4 B. 12.5 C. 18.5 D. 20.5

【2】How have scientists been able to change plants more quickly?

A. By making the best plants. B. By asking the farmers to grow plants.

C. By changing planting environment. D. By changing their genetic material.

【3】Why do rich countries produce GM foods?

A. Because they are easy to grow and bring in more money.

B. Because they are easy to grow and very cheap.

C. Because they help produce more food.

D. Because they are the best plants.

【4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. GM plants are not natural.

B. GM plants are strong against plant diseases.

C. Everyone knows how good or bad GM plants are.

D. GM foods may hurt people or their children later.

【5】What can we learn from the passage?

A. GM foods will go away one day in the future.

B. GM foods will not go away in the future.

C. People will not be interested in GM foods.

D. People will have to stop eating GM foods.

The city of Weifang in Shandong is the home of the kite. The city____an international kite festival in April every year. There are competitions for kite-flying skills and new styles of kites. The most famous is the____for the “Kite King”. Thousands of kite fans from____30 countries take part in the competitions, or to just enjoy this colorful event.

The____kite in the world is a big “octopus”. It’s about 1,100 square meters,____as big as a basketball court. Li Jingyang, a kite fan in Jilin,___eight months making it in 2008.

The kite was invented by Chinese people over 2,000 years____. According to historical record, kites were first used by soldiers to send news to their friends. In the Tang Dynasty, flying kites became a popular game for everyone.

___it spread to the West in the 1100s, the kite has had a great influence____Western life.

In 1782, the lightning rod (避雷針) was____with the help of a kite. Modern aircraft came from kites, too. At the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, a board reads,“The earliest man-made aircrafts were the____and missiles(投射武器) of ancient China.”

【1】A. snowy B. sunny C. cloudy D. rainy

【2】A. flying B. jumping C. singing D. climbing

【3】A. animals B. fruits C. shapes D. colors

【4】A. strange B. special C. surprising D. successful

【5】A. holds B. visits C. makes D. joins

【6】A. festival B. celebration C. performance D. competition

【7】A. rather than B. other than C. more than D. much than

【8】A. fattest B. largest C. nicest D. heaviest

【9】A. two B. twice C. second D. second time

【10】A. cost B. paid C. took D. spent

【11】A. later B. since C. ago D. yet

【12】A. Before B. Until C. Since D. Though

【13】A. on B. to C. for D. at

【14】A. discovered B. invented C. introduced D. welcomed

【15】A. fireworks B. lanterns C. kites D. wings

On March 14, one of science’s brightest stars went dark. Stephen Hawking（史蒂芬·霍金）, the world-famous British scientist, p【1】away at 76 in Cambridge, UK.

Hawking is considered by many to be the g【2】 scientist in history since Albert Einstein. He came up with the theory that the universe (宇宙) began with the Big Bang (大爆炸) and will end in black holes. He also wrote books to help c【3】 people understand the universe. His most famous book is A Brief History of Time (《時間簡史》), which has sold more than 10 million c【4】 around the world.

When Hawking was 21, he was diagnosed (診斷) with a serious illness that prevented him from w【5】and talking. B【6】 this didn’t stop him from living a meaningful and colorful life. “If one is physically disabled (身體殘疾), one c【7】 afford to be psychologically disabled(心理殘疾) as well,” he once said.

He celebrated his s【8】 birthday by going up in a hot-air balloon; when he was 65, he took part in a zero-gravity flight to experience weightlessness. He hoped to travel i【9】 space one day.

In 2013, Hawking spoke about h【10】 he felt life was unfair（不公平的）when he was first diagnosed with his illness. “But now, 50 years later, I can be quietly satisfied with my life,” he said.

【1】__________(luck), I brought my umbrella along, otherwise I would surely get wet.

【2】People worked hard to carry out the economic objectives(經(jīng)濟目標) of China’s ________(twelve) Five-Year Plan.

【3】The Government gets our best support for having taken a step in this__________(direct).

【4】Some children in the villages must look after________(they) because their parents work in the cities.

【5】You may consider it __(use), but for our customers it's an important sign of good service.