What is the sky？ Where is it？ How bright is it？ What lies above it？ These questions are difficult to answer, aren’t they？
Is the sky blue？ The sky has no color. We know that there is air around the world. When planes fly, they need air to lift their wings. Planes can’t fly very high because the air gets thinner when they go up higher. If we go up about 1,200 kilometers from the earth, we’ll find no air there.
When we talk about the sky, we usually mean the atmosphere around the earth. It is like a very thick “cover” over the earth and keeps it warm. Without the “cover”, the earth would be a very cold place and nothing could live on it.
Looking up above us, you will see the blue sky with white clouds. It is usually light blue, but the sky would be dark blue if you go to the top of the highest mountains. And you will see fewer clouds between you and the sun.
And if you sit in a spaceship high above the earth, there is no air at all. The sky would be so dark that its color would be black.
Sometimes the sky doesn’t look blue. When the sun rises and falls, you will see red, orange, and other colors in the sky. These are the most beautiful moments of the day.
Now you may understand that we see colors because the air scatters (散射) the sunlight. Light travels through the air. Without air, there would be no light and no colors.Planes can’t fly very high because ____________.
| A．there is air around the world |
| B．the air gets thinner when they go up higher |
| C．it’s warmer in the sky |
| D．the air gets thicker when they go up higher |
We can see colors of the sky because ____________.
| A．the sun rises and falls every day |
| B．the sky has lots of colors |
| C．the air scatters the sunlight |
| D．the sunlight has many colors |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．There is little air without light and colors in the sky. |
| B．The sky will look red, orange and other colors at noon. |
| C．The sky has only one color when the sun rises and falls. |
| D．The sky is dark blue if you go to the top of the highest mountains. |
SIDE A No. 293083 Student Bus Card Name: Lilian College: University of Chichester From: April 1st, 2014 To: June 30th, 2014 Price: $180 Not valid (有效的)for travel unless it’s used in the bus companies of Stagecoacn, Season, Goldrider and Busabout in the UK |
SIDE B No. 293083 Thank you for travelling with Stagecoach If the card is found, please return to any Stagecoach driver. |
The card is used for________.
| A．taking a taxi | B．travelling by train |
| C．taking a bus | D．entering the college |
What does Lilian do according to the card?
| A．A bus driver | B．A university student |
| C．A college teacher | D．A middle school student |
You can NOT find _________in the card.
| A．Lilian’s age | B．the price |
| C．the card number | D．the time limit |
My Year Abroad
This month in TravelersCorner there are three teenagers’ experiences in year-abroad programmes.
Mariko Okada – Tokyo
My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I’m not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned many English songs and lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future.
Carla Fonseca – Rio de Janeiro
I spent last year studying English in London. I’m from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I’m glad to be home!
Alvin Chen – Hong Kong
Studying in New Zealand was a fun experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week——with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my homestay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I’m really glad I went.Where did Mariko visit?
| A．Tokyo | B．London |
| C．the United States | D．New Zealand |
What can we learn about Carla?
| A．She was a little homesick. |
| B．She had no problem talking in English. |
| C．She often talked to her parents on phone. |
| D．She felt London was the same as her hometown. |
Which of the activities are NOT mentioned by Alvin?
| A．Homework | B．Singing practice |
| C．Keeping a diary | D．Going to interesting places |
Which is true about Mariko, Carla and Alvin?
| A．They were all shy persons. |
| B．They all spent a year abroad. |
| C．They all come from big cities. |
| D．They all speak very good English. |
This article is most probably taken from____________ .
| A．an advertisement | B．a textbook |
| C．a travel magazine | D．a news website |
College is an exciting time to learn and to make friends that will last a lifetime. Many students do not like to worry about money, and they would rather not think about it. But, it doesn’t matter whether a student’s parents pay for everything, or whether the students work part-time to help pay for his or her education. All students can get into money trouble if they’re not careful.
The cost of a college education can be quite expensive. In English-speaking countries, the average(平均的）cost per student per year is well over US$10,000. Students must also pay for books, paper, pens, and etc. These can cost $500 to $1,000 per year. Students who live in university housing pay thousand more per year for room and board(住宿）. Add money for clothes, travel, and other personal expenses, and the cost of one year at a university can be $20, 000 to $30,000 or more.
Students need to spend their money carefully. At most universities, advisors can give students advice on how to budget(预算） their money. They suggest this: at the start of a school term, write down your income; for example, money you will get from your family or a part-time job. Then, list all of your expenses. Put your expenses into two groups: those that change (food, phone, books, travel), and those that will stay the same (tuition, room and board). Add together all of your expenses. Are they more than your income? Do you have enough money, or do you need more?
Learning not to spend more money than you have is not always easy. But for many, it is easier than borrowing money from family or friends.How much will a college student spend in total every year?
| A．$10,000 per year | B．$15,000 per year |
| C．$30, 000 per year | D．$500 per year |
Students who live in university pay thousands more per year for_______.
| A．rooms | B．clothes |
| C．travelling | D．books |
Expenses that do not change include ________.
| A．tuition | B．clothes | C．phone | D．food |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．College students needn’t worry about money. |
| B．It’s important to follow the advisors’ advice. |
| C．Students can spend more than their income. |
| D．Borrowing money from others is very easy. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The cost of a college education |
| B．How to pay for a college education |
| C．How to borrow money from family |
| D．Spending money wisely at college |
Christopher Reeve was born in September, 1952. He was in his first school play when he was eight and he started to act in TV shows and films while he was still in college. He made many successful films and TV shows but he is most famous for his Superman films.
Unfortunately, disaster came in 1995 when he fell from his horse and broke his back. The doctors did not expect him to live. However, he made amazing progress. At first, he couldn’t breathe without a machine, but he learnt to breathe on his own. He would never walk again but he started a new life with great courage.
The second year after his accident, Christopher returned to film making. He also raised a lot of money to promote medical research into back injuries. He made speeches all over the USA about his experiences. This not only drew public attention to research into back injuries but also encouraged a lot of people living with all kinds of problems.
From their home, Christopher and his wife Dana spoke about their life after the accident．
Could you say something about your life after the accident?
"Four days after the accident, I came to understand my situation. The doctors said I was not going to pull through. Those days were terrible. But my wife Dana said, “You are still you and I love you. Be confident in yourself.” And that saved my life. Since that moment I have never thought of giving up."
What do you think of your family?
"Great! Dana is so wonderful．We have always got on really well．My parents often quarreled with each other when I was young．But they've got closer since the accident．"
How do you spend your time?
"I spend most of my time on charity work to improve the life for all disabled people．I think they need my help. With the progress of new medical research, I'm confident that people like me would be able to walk again one day. So you can see I'm far too busy to think of giving up!"
Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 2004. But people all over the world will always remember him as a superhero．What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Christopher’s riding accident | B．Christopher’s marriage |
| C．Christopher’s death | D．Christopher’s films |
Reeve made a lot of public speeches in order to____________.
| A．make more money |
| B．draw people’s attention to his films |
| C．prove he was a superman |
| D．encourage people to be strong in life |
Whom was Reeve most thankful to?
| A．His parents | B．The film company |
| C．His wife | D．The doctors |
By saying "I'm far too busy to think of giving up!", Reeve means _______．
| A．so far he has been busy thinking of giving up |
| B．he’s so busy that he has no time to think of giving up |
| C．he’s too busy that he begins to think about giving up |
| D．he has never thought of giving up walking far |
Which of the following words can best describe Reeve?
| A．Brave | B．Crazy | C．Humorous | D．Careful |
At a day care center in Texas, children were playing outside. One of the children was Jessica , 18 months old. Jessica’s mother, who worked at the day care center, was watching the children. Suddenly Jessica fell and disappeared. Jessica’s mother cried and ran to her.
A well was in the yard of the center. It was only eight inches across, and a rock always covered it. But children played around and had moved the rock. Jessica fell right into the well.
Jessica’s mother couldn’t feel Jessica, so she called 911 for help. Men from the fire apartment arrived. They discovered that Jessica was about 20 feet down in the well.
“It’s too narrow,” they said, “So, we’re going to drill(钻) a big hole beside.”The man began on Wednesday morning. Two days later, on Friday morning, they were still drilling, as they had to drill through the solid rock.
During her days in the well, Jessica sometimes called her mother. Sometimes she slept, sometimes she cried, and sometimes she sang.
All over the world people waited for the news of Jessica. They read about her in the newspapers and watched her rescue on TV.
At 8 p. m. on Friday, the men finally reached Jessica and brought her up from the well. Jessica was dirty, hungry, thirsty and tired. Her foot and forehead was badly injured. But Jessica was alive. A doctor at the hospital said, “Jessica is lucky. She is young. She’s not going to remember this very well. ”
However, her parents, the rescuers, many other people around the world will not forget this. Later, one of the rescuers made a metal cover for the well. On the cover he wrote, “To Jessica, with love from all of us. ” Jessica fell into the well because____________.
| A．her mother was not watching her |
| B．the rock cover was moved away |
| C．Other children pushed her |
| D．she was too young to cross it |
What the doctor said meant that _____________.
| A．Jessica is lucky to have a good memory |
| B．Jessica is alive in the well because she is small |
| C．the hospital could improve young Jessica’s memory |
| D．Young Jessica wouldn’t remember her experience for long |
We learn from the passage that_____________.
| A．Jessica got many people’s attention |
| B．The rescuers had to drill the well bigger |
| C．It took one day for the men to rescue Jessica |
| D．Jessica’s parents made a new cover for the well |
In which order did the story happen?
a. Jessica fell into a well.
b. Rescuers drilled a hole to save Jessica.
c. Jessica’s mother ran to reach her.
d. Children moved the rock.
e. A medal cover was made.
| A．a-b-d-c-e | B．a-c-b-d-e | C．d-a-c-b-e | D．d-b-a-c-e |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A．A Careless Mother | B．A Dangerous Well |
| C．Everybody’s Baby | D．A lost rock cover |