Short and shy,Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team.
“Football,tennis,cricket—anything with a round ball,I was useless,”he says now with a laugh.But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England’s rural Devonshire.
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him.At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest.Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend.Gradually,
Saunders set his mind on building up his body,increasing his speed,strength and endurance.At age 18,he ran his first marathon.
The following year,he met John Ridgway,who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean.Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway’s School of Adventure in Scotland,where he learned about the older man’s cold-water exploits.Intrigued,
Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions,then decided that this would be his future.
Journeys to the Pole aren’t the usual holidays for British country boys,and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy.“John Ridgway was one of the few who didn’t say,’You are completely crazy,’” Saunders says.
In 2001,after becoming a skilled skier,Saunders started his first long-distance 
expedition toward the North Pole.He suffered frostbite,had a close encounter with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole,and he’s skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton. His old playmates would not believe the transformation.
This October, Saunders, 27,heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back ,an 1800 mile journey that has never been completed on skis. The turning point in Saunders’ life came when__________.
| A．he started to play ball games | B．he got a mounta in bike at age 15 |
| C．he ran his first marathon at age 18 | D．he started to receive Ridgway’s training |
We can learn from the text that Ridgway__________.
A .dismissed Saunders’ dream as fantasy B. built up his body together with Saunders
C hired Saunders for his cold-water experience
D .won his fame for his voyage across the Atlantic.What do we know about Saunders?
| A．He once worked at a school in Scotland. |
B．He fol lowed Ridgway to explore the North Pole. |
| C．He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid. |
| D．He was the first Briton to ski alone to the North Pole. |
The underlined word “Intrigued” in the third paragraph means__________.
| A．Excited | B．Convinced | C．Delighted | D．Fascinated |
It can be inferred that Saunders’ journey to the North Pole__________.
| A．was accompanied by his old playmates | B．set a record in the North Pole expedition |
| C．was supported by other Arctic explorers | D．made him well-known in the 1960s |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. However, scientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important. New evidence suggests that the link between handwriting and educational development is deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they are also better able to create ideas and remember information. In other words, it’s not only what we write that matters — but how.
A study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, gave support to that view. A group of children, who had not learned to read and write, were offered a letter or a shape on a card and asked to copy it in one of three ways: draw the image on a page but with a dotted outline（虚线）, draw it on a piece of blank white paper, or type it on a computer. Then the researchers put the children in a brain scanner and showed them the image again.
It was found that when children had drawn a letter freehand without a dotted outline or a computer, the activity in three areas of the brain were increased. These three areas work actively in adults when they read and write. By contrast, children who chose the other two ways showed no such effect. Dr. James attributes the differences to the process of free handwriting: Not only must we first plan and take action in a way but we are also likely to produce a result that is variable. Those are not necessary when we have an outline.
It’s time for educators to change their mind and pay more attention to children’s handwriting.What do scientists mean by saying “it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important”?
| A．Handwriting is not very important to children. |
| B．Handwriting should not be ignored at present. |
| C．Handwriting has nothing to do with education. |
| D．Handwriting can not be learned in a short time. |
What does “that view” in Para. 3 refer to?
| A．How we write is as important as what we write. |
| B．Children read quickly when they write by hand. |
| C．Children create ideas and remember information. |
| D．A group of students should know what to write. |
Which is NOT the children’s task in the experiment?
| A．Copy the image on a page but with a dotted outline. |
| B．Draw the image on a piece of blank white paper. |
| C．Put a brain scanner and show the image again. |
| D．Type the image directly on a computer. |
According to the passage, the author obviously _______ giving up handwriting.
| A．is for | B．doesn’t care about |
| C．is responsible for | D．is against |
阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
EUROPE is home to a variety of cultural treasures. Lonely Planet has offered pairs of cities for culture-hungry but time-poor travelers.
London and Paris
It takes you about two hours to travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, a high-speed railway service. The two capital cities have been competing in fashion, art and nightlife for decades—but each secretly looks up to the other.
No one can doubt the grand and impressive beauty of Paris’ Louvre Museum, but if you want to save money, you cannot skip the British Museum free to visit. Compared with London, Paris has more outdoor attractions, such as the beautiful green walkway La Promenade Plantee.
In Paris, you’ll see diners linger (逗留) over red wine. While in London, you can try some afternoon tea, eat fish and chips or salted cake.
Vienna and Bratislava
Austrian capital Vienna and Slovakia city Bratislava are an hour apart by train. But since they are linked by the Danube River, the best way to travel is by ship. A tour of the two cities is the perfect way to experience everything from 17th century’s Habsburg dynasty splendor to sci-fi restaurants.
Vienna is famous for Mozart and imperial palaces. You can appreciate the perfect blending of architecture and nature in the grand Scholoss Schonbrunn Palace, and reward yourself with a cup of Vienna coffee, which has made its way to the world’s cultural heritage list.
Bratislava is best known for its fine dining—the remarkable UFO restaurant. You can enjoy a meat–laden dinner here in an amazing setting.What’s the relationship between London and Paris according to the text?
| A．They help each other. |
| B．They admire each other. |
| C．They attack each other. |
| D．They don’t like each other. |
What are the advantages of Paris mentioned in the article?
a. Louvre Museum b. Free access to museums
c. More outdoor attractions d. Better wines and perfumes
| A．acd | B．cd | C．ac | D．bcd |
Lonely Planet recommends these two pairs of cities because_______.
| A．they are not expensive to visit |
| B．they are best known to the world |
| C．they are always enemies between each other |
| D．they are close but different in many aspects. |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
A surprisingly high number of city citizens in China suffer from poor health and many die at an early age.
Poor health with no sign of any identified disease, a condition known in China as “sub health,” is on the rise. Sub health is marked by general weakness, low energy levels and a poor immune system.
A survey held in 16 cities with over 1 million population showed high proportions of urban Chinese have been suffering sub health problems.
The numbers are particularly high in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with 75.31, 73.49, and 73.41 percent respectively of residents in poor health, the survey showed.
The problem happens mostly among senior and middle-level managers, clerks and other white-collar workers with high education levels, said the website of the Red Cross Society of China.
“The sub health condition, found in most cases among groups of people with a high educational level, will have bad effects on China’s long-term development and progress if not dealt timely and properly,” the website warned.
A survey by the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that the average life of Chinese intellectuals is 58 years, 10 years lower than the nation’s average.
This early death phenomenon may be increasing.
Among Chinese people with high education in the 25-59 age group, the death rate for women is as high as 10.4 per cent. For men it is even higher: 16.5 percent.
A report published by the China Sub Health Academic Seminar said the country’s health is going through a transitional period and many long-term diseases have taken the place of infectious diseases such as SARS and flu as the main cause of death.
“Bad working habits, poor disease prevention knowledge, not enough governmental investment and lack of health education are the main reasons,” said Yang Xiaoduo, a healthcare expert with a local health association, who said China should race against time seeking measures to solve the sub health problem.According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Chinese people especially the city citizens are suffering from sub health problem. |
| B．Infectious diseases used to be the main cause of death across China. |
| C．Sub health problem will do damage to our country’s development. |
| D．Now more and more people realize the importance to stop sub health. |
The following are the symptoms of sub health EXCEPT _______.
| A．Weakness | B．Low energy levels |
| C．A bad temper | D．A poor immune system |
What’s the average life of Chinese people?
| A．48 | B．58 | C．68 | D．78 |
What will be talked about in the next paragraph?
| A．The way to solve the problem of sub health. |
| B．More reasons for sub health. |
| C．Who suffer from sub health. |
| D．Why people with high education are more likely to suffer sub health. |
阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Papa’s jaw dropped when Mama told him that Sister had cheated on her final exams—not to succeed but to fail. “It’s unbelievable!” he said. “Sister has always been so proud of her good grades!”
“Yes, she has,” said Mama. “But it’s not unbelievable. It just shows how badly she wanted off the swimming team.”
“She never said anything about that to me.” said Papa.
“Of course she didn’t,” said Mama. “She was afraid you’d blow your top. You already had her getting a swimming scholarship to college and winning gold medals at the Olympics. Can you imagine how much pressure she must have felt?”
“Oh, my gosh!” Papa said, “I’ve been so stupid! I just thought she’d want to be a champion swimmer because she’s so good at it.”
“It’s like anything else, dear,” said Mama, “No matter how good at it you are, if it stops being fun, you won’t want to do it anymore.”
“She must be really mad at me,” he mumbled (嘟哝). “Maybe I should say sorry to her.”
Sister’s footsteps could be heard on the stairs. She came into the kitchen and looked hopefully up at her parents.
“Honey,” said Mama with a smile, “Your papa and I have decided that there’s no reason for you to be on the swimming team if you don’t want to.”
Sister’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She ran to Papa and jumped into his arms, giving him a big hug. “I’m going to play cards with Lizzy!” she said. “See you later!”
From the kitchen window, Mama and Papa watched their daughter run down the sunny road toward Lizzy’s house.
“It’s good to see her happy again,” said Mama.
“Well, it’s not too late, anyway.” Papa said.Mama insisted that the child should do ________.
| A．what she felt easy to | B．what she was willing to |
| C．what she felt right to | D．what she was able to |
The underlined expression “blow your top” probably means “________” in the text.
| A．change your opinion | B．become very excited |
| C．get very angry | D．fall down with fear |
Which of the following words best describes Papa?
| A．Foolish. | B．Patient. |
| C．Stubborn. | D．Considerate. |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A．Better Late Than Never |
| B．Easier Said Than Done |
| C．Never Too Old To Learn |
| D．No Pleasure Without Pain |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
He is only 12 years old but Utkarsh Tripathi brings out a handwritten newspaper every week on matters like the environment. He does all this to satisfy his wish to “serve the country”. A Class 8 student of the Brij Bihari Sahai Inter College in Allahabad, Utkarsh has been bringing out the newspaper Jagriti for the last one year. And for the four-page, black-and-white newspaper, Utkarsh not only takes the role of a reporter, editor and publisher, but also gives it free of charge.
Jagriti has about 150 readers belonging to various age groups in Allahabad, some 200 km from the state capital Lucknow. “Children make up major Jagriti readers ... my school friends, my seniors in school, teachers and also my neighbours,” he said.
According to Utkarsh’s father Hari Prasad, who runs a coaching institute, his son has a gift for writing and wants to serve the country in some way.
“More than two years ago, he began to read articles in Hindi Daily. One day he said that he wanted to start serving society from his school life itself. I then suggested why not work like a journalist and make people know their rights,” he added. Utkarsh took the suggestion seriously and came up with Jagriti. “I try to cover social issues about environment, women foeticide and others in the editorial section, and also information about public welfare plans and important government policies for the betterment of the poor or children.” Utkarsh said.
Jagriti also has successful stories of scientists, political leaders and other outstanding people.But how does he get time from his studies to bring out a weekly newspaper? “I believe if anyone is passionate about something, he or she can take out some time to realize his dream.” Utkarsh replied.
Utkarsh’s efforts are much appreciated by people in Allahabad. Nutan Devi, a local journalist, said, “For me it’s real journalism …It has renewed the objective (宗旨) of journalism that seems to have now got lost somewhere.” According to the text, Utkarsh Tripathi _____.
| A．made the first newspaper about two years ago |
| B．is learning journalism at a college in Allahabad |
| C．wants to contribute to society |
| D．lives in Allahabad, the state capital |
Who are most likely to be interested in Jagriti?
| A．Adults, especially the elderly. |
| B．Local journalists. |
| C．Children, especially Utkarsh’s schoolmates. |
| D．Women around Utkarsh. |
What is the role of the last paragraph?
| A．To prove Utkarsh does a good job. |
| B．To tell us what true journalism is. |
| C．To encourage us to follow Utkarsh’s example. |
| D．To show the different opinions on what Utkarsh does. |