Americans love sports . But this hobby sometimes has serious results—at least to the players. For example, when people play tennis, sometimes they hurt their elbow（肘部）. Also it is easy to hurt a knee in a football game. These injuries（毁伤）happen while the player is having fun, but they still hurt.
A few months ago, Kathleen Simmons, who loves playing volleyball, hurt her knee in a volleyball game. Her doctor told her that she needed a very difficult operation（手术）or she might not be able to play again. She felt very sad
Then Simmons learned about “video operation”. With the help of this new science in medicine, doctors can now repair many injuries.
For this operation, her doctor didn’t have to open her knee. Instead he put a very small camera lens（镜头）inside her knee. The lens sent back pictures, which appeared on a television screen. As he worked, he could see the inside of her knee on the TV. With the help of the large pictures on the screen, the doctor knew exactly what to do when he was making the repairs.
Simmons started walking five days after her operation. “My knee hurt a lot the first few days,” she said. “But I felt better very quickly.” Now, six months after her operation, Simmons can do everything she did before her injury. “It feels like a new knee,” she said. “I can even play volleyball again.”Do Americans love sports?
What sport is Simmons interested in?
What did the doctor put inside Simmons’ knee?
What problem may people have when they play sports?
Can Simmons do everything like before?
Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs, teachers find students' posture (姿势) and attention improve.
Dottie Pownall, a fifth-grade teacher in West Virginia, USA, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. "The students love them", she says. Pownall took a survey of her students. She found that 80% of the students thought sitting on the balls helped them pay more attention to what they were learning.
The teacher, Pisa Witt, felt so strongly about the use of balls as chairs, she started Witt Fitt. This company encourages the use of the balls. And the company educates not only teachers but also students on how to use them. "Our products are used in 24 states, three provinces in Canada, Puert
o Rico ('波多黎各) and Japan," says Witt. "Research shows that sitting on the balls makes them sit up straighter. You can slouch (低头垂肩地坐) on a ball," says Witt, "but it feels awful." Because the students are moving, their blood (血液) increases. That carries more oxygen (氧气 to the brain (大脑), so the kids have more energy and can focus longer.
"Furthermore, they're fun." says Pownali. What will happen if a student sits on a chair all day in school? The student will _________.
| A．pay more attention to his lessons | B．be fun |
| C．like to move around | D．sit up straighter |
How long has Dottie Pownall used the balls?
| A．About three years. | B．Only one year. |
| C．In 2008. | D．Since he was a fifth-grade teacher. |
In how many countries are the balls used as the students' chairs?
| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Two. | D．One. |
Teachers choose balls instead of chairs because sitting on balls helps the kids___________.
| A．improve the students' posture and attention | B．slouch on the chairs |
| C．have fun | D．Both A and C are correct answers. |
Which is better for kids to study in class, sitting on a chair or sitting on a ball?
| A．Sitting on a chair. | B．Sitting on a ball. |
| C．They are the same. | D．We don't know. |
Here's an interview to a pilot about his life.
(R="Reporter;" P= Pilot)
R: How much time do pilots actually spend flying a plane?
P: It varies (WES'J) from about 20 minutes on some domestic (区别) flights to as much as 18 hours on international flights. It all depends on if the flight is a short- or long-haul flight.
R: Do pilots take breaks during flights or do they fly the whole time?
P: Yes, we take breaks during long-haul flights. Airlines assign (指派) three or four pilots to long flights. We take turns flying the plane.
R: If pilots are traveling all the time, how do they deal with jet lag (时差)?
P: Jet lag is annoying for almost all pilots. I try to go to sleep as I would at home.
R: How important is it to know the weight and size of the plane you are flying?
P: It is very important. We weigh almost everything put into the airplane and make estimates (估计) according to the number of people on each flight.
R: Do pilots eat the airplane food?
P: Yes, we eat business class food! Airplane food changes every season and is very delicious if you don't hate eating lobster (龙虾) every day! The pilots on the same plane are supposed to make different meal choices so that if one of the dishes causes food poisoning, only one of them will be sick. That way, at least one pilot will always be well enough to fly the plane!The number of pilots depends on _.
| A．how many hours a plane flies | B．what kind of planes they are |
| C．the airline companies assign | D．what the pilot likes |
In order to know the weight of the airplane, the pilots must know_ __.
| A．the weight of everything put into the plane |
| B．the number of people on the plane |
| C．the weight of the things and people on the plane |
| D．the importance of the weight |
What's the Chinese meaning of the word "poisoning" in the passage?
| A．中毒 | B．难吃 | C．缺少 | D．浪费 |
What does the pilot think of the airplane food?
| A．Airplane food is more delicious than lobster. |
| B．The pilot suggests having airplane food instead of lobster. |
| C．The pilot doesn't like the airplane food at all. |
| D．Airplane food is as delicious as lobster. |
What question doesn't the reporter ask in the interview?
| A．How to keep passengers safe? |
| B．How long do pilots actually spend flying a plane? |
| C．How to deal with jet lag? |
| D．How to take breaks during flying. |
Want to say "hello" from Disneyland? Send a post card!
Beautiful scenes of paradise (乐园), wild animals, silly pictures — you can find them all in one place. Where? On a post card! Have people always sent post cards? No. Before post cards, people liked sealed letters.
The idea for the first decorated (装饰) post card came to John P. Charlton in 1861. He thought a simple card with decorations would be a great way to send a note. Then in the late 1800s, post cards with pictures appeared. By law, people had to write their note on the front ——on the picture! The back was only for the address. Several years later, England allowed a divided-back post card. Then people could write their note on the back left side and put the address on the right. During the early 1900s, the golden age of post cards, picture post cards became a craze of the world. In 1908, Americans alone mailed over 677 million post cards. Today, post cards are the third most popular collection in the world after stamps and coins.We can see some silly pictures on the post cards.
Post cards were produced before sealed letters.
In 1861, the first decorated post card appeared.
Post cards were most popular during the early 1900s.
Stamps, coins and post cards are the most popular collections in the world.
We all know the dangers of fires. It’s good and necessary for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some suggestions.
Put a smoke alarm(火警) in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.
Make escape(逃脱) plans. We should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire, everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.
Buy fire extinguishers(灭火器) in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them.
Practise for a fire. We do fire practice because we teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules:
★Don’t open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
★Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than fire. The best air is near the floor because smoke rises.
★What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First, stop! Don’t run! The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. Then roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket(毯子) around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you.
There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire, don’t forget to call 119 for help.When a smoke alarm rings at home, it means _________.
| A．you have to get up | B．water is running to the floor |
| C．something is burning | D．someone breaks your window |
The writer advises us to do the following to prepare for a fire except that _________.
| A．we practise for a fire | B．we make escape plans |
| C．we buy fire extinguishers | D．we use electrical cookers |
When a fire happens,____ if you open the hot door.
| A．the door will soon be on fire | B．the electricity will be cut off |
| C．the fire will grow more quickly | D．the house will fall down |
What are the right steps you should take when your hair or clothes catch fire?
| A．Stop, run, roll. | B．Stop, drop, roll. |
| C．Run, drop, roll. | D．Roll, drop, stop. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Be Ready for a Fire. | B．The Causes of a Fire. |
| C．Learn to Use a Fire Extinguisher. | D．The Dangers of a Fire. |
Earthquake safety tips
On April 14,2010, a big earthquake hit Yushu,Qinghai.Over,2,000 people died. Many people were hurt. Why are there earthquakes?
The surface of the Earth has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake.
Scientist are working hard to find out more about earthquakes. They try to predict(预测) them, but it’s very hard.
Do you know how to get ready for an earthquake? Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Here are some things you should know.
What to do before an earthquake
Make sure you have two bottles of water, a packet of biscuits(饼干),a clean towel(毛巾),a few band-aids(创口贴),a radio and a flashlight(电筒) at home.
What to do during an earthquake
If you are inside:
★Stay where you are. Quickly move under a strong desk, or along a wall. This will protect you from falling things.
★Don’t stand near windows.
★Turn off the lights.
★Don’t get into a lift during an earthquake. If your are in a lift, get out as quickly as possible.
If you are outside:
★Don’t stand near buildings. Things may fall on you.
★Lie on the ground until the shaking stops.An earthquake hit Yushu _______.
| A．on April 12,2010 | B．on April 14,2010 | C．on May 14,2010 | D．on May 12,2010 |
You need ________ at home before an earthquake.
| A．some water and biscuits | B．a clean towel and a few band-aids |
| C．a radio and a flashlight | D．all of the things above |
You must protect yourself in an earthquake by ________.
| A．keeping you from falling things | B．turning on the lights |
| C．standing near the window | D．getting into a lift |
The reason why an earthquake happens is that __________.
| A．the surface of the earth is thin |
| B．the pieces of the surface are moving slowly |
| C．two pieces of the surface move past each other |
| D．there are too many people on the earth |
Which is TRUE according to the passage when you are outside in an earthquake?
A. You can play under a big tree.
B. You can’t stand near the buildings.
C. You can lie on the ground until the shaking stops.
D. Both B and C.