When you are little, the whole world feels like a big playground. I was living in Conyers, Georgia the summer it all happened. I was a second grader, but my best friend Stephanie was only in the first grade. Both of our parents were at work and most of the time they let us go our own way.
It was a hot afternoon and we decided to have an adventure in Stephanie’s basement. As I opened the basement door, before us lay the biggest room, full of amazing things like guns, dolls, and old clothes. I ran downstairs, and spotted red steel can. It was paint. I looked beyond it and there lay even more paint in bright colors like purple, orange, blue and green.
“Stephanie, I just found us a project for the day. Get some paintbrushes. We are fixing to paint.” She screamed with excitement as I told her of my secret plans and immediately we got to work. We gathered all the brushes we could find and moved all of our materials to my yard. There on the road in front of my house, we painted bit stripes (条纹) of colors across the pavement (人行道). Stripe by stripe, our colors turned into a beautiful rainbow. It was fantastic!
The sun was starting to sink. I saw a car in the distance and jumped up as I recognized the car. It was my mother. I couldn’t wait to show her my 
masterpiece. The car pulled slowly into the driveway and from the look on my mother’s face, I could tell that I was in deep trouble.
My mother shut the car door and walked towards me. Her eyes glaring, she shouted, “What in the world were you thinking? I understood when you made castles out of leaves, and climbed the neighbors’ trees, but this! Come inside right now!” I stood there glaring hack at her for a minute, angry because she had insulted (侮辱) my art.
“Now go clean it up!” Mother and I began cleaning the road. Tears ran down my cheeks as I saw my beautiful rainbow turn into black cement.
Though years have now passed, I still wonder where my rainbow has gone. I wonder if, maybe when I get older, I can find my rainbow and never have to brush it away. I guess we all need sort of rainbow to brighten our lives from time to time and to keep our hopes and dreams colorful. What did the writer want to do when his mother came home?
| A．To introduce Stephanie to her. | B．To prevent her from seeing his painting. |
| C．To put the materials back in the yard. | D．To show his artwork to her. |
In his mother’s eyes, the writer_______.
| A．was a born artist | B．always caused trouble |
| C．was a problem solver | D．worked very hard |
The underlined word “rainbow” in the last paragraph refers to ______.
| A．the rainbow in the sky | B．the stripes on the pavement |
| C．something imaginative and fun | D．important lessons learned in childhood |
It can be learned from the passage that parents should ________.
| A．encourage children to paint | B．value friendship among children |
| C．discover the hidden talent in children | D．protect rather than destroy children’s dreams |
“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled .
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now. Where did the story most probably take place?
| A．In a classroom. | B．In a supermarket. | C．At a bookstore. | D．At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.
| A．took the book by mistake | B．wanted to keep the book |
| C．didn’t want to go home | D．didn’t think he was wrong |
From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.
| A．didn’t think her son stole the book |
| B．had been out of work for a long time |
| C．forgot to take money with her that day |
| D．couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
| A．His idea was successful. | B．Ted didn’t like the job. |
| C．He liked Ted very much. | D．Ted was a naughty boy. |
How much can environment affect intelligence? In one study, striking increases in IQ occurred in 25 children who were moved from an orphanage(孤儿院) to more stimulating（使人兴奋的，使人振奋的） environments．The children, who were all considered mentally retarded and unadoptable, were moved to an institution where they received personal attention from adults．Later, these supposedly retarded children were adopted by parents who gave them love, a family ,and a stimulating home environment．The children gained an average of 29 IQ points．For one child, the increase was an amazing 58 points．A second group of initially less "retarded" children, who stayed in the orphanage, lost an average of 26 IQ points.
Other encouraging results can be found in early childhood education programs, which provide stimulating intellectual experiences for disadvantaged children．In one study, children from low-income families were given enriched environments from early infancy(婴儿期) through preschool．By age 2 their IQ scores were already higher than those in a control group．More important, they were still 5 points higher seven years later．High-quality enrichment programs such as Head Start can prevent children from falling behind in school.
A particularly striking environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years．These IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time for genetics to explain them．It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society.What's the main idea of this passage
| A．Retarded children cannot improve their IQ's. |
| B．Orphanages are full of mentally retarded children. |
| C．Environmental factors influence a child's IQ. |
| D．Early childhood education programs are important. |
The author is in favor of _____________ according to the passage.
| A．putting retarded children into institutions |
| B．providing early childhood education programs |
| C．keeping children in orphanages |
| D．keeping retarded children with others like themselves |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an environmental factor that affects IQ .
| A．Good nutrition． | B．Improved technology. |
| C．Better education． | D．Food pollution. |
What can we conclude from the passage ?
| A．Attention from parents has little effect on a child's IQ. |
| B．Head Start programs are a waste of money. |
| C．Increases in IQ have happened in the US more rapidly than elsewhere. |
| D．Genetics are less important than environment in gaining one's IQ. |
Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the world”?
Well,three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that．The teens—two males and one female--got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.
This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs．Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment．They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with（遭遇） some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.
Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip．Earthwatch Institute sponsored this adventure．Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects．
The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time．Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.
As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet．Time for change is running out．As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person's actions．They realized that each of them can make a difference.These teenagers went on the journey around the world _____.
| A．to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth |
| B．to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world |
| C．to go on sightseeing around the world |
| D．to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute |
What’s true about their journey?
| A．They had to pay for their journey at their own expense. |
| B．They often had to move from one hotel to another. |
| C．They had to take great pains to collect environmental information. |
| D．They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place. |
It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be _____．
| A．an international university that takes in students from all over the world |
| B．a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth |
| C．a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children |
| D．an organization that brings science to life for people concerned about the earth’s environment |
What did they these teenagers learn from the journey?
| A．It was high time that people protected the environment. |
| B．Long journey was not suitable for school children. |
| C．It should take the whole world to help the children. |
| D．Environmental problems can be solved if school children take part. |
You may have heard the term “the American Dream”．In 1848, James W．Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams.That 19th century “American Dream" motivated(激发) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors（采矿者）but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next．People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets．But most．instead, worked as railroad laborers．They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill"．
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work． Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare(噩梦).
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley．People poured their energy into the Internet． This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortune in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive．However, the new American Dream .is no longer just about money．It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice（正义，公正）.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the model of the new American Dream．After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a super movie star and then a governor． Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.It can be inferred that_____________.
| A．America' s golden dream could never be realized |
| B．America's golden dream had bought great fortune to Chinese immigrants |
| C．different times have different themes of the American dream |
| D．determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream |
Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?
| A．Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers? |
| B．Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers． |
| C．Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold. |
| D．Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time. |
The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that_____________．
| A．the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize |
| B．most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goals |
| C．the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants |
| D．the immigrants have made great contributions to California |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Wave of Immigrants to America |
| B．Make Fortunes Abroad |
| C．Hard Work Leads to Success |
| D．Changes of America’s Golden Dream |
Suppose you want to go abroad and learn about the foreign exchange in culture in different countries．Here is some information you may need．
| Name：Susan Lane Age：22 Place：Reykjavik, Iceland, 1994. Cost：$7,000 Organization：AFS Experience：“I think it was a turning point in my life．I began to understand more about my own culture by experiencing another culture and seeing how other people live.” |
| Name：Sara Small Age：23 Place：Crivitz, Germany, 1996. Cost：$8,000 Organization：EF Foundation Experience：“I love the traveling and I made a lot of friends．I found the European school system to be hard but I am fluent now in German so it was worth it．I did miss my family and friends in Australia but I would love to do it again.” |
| Name：David Links Age：16 Place：Stuttgart, Germany, 1996. Cost：$6,000 Organization：Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Experience：“I wanted to try something that was very different in culture．In Germany everything was different but I soon got settled．The family I was with was great and I really feel as though I have a second family.” |
| Name：Tom Jennings Age：21 Place：Conflans, France, 1995.. Cost：$7,000 Organization：Southern Cross cultural Exchange Experience：“There were times when it was difficult but I liked it, experiencing a different culture．You just have to play each situation as it comes．If there is one thing you learn when you are on a student-exchange program it is how to take care of yourself.” |
| Name：Linda Marks Age：19 Place：Chonburi Province, Thailand, 1994. Cost：$3,500 Organization：Rotary International Experience：“There are lots of ups and downs, but you always come back for more．I had a few problems but there was always someone to turn to and that was great.” |
According to the information, taking part in a foreign exchange program can cost _______．
| A．from $6,000 to $8,000 | B．from $3,500 to $8,000 |
| C．anything from $3,500 | D．no more than $7,000 |
Most of the students had their trips organized by ________．
| A．EF Foundation | B．AFS |
| C．Rotary International | D．SCCE |
The students who refer to both the good and bad times as an exchange student include ______．
| A．Susan Lane and Sara Small | B．Linda Marks and David Links |
| C．Tom Jennings and Linda Marks | D．Susan Lane and Tom Jennings |