Canada is a very large country. It is bigger than China. China is the third largest country in the world.
Canada is the second largest . It has an area of nearly 10 million. Canada has a very long coastline. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is in the north. There are
many islands off the Pacific coast and off the Arctic coast. The biggest one in the west is Vancouver Island. In the east there is New Foundland, and in the Arctic Ocean the biggest islands are Baffin Island and Victoria Island.(Greenland is not part of Canada. It is a part of Denmark, a country in northern Europe.)
     Canada has a long border with the USA in the south. In the northwest Canada borders on the
American "State of Alaska". Canada is a northern country. The Arctic Circle (Latitude 16°N) passes
through the northern part . in the south, half of the border with the USA follows line of latitude 49°N.

1.  Which of the following statements is true?

A. USA is the second largest country in the world.
B. Canada has nearly 10 million sq. km. So it is the second largest country on the world.
C. China is as large as Canada and the secong largest country in the world.
D. Russia is the second largest country in the world.

2.  Whar ocean is in the north of Canada?

A. The Pacific Ocean            
B. The Atlantic Ocean
C. The Indian Ocean            
D. The Arctic Ocean

3.  There are many islands in Canada, and Vancouver Island is _____.

A. in the west  
B. in the east    
C. in the north    
D. in the south

4.  Alaska is one of the states of America. It is on the _____ of Cananda.

A. northeast    
B. southeast    
C. northwest    
D. southwest

A. It is just like trying to drive through strange roads to a city far away.
B. It seems to us that everyone knows this. But it is easier said than done.
C. Some people achieve success much later in life because they fail to realize earlier the importance
     of hard work.
D. In fact, when you say someone or something outside of yourself is stopping you from making
     success, you're giving away your own power.
E. Someone else's opinion of you doesn't have to become your reality.
F. Don't delay
G. Here are some keys to success that they give.

     WHAT happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow. It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers.
      Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society. Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting (騙過) his high school's monitoring system. This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life.
     While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge. Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secret prison. There he is treated as a possible terrorist. He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears.
     When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists. While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete destruction of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen.
     He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself. He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously (匿名地).
     The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story. As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society.

1.What kind of article does this passage belong to?      

A. A fascinating story  
B. A book review  
C. A News report  
D. A TV programme

2.The underlined word "destruction" in the passage means         .    

A. damage      
B. reward        
C. ruin
D. protection

3. Marcus Yallow was sent to prison because          .        

A. he killed his friend        
B. he bombed a military vehicle
C. he did something that a possible terrorist could do
D. his injured friend disappeared

4. From the second paragraph we can infer that         .    

A. Marcus Yallow is much more comfortable obeying the rules of society  
B. Marcus Yallow is smart, fast and wise in real life
C. Marcus Yallow always plays online games in real life
D. Marcus Yallow is expert at the network world

5. At the end of the book, Marcus Yallow         .      

A. is supposed to be more irresponsible
B. becomes aware of very serious issues about his society
C. presents a young man who is irresponsible  
D. plays a popular online game in real life

                                                What makes a house a home?
     Not size, of course. I've been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it's readily apparent no
one lives there. Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the
hostess' bed -a home that had more warmth than any house I've been in since.
     Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The
Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, " This is a book about homes, the values they rest on,
the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped. The houses and circumstances are
different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar."      
     Whether you're sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving,
or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he's talking about.
     We've lived in our townhouse for 21 years. The loose windows that make noise in the wind. The
fireplace so shallow it holds only one log. The kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by.
It's where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed.I lived there for only
18, but it will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see
far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.
     While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you're with,
not where you are. As Edwards writes, "Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith."
Happy homecoming.

1.What would be the best title for the text?  

A. Home Means Everything      
B. What's Inside Makes Us Feel at Home
C. Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives    
D. The Importance of the Home

2.The purpose of the second paragraph is to __

A. mean the author likes living in grandest houses
B. prove the author got along well with the hostess
C. mean the feeling of home isn't related to the size
D. show the author's different feelings about houses

3. About the book Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, we know that __

A. it was the description of Edwards' houses
B. it is mainly about houses
C. it helps us understand the concept of home
D. it was written by the author of the text

4.What did the author mainly mean when he mentioned the loose windows and the shallow fireplace ?

A. His house was too old to live in.
B. He missed the feelings of home.
C. He hated living there.
D. He missed his old friends too much.

5.It can be inferred according to the text that __

A. the author's family were very rich   
B. every happy home is the same
C. the author has been living a hard life  
D. the author and Edwards hold similar ideas

     An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond.The concept
is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the
same time.
     In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to
communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be
shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (發(fā)起)
the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998.Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded
to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.
     In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the
first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other
at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
     The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to
represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized
cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers
missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion
about a book itself.
     Nancy points out that the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by
how many people are enriched by the process. or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they
would not otherwise have shared a word.

1.What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

A. To encourage people to read and share.
B. To invite authors to guide readers.
C. To involve people in community service.
D. To promote the friendship between cities.

2. Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?

A. They had little interest in reading.
B. They were too busy to read a book.
C. They lacked support from the local government.
D. They came from many different backgrounds.

3.The underlined words "shared a word" in Paragraph 5 probably mean _______.

A. discussed the meaning of a word      
B. exchanged ideas with each other
C. gained life experience              
D. used the same language

4. According to Nancy, the degree of success of the project is judged by _______.

A. the careful selection of a proper book
B. the growing popularity of the writers
C. the number of books that each person reads.
D. the number of people who benefit from reading.

     Few people find it easy to refuse a bargain (a product sold at lower price). But bargains are not always
what they seem. Some sales and bargains are good deals, but not all are. Here are some pointers to help you
tell the difference between real bargains and bad deals.
     Sometimes a product is on sale for "below producer's cost". Watch out for this kind of "bargain". Why
would anyone want to sell a product for less than it cost to make it? Before buying, you should find out why
it is being sold at a loss to the producer. Is it damaged? Is it out of style? Does it come with any guarantee
(保障)?
     Another pointer is to read price tags on sale items carefully. For example, a price tag in a store may say
"regular price $16". The regular price is the price of the item before the sales started and after the sale ends.
The regular price is only for that store, however. In another store, the price could be lower.
     A price tag may also say "original (原來的) price $ 16". That means at one time the item sold for $16-even
as much as five years earlier! For example, the original price of pocket calculators was high when they were
introduced. Now the price is much lower. Showing the original price would be misleading.
     Finally, be careful how you use cents-off coupons (優(yōu)惠券). A coupon can save you money only if you
intend to use the item. The price of an item may not be the same at different stores. So use the coupon at the
store with the lowest price. Don't forget to add any sales tax to the item before you figure out the "cents-off'
price".

1. The purpose of the author to write this article is _____.

A. to show that there are no real bargains
B. to warn readers that some sales are not bargains
C. to sell a certain product
D to warn readers not to spend money on bargains

2. Which of these statements is an opinion?

A. Few people find it easy to refuse a bargain.
B. A tax adds to the price of an item.
C The regular price is the price before or after a sale.
D. The price of pocket calculators has dropped.

3. The author's opinion of an item that sells below producer's cost is that _____.

A. it is out of style
B. it is always a good deal
C. it has no guarantee
D. there may be something wrong with the item

4. The author suggests that cents-off coupons should be used _____.

A only for items with no tax
B. For as many items as possible
C. in stores with the lowest prices
D. only at the largest store

5. The original price would be misleading because _____.

A. there might be a sharp drop in price of the item
B. there might be a sharp drop in quality of the item
C. there might be a sharp change in the style of the item
D. there might be no use of the item now

     This August has seen athletes doing their sweaty part in the "Good Luck Beijing" sports events.
Some foreign athletes have commented on the passion of Chinese spectators (觀眾).
     Not all the spectators, however, came out looking exactly good. Girls holding umbrellas on beach
volleyball stands. Spectators crying sharply during the hockey matches. These can be unintended disturb.
To avoid them, we'd keep in mind some special manners:
     Beach volleyball
     1. Dress down for beach volleyball. It's also a good time to show off your colorful top and sexy
shorts.
     2. Use protective cream for your skin. Wear sunglasses and bring something to drink. But don't carry
something that blocks others' view.
     3. Look all you want at the body shapes around you, but save some attention for the players' skills.
     Archery & shooting
     1. Sit at the back or on either side of the field. For safety's sake, do not risk out of there.
     2. Above all, keep quiet during the match. Put your cellphone on vibrate or turn it off.
     3. Do not use the flash on your camera, because it can disturb the athletes.
     4. When the athletes are aiming at the target, keep your voice down.
     Baseball, basketball & football
     1. Drinks in glass bottles or cans are not allowed.
     2. Don't bring a whistle. Referees use them and you can puzzle the players.
     3. Players can be tense when taking a shot. Keep the cheering down at critical moments. Do not
use the camera flash.
     4. If you easily get nervous, bring some snacks. Keep your mouth moving to calm you down.
     Cycling & marathon
     1. Spectators should keep off the track. Control your pets.
     2. Cyclists or runners might look tired, sweaty and thirsty, but, do not hand them a bottle of water,
a cool towel or anything else. Any help from spectators can disqualify (剝奪資格)an athlete.
     3. Again, if a cyclist or runner falls, do not rush over to help. The best thing to do is to contact
medical personnel.

1. When watching beach volleyball matches, you should not ______.

A. bring anything to drink
B. use an umbrella on stands
C. wear sunglasses
D. look at the body shapes

2. You'd better not ______.

A. eat anything when watching matches
B. use camera flash when watching cycling
C. shout loudly when watching archery
D. stay where you sit when watching shooting

3. If you go to watch marathon, you can not _______.

A. bring your pets
B. give athletes something to drink
C. cry sharply
D. ask medical personnel to help athletes

4. The passage mainly tells us ______.

A. how spectators disturb athletes
B. how spectators help athletes
C. dos and don'ts while watching matches
D. some rules for sports events

     It is probably the strangest sport anyone has ever invented.And at first sight,it looks like the easiest.
Competitors have to do two things.The first is to stand still.The second is to place their hands anywhere
on the body of a car,and keep it there.
     This is where things start getting difficult.Lots of people are doing the same thing.And the winner of
the "handathon" contest is the person who can carry on doing it for the longest time.That person gets to
own the car.
     It still seems to be an easy thing to do.At the beginning it is.Anyone can stand still.But when the
contest has been going for four or five days,standing still seems like the most difficult job in the world.
And keeping the hand in place over this time becomes an act of serious attention.After a few days,the
hand seems to belong to someone else-someone who wants to go home and get some sleep.
     Competitors are allowed to take a five-minute break every hour to eat,drink or do whatever else is
necessary.No one is allowed to lean on the car for support.Winners need to be able to show great
powers of attention.They also need to be able to develop special skills.
     Maybe the popularity of the handathon is due to the fact that it is not necessary to be a trained athlete
to enter.Entrants in the Longview handathon certainly don't seem to do much preparation.Most say they
will prepare by "getting lots of sleep".Others say they will "eat healthy food" or "pray for success".The
whole event gives ordinary people the chance to do something interesting and win something in the end.
     Handathons are competitions,but there is little rivalry (敵對) between competitors.They help each
other out and keep each other's spirits up.People who drop out early return with food,drink and
encouragement.

1.The reason why the sport is called "handathon" is that competitors ______.

A. cover a long distance  
B. keep hands in place for long
C. wave hands as long as possible
D. do the same thing as in a marathon

2.What ability is likely to be needed most in a handathon?

A. Standing without any support.
B. Not leaning on the car.
C. Eating and drinking in five minutes.
D. Having strong powers of attention.

3.Why is handathon popular?

A. Someone can win with special training.
B. It doesn't need to make any preparation.
C. Anyone who is interested can join in it.
D. People get along well with each other in it.

4.What is the writer's opinion about handathon?

A. It is not as easy as it looks at first.
B. It is the easiest of all sports.
C. It can purify people's spirits.
D. It is not good competing in a handathon.

5.Which of the following about handathon is not right?

A. The person who takes part in it should stand still.
B. The person who takes part in it has to place his hands anywhere on the body of a car,and keep it there.
C. The person who takes part in it can have a break during the course of the competition.
D. Handathons are competitions,so competitors don't encourage each other.

    Solomon Shereshevski was a man with an amazing memory. He was one of the world's most famous
me-monists (記憶能手). Born in Russia in about 1900, he spent much of his life performing memory
skills that people found difficult to believe. He could memorize long lists of numbers after reading them
through once, and he could then recite them forwards or back-wards. He could also remember the same
numbers months later. He could easily remember lists of names, dozens of playing cards or hundreds of
cities.
     Although he had a wonderful memory, he found some normal skills very difficult. For example, he
found it difficult to learn to read. He also found it difficult to recognize patterns in words or numbers.
When presented with a long list of numbers like this: 1234 4231 5678 8765 6789 9876 he could not
see that there was a pattern. If he could see or hear a collection of numbers, he could remember it.
However, this did not mean that he could understand what he was looking at. He could remember long
complex mathematical formulas, but could not understand what the numbers meant.
     Solomon suffered from a condition known as Synaesthesia. This meant that all of his senses were
connected in a special way. In other words, when he heard a particular word he also experienced a
unique taste, or saw a unique color. Each word that he heard brought a particular description into his
mind. Each word for him was unique, because he remembered it as a taste, a smell, a color or a sound,
or all of them together.
     He was not a clever man except this ability and people found him rather stupid. He found it difficult to
become friends with other people because his mind was so different. In a way, his memory was a curse (禍根). He remembered everything, and that made it difficult for him to understand anything.

1. We know from the first paragraph that ____.

A. all of his life, Solomon was kept busy doing memory tricks
B. if Solomon read a list of numbers he could immediately remember them
C. Solomon could memorize long list of numbers and found their patterns
D. people thought Solomon could remember the most things in the world

2. Solomon had very powerful memory, but he _____.

A. could not read or write
B. never knew what people meant when they said to him
C. could not work out some simple math problems
D. found everything he did was meaningless

3. When a person suffers from Synaesthesia, he (or she) _____.

A. senses things usually in a wrong way
B. confuses feelings with c61ors or tastes
C. often connects words he (or she) hears with things he (or she) experienced
D. each word he (or she) hears changes its meaning completely

4. The author wants to express an idea that _____.

A. one cannot be good at both memorizing and understanding things
B. some people are actually quite stupid though they seem clever
C. having a good memory does not mean having good intelligence
D. the more you can memorize, the more stupid you will certainly be