A wise old gentleman retired and bought a small but comfortable home near a junior middle school. He spent his first few weeks of his retirement in peace. Then a new school year started. Every afternoon,three young boys came down his street,kicking happily every trash can (垃圾罐) they came across. The crashing noise continued day after day,until finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some action.

The next afternoon,he walked out to meet the young kids as they walked their way down the street. Stopping them,he said, " You kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you show your energy like that. I used to do the same thing when I was your age. I'll give you each a dollar if you promise to come around every day and do your thing."

The kids were very pleased and continued to do their job on the trash cans. After a few days,the old man greeted the kids again,but this time he had a sad smile on his face. "The day before yesterday,I got a lot of money stolen," he told them. "From now on,I'll only be able to pay you 50        cents to kick the cans."The noise makers were clearly unhappy,but they did accept his offer and continued their afterschool work.

A few days later,the old man approached to them again as they kicked their cans down the street.

"Look," he said. "My TV set didn't work last week. It cost much money to have it repaired,so Fm not going to be able to give you more than 25        cents. Will that be okay?"

"Just a quarter?"the biggest kid shouted. "If you think we're going to waste our time,kicking these cans around for a quarter,you are nuts!No ways,master. We quit!"

(   ) 10. Why did the three kids kick trash cans after school?

   A. Because they could make some money to do so.

   B. Because it was the work that the old man gave them to do.

   C. Because they wanted to have something interesting to do on the way home after school.

   D. Because they wanted to draw the old man's attention.

(   ) 11. Which do you think is the best title of this reading？

   A. Less and Less Money

   B. Kicking Trash Cans

   C. A Good Way for Peace

   D. An Old Man and Three Kids

(   ) 12. What do you think of the old man?

   A. He stopped the kids making noise in a clever way.

   B. It was not right of him to cheat the kids.

   C. He was too lazy to kick the cans himself.

   D. It was unnecessary for him to waste so much money asking the kids to kick the cans for him.

(   ) 13. What does the underlined phrase " approached to" mean in the passage?

   A. Shouted at. B. Came close to.

   C. Came across. D. Got away from.

(   ) 14. The reading doesn't say,but we can infer that at last         .

   A. the old man got very angry

   B. the old man lived a peaceful life for the rest of his days

   C. the three children would not be able to enjoy themselves any more

   D. the three children thought the old man paid them too little

 Joanne Rowling was born in Bristol inEngland. Joanne always wanted to write and she wrote her first story when she was only five or six. At school her favorite subject was English and she used to make up stories with her friends. When she left school,she went to university and studied French. While there she studied in Paris for a year,and after leaving university,she had many different jobs. However,most of all,she wanted to write!One day,during a long train journey,she got the idea of writing about a boy who is a wizard (男巫) .

In 1992,she left England to go to Portugal to teach English. While she was there,she got married to a Portuguese journalist and she had a daughter,Jessica. The marriage ended in divorce (離婚) and Joanne went back to live in Edinburgh in Scotland. She had very little money and she lived in a very small house which was often cold. She could not afford the heating (;供熱) .It was there that she finished her first book about Harry Potter,a young boy who is a wizard. At first,no one wanted to publish (出版) it. Then,one day,in 1997,she found a publisher. She was very excited and happy！

Much to her surprise,her book was a great success. It sold in millions!It won many prizes!It made Joanne very rich and it made her very famous. Everybody wanted to read about Harry Potter. Adults and children now read her books. Her stories have been put into many languages,and they can now be read all over the world. Her first several novels have been made into films. Joanne Rowling has written more books about Harry Potter and all of them have sold millions of copies. Some of these later books are also being made into films.

(   ) 6. Joanne studied in Paris         .

   A. after leaving university

   B. while she was at university

   C. after she got married

   D. while doing many different jobs

(   ) 7. When Joanne lived in Edinburgh,her house was small and cold because         .

   A. she couldn't pay for the heating

   B. she was poor

   C. the weather was cold there

   D. she went back toScotland

(   ) 8. When she finished her first book about Harry Potter, .

   A. it was put into many languages

   B. she didn't want to publish it

   C. nobody would publish it

   D. a publisher agreed to publish it at once

(   ) 9. It is clear from the passage that         .

   A. all of her books have been made into films

   B. only children like reading her books

   C. her books about Harry Potter are very popular

   D. A.B and C are all right

 When you watch TV and play video games,you make environment worse!It may seem hard to believe,but when electricity (電) is made,so are greenhouse gases (溫室氣體) .This means that every time you use electricity,you help make global environment worse！

Cars are also making global warming worse,and send lots of greenhouse gases into the air. Global environment may be a big problem,but we can all help stop it. People can try to drive their cars less,or even get ones that run on sunlight!You can also help!Why not try the following top ideas?

. Try to use less electricity. Turn off lights,your television,and your computer when you're stopped using them.

. Plant trees. Not only is it a fun thing to do,but it is also a great way to lower the number of greenhouse gases in the air.

. Don't throw away your rubbish,try to recycle it. If rubbish is not recycled,it is put on the ground. There it rots (腐爛) and makes a greenhouse gas called methane (甲烷) .So try to recycle cans,bottles,plastic bags and newspapers.

They will make you feel great!And they will help the Earth.

(   ) 1. If we         ，we may make global environment worse.

   A. use less electricity   B. drive a car on sunlight

   C. plant trees   D. throw away rubbish

(   ) 2. Using less electricity does good to global warming because         .

   A. the more electricity is used,the more greenhouse gases are produced

   B. the less electricity is used,the more greenhouse gases are produced

   C. people drive their cars less

   D. computers use less electricity

(   ) 3. will make global environment worse.

   A. Newspaper   B. Cans

   C. Methane   D. Bottles

(   ) 4. What's the best title of the passage?

   A. What's the Greenhouse Gases?

   B. Ways to Protect Global Environment

   C. Stopping Using Electricity

   D. Reasons of Global Warming

(   ) 5. What's the Chinese meaning of the underlined word "recycle"?

   A. 燃燒   B. 收集

   C. 恢復(fù)   D. 循環(huán)使用

In general,it's hard to spend enough time in both concentrating on lessons and enjoying yourself. But I wanted to succeed in b 1 I knew this would be a c 2 ,but I didn't realize how difficult it was until my classes in high school began.

I got on well with other girls. After school,I often had ice cream with them first instead of d 3 my homework. I always finished it the next day between classes. I knew it wasn't very good and the g 4 I got showed I was not hardworking enough. I realized that I n 5 to find some kind of balance.

So I made a timetable (時(shí)間表) that would divide my time between studying and relaxing. It was a good idea,but I was only able to f 6 it for a few days because it made me under too much p 7 Later,I tried another plan. Each week I listed e 8 that I had to finish during the week and the time by which I had to get it done. Then I made another list of things that I could do if I still had time.

It w 9 really well. From then on,I have never missed any important things. At the same time,I enjoyed my spare time a lot.

Planning my time has been challenging,but I continue to do it. Fm glad that I've learned how to balance different things,and it will be h 10 in my future life.

1. b          2. c       3. d       4. g        5. n         

6. f       7.        8. e       9. w          10. h       

c To love even if you are already 90 years old,to still have a dream to catch the clouds in the sky. It seems impossible to imagine that these words came from a woman at her age of 101. Most of us generally believe that people at that age would do nothing every day but wait for death to come nearer and nearer. However,that's not true for Grandma Toyo Shibata.

Have you ever thought of starting a new career writing poems at an age of 92? That's just what Grandma Toyo did. More surprisingly,she even had her two collections of poems come out when she was nearly 100 years old. Her first collection,Don't lose heart,has been ranked one of the bestselling books of 2010 in Japan,which sells far more than 1. 5 million copies.

Some say her poems are very like Tagore's. Though simple and relaxed,her poems sharply point out the nature of life. Grandma Toyo writes what she loves and prizes. And her works can easily catch the hearts of millions of readers.

You may think Grandma Toyo lived an easy and comfortable life. However,life didn't treat her that well. She had to take several different jobs to support her family at a very young age. She was one of those who witnessed the Second World War. It's hard to imagine how many difficulties and hardness she has got over all her life.

But Grandma Toyo never complains what life has done to her,yet often feels thankful for the kind people that have helped her. Though she's in her 100s,she still has strong passion of life. Grandma Toyo always brings mirrors and lipsticks with her. She thinks keeping beautiful is also important. Every day is new for her!

(   ) 11. According to the passage,most of us think that people at Grandma Toyo's age

   A. can write beautiful poems

   B. will start a new career

   C. are too close to death to do anything

   D. often complain about their life

(   ) 12. The underlined word "passion" in the passage probably means "                                     ”.

   A. love   B. strength   C. pride   D. impression

(   ) 13. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   A. Grandma Toyo had her first collection of poems come out at the age of 92.

   B. Both of Grandma Toyo and Tagore's poems point out the nature of life.

   C. Grandma Toyo lived an easy and comfortable life.

   D. Grandma Toyo took several different jobs during the Second World War.

(   ) 14. The underlined sentence ^u Grandma Toyo always brings mirrors and lipsticks with her" shows that         .

   A. she never complains what life does harm on her

   B. she's worried that she will lose them

   C. she's afraid that she can't find them any more

   D. she never stops her steps towards beauty and happiness

(   ) 15. Which would be the best title of the passage?

   A. An Old Lady in Her 100s.

   B. Toyo Shibata ― "Tagore" in Japan.

   C. Make Every Day Thankful and Wonderful

   D. Have Your Dream Come True

"Wash every day and you'll die young,my son！”P(pán)eople often said those words,long ago of course. Napoleon's wife had new clothes every month,instead of a bath. " lt,s quicker," she always said. Rich people did not often have a bath. They washed their hands and faces,but not their bodies. Many poor people did not wash at all. A young man once said to a doctor, ^4t Soap and water have never touched my body.”And the doctor answered, ^uThat's true. I know..."

Why didn't people wash in those days long ago?

Well,they did not have water in their house. They carried water from rivers or from holes in the ground. Town people bought it from a watercarrier. Sometimes it was expensive,and soap was always expensive,too. They drank water of course,and so they were clean inside. They did not think about the outside!And this is true,they just did not like a bath.

Modern life is different. We use a lot of soap and water. And we are all quite clean. However,a few people use too much soap,and they often get ill. Who are these people?

Many young women work as hairdressers. They wash and then "dress" other women's hair. That is their job,and they like it. Young hairdressers wash dirty heads on a busy day. Their hands are soapy for seven or eight hours,and that is not a good thing.  A young hairdresser's hands are often red and ugly,and she must then go to a doctor.

(   ) 6. Long ago,people .

   A. often died young

   B. did not often have a bath

   C. washed every day

   D. washed every day and died young

(   ) 7. The doctor answered that         .

   A. he knew the young man was dirty

   B. it was true that the young man was ill

   C. soap and water were not good for his illness

   D. he knew the young man never washed his body

(   ) 8. People didn't wash in those days because         .

   A. they had no water in their houses

   B. they had to buy water from a watercarrier and it was expensive

   C. soap was expensive,too

   D. all of the above

(   ) 9. People in those days         .

   A. didn't think about the outside of their bodies

   B. only thought about the inside of their bodies

   C. didn't like to wash their bodies at all

   D. only liked to wash their hands and faces

(   ) 10. Who are the people that use too much soap in modern life?

   A. Hairdressers.

   B. Many young women.

   C. People whose hands are red and ugly.

   D. People whose hands are soapy.

. Do drink bottled water.

. Don't drink from the tap (水龍頭) 一even in the most luxurious hotel.

. Do shake hands. Handshaking is customary for all men and women. On introduction and greeting,smiling is a national characteristic.

. Don't use your left hand to give or receive. It is considered illmannered.

. Don't point at anything with your foot,as this is considered very rude.

. Don't touch people's heads. This is very offensive to Hindus.

. Do get a copy of Bali Echo and the Englishlanguage daily,Jakarta Post. Both will give you an overall picture of current exhibitions,music,dances and films within Bali. Information can also be got through your hotel.

(   ) 1. We may read the above reading         .

   A. outside a park gate

   B. in a magazine about travel

   C. on the wall of a waiting room

   D. in a book about sports

(   ) 2. Which of the following may be polite according to the text?

   A. Touch people's heads sometimes.

   B. Point at something with your foot.

   C. Shake hands with others.

   D. Give things to others with your left hand.

(   ) 3. You'd better        when you're traveling in this place.

   A. pay attention to your drinking

   B. choose an expensive hotel

   C. not have smile on your face

   D. not drink water

(   ) 4. The underlined word "luxurious" in the reading means         .

   A. good   B. lonely   C. far   D. impolite

(   ) 5. From the reading we can infer that         .

   A. people there are strange

   B. you must care about your manners there

   C. it's hard to find information there

   D. the weather there is warm and suitable

Every evening at six o'clock an old man went to a restaurant near his house. He ate dinner. After dinner,he d 1      coffee and talked to the people at the restaurant. The old man's name was Bill. Bill ate at the restaurant every evening because he was I 2      . His wife d 3      and he had no c 4      Every evening the s 5      waitress b 6      Bill his dinner. Her name was Cara. She was 17 years old. Car a was kind to Bill. She often talked to him. When Bill was 1 7      for dinner,she called him on the phone. "Are you OK?" she asked him.

One evening Bill didn't come to the restaurant. Cara called him,but he didn't a 8      the phone. Cara called the police. "Please go to Bill's house," Cara told the police. Later the police called Cara at the restaurant. "Bill died in his sleep," the police told her. Bill was 82 years old.

A week later,a man came to the restaurant. " I h 9      something for Cara , ”the man said. The man gave Cara a c 10      for $500,000. The money is from Bill.

1. d        2. 1        3. d          4. c        5. s       

6. b          7. 1         8. a        9.h       30. c      

Michael Jackson has been on the road of performing since he was five years old. For anyone who wants to know,the road to fame and fortune is long and hard to travel.

Michael remembers clearly those early years when he was young. His parents were both workers. But they were both musicians. Mr Jackson realized that his sons had a lot of talent,and he knew he could train them to become fine musicians. In those days there were plenty of music groups,and some of them were very good. He knew if his sons were to stand out,they would have to be the best.

Practice makes perfect. And the Jackson boys practiced!Gradually the group took shape. When the Jacksons took their first professional job,their total pay was only five dollars!But they kept on. They played at parties. They entered bigger and bigger contests. They worked at clubs. Then word of this group began to get around. All of a sudden,the Jackson Five became popular in the country and their first album sold a million copies!And Michael,11 years old then,was the star. It just didn't seem possible that so much talent could come from such a young performer.

Then Michael got a chance to do some solo (獨(dú)唱) songs. For the following years,Michael has always been on the top. When Michael was eighteen,he entered another field of his career (生涯) 一acting. "I plan to star in movies," he told his friends, "but of course,my first love is music."

Michael wrote a lot of his own songs.

Still,with all his success,Michael manages to keep his head calm. "I just do a different job from other people," he said, "but it doesn't make me think Fm better than other people."

To be quite honest,his fans just love to hear and watch him.

(   ) 11. Michael Jackson began to perform with一         .

   A. his father   B. his mother

   C. his parents   D. his brothers

(   ) 12. According to the passage,the underlined phrase "stand out" means         .

   A. stand up in the stage

   B. go out of their hometown

   C. be famous

   D. be welcome

(   ) 13. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

   A. The group began to go round the world.

   B. The songs sung by this group were very popular.

   C. The Jacksons shocked the country.

   D. People could hardly believe that young Michael was so talented.

(   ) 14. Michael Jackson wants to be         .

   E. a solo singer and musician rather than a film star and actor

   F. not only a film star and an actor but also a solo singer and musician

   G. a solo singer as well as a musician

   H. a film star as well as an actor

(   ) 15. The best title of the passage should be         .

   A. Famous the Jackson Five

   B. Success Ways to Be a Musician

   C. Talented Michael Jackson

   D. A Clever Father

I can still remember the day I met my best friend Judy. She had just moved into the neighborhood and her grandmother brought her down to meet me. I hid behind my mother and she hid behind her grandmother. Both dared not look at each other. But soon we were no longer shy,and started playing with each other.

In the 7th grade,I was no longer so friendly with her. She was going through family problems then,and I deserted her to make friends with some more interesting people. None of my new friends liked her because they thought she was not cool. However,every summer we would visit each other,watch soap operas and talk about the boys we liked.

It was not until last year that I noticed the problem. She was no longer that happy girl I had known before. But at that time,she made a new best friend and so did I. So I didn't take it seriously. Then I was told that she cut herself!

She was diagnosed (診斷) with clinical depression (抑4卩癥) .At first,I was very upset,but we still kept in touch. I wanted to be there with her because her new best friend was justaway from her and people said she was crazy.

Yesterday she came to me and said ," I never knew what a best friend was until I met you. You're the only person who would stop me cutting. I appreciate your help so much that I think even my sister couldn't have done more and better than you."

We both cried. A friend is not someone who plays and laughs together with you,but the one who worries about you and cries for you. Let us be a true friend.

(   ) 6. The writer and Judy both hid behind because they felt        when they met for the first time.

   A. worried   B. shameful   C. shy   D. upset

(   ) 7. The underlined word "deserted" in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to "         ”.

   A. went away from   B. advised   C. took care of   D. introduced

(   ) 8. Judy was diagnosed with clinical depression. The most probable cause is         .

   A. she was too busy in high school

   B. she was too shy to solve her family problems

   C. she couldn't learn how to make new friends

   D. she went through family problems and her friends deserted her

(   ) 9. According to Judy's words,we can learn that         .

   A. the writer never helped her

   B. the writer helped her all the time

   C. the writer always felt guilty herself

   D. the writer lost touch with her since they met

(   ) 10. This passage mainly talks about         .

   A. we should turn up whenever our friends need help

   B. how to help a friend when they are in trouble

   C. a friend in need is a friend indeed

   D. when making new friends,never forget old friends