We use the Internet for many things: business, shopping, writing letters, talking to people, finding information, and so on. In recent years, a new kind of English has grown on the Internet. There’s no real word for it yet, so we’ll call it e-talk. People don’t like typing too much. To save time, they turn phrases (短语) into a few letters called acronyms(首字母缩略词). Acronyms are often used in chat rooms.
Some of them are:
BTW(by the way) BRB (be right back)
LOL (laughing out loud) IMO (in my opinion)
People also use many abbreviations. They are shortened forms of words. Some common abbreviations are:
info (information) puter (computer) pic (picture) sec (second)
We usually don’t see people when we communicate on the Net, so people have new ways to show feelings. Most people use their keyboards to draw “feeling”, such as:
: ) (happy) :-( (sad) ; : P (joking) : O (surprised)
These days, many forums have picture feelings. For example:
happy 
sad 
angry 
cool 
There are even whole new words, like ‘newbie’ (someone who is new on a chat board or forum). When you write something bad about someone else, it’s called ‘flaming’ the person.
It takes time to get used to e-talk. Also, different groups in the Net have their own special ways of communicating. Newbies sometimes have to ask other people what they mean. As the Internet grows, e-talk will continue to grow and change. Why do people type acronyms?
| A．To show their feelings. |
| B．To make jokes. |
| C．Because people can type them quickly. |
| D．In this way, newbies won’t understand them. |
What does “My puter is not working well. :-( ” mean?
| A．The person is happy about getting a new computer. |
| B．The person has to go away from their computer. |
| C．The person is angry at somebody. |
| D．The person is sad that his computer is having problems. |
If someone is angry, what may he type?
| A． |
B． |
C．LOL | D．BRB |
E-talk will probably_________.
| A．keep changing |
| B．stay the same |
| C．be used by people on the telephone |
| D．be easy for newbies to understand |
People can do the following through the Internet except _________.
A. doing shopping B. writing diaries
C. eating foods C. playing games
If you have no special plans for your holidays, why not spend your time helping others?
Don’t listen to people who say the young people today often think only of themselves. It’s not true at all. More and more people in the USA volunteer（自愿）to spend their school holidays working for others. And they don’t do it for money. Here are some of their stories.
Alice Hamilton, 17
I’m going to help the Forest Centre build new hiking paths in the mountains. It’s going to be terrific—I’ll spend the whole summer living in the tent and breathing the clean mountain air. I’m going to sleep under the stars, It’ll be a nice sport, and I’ll be able to do something good at the same time.
Jason Moore, 18
This summer, I’m going to volunteer with Special House Program. They build good, low-cost houses and sell them to families that are not very rich. They’ll teach me what to do, so I’ll help people and also have a chance to learn how to build houses.
Trish Anderson, 16
I’m going to teach kids who have trouble reading. I’ll work for a program called “Reading for Life”. Every day, I’m going to help kids choose and read books that they like. I want to be a teacher and I love children and reading, so this is going to be a great experience for me.What does Alice volunteer to do in summer?
| A．To breathe the clean mountain air. |
| B．To spend the whole summer living in the tent. |
| C．To sleep under the stars. |
| D．To help build new hiking paths in the mountain. |
From the passage, we know that Special House Program helps____.
| A．children in poor families |
| B．workers who build houses |
| C．poor families that can’t afford（负担得起）houses |
| D．build hiking paths |
Which is the most possible title for this passage?
| A．Reading for Life | B．Special House Program |
| C．The Forest Centre | D．Young American volunteers |
Museum of Transport at Boylet St , Cheetham, Manchester
Enjoy a trip to the Museum of Transport, a working museum showing the development (发展) of road public transport in Manchester. There are over 80 buses from 1890 to 1980. Over 100 shows, from hours-bus to modern train. The museum has small shows describing the history of bus, coach and train. If you are interested in it, welcome to click here and you can see some pictures of them on the screen and get more information about them.
Opening hours and ticket prices
Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
9:00 a.m. ~ 4:00 p.m. (Nov. ~ Feb. )
10:00 a.m. ~ 5:00 p.m. (Mar. ~ Oct.)
Adults $3. 00, Students $1.75, Children under 5 free.
Family ticket ( up to two adults and three children) $ 9.00
E-mail : www. gmts. co. ukYou may read this advertisement in __________.
| A．a radio program | B．a newspaper |
| C．a TV program | D．a website |
If you would like to visit the Museum of Transport , when will it be possible?
| A．At 9:30 a.m. on October 26th |
| B．At 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays |
| C．At 4:30 p.m. on May Day |
| D．At 4:10 p.m. on New Year’s Day |
If you and your elder brother are both middle school students, your parents take both of you to visit the museum, you should pay at least __________ in all.
| A．$6 | B．$9 |
| C．$9.5 | D．$12 |
I never saw my father come home from work late or ill, nor did I ever see my father take a “night out with the boys”. He had no hobbies but just took care of his family.
For 22 years, since I left home for college , my father called me every Sunday at 9:00 am. He was always interested in my life----how my family was doing. The calls even came when he and my mother were in Australia, England or Florida.
Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days, painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked, was a glass of iced tea, and that I hold a paintbrush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy, for I had a law practice to run, and I could not take the time to hold the paintbrush, or talk to my father.
Five years ago, my 71-year-old father spent five hours putting together a swing set(秋千) for my daughter. Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea, and talk to him. But again, I had laundry to do, and the house to clean.
The morning on Sunday, January 16, 1996, my father telephoned me as usual, this time he had seemed to have forgotten some things we had discussed the week before. I had to get to church, and I cut the conversation short.
The call came at 4:40 am. That day my father was sent to hospital in Florida. I got on a plane immediately, and I vowed(发誓) that when I arrived, I would make up for the lost time, and have a nice long talk with him and really get to know him.
I arrived in Florida at 1:00 am, but my father had died at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, time to wait for me.
In the years since his death I have learnt much about my father, and even more about myself. As a father, he never asked me for anything but my time. Now he has all my attention, every single day.We know from the reading that the father .
| A．liked to paint houses |
| B．had no friends around him |
| C．was not healthy in his youth |
| D．thought of his family as his all |
When her father painted her first house, the daughter.
| A．could only afford a glass of iced tea |
| B．was too busy to talk to her father |
| C．could do nothing but hold a paintbrush |
| D．spent eight hours a day working with her father |
On January 16, 1996, the daughter felt that her father .
| A．seemed to be a little different |
| B．had no time to phone her as usual |
| C．became interested in church |
| D．had forgotten to discuss some things with her |
In the reading the underlined phrase “get to know him” most probably means .
| A．get him to know her | B．know more about him |
| C．get him to know himself | D．make him well-known |
Which is the best title of the reading?.
| A．Painting Houses |
| B．Daughter’s Family |
| C．Father and I |
| D．Father’s Phone Calls |
Once there was a man travelling in a faraway village. As he was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped. He found that these huge elephants were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains(锁链), no cages. It was clear that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their ropes but for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and didn’t try to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they still believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can hold them, so they never try to break free.”
How could it be? These animals could at any time break free from their ropes. But because they were always stuck(固定) right where they were, they believed they couldn’t.
Just like the elephants, how many of us go through life believing that we cannot do something, just because we failed at it once before?
We should never give up the struggle(斗争) in life.What did the writer see in the village？
| A．Chains | B．Elephants. |
| C．Cages. | D．Farmers. |
Why do the elephants never try to break free from the ropes?
| A．Because they think they can not.. |
| B．Because they are too old to do it. |
| C．Because they like their living places. |
| D．Because they get on well with the trainer. |
How did the man feel after he heard what the trainer said?
| A．Moved. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Angry. | D．Nervous. |
Which of the following is the missing part(空白处) in the last paragraph?
| A．Failing is part of learning |
| B．We should be different from others |
| C．Helping animals is helping ourselves |
| D．Travelling always makes people relaxed |
What is the best title for this text?
| A．A Pleasant Trip | B．A Cruel Trainer |
| C．Elephant Training | D．The Elephant Rope |
It’s time for school! But on May 14th, 170 students at Duncanville High School in Texas, US, were told to go back home.
Why? Because they were wearing the wrong clothes to school.
Schools in the US don’t always ask students to wear uniforms. But they have dress codes(着装要求). For example, Duncanville High School tells students to wear belts, shirts without logos(标识).
Schools’ most-hated clothes are different.
In 2011, the saggy(松垮的) trousers law was passed in Florida. It stops students from wearing trousers that show body parts.
Now, “the favourite new target(目标) of the school dress code” is leggings(紧身裤), reported the Associated Press. Some schools don’t allow leggings. Other schools ask students to wear a shirt or a skirt over leggings.
Some students complain(抱怨) that schools are going too far. But schools say dress codes help protect students’ safety and make sure they grow up with good taste.
“We want to teach them that they must meet the expectations(期望) not only here in school, but also outside school,” said Andre Smith.What happened to 170 students at Duncanville High School on May 14th?
| A．They were told to go back home |
| B．They were wearing the uniforms to school. |
| C．They followed the school dress codes. |
| D．They didn’t know it was time for school. |
In Duncanville High School, students are allowed to wear .
| A．the wrong clothes |
| B．belts, shirts without logos |
| C．their favourite clothes |
| D．schools’ most-hated clothes |
How long has the saggy trousers law been used in Florida
| A．For a few weeeks. | B．For several months |
| C．For two years. | D．For three years. |
Some students complain that schools are going too far probably because.
| A．they want to grow up with good taste |
| B．they want to protect themselves |
| C．they are not happy with the rules |
| D．they are interested in skirts over leggings |
We can infer(推断) from the text that Andre Smith may be .
| A．the head of Duncanville High School |
| B．a student from Duncanville High School |
| C．the head of the Associated Press |
| D．a news reporter from the Associated Press |