Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl. She had one big ambition—to play the drums in a band. But one big obstacle lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone it would annoy.
One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there’s no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.
With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble. This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit（成套设备） and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble, turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.
It wasn’t long before Brenda Bongos came very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey. Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut, and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band.
Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this, she thought for a moment, and said: “If those old people next – door hadn’t mattered so much to me, I wouldn’t have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened.”Why did Brenda try to play in the strangest places?
| A．Because she didn’t want others to hear her play. |
| B．Because she didn’t want to disturb others. |
| C．Because she didn’t have a large house. |
| D．Because she liked to play in strange places. |
Brenda started to give concerts _______ .
| A．after she practiced in her space bubble |
| B．when she became part of the unique space journey |
| C．after she became a real musical astronaut |
| D．when people came to see her in the space bubble |
Brenda became famous because _______ .
| A．she made a space suit |
| B．she became a real musical astronaut |
| C．she played drums in her space bubble |
| D．she played drums in a band |
Which of the following can be used to describe Brenda?
| A．kind, hardworking and clever |
| B．brave, kind and hardworking |
| C．lovely, brave and kind |
| D．nervous, kind and clever |
We can draw a conclusion from the passage that: “______”.
| A．He laughs best who laughs last |
| B．It’s never too old to learn |
| C．Two heads are better than one |
| D．One good turn deserves another |
Losing a baby tooth can be fun for a kid. You can put it under your pillow and look forward to finding some money there in the morning. And then you can watch your new permanent(永恒的) tooth grow in its place.
But if a permanent tooth falls out, that’s a problem. There isn’t another one under the gum(齿龈)that can replace it. Unfortunately, this happens to some older people. And if permanent teeth fall out or need to be pulled, an older person might need dentures.
Dentures, known as false teeth, are a set of replacement teeth for any teeth that are missing. There are partial dentures, which take the place of only a few teeth and prevent the others from changing position. If all the teeth are gone, the person would need complete dentures, which replace every tooth in the mouth.
Dentures can cause pains at first and take little time to get adjusted to. They also need special care. They should be brushed daily with a special denture brush and cleanser and soaked（浸泡） in denture solution when not in the mouth.
Dentures are important for the old because, without teeth, it’s hard to smile, talk, and eat properly. But it can be a little weird if you see someone take out his or her dentures. It can also be strange to see someone, like a grandparent, without dentures in because he or she won’t have any teeth. Try not to make fun of the person because this could cause hurt feelings.
People usually lose their permanent teeth due to periodontal disease（牙周炎）, or gum disease, which is caused by bacteria that attacks the gums. Diseased gums aren’t strong and healthy, so teeth can get loose and fall out. Older people often have many cavities(洞)that have been filled over the years, and these fillings can weaken over time, leading to more tooth problems.If one of your baby teeth falls out, you ________.
| A．should have a false tooth fixed in its place |
| B．have to put it under your pillow at once |
| C．will gain a permanent tooth in future |
| D．can exchange it for some money |
A person wearing dentures ________.
| A．should brush them with a special denture brush every few days |
| B．will take a very long time to adjust himself or herself to them |
| C．will experience unpleasant feelings at the beginning of fixing them |
| D．should use denture solution to soak them in his or her mouth |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Partial dentures can prevent the remaining teeth from changing position. |
| B．Old people will find it hard to smile, talk, and eat properly without teeth. |
| C．A person’s teeth will possibly get loose if diseases strike his gums. |
| D．It is hard for a person to wear dentures if all his teeth have fallen out. |
What does the underlined word “weird” mean in the fifth paragraph?
| A．inconvenient | B．excited |
| C．uncomfortable | D．impolite |
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals like salamanders(火蜥蜴) and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that _______.
| A．wild animals have become more dangerous |
| B．the driving condition has improved greatly |
| C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
| D．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
From the story, we know an eco-passage is ________.
| A．an underground path for cars |
| B．a path for animals to cross the road |
| C．a bridge for animals to get over a river |
| D．a fence built for the safety of the area |
When the writer says that “animals seem to be catching on”(Para. 6), he means ________.
| A．animals begin to learn to use eco-passages |
| B．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
| C．animals are crossing the road in groups |
| D．animals are increasing in number |
The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because ________.
| A．they may see wild animals in the park |
| B．wild animals may jam the road |
| C．they may see wild animals on eco-passages |
| D．wild animals may attack cars |
Book 1: Iggy peck, Architect
——By Andrea Beaty
32 pages, US $ 15.95
This book is the classic oddball (古怪的人) story about a kid whose head teacher does not recognize his great talent ( he makes buildings out of anything at hand, including table cloths, fruit and chalk) until it saves her life.
Book 2: The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
——By Janice N. Harrington
40 pages, US $ 16.00
Our character here loves to run after chickens, particularly Miss Hen, who’s very fat. But, as all farming folk know, this is not a good way to produce happy, productive chickens. What will make her change her ways? The author is a professional storyteller and this book is full of fun, and has great illustrations (插图) .
Book 3: Diary of a Fly
——By Doreen Cronin
40 pages, US $ 15.99
This is the diary of a fly. A fly who, when she’s not landing on your head or swimming in your soup, is trying to escape her 327 brothers and sisters who are driving her crazy. Even though she’s little—just like her best friends, Worm and Spider—she wants to be a superhero. This is the story of a little fly who’s not afraid to dream really big.
Book 4：Cherry and Olive
——By Benjamin Lacombe
32 pages, US $ 16.95
Children’s books can quickly take little readers into new worlds, such as the big city, 1930s Georgia, or outer space. This book takes us on a little trip to some European capitals. Cherry is fat and likes books, and she has few friends until she meets a stray SharPei puppy (迷途的沙皮犬) . She names it Olive. Through it she finds confidence and friendship. But what will happen when its owner returns?In book 2, the character________.
| A．can make buildings out of anything | B．is a kid who likes to play tricks on teachers |
| C．keeps lots of chickens | D．likes to run after chickens |
Which of the following can best describe the fly in Book 3?
| A．Lazy and proud. | B．Stupid and funny. |
| C．Brave and courageous. | D．Loyal and honest. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?
| A．Strange students are mentioned in Book 1 and Book 3. |
| B．Book 4 introduces lots of farm animals. |
| C．A fly is a superhero on outer space in Book 2. |
| D．Book 1 is the cheapest of the four books. |
If you are interested in European cities, you may want to read the book by________.
| A．Benjamin Lacombe | B．Janice N. Harrington |
| C．Andrea Beaty | D．Doreen Cronin |
In the summer of 1978 an English farmer was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered that some of his wheat was lying flat on the ground. The flattened (变平的) wheat formed a circle about six meters across. Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat. The five circles were in a formation like five dots (点). During the following years, farmers in England found the strange circles in their fields more and more often.
The circles are called “crop circles” because they appear in the fields of grain—usually wheat or corn. The grain in the circles lies flat on the ground but is never broken; it continues to grow, and farmers can later harvest it. Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September.
At first, people thought that the circles were a hoax. Probably young people were making them as a joke, or farmers were making them to attract tourists. To prove that the circles were a hoax, people tried to make circles exactly like the ones that farmers had found. They could not do it. They couldn’t enter a field of grain without leaving tracks, and they couldn’t flatten the grain without breaking it.
Many people believe that beings from outer space are making the circles to communicate（交流）with us from far away and that the crop circles are messages from them.
Scientists who have studied the crop circles suggested several possibilities. Some scientists say that a downward rush of wind leads to the formation of the circles—the same downward rush of air that sometimes causes an airplane to crash (坠毁). Other scientists say that forces within the earth cause the circles to appear. There is one problem with all these scientific explanations: crop circles often appear in formations, like the five-dot formation. It is hard to believe that any natural force could form those.In the summer of 1978, an English farmer discovered in his field that ________.
| A．some of his wheat had been damaged |
| B．his grain was growing up in circles |
| C．his grain was moved into several circles |
| D．some of his wheat had fallen onto the ground |
According to the text, the underlined part “a hoax” (line 1, para. 3 ) probably means ________.
| A．an action made to fool people |
| B．a special way to plant crops |
| C．a research on the force of winds |
| D．an experiment for the protection of crops |
Which of the following may prove that the crop circles are not made by man？
| A．The farmers couldn’t step out of the field. |
| B．The farmers couldn’t make the circles round. |
| C．The farmers couldn’t leave without footprints. |
| D．The farmers couldn’t keep the wheat straight up. |
A new study has found evidence of aggressive(富于攻击性的)behaviors in children who drink four or more servings of soft drinks every day. Information for the study came from the mothers of 3, 000 5-year-olds.
Researchers asked the women to keep a record of how many servings of soft drinks their children drank over a two-month period. The women were also asked to complete a checklist of their children’s behaviors.
The researchers found that 43 percent of the boys and girls drank at least one daily serving of soda, 4 percent of the youngsters had four or more servings of soda to drink every day.
Shakira Suglia is with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. She worked on the study with researchers from the University of Vermont and Harvard University School of Public Health. She says they found that children who drank the most soda were more than two times as likely as those who drank no soda to show signs of aggression.
“For the children who consumed four or more servings of soft drinks per day, we see an association between aggressive behaviors, attention problems and withdrawn behaviors. ”
The aggressive behaviors included destroying possessions belonging to others, taking part in fights and physically attacking people.
Doctor Suglia says it’s not clear why young children who drink a lot of soda have behavior problems.
“We can’t prove that this is a direct cause and effect relationship, having said that, there are a lot of ingredients in soda, a lot of ingredients that have not been examined in relation to behaviors. ”
Earlier studies of young adults have found the highest sugar levels in those who carry weapons and show signs of negative social behaviors.
What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．The aim of the research. |
| B．The members of the research. |
| C．The method of the research. |
| D．The organizer of the research. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the study?
| A．Researchers had face-to-face talks with some children. |
| B．Mothers played an important part in the study. |
| C．Half of the children drank one daily serving of soda. |
| D．The result of the study is unknown. |
What does the underlined word mean?
| A．Bought. | B．Drank. | C．Fought. | D．Studied. |
What can we learn from Doctor Suglia?
| A．The relation between aggressive behaviors and soft drinks is not clear. |
| B．Children who drink a lot of soda must have behavior problems. |
| C．There are a lot of ingredients examined in relation to behaviors. |
| D．Children shouldn’t drink soda. |