You might have noticed that the cost of food has gone up.In fact the price of wheat and rice has nearly doubled in the past few years.It’s thought that right now，850 million people—that’s more than 10 times the population of the UK—are short of food because it’s too expensive or there’s not enough of it.
The price of basic food such as wheat and corn has stayed the same for quite a long time，about 30 years.But as the world’s population is getting bigger，there’s more pressure to feed more people，plus there’s less land and water to go round.
Another reason is climate（氣候）change.Droughts and floods make it hard to grow crops like rice and grain.The price of oil has gone up and that makes it more expensive for farmers to run their tractors and to transport the food they make.And lots of fields are being used to grow crops to make other things that can’t be eaten—which is bad news for hungry people.
The main losers are poor people who live in cities in poor countries，who are facing higher prices for food.Some people are doing well out of the food crisis（危機(jī)） though.Farmers in rich countries like the US，Canada and Australia are getting record prices for their harvests.
World leaders are meeting in the Italian capital Rome to talk about the problem of rising food prices.Some countries are helping out with the cost of foods and international aid agencies have called for more money for food production in poor countries.
【小題1】The price of food goes up because all of the following EXCEPT _____.

A．there are more and more people in the world.

B．American farmers are getting richer and richer.

C．many farm lands are used to make other things rather than food.

D．climate change makes it harder to grow food.

【小題2】Who lose the most because of the food crisis?

A．Farmers in rich countries.

B．Farmers in developed countries.

C．Poor people in cities in poor countries.

D．Poor people in cities in developed countries.

【小題3】What does the food crisis mean to farmers in Canada?

A．They can get a lot of money from the government.

B．They have to save a lot of money.

C．They can make more money from the high price.

D．They are losing a lot of money.

【小題4】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Why is the Price of Food Going Up？

B．How Many People are Short of Food?

C．What Can We Learn from the Food Crisis?

D．Who Can Benefit（受益） from the Food Crisis?

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 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 linked 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 related to age.
【小題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

【小題2】You may have the highest level of stress when you are at the age of      .

A．20

B．25

C．35

D．40

【小題3】According to Arthur Stone, old people may      .

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

【小題4】Who would probably show the greatest interest in the passage?

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

【小題5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Getting Older Means Getting Happier	B．The Young Are Happier Than the Old
C．Women Are Easier to Be Happy in Life	D．The Younger, the Happier

In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes(性別) are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical(數(shù)學(xué)的) ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally(通常) see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve(神經(jīng)) tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation(創(chuàng)造) and the expression for emotions(情感). In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it’s the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man’s brain are connected by a smaller nerves than the two sides of a woman’s brain are.
【小題1】Which of the following is best to outline(概括) the article?

A．Research on the Brain

B．Differences Between Men and Women

C．People’s Different Brains

D．Who Are Better, Boys or Girls

【小題2】___________ men and women think differently.

A．sex makes

B．The different brains make

C．The different experiences make

D．The influences(影響) of society make

【小題3】According to the article, girls are generally better than boys at ________ in your school.

A．mathematics

B．physics

C．English

D．Chemistry

【小題4】Which of the following is true?

A．The left side of brain in boys generally develops better than that in girls.

B．The left side of brain in girls generally develops better than that in boys.

C．Men are better than women in all things.

D．The area in girls used for language skills develops better.

【小題5】In men and women the number of nerves connecting the halves of brain________ .

A．is the same

B．is different

C．is zero

D．can’t be found out

In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes(性別) are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical(數(shù)學(xué)的) ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally(通常) see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve(神經(jīng)) tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation(創(chuàng)造) and the expression for emotions(情感). In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it’s the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man’s brain are connected by a smaller nerves than the two sides of a woman’s brain are.
【小題1】Which of the following is best to outline(概括) the article?

A．Research on the Brain

B．Differences Between Men and Women

C．People’s Different Brains

D．Who Are Better, Boys or Girls

【小題2】___________ men and women think differently.

A．sex makes

B．The different brains make

C．The different experiences make

D．The influences(影響) of society make

【小題3】According to the article, girls are generally better than boys at ________ in your school.

A．mathematics

B．physics

C．English

D．Chemistry

【小題4】Which of the following is true?

A．The left side of brain in boys generally develops better than that in girls.

B．The left side of brain in girls generally develops better than that in boys.

C．Men are better than women in all things.

D．The area in girls used for language skills develops better.

【小題5】In men and women the number of nerves connecting the halves of brain________ .

A．is the same

B．is different

C．is zero

D．can’t be found out

Who's building the new China? It's not the factory owners or the business men and women of China. It's someone else. We see them every day, They work day and night in the terrible working conditions and weather. They build the roads, the theaters, the cinemas and the supermarkets. They even clean up our rubbish. They are China’s migrant workers(民工).
More than 140 million workers have left their homes in the countryside to look for jobs in big cities all over China. They hope to be rich, but they realize they have many difficulties in making enough money. And one of the difficulties that these workers have is the pride and discrimination (歧視) from the people in cities. When night falls, everywhere I look I see the sad faces of the migrant workers. Many are living far away from those whom they love. Yes，they dress differently, they speak differently, and they have different habits, but they work hard .The people in cities regard them as outsiders, and most governments refuse to give them medical care and public schooling for their children. If China hopes to move into the future, many things need to change. The first is discrimination! We need to stop our discrimination against the migrant workers of China! They may not make as much money as some people in cities, but they are good honest people just trying to survive this game of life. These workers are very important and necessary to China’s economic (經(jīng)濟(jì)) development and have become an important force for the change of Chinese society. They are building the new China, so we should help them.
【小題1】The journalist think __________ is building the new China.

A．the factory owners of China

B．the business men and women of China

C．the migrant workers of China

D．the people in Chinese cities

【小題2】Which is the best title for the fourth and fifth paragraphs?

A．Moving forward

B．The discrimination from the people in cities.

C．How to make more money.

D．A lonely life.

【小題3】The    word “survive” here in Chinese means “________”.

A．活過來

B．挺過來

C．活得累

D．活得長

【小題4】Which one is NOT TRUE about China's migrant workers according to the report?

A．They should be helped by us.

B．More than 1.4 billion migrant workers have been in big cities to make money.

C．They are not welcomed by the people in cities because they regard them as outsiders.

D．They have become quite important to the change of Chinese society.

【小題5】What does the report mainly tell us?

A．Though China's migrant workers work hard, their condition is terrible.

B．The condition of China's migrant workers needs to be changed for China's development.

C．The people in cities aren't polite to the migrant workers.

D．China's development only depends on the migrant workers.

	The 16th Asian Games was held from November 12th to 27th in 2010 in Guangzhou, China. There were 41 events in the Games. China got 199 gold medals and reached the total medals of 416. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Asian Games. In 1990 Beijing held the 11th Asian Games.
	Premier Wen Jiabao went to Shanxi province on April 2nd , 2011. He made a three-day visit to impoverished(窮困的) Luliang. During his visit, he said that farmers’ right（權(quán)利）must be protected and he warned(警告) that no land should ever be taken against a farmer’s will(意愿).
	The Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway will be put into operation at the end of June, 2011. The journey takes about five hours. The train can reach speeds of up to 380 kilometers an hour. The passenger volume (容量) is expected to reach 160 million a year, marking(標(biāo)志) a great step in China’s Railway development.

【小題1】The 16th Asian Games was held in __________.

A．Guangzhou

B．Shanghai

C．Beijing

D．Tokyo

【小題2】How many gold medals did China get in the 16th Asian Games ?

A．11.

B．41.

C．199.

D．416.

【小題3】________ went to Shanxi province on April 2^nd , 2011.

A．A farmer

B．Our premier

C．A worker

D．A passenger

【小題4】Premier Wen Jiabao said that_________ right must be protected.

A．officials’

B．women’s

C．students’

D．farmers’

【小題5】The Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway will be put into operation at the end of _______, 2011.

A．June

B．July

C．August

D．September

	News 1 Huang Heshan, a boy from Xinghua, has moved many people all over the country. Thanks to Huang Heshan, Yang Kangshao can go to school every day. Yang is disabled, but Huang Heshan carries him to school on his back. It’s eight years since he started to do that. They help each other. At school, Yang helps Huang with his study, too. Huang says that he feels happy when he can do something to help disabled people.
	News 2 In Taizhou, Xiaoqing River is a good place for families to have fun. There are many green trees and the air is fresh. People can have different activities along the river. However, we can also find the waste bags and other rubbish everywhere. How can we get such bad environment? Now we are supposed to keep the park clean if we want to have a nice field trip.
	News 3 On March 25, more than four thousand people started to run along Taishan Park. All the runners ran about 4.7 kilometers. They took part in the activity to lead a healthy life and show the spirit of the people in our city. After running, many runners signed their names on the flags. They called on all the people, old and young, to exercise more.

【小題1】In News 1, we know Huang Heshan has helped Yang Kangshao for _______.

A．eighteen years

B．eighty years

C．eight months

D．eight years

【小題2】We should _______ if we want to have a nice field trip along Xiaoqing River.

A．throw the rubbish	B．find some waste bags
C．plant more trees	D．help keep the environment clean

【小題3】To lead a healthy life, over four thousand people ____ on March 25.

A．cleaned the park	B．signed their names on the flags
C．ran about 4.7 kilometers	D．started to help disabled people

【小題4】We may know the news above from _______.

A．a(chǎn) newspaper

B．a(chǎn) novel

C．a(chǎn) TV play

D．a(chǎn) poster

【小題5】Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Yang Kangshao has trouble with his eyes.

B．Yang Kangshao is better at study than Huang Heshan.

C．Xiaoqing River is very clean and beautiful.

D．Only young people took part in the running activity.

As you are soon on your way to Eastern Europe, here are a few tips on what you should pack. In general, pack lightly, with only the most basic clothes. People dress casually(隨便地) in Eastern Europe, so you don’t need to bring along your smartest clothing.
Batteries: If your camera, flash, or other appliances run on batteries, bring enough supply along. Certain types of batteries don’t exist in Eastern Europe, and those that do often don’t last very long.
Cash: We have found it good to have supply of small-unit U.S. bills($1and $5) to use in hard–currency stores, to buy international train tickets, etc. The hard–currency stores never seem to have the right change.
Electric Current Adapter(轉(zhuǎn)換器): If you bring any appliances, remember that the electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C., not the standard 110 volts of North America. A 110 volts appliance will soon burn out when attached to an unchanged 220-volt plug.
Language Tools: One of Europe’s biggest challenges is communicating with the local people since their languages are so different from our own. To help overcome difficulties, you might buy phrasebooks before you go — you won’t find them once you are in Eastern Europe.
Money Belt: A money belt is especially helpful when you have many documents to carry around ( as you always do in Eastern Europe). The best one we find is made by Eagle Greek Travel Gear, 143 Cedros Ave. (P. O. box 651), Solona Beach, CA 92075 (tel. 619/755 – 9399, or toll free 800/874 – 9925) outside California.
Traveler’s Checks: These are necessary. Bring your traveler’s checks in small to medium unit ($10, $20, or $50) to change a little bit at a time, so as not to be left with a lot of local money. To be on the safe side, be sure to copy down the check numbers in two places, just in case something happens to the checks.
【小題1】How many tips are mentioned in the passage?

A．6

B．7

C．8

D．9

【小題2】Which of the following things may be the biggest challenge in Eastern Europe?

A．Appliances.

B．Money.

C．Language.

D．Clothes.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is NOT a fact according to the passage?
A. No shop in Eastern Europe accepts hard currency.
B. Travelers may need to carry many documents in Eastern Europe.
C. The electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C.
D. Eastern European languages can be a problem to foreign travelers.
【小題4】What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To tell you it’s not easy to stay in Eastern Europe.

B．To give you some advice on what you should pack when you’re in Eastern Europe.

C．To tell you something about the life in Eastern Europe.

D．To show you the life in Eastern Europe is different from that in your country.

【小題5】What do the underlined words “change” and “check” probably mean according to the given dictionary entries(詞條)?
change
1. [V] to become different 改變；變化
2. [V] to exchange money into the money of another country 兌換
3. [U] the money that you get back when you have paid for sth giving more money than the amount it costs 找給的零錢；找頭
check
1. [V] to examine sth to see if it is correct, safe or acceptable 檢查；審查
2. [C] an act of making sure that sth is safe, correct or in good condition by examining it 檢查；查看
3. [C] a printed form that you can write on and sign as a way of paying for sth instead of using money 支票

A．1; 3

B．3; 3

C．2; 3

D．2; 2

Last Thursday, a young woman saved an elderly man from a burning house on Garden Road. The young woman’s name is Kitty and she works in a clothes shop. The elderly man, Daniel, lives just opposite the clothes shop. On Thursday afternoon, Kitty looked out of the window. She saw some smoke coming from Daniel’s house and rushed over to see what was happening. The house was on fire and Daniel was inside. Kitty quickly called the fireman on 999. Then, she ran into the house to save Daniel. She found Daniel in his bedroom and he was frightened. Kitty helped Daniel out to a safe place. Five minutes later the fireman arrived and they put out the fire. No one was hurt.
The next day, Daniel said,“I am so grateful to Kitty. She saved my life.”Daniel also said,“In the future, I will be more careful. I don’t want another fire in my house.”
【小題1】Kitty saved _______ from a burning house.

A．a(chǎn) young man	B．a(chǎn)n old woman
C．a(chǎn)n old man	D．a(chǎn) young woman

【小題2】The number to call the firemen in the story is__________.

A．eight nine nine	B．one one nine
C．nine eight eight	D．nine nine nine

【小題3】________ was(were) hurt in the fire.

A．No one	B．Two people
C．Four people	D．Seven people

【小題4】In the future, Daniel will be more_________.

A．grateful	B．carefully
C．careful	D．frightened

Millvina Dean, Titanic’s last Survivor(幸存者), died on May 31，2009 at a nursing home(療養(yǎng)院) in Southampton.. She was 97 and had been in poor health for several weeks.
Ms Dean was the youngest among the ship’s 705 survivors. She was only 9 weeks old when the Titanic sank on the night of April 14, 1912. She survived with her mother and her 2-year-old brother. Her father, Bertram Dean, died in the sinking．
Millvina Dean never married. For many years after the sinking，she never spoke of it to people around her. But that changed after September 1, 1985 when the wreck(殘骸)of the Titanic was discovered. That set off a wave of interest in the ship, especially after the movie Titanic.“They found the wreck and after that, they found me,” she said.
In the last 20 years of her life, she went to the US, Canada and Europe to take part in events related to the sinking. She said all that she knew of what happened during the sinking was learned from her mother.
She moved to the nursing home because of her falling health. In order to pay the living costs there，she began to sell her Titanic souvenirs(紀(jì)念品).
Ms Dean had never seen the movie Titanic. She explains the movie would make her think of what had happened to her father, so she didn’t want to see it.
【小題1】Millvina Dean was _______ when the Titanic sank．

A．nine weeks old

B．twelve weeks old

C．two years old

D．twenty years old

【小題2】Why did the Deans take the Titanic ?

A．They were going on a holiday

B．They were going to a party in the US

C．We can’t find out the reason from this passage.

D．They were going to visit their grandparents in

【小題3】The underlined words “set off” mean ______ in the passage．
A. leave   B. start     C. improve    D record
【小題4】Millvina Dean didn’t say anything about the Titanic until _______.

A．she was ill.

B．she was dying

C．the wreck of the Titanic was discovered

D．20 years later

【小題5】From the passage above, we can’t infer (猜測) that _________.

A．seven hundred and five people survived in the Titanic sinking

B．Millvina Dean’s father died in the sinking

C．The wreck of the Titanic was found in 1985

D．Ms Dean wanted to see the film Titanic very much