It's the end of class. When the bell rings, students of Luohu Foreign Languages School in Shenzhen quickly take out their cell phones. They want to log on* to their micro blogs to check the interesting things that have happened in the last hour.
Since last year, the trend* of micro blogging has swept the country. Recent surveys shows that most students in middle schools have a micro blog and some even update* their blogs over five times per day.
"We learn many fresh and interesting things on micro blogs and they have become popular topics in class," said Andy Liang, 14. "If you do not know about them, you are out of the loop."
It is also a great place for students to let out stress. "My parents always ask me to study all the time, and encourage me before exams, but it really adds pressure," said Simon Zhang, 15. "When I share these feelings on my micro blog, I get many replies from friends in the same situation, which makes me feel better."
But parents are worried that micro blogging could be a waste of time. Some misleading messages may even cause danger to kids, they said.
Mr. Shen, a professor at the China Education Association, suggests parents not worry too much as long as kids are not crazy about micro blogging. Maybe it can become a window for parents to understand their children. "If parents can read their children's micro blogs, they'll know their thoughts, thus leading to better communication and solutions to problems," he said. He also gives some tips for kids.
---Don't micro blog for more than one hour a day.
---Never micro blog in class.
---Try to talk face to face with people from time to time.
---Be critical*. Don't trust all the messages on a micro blog.The underlined part "out of the loop" in the passage probably means .
| A．not popular | B．not excited | C．unhealthy | D．unlucky |
Micro blog made Simon when he shared his feelings and got replies on his micro biog.
| A．feel sad | B．let out stress | C．add pressure | D．make friends |
We can know from Mr. Shen that micro blogging can .
| A．make kids crazy while logging on to it |
| B．bring a lot of misleading messages |
| C．become a window to understand young kids |
| D．lead to worse communication |
Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It's good for kids to micro blog for more than one hour a day. |
| B．Kids should trust all the messages on a micro blog because they are useful. |
| C．The trend of micro blogging has swept the country since five years ago. |
| D．Kids should try to talk face to face with people, not just micro blogging. |
To us, it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But in fact the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain. Its first use was as a shade (遮蔽) against the sun.
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, back in the eleventh century BC.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use : it became a symbol of honor and power(权力). In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office or by royal people such as the kings or queens.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. The umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece, but it is believed that the first people in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans. During the middle ages in Europe, the use of the umbrella almost disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it became a symbol of power.
Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn't until the twentieth century that the umbrellas for women began to be made in all kinds of colors. Ancient people first used umbrellas as _________.
| A．a symbol of honor | B．protection against the sun |
| C．a symbol of power | D．protection against the rain |
According to the passage, the umbrella was probably first used in ancient ______.
| A．Egypt . | B．Babylon | C．Rome | D．China |
The underlined word royal might mean _ in Chinese.
| A．皇室的 | B．富裕的 | C．中产的 | D．平民的 |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The ancient Greeks used the umbrella in their daily life. |
| B．Europeans hardly used the umbrella during the middle ages. |
| C．The umbrellas for women were made colorful in ancient times. |
| D．The style of the umbrella hasn't changed a lot since it was invented |
This passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．the sales of the umbrella |
| B．the differences among umbrellas |
| C．the invention of the umbrella |
| D．the history and the use of the umbrella |
Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure-those who have climbed the highest mountains, traveled into unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now, however, there are people who look for an excitement from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds.
I would consider bungee jumping （蹦极跳）to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place (perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon)200 meters above the ground with an elastic (有弹性的) rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to l50 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground. It is said that two million people around the world have now tried bungee jumping. Other risky activities include jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.
Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago, people's lives were often in danger. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and life was harder than that of the present days.
Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in safe environment; they buy food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to look for danger in activities such as bungee jumping.More and more people today ______.
| A．are trying activities such as bungee jumping |
| B．are climbing the highest mountains |
| C．are coming close to death in sports |
| D．are looking for adventures such as exploring unknown places |
In bungee jumping, you ______.
| A．jump as high as you can |
| B．slide down a rope to the ground |
| C．tie yourself to a rope and fall to the ground |
| D．fall towards the ground without a rope |
People probably take part in dangerous sports nowadays because ______.
| A．they have a lot of free time |
| B．they can go to hospital if they are injured |
| C．there isn’t so much excitement in life. |
| D．they no longer need to hunt for food |
Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A．Modern Life is Boring |
| B．Dangerous Sports: What and Why |
| C．Is Bungee Jumping Really Dangerous |
| D．Need for Excitement |
Spending two or three hours playing outdoors each day can reduce the chance of becoming short-sighted(近视), a research shows. It challenges the belief(信念) that short-sightedness is caused by computer use, watching TV or reading in weak light.
The Australian government researchers believe that the sunlight is good for people’s eyes. They studied the vision(视力) and habits of 100 seven-year-old children in Singapore and Australia. In all, 30% of the Singaporean children were short-sighted—this rate(比率) was ten times higher than Australian children.
Both groups spend a similar amount(数量) of time reading, watching television and playing computer games. However the Singaporean children spent an average (平均) of only half an hour a day outdoors—90 minutes less than the Australian children.
Professor Ian Morgan, from the Australian Research Council’s vision Centre, said, “Humans are naturally long-sighted, but when people begin to go to school and spend little or no time outdoors, the number of short-sighted people gets larger. We’re also seeing more and more short-sighted children in cities all around the world and the main reason may be that city children spend less time outdoors.
Daylight can be hundreds of times brighter than indoor light. But why does playing outside prevent us from becoming short-sighted ? Scientists believe that natural light has a special chemical(化学物质) which stops the eyeball from growing out of shape and prevents people from becoming short-sighted.
So be outdoors. It doesn’t matter if that time is spent having a picnic or having sports.How much time did the Australian children spend outdoors on average according to the research?
| A．30 minutes. | B．60 minutes. |
| C．90 minutes | D．120 minutes. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．If people spend less time outdoors, they will certainly become short-sighted. |
| B．There are fewer short-sighted Singaporean Children than Australian children because they have more knowledge of protecting their eyesight. |
| C．There will be fewer risks of getting short-sighted if people spend two or three hours a day playing outside. |
| D．When people begin to go to school, they will become long-sighted. |
What is the fifth paragraph mainly about?
| A．Why natural daylight has a special chemical. |
| B．Why daylight prevents people from becoming short-sighted. |
| C．Why daylight is much brighter than indoor light. |
| D．What the special chemical which can stop eyeballs from growing out of shape is. |
Everyone has got two personalities---the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control yourself, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. At night, of course, you often change your sleeping position. The important position that best shows your secret personality is at the beginning of your sleep.
If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You often trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to make people unhappy, so you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a person who likes to keep secrets. You worry a lot and you're always sad. You don’t want to change your ideas, but you are pleased with your life. You usually live for today not for tomorrow.
If you sleep on curled up(蜷缩), you are probably a very nervous person. You're shy and you don't like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You're usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel worried, but you don't often get unhappy. You always say what you think even if it makes people angry.When does the sleeping position best show your secret personality?
| A．In the daytime. | B．At the beginning of sleep. |
| C．At night. | D．During the deep sleep. |
Tina hardly tells her secrets to her friends. She probably goes to sleep ___________.
| A．on curled up | B．on her stomach |
| C．on her back | D．on her side |
What does the passage tell us?
| A．Sleeping on your side is the best way of sleeping. |
| B．Changing positions will cause sleeping problems. |
| C．Sleeping positions show people’s secret personalities. |
| D．Enough sheep makes people look healthier and better. |
Why do you think people in some hot countries eat very spicy（辛辣的）food? Is it because the spices make the food taste better? Is it just because their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents liked hot food，or is there any connection(联系) between spices and healthy food?
Scientists think that it is because spice plants have some important chemicals（化学物质）．These chemicals can kill bacteria（细菌）.
“Most common spices can kill 75 to 100 percent of the bacteria in food，”explains one of the scientists．The bacteria grow more easily and spoil（使…变质） food more quickly at higher temperatures．For this reason，it is more difficult to keep food from spoiling in hot climates，
Do you like your food spicy? Your answer probably tells something about the country you are from．If you like spicy food，it is possible that hundreds of years ago，when there were no fridges，people in your country started using spices to keep the food from spoiling．The traditional spicy dishes helped those people to live longer，healthier lives．Today，in a time of fridges，the spices just make the food taste better．The chemicals in spices keep food fresh by_________．
| A．making food taste better |
| B．making food hotter |
| C．preventing bacteria getting into food |
| D．killing bacteria in food |
Food goes bad more quickly in hot climates because_______．
| A．cold temperature makes bacteria |
| B．bacteria get used to hot food |
| C．high temperature helps bacteria grow faster |
| D．bacteria spoil food only at high temperature |
According to the passage，spices are useful in an the following things except_______．
| A．helping you to live longer |
| B．helping to keep you healthier |
| C．making your food taste better |
| D．being used as fridges |