Every year thousands of young people in England finish school and then take a year off before they start
work or go to university. Some young people go to other countries and work as volunteers (志愿者).
Volunteers give their time to help people. For example, they work in schools or hospitals, or they do something
helpful for the environment.
     Pauline Jones, 18, lives in Cardiff, Wales. Next year she wants to go to university to study Chinese, but now
she's living in Belize. Pauline says, "I'm working with other people here to save the coral reefs (珊瑚礁) in the
sea near Belize. The reefs here are beautiful, but if the sea water is polluted (污染), the coral dies. I'm helping to
do research on the coral and the fish that live around the reefs. All over the world, coral reefs are dying. We
need to do something about the problem before it's too late."
     "I'm staying with a family here and I help do some housework. I don't get any money, but that's OK. I love
my work here, and I'm learning a lot about the people of Belize-and myself. When I finish my work, I want to
stay here for another three months. I want to travel around Belize and Central America."

1. Some young people from England _____ after they finish school.

A. go to university abroad
B. spend one year abroad as volunteers
C. go to work for money
D. start work in schools or hospitals

2. Pauline Jones, an eighteen-year-old girl, is living in _____ now.

A. England
B. China
C. Belize
D. Cardiff

3. Pauline Jones is _____ with other people.

A. studying.Chinese in a university
B. working to save the coral reefs
C. helping do some housework
D. doing some research in Wales

4. From the passage, we know that the coral reefs _____.

A. are likely to die because of the pollution
B. are not as beautiful as before
C. cannot live without fish in the sea
D. will probably be sold for money

5. Pauline Jones wants to _____ after she finishes her work as a volunteer.

A. stay there for another year
B. go back home to start work
C. learn about the people home
D. travel around Central America

     Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is
to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming
or looking at others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.
     Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English-speaking countries first
listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just
understand a few words. It doesn't matter. Just be relaxed, try to catch every word. Somebody may be a
good listener. But he dare not speak. He's afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes
when we speak Chinese. Don't be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must
try to speak with everyone as long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important, when
there's nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It's interesting and also a good way to practice
your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you'll make.
     Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we're
interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.
     Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English
magazines. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.
     Easier said than done. Well, let's do more practice from now on. I'm sure you'll learn English well in this
way.

1. You can learn to swim by _____.

A. reading books about it
B. looking at others swimming
C. having lessons on it
D. going into the river and learning

2. We should learn English by _____.

A. listening and speaking
B. reading and writing
C. both A and B
D. swimming

3. What will you do with mistakes when you speak?

A. Don't make mistakes.
B. Study hard.
C. Try not to speak English.
D. Don't be afraid.

4. What's more important for senior school students?

A. listening
B. speaking
C. reading and writing
D. learning

5. We can listen to English _____, according to the passage.

A. by train
B. on the radio
C. every minute
D. now and then

     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.

1. Why should people prepare themselves for an earthquake?

A. Because earthquakes can be known before they happen.
B. Because earthquakes take place without warning.
C. Because earthquakes usually take place in the neighborhood.
D. Because it's people's daily work to prepare the earthquakes.

2. About the prepared water, which description is RIGHT?

A. A person should prepare 0.5 gallon of water for one day.
B. You'd better use your own containers to keep water.
C. You'd better open the bottled water when you buy it.
D. You shouldn't open the bottled water until you need it.

3. You should prepare all of the following except ______.

A. powdered milk
B. fresh vegetables
C. dried fruits
D. canned juices

4. According to the article we know that ______.

A. we need to prepare some supplies only at home
B. a telephone is the most important prepared thing
C. flashlights but not matches are first used after earthquakes
D. clothes are used to protect your head

5. If you live in a cold place, you should prepare _______.

A. some warm clothes and bedding supplies
B. some hot water
C. some batteries
D. some flashlights

     What do people do with their old, out-of-date but still useful computers? Most people don't know what to
do with them. Many old computers are put away in homes. Many more are simply thrown out with the rubbish.　　 Some companies are thinking of ways to bring down the number of old computers. Sony has agreed to help
recycle old Sony products. Dell, Hewlett-Packard and other companies now also take back some old computers.　　      In some countries, laws are being passed, too. Computer companies will have to collect and recycle their
used products. And 70% of computer waste must be recycled. The idea behind the laws is that computer
companies themselves should pay the cost. That will encourage them to make computers that are easier and
cheaper to repair and upgrade (升級(jí)).　　
     Yet while many people are throwing away good computers, others cannot afford them at all. Hundreds of
organizations are working to solve this problem. They collect and repair old computers. Some also teach others
how to repair computers.　　
     The computers then go to schools, charities and people who need them. Giving a used computer to one
of these organizations can turn one person's rubbish into someone else's useful things-and cut down on waste,
too.　　

1. How do people usually deal with their old computers?　　

A. They stop using them.
B. They give them to others.
C. They fix them up.　　

2. What do some computer companies do to bring down the number of old computers?　　　

A. They don't do anything about them.　　
B. They take back some old ones. 　　
C. They donate them to some charities

3. According to some countries' laws, what must computer companies do?　　 　

A. Collect and recycle most of computer waste. 　　
B. Repair and upgrade old computers. 　　
C. Make much cheaper computers.

4. What may people who can't afford computers think of the used computers?　　

A. Expensive.
B. Useful.
C. Out-of-date.　

5. What is the passage about?　　

A. Repairing old computers.　　
B. Selling old computers. 　　
C. Recycling old computers.

     As space science develops, man has learned more and more about space. Space is not only amazing but
also dangerous. While working in space, spacemen are facing danger as well as success.
     Scientists have found out that the radiation (輻射) is the greatest danger to spacemen in space. When
spacemen are working in space, they are in danger of the radiation from the sun and other stars, which is
bad for their health. The harm of the radiation won't be found until their children even grandchildren are born.
Some special medicine may work a little, but no really effective medicine has been found so far.
     Space rubbish is also thought to be a great danger to spacemen. It's reported that there were 9,000
man-made things flying in space. About 30% of these are satellites, 10% are spaceships, and the rest are
space rubbish. An explosion (爆炸) in space in 1999 made a cloud of 300,000 fragments, each at least 4mm
in size. A small piece of these even knocked a spaceship window and caused some damage (損壞).
      Scientists are watching and reporting any possible danger all the time. They are working to deal with
space rubbish. Although space is really dangerous, it interests many people on the earth. In the near future, it
may become possible for people to spend a few days in a space hotel. We may even choose to leave the earth
and live in space in a few years. So we should do something to help improve the space environment.

1. ______ shows the man-made things in space in the correct way.

       A                        B                       C                       D

2. The radiation from the sun and other stars is ______ to spacemen.

A. good
B. helpful
C. useful
D. harmful      

3. The underlined word "fragments" means "______".

A. 碎片
B. 泡沫
C. 煙霧
D. 飛碟

4. The passage talks about _______ kinds of danger in space. 

A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five

5. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Scientists have found out ways to solve any problem in space.
B. Every one of us can have a travel to space in ten years.
C. The harm of the radiation may be found in the spacemen's children.
D. Space is really dangerous, so it doesn't interest anyone on the earth.

     In a surprising result, the No. 69 Middle School girls' football team yesterday beat their school's boys'
team. The boys' team often helped the girls with their training (訓(xùn)練). They had never lost to the girls before,
but this time the girls beat them 4-3.
     After the game, Wu Nai, head of the boys' team, was very unhappy. "We all thought this would be an easy
game," he said. "We never thought a team of girls could beat us. This is the saddest day of my life."
     But Mr Hu, the boys' PE teacher, said he thought the girls should win. "The boys were too confident
(自信)," he said. "I told them before the match that they needed to play well. They all thought that girls'
football was a joke. Now they know better. They didn't play care-fully, and they lost."
     The match had started well for the boys. After 30 minutes, they were winning 2-0. Their best player, Lu
Ming, scored in the thirtieth minute. Earlier, the mid-field player, Ma Zhengquan, had scored the first goal in
only the second minute of the match.
     After the first half hour, the boys seemed to become too confident. At first, the girls had felt a bit nervous (緊張), but then they became more and more confident. Just before half time, Li Xiaolin made the score 2-1.
     In the second half, the boys were the first to score. It was from Lu Ming. After that the boys became lazy,
but the girls kept on working hard. Hao Meiling scored in the 68th minute, to make the score 3-2. Then Li
Xiaolin scored twice in the last six minutes to make the last score 4-3. It was a surprising finish.
     The girls' PE teacher, Miss Wang, was very pleased with their work. "They were great!" She said. "I told
them they could win. I told them that the most important thing was teamwork. The boys' team had some good
players, but my girls were a better team!"

1. Who scored the first goal in the match?

A. Lu Ming.
B. Ma Zhengquan.
C. Li Xiaolin.
D. Hao Meiling.

2. How many goals did Li Xiaolin score?

A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.

3. Why could the girls' team beat the boys' in the football match?

A. Because the boys' team helped the girls with their training.
B. Because the boys had never lost to the girls before.
C. Because the boys' team won the first half.
D. Because the girls played together better and worked harder.

4. Which of the following is right?

A. The girls made only one goal in the first half.
B. The girls even made 3 more goals than the boys in the second half.
C. Many people thought the girls could beat the boys before the match.
D. The girls' team had some better players than the boys'.

5. Choose the right order according to the passage.
a. The girls' PE teacher told them that they could win.
b. Wu Nai, head of the boys' team was very unhappy.
c. The match started well for the boys.
d. The girls kicked the second goal in the match.

A. a-b-c-d
B. b-c-d-a
C. d-c-a-b
D. a-c-d-b

     When you finish high school or university, is learning done? The answer is "no". In many countries,
people continue learning all their lives.
      Why is lifelong learning important? How can it help you? Let's look at one example of lifelong learning
in Japan. Why is lifelong learning important?
      You go to school and learn. You take tests. But learning doesn't only happen in school. And learning
doesn't stop when you graduate from high school or college. You are learning all the time. For example,
learning can happen when you go to a museum. It can also happen when you get a job. You learn when
you play a sport or when you take a trip. Learning is life! We never stop learning. Every day, you can
improve yourself by learning something new.
       Lifelong learning in Japan
       In Japan, life learning is very important. People in Japan like to try new learning activities. Music
calligraphy, flower arranging, and foreign languages are some of their favorite classes. The Japanese take
classes to improve their skills and learn new things.
       Conclusion
       When we graduate from school, we can continue to learn. Make lifelong learning one of your goals!

1. Why is lifelong learning important? 

A. It helps you improve yourself.
B. It's the best way to learn.
C. It's fun and easy.
D. It's an important goal.

2. Some people in Japan take foreign language classes to  _____.

A. get a job
B. learn new things
C. get good grades
D. finish college

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? 

A. Learning only happens in school.
B. When we graduate from school, learning is done.
C. You can't learn anything when you play a sport.
D. Music, calligraphy, flower arranging and foreign languages are popular classes in Japan.

4. What is the main idea of the reading?

A. Learning can be fun.
B. We are always learning in school.
C. Finishing high school is important.
D. People can learn all their lives.

     We each have a memory. That's why we can still remember things after a long time. Some people
have very good memories and they can easily learn many things by heart, but some people can only
remember things when they say or do them again and again. Many of the great men of the world have
got surprising memories.
      A good memory is a great help in learning languages. Everybody learns his mother language when
he is a small child. He hears the sounds, remembers them and then he learns to speak. Some children are
living with their parents in foreign countries. They can learn two languages as easily as one because they
hear, remember and speak two languages every day. In school it is not so easy to learn a foreign language
because the pupils have so little time for it, and they are busy with other subjects, too.
     But your memory will become better and better when you do more and more exercises.

1. Some people can easily learn many things by heart because _______.

A. they always sleep well
B. they often eat good foot
C. they read a lot of books
D. they have very good memories

2. Everybody learns his mother language _______.

A. at the age of six
B. when he is a small child
C. after he goes to school
D. when he can read and write

3. Before a child can speak, he must _______.

A. read and write
B. make sentences
C. hear and remember the sounds
D. think hard

4. In school the pupils can't learn a foreign language easily because _______.

A. they have no good memories
B. they have no good teachers
C. they don't like it
D. they are busy with other subjects

5. Your memory will become better and better _______.

A. if you have a lot of good food
B. if you do more and more exercises
C. if you do morning exercises every day
D. if you get up early