2008 will be remembered by us Chinese people as a year of sadness and happiness. May of the year sadly saw the Great Sichuan Earthquake, the worst earthquake in China over 30 years. It killed around 70,000 people. Tens of thousands were injured or went missing.
However, to our delight, China also hosted its first Olympic games that summer in Beijing. It was a very successful games with a great opening ceremony. 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records were made. And China came out first with 51 gold medals.When did the Great Sichuan Earthquake happen?
| A．In 2005. | B．In 2006. | C．In 2007. | D．In 2008. |
About 70,000 people ______ in the earthquake.
| A．were killed | B．were injured |
| C．went missing | D．went hungry |
How many gold medals did China win at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?
| A．175. | B．132. | C．51. | D．43. |
We Chinese people were ______ in 2008.
| A．sad | B．happy | C．neither sad nor happy | D．both sad and happy |
A large number of women in Western European countries wish that they were born men. The number is said as high as 60% in West Germany.
“Women often wish that they had the same chance as men have, and believe it is still men’s world,” said Dr James Holden, one of the scientists who did the study.
Anne Harper has a very good job for an international oil company. She also believes in “Women’ s Liberation(解放)”.
“I don’t wish that I were a man,” she says, “and I don’t think many women do. But I do wish that people would stop looking down upon us women. At work, for example, we often do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs that are usually the best ones and open only to men. If you’re a man, you have a much better chance of leading an exciting life. How many women pilots are there ... or engineers or scientists?”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．60% Western European women wish that they were born men. |
| B．Most women in Western European countries wish that their babies were all boys. |
| C．60% women in West Germany wish that they were born men. |
| D．60% Western European women who wish that they were born men are from West Germany. |
“It is still men’s world.” means “______.”
| A．There’re more men than women in the world |
| B．There’re more men scientists or engineers than women scientists or engineers in the world |
| C．Women cannot live without men |
| D．Women have not been given the same chance as men |
Anne Harper considers that women should ______.
| A．be really liberated |
| B．live a better life than men |
| C．be well paid |
| D．get better jobs than men |
Anne Harper doesn’t wish that she were a man because she ______.
| A．has got a very good job |
| B．believes in “Women’s Liberation” |
| C．does the work that a man can’t do |
| D．isn’t looked down upon by anyone |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Usually the best jobs are not open to women. |
| B．Women are less paid than men for the same job. |
| C．There’re more men pilots, engineers and scientists than women ones. |
| D．Women are looked down upon because they’re the second-class citizens. |
As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers(障碍) to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase, “Oh, yes!” Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words “Oh, yes!” I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection.
Several years later, I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking(模仿) the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child’s light.The author thinks music________.
| A．can make children calm down |
| B．Can connect heart to heart |
| C．Is difficult for pre-school students |
| D．Is a good means to find a job |
According to the second paragraph, Vanessa________.
| A．Got used to singing songs |
| B．Was too shy to speak |
| C．Was the youngest in the class |
| D．Enjoyed the author’s classes |
When Vanessa spoke the words “Oh, yes!”, the author felt________.
| A．Surprised | B．Happy | C．Frightened | D．Satisfied |
What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
| A．The author has been in touch with Vanessa for several years. |
| B．Vanessa became as healthy as other children. |
| C．The song made a deep impression on Vanessa. |
| D．Being a good educator became Vanessa’s dream. |
How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病) . Believing my career (职业生涯)was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it----the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success—you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. “Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kirsten Best
Poet ＆ Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological (心理的) tool.”What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
| A．Difficulties influenced his career. |
| B．Specialists offered him medical advice. |
| C．Training helped him defeat his disease. |
| D．He overcame the shadow of illness to win. |
What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
| A．Her training schedule. |
| B．Her daily happenings. |
| C．Her achievements. |
| D．Her sports career. |
What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to?
| A．Ways that help one to focus. |
| B．Words that help one to feel less tense. |
| C．Activities that turn one’s attention away. |
| D．Habits that make it hard for one to relax. |
According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?
| A．Courage. |
| B．Devotion. |
| C．Hard work. |
| D．Self-confidence. |
Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far, the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after wars.
They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories. “Some memories can ruin people’s lives. They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions,” said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry(精神病学)at Harvard Medical School. “This could relieve（减轻）a lot of that suffering.”
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity. They also help us avoid the mistakes in the past. “All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I am not sure we’d want to wipe those memories out.” said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．People often suffer from bad memories. |
| B．American researchers are trying to develop a pill. |
| C．Forget bad memories , and be happy. |
| D．The research has caused a heated argument. |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to “_____”.
| A．the new drug |
| B．the research into the drug |
| C．the bad memory |
| D．the chemical in the drug |
Which of the following is NOT the opinion of the opponents(反对者)?
| A．Our memories give us our identity. |
| B．The memories help human avoid mistakes of the past. |
| C．The drug should be used in only very serious cases. |
| D．People may not be sure whether they want to wipe the memories out. |
Children of America are getting fatter every time. 13% of the children at the age of 6 to 11 are overweight(too fat).
When we look at children's lives today in the USA, we can see the root(origin)of the problem--sports and foods. Young children like sports but they don't have enough around the start of high school. That's especially true for girls. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, schools are becoming much more interested in sports teams. So children are not able to get enough exercise just when they need it the most. There is also the food problem. Children get most of their calories(热量) at restaurants or parties or somewhere else away from home. They often drink too many Cokes. Parents have a lot of fears about telling a child he needs to lose weight-- they are afraid it will push a child into an eating disorder. Some parents fear that pushing children to lose weight means their children will think they're not good enough, or not loved because of their weight. Parents need to come to terms with the fact that the family is very important to the children. The most useful program for children is called "family weight control". This is good news. Mom and Dad, even if they don't have weight problems, have to go through the same program as their children and learn how to get some exercise and how to eat healthily.Why are American children getting fatter? The writer thinks_______.
| A．parents also have weight problem as their children |
| B．children drink too many Cokes |
| C．schools are more interested in sports teams |
| D．children have less exercise and eat unhealthily |
The writer wants to tell parents that_______.
| A．overweight children are not loved by people |
| B．children are afraid to lose weight when they have to |
| C．family members can help overweight children a lot |
| D．girls don't like to exercise |
Which of the following is NOT the root of overweight problem? _______.
| A．Higher-calorie. | B．Less sports. |
| C．Family weight control. | D．higher-fat foods. |
The writer thinks if mother or father is on the same program as their children, _______.
| A．"family weight control" will be successful |
| B．it will make the children eat much more |
| C．their children will not eat better |
| D．parents will feel sorry about themselves |