This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers（young people aged from 13 —19）from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study, the language began to come to him. The school was completely different from what he had expected — much harder. Students rose respectfully① when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize② American schools,” he says. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
Notes:
① respectfully adv. 尊敬地，谦恭地
② criticize vt. 批评，责备
Choose the best answers according to the above:This year __ teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
| A．twenty-three hundred | B．thirteen hundred |
| C．over three thousand | D．less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to __.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
What is particular in America schools is that __.
| A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings. |
| B．there are a lot of outside activities |
| C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
| D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car |
After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought __.
| A．a better education should include something good from both American and Germany |
| B．German schools trained students to be better citizens |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools |
| D．the easy life in the American school was more helpful to students |
Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1.5 meters in 
24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1, 000 kinds of bamboo.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools. Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have used bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting new buildings and bridges while they are being built.
In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. Bamboo pipes (管子) help poor farmers bring water to their thirsty fields without spending a lot of money.How is bamboo like grass?
| A．It grows quickly. | B．It’s wood. |
| C．It is easy to cut. | D．It is very thin. |
Though you can see bamboo everywhere, it doesn’t grow __________.
| A．in China | B．in Europe |
| C．on mountains | D．in Africa |
Why is bamboo used by African poor farmers?
| A．It is cheap. | B．It has different colors. |
| C．It is strong. | D．It has been used by Asians. |
In Asia, bamboo has been used for __________.
| A．a short time | B．about 100 years |
| C．many hundreds of years | D．many thousands of year |
If we bought only things we needed, there would be enough for everybody. What do we need? What you need depends on how old you are and your way of life. Rearrange the list of things you can buy and put the things you think we most need at the top of the list.
Coat Designer jeans Water CD player
Dental check up Restaurant meal Telephone Jewelry
Food Shampoo MP3 player Beer
Toothpaste Bar of chocolate Cushion covers
If we don’t need to buy so much, we don’t need to work so much. We can take part-time jobs or reduce our working day from eight hours to six hours. Some people are leaving very well paid jobs to live a healthier life in the countryside or a more exciting life abroad. Parents can spend more time with their children and the unemployed are given more opportunities to work.
If we start to respect saving the earth more than spending money, we will become ‘conservers’ (保护者). When we are conservers, we try to choose environmentally friendly products that last a long time. We may find growing our own vegetables or making our own clothes more rewarding than buying them.
Next time you go shopping, think about what you really need to buy. Don’t deprive (剥夺) yourself of things you like, but decide what you should buy before you go out, so that you won’t be influenced by advertisements or promotions. If it is more expensive to buy goods that don’t have much packaging and things that are more durable (耐用的), buy less. If you can choose to work less, decide which things you would like to make, do or grow yourself. Even though you have less money, your life will become richer.
by Julie Bray From the passage, we can see the author suggests us consumers ______.
| A．find out more about a product instead of buying blindly |
| B．consider what we really need before going shopping |
| C．avoid regret at not buying enough |
| D．find a real bargain |
. The writer will agree with you if you buy products that are ______.
| A．beautifully packaged | B．extremely cheap |
| C．usable for a long time | D．fashionable now |
According to the passage, if we don’t need to buy so much, the benefits
will include ______.
a. we will have more time enjoying life
b. the employment rate will increase
c. we will get better paid jobs
d. we as consumers will have more choices of what to buy
| A．abc | B．abd | C．ab | D．ad |
This passage is mainly written to _____.
| A．persuade people to buy less and buy environmentally friendly products |
| B．put forward some questions so that you can become a smart buyer |
| C．introduce some good ways to make a wiser choice when shopping |
| D．criticize the consumer society in which people buy too much |
Just five minutes of exercise a day outdoors can improve mental health, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Essex, UK have found that a
s little as five minutes of a “green activity” such as walking, gardening, cycling or farming could help to improve mood and increase self-esteem (自信).
Many studies have shown that outdoor exercise can reduce the risk of mental illness and improve a sense of well-being, but the new study, led by Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, was the first to determine how much time needed to be spent on green exercise for the benefits to show.
Barton and Pretty looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders (性别) and mental health status (情况) taken from 10 studies in Britain.
They analyzed their different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in locations such as a park, garden or nature trail (路径).
They found that the mental health changes were seen after just five minutes. With longer periods of time exercising in a green environment, the positive effects were more apparent.
Looking at men and women of different ages, the researchers found the health changes 
were particularly strong in the young and the mentally ill.
Green and blue
A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an area that also contained water – such as a lake or river.
“This is because historically we are drawn to water to survive and it is
in our genetic (遗传的) make-up to be at one with nature,” the researchers wrote in their report.
Pretty said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would probably benefit the most from “green exercise”.
“Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health.”
He also said exercise programs outdoors could benefit youth offenders. How is the study this article refers to different from other studies?
| A．It involved more people. |
| B．It took longer to finish the research. |
| C．It determined the exact amount of time needed. |
| D．It was led by just two researchers. |
What can we conclude from the findings of the study?
| A．Just five minutes of “green exercise” daily can help improve mental health. |
| B．Gardeners and farmers do not need “green exercise”. |
| C．Walking in a park with a lake will weaken the effect. |
| D．“Green exercise” is not suitable for the mentally ill. |
. According to Pretty, _______ would probably benefit the most from “green exercise”.
| A．stressed, inactive people | B．office workers |
| C．youth offenders | D．women and children |
What is th
e main problem discussed in this article?
| A．Physical well-being. | B．Outdoor exercise. |
| C．Mental illness. | D．Harmony with nature. |
Everyone knows that you can study the English language for years and still not understand a native speaker of English.
Well, here’s a secret for you: a lot of British people can’t understand each other either! Apart from the different regional accents across the country, language can also differ (不同) among age groups. The words and pronunciations used by young Britons can be very different to those used by adults. This is called “yoof” culture.
The word “yoof” is a slang (俚语) spelling of “youth”. Some people consider “yoof” to be a negative (消极的) term, since its pronunciation is easier than “youth”. Other people see the term as positive, because it describes how young people are creating their own language, concepts (观念) and identity.
When parents find it difficult to understand their children, the children can say more things without the censorship (审查) of their parents. In this way, young people are starting to find freedom, independence and self-expression.
They are creating a “yoof culture”. It is impossible to come up with a complete list of words used by yoof. By the time the list was completed, it would be out of date. New words come and go like fashions.
By A.J. DaltonThe point of the article is _____.
| A．to list words used by yoof |
| B．to introduce UK yoof culture |
| C．to give advice on how to communicate with native English speakers |
| D．to explain why it is hard for British people to understand each other |
According to the article, children are creating a “yoof culture” _______.
| A．to stay cool among their peers |
| B．to draw more attention from their parents |
| C．to avoid interference of their parents in their lives |
| D．to keep up with the fast pace of modern society |
According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The variety of regional accents in the UK is an obstacle to communication. |
| B．Some people consider the term “yoof” positive because it is easier to pronounce than “youth”. |
| C．A few vocabularies used by yoof are going to be collected in dictionaries. |
| D．Yoof culture is getting popular all around the English speaking countries. |
By saying “Sorted!”, yoof probably means ____
__.
| A．“I’m very tired.” | B．“I understand.” |
| C．“You got it wrong!” | D．“I don’t care!” |
Many of us assume that with such a last name, Peter Buffett, 52, must enjoy a life of endless privilege. But the son of billionaire investor (投资人) Warren Buffett definitely doesn’t think so.
“People who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth can fall victim (受害者) to what my father has called a silver dagger (匕首) in your back,” Buffett told Reuters in an interview. “It leads to a sense of entitlement (特权) and a lack of personal achievement.”
Entitlement, he believes, is the worst thing ever. “Anybody who acts like they deserve (应得) something ‘just because’ is a disaster,” he said.
In his new book, Life Is What You Make It: Finding Your Own Path to Fulfillment, Buffett says that the only real inheritance (遗产) handed down from his parents was a philosophy (价值观): Forge your own path in life. It is a belief that has allowed him to follow his own passions, establish his own identity, and reap (收获) his own successes.
Did his father ever want him to go into finance? “It was encouraged for a moment when I was open to the idea,” he told Reuters. But as he grew older, it became clear the financial world “was not speaking to my heart.”
His father accepted his choice to become a musician. He began his 
musical career by writing music for TV commercials (广告). He then released his own albums.
“I am my own person and I know what I have accomplished in my life,” he told Reuters. “This isn’t about wealth or fame or money or any of that stuff, it is actually about values and what you enjoy and finding something you love doing.”
Along with the book, Buffett has begun a “Concert & Conversation” tour in which he plays the piano, talks about his life and warns against consumerist (消费主义) culture and damaging the environment.
“Economic prosperity (繁荣) may come and go; that’s just how it is,” he writes in the book. “But values are the steady currency (硬通货) that earn us the all-important rewards.” What does “It” in the second paragraph refer to?
| A．A life of a top investor. | B．A silver spoon in the mouth. |
| C．Being born to a wealthy family. | D．The victim of a silver dagger in the back. |
What does the article tell us?
| A．Peter Buffett is a born musician. |
| B．Peter Buffett enjoys a hugely privileged life. |
| C．A wealthy family can benefit a child but also spoil him or her. |
| D．Peter Buffett was forced by his parents to take over their business. |
The article claims that Peter Buffett owes his achievements largely to ______.
| A．his passion for music | B．the good education he received |
| C．his great determination | D．the values he learned from his parents |
Which of the following statements would Peter Buffett probably agree to?
| A．Wealth is there to enjoy to the fullest. |
| B．A person’s value lies within. |
| C．Many people are fooled by economic prosperity. |
| D．Young people should choose their own philosophy, whatever their parents believe in. |