As we know, on Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.
This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade—the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the o
ldest.
Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.
Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.
Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday. What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Celebrations across the Country |
| B．An Official Holiday in US |
| C．The Largest Parade in the World |
| D．History of Saint Patrick’s Day |
The last paragraph is mainly about _____.
A． the cruel slave trade. |
B．Saint Patrick’s contribution. |
| C．Ireland’s Patron Saint | D．activities during Saint Patrick’s Day |
Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?
| A．Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick’s Day. |
| B．Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion. |
| C．Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday. |
| D．The Saint Patrick’s Day parade has a history of over 230 years. |
Oldest , Youngest , or in the Middle ?
Were you the first or last child in your family? Or were you a middle or the only child? Some people think it matters where you were born in your family. But there are different ideas about what birth order means.
Some people say that oldest children are smart and strong-willed. They are very likely to be successful. The reason for this is simple. Parents have a lot of time for their first child. They give him or her a lot of attention. So this child is very likely to do well. An only child will succeed for the same reasons.
What happens to the other children in a family? Middle children don’t get so much attention. So they don’t feel that important. If a family has many children, the middle ones sometimes get lost in the crowd. The youngest child, though, often gets special treatment. He or she is the “baby”. Often this child grows up to be funny and charming.
Do you believe these ideas about birth order? A recent study saw things quite differently. This study found that the first children believed in family rules. They didn’t take many chances in their lives. They usually followed their own ideas . They took chances. And they often did better in life.
Which theory about birth order do you believe? Look at your own family or you friends’ families. Decide which idea fits what you see.This passage is about __________.
| A．why the oldest children in a family usually succeed |
| B．why some children refuse to follow orders |
| C．ways in which birth order may affect how children grow up |
| D．how people have a lot of trouble agreeing about ideas |
The statement that middle children “ sometimes get lost in the crowd” means that _________.
| A．they have a poor sense of direction |
| B．they don’t get a lot of attention |
| C．they have a strong desire to be leaders |
| D．they can’t get along with others |
The underlined word “ theory “ means ________.
| A．idea | B．comparison | C．evidence | D．surprise |
There is an old saying about volunteer work that goes like this: “ No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Today, many people volunteer their time and energy to help others. There are a lot of ways to meet other people’s needs. For example, some volunteers provide help after a disaster. Others are happy to get dirty while repairing homes or planting trees or flowers in poor neighborhoods. Young people see suffering and loneliness around them and find ways to help. And history lovers help archeologists(考古学家) search for ancient objects to help deepen our knowledge of the past.
Volunteers work in many areas around the world, including Haiti. More than two years have passed since a 7.0 earthquake shook the nation. The exact number of people who died may never be known. Thousands of survivors of the Haitian earthquakes still live in temporary(临时的) shelters. Last year, former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined five hundred volunteers in the town of Leogane to build houses.
Organizations do not have to be large to get volunteers. An activist group in Dharamsala, India is a good example, Jodie Underhill from England arrived in northern India several years ago. She planned to volunteer for an environmental project. She could almost not believe how much rubbish was ruining some of the area’s most beautiful sights. Jodie Underhill learned about how to deal with the rubbish while taking part in other volunteer projects. But soon enough she formed her own group, Mountain Cleaners. Jodie Underhill says the work is very hard. But she praises the group’s efforts as a wonderful experience. The young Englishwoman says the Indian media started calling her “Garbage Girl”. And she says she was pleased with the name.
American teenagers also volunteer in many ways .The first paragraph serves as a(n) ___________.
| A．explanation | B．introduction |
| C．comment | D．background |
What did former American President Jimmy Carter do as a volunteer?
| A．He planted trees and flowers in Haiti. |
| B．He gave some money to the poor in Haiti. |
| C．He helped archeologists search for ancient objects. |
| D．He helped to build houses after the earthquake in Haiti |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．It is difficult for small organizations to get volunteers. |
| B．The number of people died in Haiti’s earthquake is unclear. |
| C．Most of the volunteers are good at collecting money. |
| D．History lovers mainly learn about history from ancient objects. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A．How to join in a volunteer group |
| B．Why people offer their services to others |
| C．The benefits that volunteers can gain |
| D．The volunteer work that American teenagers do. |
Wildlife faces threats ( 威胁 ) from habitat destruction, pollution, and other human actions. Although protecting wildlife may seem too hard at times, even small actions in your own neighbourhood can help protect many different animals. Here are some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions.
1.Create wildlife friendly areas in your backyard.
When trying to make your garden more beautiful , you can choose plants that can provide food and shelter to native wildlife . This will also help cut down on pollution . Add bird or bat houses to your yard or garden to attract and shelter these species.
2. Avoid harming the natural ecosystem ( 生态系统 ) in your area.
Some plants from other places can kill or harm native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.
3. ________________________________________________.
By using less water and fewer fuels, you will be helping to protect the wildlife around you . Take buses or the subway when you can, turn off electric devices when you’re not using them , take shorter shower, and keep your room temperature at or below 68 degrees during the winter.
4. Buy products that are wildlife friendly
Don’t buy products that are made from endangered animals. Keep in mind that some endangered animals are killed by traps , catches or hunters who are after other wildlife within the same habitat.
5. Donate money or time to organizations that protect wildlife and their habitats.
You can give money to organization or groups that protect wildlife species in your neighborhood.We infer that the purpose of this passage is to ________.
| A．tell us why protecting wildlife is extremely important now |
| B．suggest that we protect wildlife through actions |
| C．explain why protecting wildlife is not as hard as people think. |
| D．give us some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions |
Which of the following threats to wildlife is NOT mentioned in the passage ?
| A．Animal diseases | B．Loss of habitat |
| C．Pollution | D．Hunters |
What’s the best title for the third point ?
| A．Have a greener lifestyle. |
| B．Use less water and fewer fuels. |
| C．Take a bus when you go out . |
| D．Try a new kind of life. |
In which section of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage ?
| A．Environment | B．Teaching |
| C．Business | D．Geography |
For most kids, height isn’t something they can change, so what do you do if you don’t like how tall or short you are? It might be girls feeling too tall and boys feeling too short but some really tall boys might not like all that height and some shorter girls might get tired of all the jokes or of feeling like they’re staying little while their friends are growing up.
If you are still worried about your height, talk to your parents and your doctor. Most kids don’t have a growth problem that needs help from a doctor, but it’s always OK to ask if you’re concerned.
So for most kids, it seems like there’s not much to do but wait to see how it all turns out. But you can do something right now: eat healthy and take care of yourself. If you get the nutrition(营养), sleep, and exercise you need, you’re likely to reach your maximum height. In other words, you’ll grow as tall as you were meant to grow.
And even though you may hear people say it, taking extra vitamins or supplements(补品) that you can buy in a store won’t help you get taller. Just stick to a healthy diet if you want to be the tallest you can be!
Kids who wish they weren’t so tall should still eat healthy and take care of themselves, of course. Eating less won’t make you end up any shorter unless you really starved yourself and made yourself sick.
As they get older, most kids learn to feel comfortable with their height, whether they turn out tall, short, or somewhere in between. What is this text mainly about?
| A．Some tips on how to grow taller. |
| B．Some advice on height worries. |
| C．Some problems kids are facing. |
| D．Some factors that affect height. |
If you want to grow taller, you are advised to do the following except _____.
| A．get enough sleep | B．take some exercise |
| C．take extra vitamins | D．get enough nutrition |
We’ll feel comfortable with our height _____.
| A．after we tell the parents |
| B．after we see the doctor |
| C．when we grow taller |
| D．when we get older |
Who does this text written for?
| A．Kids. | B．Parents. | C．Doctors. | D．Teachers |
Florida is celebrating a big anniversary this year. Five hundred years ago, on April 2, 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce arrived on the east coast of what is now Florida. Native Americans had been living there for centuries, but Ponce was the first European to set foot in what would become the United States.
According to legend, Ponce may have landed in Florida by mistake. He is said to have been looking for an island called Bimini and its Fountain(喷泉) of Youth. The magical fountain could supposedly make old people young again. Instead, Ponce landed on Florida and claimed it for Spain. He named it La Florida, or “flowery place”.
Ponce explored more of Florida’s coasts over the next few months. He later returned to Spain but went back to Florida in 1521 to attempt to set up a colony. However, native Americans attacked him and his friends, and Ponce was killed. It wasn’t until 1565 that Spain set up a successful colony at St. Augustine on Florida’s east coast. It is the oldest European settlement in the U.S.
Florida didn’t belong to the U.S. until Spain lost control. It was admitted to the U.S. as the 27th state in 1845.
Today, Florida has one of the fastest-growing populations of any state. More than 19 million people call it home.
It’s also popular with tourists. Last year, 89 million people visited the Sunshine State. These days, most visitors come in search of fun in the sun on its sandy beaches and its theme parks, such as Disney World and Sea World. Five hundred years ago,_____.
| A．the United States was founded |
| B．the first European came to Florida |
| C．Florida was discovered by human beings |
| D．Spanish explorer Juan Ponce was born |
What can we learn about Ponce from Paragraph 2?
| A．He hated Florida |
| B．He discovered Florida by accident |
| C．He finally found Fountain of Youth |
| D．He could make old people young again. |
Ponce was killed_____.
| A．by his friends |
| B．on his way to Florida |
| C．during his second stay in Florida |
| D．after he set up a colony |
Which of the following is TRUE about Florida?
| A．Tourists are losing interest in it. |
| B．Its beaches are not well protected. |
| C．There are 89 million people in Florida at present. |
| D．Its population has been increasing in recent years. |