If you go to England, you may want to visit Big Ben. Big Ben is not the name of a man but a name of the clock in London. It has a long history of about 150 years. It is at the north end of the Palace of Westminster（威斯敏斯特）. The big clock has four faces. So you can read the face of the chock everywhere.The hands of it are about four meters（米）long.When the new year comes, it chimes to welcome the start of the new year. There are also many fireworks over the clock tower.
The big clock makes a very loud sound “Ding dong.Ding dong”-the clock gives the sound every 15 minutes of an hour.Ｗhat is Big Ben?
| A．A man | B．A tower | C．A clock | D．A plane |
How long are the hands of Big Ben?
| A．2 meters | B．4 meters | C．15 meters | D．16 meters |
Which of the following is True about Big Ben?
| A．It has three faces. | B．It’s in the UK. |
| C．It gives the sound every 30 minutes | D．It is about 200 years old. |
What dose the underlined word chimes mean?
| A．微笑 | B．报时 | C．呐喊 | D．跑步 |
What’s the best title（标题）of the passage？
| A．The clock tower | B．The palace of the westminster |
| C．Clock hands | D．Big Ben |
Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature's (自然) most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1. 5 metres(4 feet) in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1, 000 kinds of bamboo.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimetres wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimetres (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colours, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools( 厨房用具). Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have used bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting (支撑) new buildings and bridges while they are being built.
In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. Bamboo pipes( 管子) help poor farmers bring water to their thirsty fields without spending a lot of money. How is bamboo like grass?
| A．It grows quickly. | B．It's wood. ` | C．it is easy to cut. | D．It is very thin. |
Though you can see bamboo everywhere, it doesn't grow.
| A．in China | B．in Europe | C．on mountains | D．in Africa |
Why is bamboo used by African poor farmers? Because.
| A．it is cheap | B．it has different colours |
| C．it is strong | D．it has been used by Asians |
Bamboo pipes can.
| A．make money | B．be trees | C．grow quickly | D．carry water |
In Asia, bamboo has been used for.
| A．a short time |
| B．many thousands of years |
| C．many hundreds of years |
| D．about 100 years |
Chicago On a Budget
How to have fun in Chicago without spending a lot of money?
Sightseeing
○ The Art Institute of Chicago has a fine collection of photos and paintings. The ticket is ＄10.00,but go on Tuesdays and you’ll get in free(免费).
○ The Sears Tower is the world’s third tallest building. By going to the 103rd floor, you can get a great view of the whole city! All for only ＄8.50.
○ There are free concerts in Grant Park in summer. They are held Wednesday through Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
○ Attend the taping of a TV show for free. The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Jenny Jones Show both offer tourists free tickets. For The Oprah Winfrey Show you’ll have to book tickets at least a month before.
Places to stay
You can get a hotel for ＄100 to ＄ 300 a day. However, you can get a room in the dormitory(宿舍) at Roosevelt University for ＄215 for a whole week! But you have to stay for 30 days to get this great rate(优惠).This passage is written for telling us ___________.
| A．Chicago is a big and beautiful city | B．where we can see fine photos and paintings |
| C．how to make a cheap trip in Chicago | D．there are many free concerts in Chicago |
It will cost you _________ if you visit the Art Institute instead of the Sears Tower on Sundays.
| A．more | B．less | C．the same | D．none |
You may go to ________ if you like to get a great view of the whole city.
| A．the Art Institute | B．the Sears Tower |
| C．Roosevelt University | D．Grant Park |
You have to spend at least _____________in all to stay in a dormitory room at Roosevelt University at a good rate.
| A．＄100 | B．＄300 | C．＄215 | D．＄860 |
According to this passage, which of the following statements in NOT TRUE ?
| A．You are free to go to the Art Institute on Tuesdays. |
| B．Free Grant Park concerts are held four nights a week in summer. |
| C．The Sears Tower is the world’s third tallest building. |
| D．You can get tickets to The Oprah Winfrey as soon as you arrive. |
Michael Jackson is one of the world’s best singers. Michael Jackson was born in the middle west of Gary, Indiana, in 1958. He began singing with his four brothers. They called the group “Jackson Five”. The group became very popular after appearing on a television progam. They started singing in 1965, became popular soon. In 1970 the group made their first record the name of “I Want You Back”. It was very popular. One of their hit records was “Never Say Goodbye”.
Michael was good at dancing as well as singing, for example, his dance moves and moon walking. He was asked to act in a film in 1978 for the first time, in the same year he made a record on his own, which sold eight million copies all over the world.
Michael nearly didn’t go out because he was too famous. Once his fans went off in a faint（晕倒） when they saw him at the concert. No one can do it by now. He lived in a large house and kept lots of animals. He never ate meat. He often raises money for charity. This made him win the Guinness World Records（吉尼斯世界纪录）in 2006. He died on June 25th, 2009, but he would live in our heart forever.What’s the name of their first record?
| A．“Never Say Goodbye” | B．“See You, See Me” |
| C．“I Want You Back” | D．“On the World” |
Michael was good at __________ according to the passage.
| A．rock music | B．street dance |
| C．playing the piano | D．moon walking |
Why did Mochael have to stay at home most of the time?
| A．Because he was too famous |
| B．Because he often felt lonely. |
| C．Because he had no friends |
| D．Because his company asked him to do so |
In 1995，Oseola McCarty gave a present of $150 000 to the University of Southern Mississippi. She wanted to help poor students. It was a very generous thing to do. But her friends and neighbors were surprised. McCarty was a good woman. She went to church. She was always friendly and helpful. But everyone in her town knew that McCarty was not rich. In fact，she was poor.
How did a poor 86-year-old woman have so much money？ Oseola McCarty was born in 1908 in Hattiesburg，Mississippi. She had to leave school when she was eight years old to help her family. She took a job washing clothes. She earned only a few dollars a day. Oseola washed the clothes by hand. Then she hung the clothes to dry. She did this for nearly 80 years. In the 1960s，she bought an automatic washer and dryer. But she gave them away. She did not think they got the clothes clean enough！At that time，many people started to buy their own washers and dryers. McCarty did not have much work， so she started to iron clothes instead.
McCarty never married or had children. Her life was very simple. She went to work and to church. She read her Bible （圣经）。She had a black-and-white television. But she did not watch it very much. It had only one channel.
McCarty saved money all her life and eventually had about $250 000. When she was 86，a lawyer helped her make a will. She left money to the church，her relatives，and the university. McCarty just wanted to help others. She did not think she was a special person. But then people found out about her present to the university. She received many honors （荣誉）。She even flew in an airplane for the first time！Oseola McCarty died in 1999. She was a shy and ordinary woman who became famous.
根据以上短文内容，然后从每题所给的四个选项中选择最佳选项。Oseola McCarty gave $150 000 to the University of Southern Mississippi _______.
| A．to help the poor students | B．to surprise her friends and neighbors |
| C．to show her generosity | D．to be a good and rich woman |
From the story we know _______.
| A．McCarty was born in a poor family near the University of Southern Mississippi |
| B．everyone was surprised because they thought McCarty had no education |
| C．washers and dryers brought a change in McCarty‘s life |
| D．McCarty gave half of her money to the church and her relatives |
Which of the following is true？
| A．McCarty had to work to help her family after school every day. |
| B．McCarty learned to read the Bible by herself in the school. |
| C．McCarty made one third of her money by washing and ironing clothes. |
| D．McCarty did not have her own family because she had no husband or children. |
From which of the following can we tell McCarty lived a simple life？
| A．She worked hard all her life. | B．She didn‘t think she was special. |
| C．She didn‘t have many interests. | D．She had a TV set with many channels. |
Which of the following is true？
| A．McCarty died at the age of eighty-six. |
| B．McCarty did the job of washing for more than eighty years. |
| C．McCarty gave her presents to both universities and churches. |
| D．McCarty was given many honors because of her good deeds. |
There are many wetlands（湿地） in China and some of them have become the world‘s important wetlands. The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are among them. They are in Yancheng， Jiangsu Province. They are home for many different kinds of birds and animals. The world’s largest Milu Deer Nature Reserve（自然保护区） is in them. More than 700 milu deer live freely there. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world， but every winter you can see some in the Red-crowned Cranes Nature Reserve in the Yellow Sea Wetlands.
The temperature in the wetlands is usually neither too high nor too low. There is a lot of rain and sunshine， too. They are really good places for wildlife（野生生物）。 Offering food and home for some special kinds of animals and birds is not the only reason why we need to protect wetlands. Wetlands are important because they also prevent flood. But some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
Luckily， more and more people are beginning to realize the important of wetlands and wildlife. Every year， on February 2nd， many activities are held to tell people more about wetlands.
根据以上短文内容，然后从每题所给的四个选项中选择最佳选项。The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are in the _______ of China.
| A．east | B．south |
| C．west | D．north |
Usually the weather in the wetlands is _______.
| A．hot | B．pleasant |
| C．cold | D．dry |
The World Wetlands Day is on _______.
| A．April 22 | B．June 25 |
| C．February 2 | D．March 22 |
We must protect wetlands because _______.
| A．they are home for wildlife |
| B．they can prevent flood |
| C．they can offer food to the animals and birds |
| D．all of the above |
The best title for the passage is _______.
| A．China‘s Wetlands Have All Entered the World’s List |
| B．Wetlands—Home for Wildlife and Human Beings |
| C．Special Animals in the Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands |
| D．Wetlands—Valuable Recourses（珍贵资源） of Land on the Earth |