Do you know why you sleep? You may think it’s because you’re tired. Or perhaps you’ve been told sleep is good for you. Yet no one knows exactly why or how people sleep.
Until the early 1950s, most scientists thought the body and brain rested during sleep. Then a scientist watched people sleep. He noticed that during periods of between 5 and 30 minutes each, sleepers’ eyes made rapid movements, as if they were watching something. He called these periods REM sleep, for Rapid Eye Movement. Periods when sleepers’ eyes did not move he called non-REM sleep.
Whenever the scientist woke people during REM sleep, they were having vivid dreams. Measurements showed that sleepers’ pulses（脈搏）went up quickly during REM sleep. Their breathing, heartbeat, and the blood going to the brain also increased. Far from being a time of rest, REM sleep is a time when the body is hard at work. Scientists still don’t know the reason for this. Some believe REM sleep makes learning easier. Babies spend a lot of time in REM sleep. Because of this, some scientists believe that REM sleep helps the brain grow. Others think REM sleep is a time for the brain to empty the day’s garbage.
One thing all the scientists agree on is that sleep is necessary. Without enough sleep, people make mistakes. Most major car accidents happen during the early morning hours, when people are sleepiest.
【小題1】During REM sleep, a person’s breathing and heartbeat ________.

Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier.
The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future —for example, getting into college or getting a good job —that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.
Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. Many people experience this dancing, or playing a sport, such as swimming. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity. Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes.
【小題1】 The best title（標(biāo)題）of the passage is ________.

Dreams can happen in any of the four stages of sleep. The most memorable and clearest dreams happen in the last stage of sleep (also known as REM sleep). The sleep cycle repeats about four to five times every night. So you can see how a person has several different dreams in one night. Most people only remember dreams that happen closer to the morning when they are about to wake up. That you can’t remember those dreams does not mean they never happened.
The stages in the sleep cycle are organized by the changes in different brain activities.

Stage 1: You are entering into light sleep. In this stage, your eyes move rapidly. We call this NREM. The body gets relaxed and your body temperature lowers. Your heart rate lowers, too. The body is preparing to enter into deep sleep.
Stage 2: Also characterized by NREM. In this stage, the body temperature and heart rate drop again. You are completely asleep.
Stage 3: Still in the NREM stage, this is a deeper sleep still.
Stage 4: In this stage of sleep, your eyes move back or forward. We call it REM sleep. This stage happens at about 90-100 minutes after the beginning of sleep. Your blood pressure rises, heart rate speeds up. The majority of your dreams happen in this stage.
These stages repeat themselves throughout a night’s sleep.
【小題1】 Dreams can happen in ___________.
A. Stage 1 and 2           B. Stage 3 and 4            C. every stage
【小題2】Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?
A. These stages will happen once or twice one night.
B. Most people only remember the dreams that happen when they are about to wake up.
C. If one can’t remember his dreams, he never dreams at all.
【小題3】What will happen in Stage 2?
A. Eyes move rapidly.   B. People enter into light sleep.    C. Heart rate drops.
【小題4】The first REM sleep happens about ___________ after the starting of sleep.
A. 1 to 2 hours                     B. 2 to 3 hours                     C. 10 minutes
【小題5】The passage is mainly about ___________.
A. the stages of sleep     B. types of dreams         C. remembering dreams

Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too .During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.
When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
One of the teenagers has said something about it: “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”
【小題1】In one special program in New York State, young and older people_________.

Have you ever complained that life is so tiring or that there is too much homework? Does the sky sometimes seem dark to you? Are your studies sometimes not successful? Well, friends, cheer up and smile all the time. If you look at the world with a warm heart, you will find that the whole world smiles at you.
While in school, sometimes you are tired of your lessons, but have you noticed the happy smile on your teacher’s face when you do a good job?
If one day it is fine, but just before you go out, it suddenly starts to rain. Maybe you would feel very sad and start complaining about the weather. Dear friends, why don’t you sit down and listen to the free concert that the nature offers you? Also with the timely rain, crops in the fields will grow better and better and farmers will have a good harvest.
Although everyone wants to succeed in what he tries to do, sometimes failure can’t be avoided. I think failure is not terrible. The terrible thing is that we are afraid of it and give up hope. When we face failure, we must be confident of ourselves, draw a useful lesson from it and try our best to finish what we have decided to do. As a popular saying goes, “Failure is the mother of the success.”
Attitude decides everything, with an optimistic attitude life is easy and pleasant. Let’s smile at whatever we meet and the whole world will smiles at us.
根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，選擇最佳答案。
【小題1】Students sometimes complain _____________.

When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed(診斷) with cancer. The doctors told us my mom might be saved with surgery(手術(shù)). But it could also kill her. She chose to have it.
The day before the surgery I was off school, and my mom planned the best day of my life, everything I loved at seven and everything that would put a smile on my face. The day began with her waking me up saying, “Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come and see.” The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. We had a picnic in the park, and it was so cold that we moved to the car. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was really happy. I would never forget her smile, or the way her eyes shone as if we were the same age. It was the best day of my life, and I will never forget the conversations we shared.
My mother managed to live through the surgery. Now when I look back, I realize that the best day of my life could be her last and this could be the last day I would remember with her, the last one we shared. I also understand how unselfish a mother is.
【小題1】 Who made the decision to have the surgery in the story?

Because earthquakes happen without warning, it’s important to take steps now to prepare. Because you don’t know where you will be when an earthquake happens, prepare some supplies for your home, workplace, and car.
1. Water.
A person needs at least 1/2 gallon of water daily just for drinking. Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day and be prepared for a 72-hour period. It is suggested that you buy bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Also, do check the “use by” date.
2. Food.
It’s always a practical idea to keep a supply of non-perishable(不易腐爛的) food on hand. Have an enough supply of canned food, powdered milk, dried fruits, non-salted nuts and canned juices for at least 72 hours.
3. Flashlights(手電筒) and spare batteries.
Keep a flashlight beside your bed, at your place of work, and in your car. Do not use matches or candles after an earthquake until you are sure that no gas leaks.
Prepare a battery-powered radio and spare batteries. Most telephones will be out of order, so radios will be your best source of information.
4. Clothes.
If you live in a cold place, you must think about warmth. You might not have heat after an earthquake. Think about your clothing and bedding supplies.
【小題1】 Why should people prepare themselves for an earthquake?

The most positive(樂觀的) person I have ever seen is may dad! He is so positive that I do not  46  hearing a single word from him which is related(相關(guān)的) to hopelessness!
Unlike most mums and dads, my dad never says things that make me feel   47 . He is always there to give me encouragement and help.   48  I do wrong things, he always tells me what’s right in a positive way. For example, if I am in   49  , he often tells me to open the books he bought me. Then he asks me to read the   50  that can help me with the problems I’m facing. After that, we have a    51  together.
Even though I’m not always a good kid, my dad   52  shouts or gets angry with me. I know that he’s   53  a day—a day when I grow up and understand things in my life.
I can see the reason that he is so positive is because he believes in 54 . And he believes that whatever  55 , it is under control. So we have nothing to worry about. Be positive!

During my last year of junior high school, our teacher, Mrs Debby, gave us a ____1___. I was a hard-working student and I did well in all subjects. I was ____2_____ that I had nailed this test and breezed through (輕松答完) the questions ___3____ I read the last one: ‘What is the ___4____ name of the woman who cleans the school?’
Of course I thought that ___5_____ have been a joke. I saw the cleaning woman every day. She was short and about 50 years old. She had dark hair. But ___6____ would I know her name? I had never talked with her before. In fact, I’d never ___7____ thought about talking to her. I looked at my paper and started to feel rather ___8____. Finally, I handed in my paper, leaving the last one____9___.
Before the quiz (隨堂測(cè)驗(yàn)) ended, one student asked if the last question would be ___10___ in our grades. “Of course,” the teacher said, “In your life, you will meet many people. They are all ____11___. They deserve (理應(yīng)得到) your attention and care, even if all you do is to____12___ and say hello.”
I’ve never___13____ that lesson. Everyone deserves my ___14_____ and I should get to know all of the people ___15____ work and live around me. That is, perhaps, the most important lesson of my life. I also later learned that the cleaning woman’s first name was Hannah.

The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and picked up four people from the street. One of them was in a most  15  condition, and I told the others: You look after the other three. I take care of this one who looked  16 . So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful  17  on her face. She took hold of my   __18__as she said “thank you” and she died. I asked myself what I would say if I was in her  19. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little 20  to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something else, but she gave me much more---she gave me her grateful love. And she 21  with a smile on her face. As did that man whom we picked up from the drain (下水道), half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an  22 in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” And it was so  23 to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without complaining, without cursing(詛咒) anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel---this is the 24  of our people.