Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature’s (自然) 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 metres(4 feet) 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 centimetres wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimetres (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colours, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools( 厨房用具). 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 (支撑) 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? Because .
| A．it is cheap | B．it has different colours |
| C．it is strong | D．it has been used by Asians |
Bamboo pipes can .
| A．make money | B．be trees | C．grow quickly | D．carry water |
In Asia, bamboo has been used for .
| A．a short time |
| B．many thousands of years |
| C．many hundreds of years |
| D．about 100 years |
Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they’ll help people feel relaxed and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, “At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It’s a common question, but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.
Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn’t. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what type of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively. Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he’s really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it’s time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the moment of saying goodbye. If you’re saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you.” If you want to see that person again, don’t keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they’ve known you half their life.Asking questions might be a quite good and suitable way _______.
| A．for you to make new friends |
| B．to begin your business talks |
| C．to get the conversation going smoothly |
| D．for you to impress others with your questions |
After having asked somebody a question, it’ll be polite of you to _______.
| A．make clear what kind of person he is |
| B．listen to his or her reply carefully |
| C．sit quietly without saying anything |
| D．go on asking him more questions |
Generally speaking, good talkers are persons who _______.
| A．know how to change the topic properly |
| B．are good at making any topic interesting |
| C．always speak in a gentle way |
| D．never talk too much or too little |
If you really want to meet someone again, _______.
| A．you may take him as your lifelong true friend |
| B．it seems necessary for you to let him know it |
| C．you are sure to have further understanding of him |
| D．it’s proper for you to give him a second handshake |
When you are about to do something brave, a cheerful wish of “Good luck!” from a friend can be helpful. But if you think you need lots of luck, what else might you do?
In the UK and US there are some strange traditions for bringing yourself a little more good luck. Some are hundreds of years old and some are much newer.
Have you heard the saying “When you wish upon a star”? If you are looking up at the sky on a clear night and you see a sudden flash of light, it is probably a shooting star! Seeing one doesn’t happen very often. The saying goes that you have been very lucky if you see one, and so if you make a wish, it will come true.
Maybe you have heard of the lucky rabbit’s foot. Some people believe that rabbits are lucky animals, so they carry a part of the rabbit, its foot, for good luck. There are all kinds of strange, unclear rules about which of the rabbit’s feet is the luckiest. It is said that this good luck tradition is the oldest one of all. However, as the funny saying goes, “Depend on the rabbit’s foot if you will, but remember it didn’t work for the rabbit!”
People in Britain love trees. If it is autumn and leaves are falling from the trees, some people try to catch the leaves as they fall because they think each leaf they catch will bring them a lucky month in the following year—they will need to catch 12 falling leaves to have a whole of good luck! Which thing is said to be the oldest good luck tradition?
| A．A falling leaf. | B． A foot of a rabbit. |
| C．A shooting star. | D．A wish from friends. |
According to Paragraph 3, we know that ______.
| A．people can see a shooting star on a rainy night. |
| B．shooting stars can often be seen by people |
| C．people believe that it’s unlucky to see a shooting star. |
| D．your wish may come true if you see a shooting star. |
British people try to catch 12 falling leaves because ______.
| A．the leaves fall in autumn. |
| B．there are so many leaves to catch. |
| C．they want to have a whole year of good luck. |
| D．the leaves can bring them a lucky month. |
In Paragraph 5, the underlined word “them” refers to (指) ______.
| A．leaves | B．people |
| C．trees | D．years |
Sunshine School Picnic Notice
Dear Parents
The school is planning a picnic for Grade 9 students. They will have an exciting experience on a nearby farm at the foot of South Mountain. Six experienced teachers will be there to take care of the children. Parents need to pay 50 yuan for the picnic. Let us know if you want your children to go for the picnic by 21st June 2015.
Important information:
| Parents will drop and pick up the children from Sunshine School Date: Sunday, 21st June 2015 Time: 9:00 a.m.一5:00 pm Lunch: It will be offered by the schoo1 Dress: Comfortable dress and sports shoes Things to be carried: Water bottle & towel |
Where will they have the picnic?
| A．In a park. | B．At school. |
| C．On a farm. | D．On a mountain. |
How long will the picnic take?
| A．4 hours. | B．5 hours. |
| C．8 hours. | D．9 hours. |
What can we learn from the notice?
| A．No teacher will go for the picnic. |
| B．Parents don’t need to pay for the picnic. |
| C．Children will have a class after the picnic. |
| D．Water bottles can be taken during the picnic. |
There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge(判断 ) things too quickly, so he sent them each to go and look at a pear tree that was far away.
The first son went in winter, the second in spring , the third in summer, and the youngest son went in autumn. When they all came back home the father called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly. The second son said no-it was covered with green buds （蓓蕾）and full of promise. The third son didn’t agree. He said it was full of flowers that looked very beautiful. The last son said it was full of fruit.
The man then explained to his sons that they were all wrong, because they each had seen just one season in the tree’s life. He told them not to judge how a tree is by only one season. Like that ,the pleasure, joy and love that come from one’s life can only be measured(衡量 )in the end. If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer and the fruit of your autumn..The man sent his sons each to go and ________ _________a pear tree that was far away.
When they all _________ _________ home the father called them together to describe what they had seen.
The second son said that the tree was ________ ________green buds and full of promise.
The man _________that his sons that ________ of them were wrong, because they each had seen just one season in the tree’s life.
The man wanted to tell his sons not to judge things _________ _________.
The 30th Olympics will be held in London soon. More and more people will travel there and watch the games. And it’s necessary for the tourists to know the customs there. Here are some tips（建议）given by William Hanson, an English manner expert.
◆ Afternoon tea. The traditional view that the British sit down for an afternoon tea is not popular any more. Few people keep the tradition nowadays.
◆ Give tips（小费）— but not in a clear way. The British would like to choose a quiet way of saying “thank you” when they get good service. In fact, many British waiters will not mind if you decide not to tip at all.
◆ Greeting with a kiss. The British aren’t like their neighbors in France. They do not greet others with a kiss very often. Many people prefer to shake hands or pat（轻拍） on the back to say “ hello” .
◆ Conversation tips. If you are not sure what you are talking about, end a sentence with the word “mate”.
◆ Don’t talk about money. According to Hanson, British people don’t like to talk about money and it is rude to do so. Especially, never ask anyone how much money he or she makes a month.British sit down for an afternoon tea now.
| A．More and more | B．Many | C．A few | D．Few |
If you decide not to tip, many British waiters .
| A．will be happy | B．will be angry |
| C．will be surprised | D．will not care |
Many people in Britain greeting each other by .
| A．shaking hands | B．kissing |
| C．nodding | D．patting on the face |
It’s impolite to ask British people .
| A．where he or she is from |
| B．how much he or she makes a year |
| C．what his or her name is |
| D．what color he or she likes best |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Afternoon Tea in London | B．Olympics in London |
| C．Greetings in London | D．Customs in London |