Here are some facts about homes in the United States and the people who live in them. In the early 1990s, about 50% of the Americans owned their homes and the rest rented(租) their homes. The rented homes were usually apartments(公寓).
74% of the people in the US make their homes in or around cities. 26% live in the country. Dogs live in about 40% of all homes in the US. About half that number have cats.
Families in the US are becoming smaller. On the average(平均), 2.64 people lived at home in the early 1990s. In the1960s, the average was 3.5.
Half of the teenagers in the US have their own bedrooms.
An American moves, on the average, twelve times in his or her life. In Japan a person moves about five times, and in England a person moves eight times.Most Americans live ________, according to the passage.
| A．in or around the cities | B．in cities | C．around cities | D．in the country |
Ho w many American families own a cat?
| A．About 40%. | B．About 20%. | C．About 74%. | D．About 26%. |
On the average, there were ________ people in an American family in 1994.
| A．more than 3 | B．only 3.5 | C．less than 2 | D．about 2.64 |
________ in the US have their own bedrooms.
| A．All of the people | B．Most of the children |
| C．Half of the teenagers | D．Only some of the teenagers |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．In the early 1990s, most of the Americans owned their homes. |
| B．Families in the US are becoming bigger and bigger. |
| C．A Japanese moves more often than an American. |
| D．An American moves more often than an Englishman. |
Do you know how to talk to others politely in English? Have a look at the following.
Could you give me five minutes? VS Go away.
You’re really busy, but your classmate needs your help. When you’re busy and can’t help him or her, you can’t say “Go away”. And you can say, ”Could you give me five minutes?”
Excuse me. VS Move
Telling someone to move out of the way is very rude(无礼的). When someone is in your way, you should say “Excuse me”.
I’m afraid I can’t. VS No
It can often be difficult to decline an invitation from a friend. Saying “No” would be impolite. It’s a good idea to say,”I’m afraid I can’t.” if you have to say no to an invitation.
Would you mind…? VS Stop it!
If someone is doing something rude, would you like them to stop? You shouldn’t say, “Stop talking on your phone in the cinema!” You can say, “Would you mind not using your phone in the cinema, please?”The passage mainly tells us___.
| A．how to talk to others politely |
| B．how to ask questions |
| C．how to solve our problems |
| D．how to make others happy |
Which is a polite way to talk to others?
| A．Stop it! | B．Go away! | C．Excuse me | D．Shut up |
If you don’t want to go to your friend’s birthday party, you may say,”___”.
| A．I’m busy | B．No, I don’t. |
| C．I have no interest. | D．I’m afraid I can’t. |
If you don’t like what someone is doing, what can you say?
| A．Would you mind not stopping your car here? |
| B．Don’t stop your car here. |
| C．Move out of the way. |
| D．Stop smoking here |
The underlined word “decline” means ___in Chinese.
| A．拒绝 | B．解决 | C．接受 | D．收到 |
When someone says extinct(灭绝的) animals, you may think about dinosaurs(恐龙). But now many other animals are becoming less and less in number. These animals might disappear from the earth very soon. Take a look at the following animals. They are all in danger.
The African Elephant
The African elephant is a clever animal. It has a very good memory. But people kill it for its tusks(长牙). Half of the African elephants have disappeared.
The African Lion
The African lions have nowhere to live because of wars in Southern Africa. Besides, hunters and farmers often kill them.
The Tortoise
George is a tortoise. It is the last Pinta Island(平塔岛) giant tortoise. It was found in 1971. Now it lives in a research station. It can still live for another 200 years. But it is the last one of this species(物种) of tortoise.
The Tadpole Shrimp(蝌蚪虾)
Maybe you’ve never seen a tadpole shrimp. This is one of the oldest species on the earth. People have found them in fresh water pools on four continents(州). A tadpole shrimp can only live for two months or less.When someone says extinct animals, you may think about____?
| A．monkeys | B．dinosaurs | C．pandas | D．tigers |
People kill the African elephant for its_____
| A．fur | B．tusks | C． nose | D．ears |
According to the passage, we know that George ____.
| A．is the name of a scientist |
| B．is 100 years old |
| C．is the last one of its species |
| D．was born in 1971 |
The tadpole shrimp____.
| A．is in danger because of its special illness(疾病) |
| B．lives on four continents |
| C．lives in a research stations now |
| D．is the second oldest species on the earth |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．A tadpole shrimp can live for 100 years. |
| B．The number of some animals are becoming smaller and smaller. |
| C．All the animals in the world are in danger of extinction |
| D．African elephants have nowhere to live. |
One morning, it was already a quarter to eight when I got up. I was afraid that I would be late so I put on my clothes hurriedly and left without breakfast.
There were so many people at the bus stop that it was not easy to catch a bus. Five minutes went by, I still couldn’t get on one. The only thing I could do was to walk. I rushed through the crowded and ran towards my school. Unexpectedly, I hit an old woman, and she fell down. Without saying sorry, I left her and went on my way.
That evening, when I was back from school, I learned that the old woman was badly hurt in the leg from the fall. Some kind people sent her to a hospital after I left. I felt very sorry and nearly cried. The only way for me to ask her pardon was to pay her a visit.
The next day, I went to the hospital, I met the old woman and told her who I was. At first I thought that she would give me a scolding. To my surprise, she didn’t, but smiled. For me, that smile was worse. She touched my hand and said, “Never mind, my girl, I knew you didn’t want to hurt me, did you? Don’t worry, I will be better soon.”The writer had to walk to school because ____________.
| A．he got up early | B．he hit the woman the bus |
| C．the bus was late | D．it was difficult to get on |
What happened to the old woman after her fall?
| A．her leg was badly hurt |
| B．She was all right |
| C．She scolded the writer |
| D．The writer sent her to a hospital. |
The underlined phrase “a scolding” means some__________.
| A．cold eyes | B．bad words |
| C．warm smile | D．useful money |
From the passage, we know that___________.
| A．The writer might be a manager in a company |
| B．The writer wanted to hit the old woman. |
| C．The old woman understand the writer very well. |
| D．The old woman was probably ill at home. |
Beijing Opera is also called Peking Opera. It came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes(戏班) came to Beijing. Its music and singing(唱腔) come from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei. Its costumes are all fascinating and artistic. It is the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It’s full of famous stories, beautiful facial paintings, and wonderful gestures and fighting. This kind of opera is very popular with Chinese people.
There are four main roles in Beijing Opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng is the leading male (男性) actor. For example, a Wusheng is a soldier or fighter. A Xiaosheng is a young man. A Laosheng is an old man. Dan is the female(女性) role. Jing, mostly male, is the face-painted role and Chou is the comedy actor or clown.
Stories in Beijing Opera are very interesting. Some of them are from the history book, but most of them are from the literature, especially famous novels. The people in the story usually have some disagreements. They become angry and unhappy. They are sad and lonely. Sometimes they are nervous and worried. Then they find a way to make peace. The stories usually end with happiness and laughter and people are all happy in the end. Beijing Opera’s singing is from _________.
| A．Anhui and Hubei | B．Beijing and Anhui |
| C．the history book | D．the literature and novels |
The second paragraph(段落) of the reading is about the _________ of Beijing Opera.
| A．stories | B．roles | C．gestures | D．paintings |
From the reading, we know the role Chou most probably has a (n) _________ feature.
| A．honest | B．funny | C．dull | D．serious |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Peking Opera is full of different gestures. |
| B．There are only four roles in Beijing Opera. |
| C．Beijing Opera is the most popular in the world. |
| D．The people in the story usually are in agreement. |
Winter is very cold in many countries. It’s easy for you and me to keep warm. If we are cold, we can just buy a warm coat or use a heater and we will feel better. But what about animals? How do they keep warm in winter?
Some animals migrate(迁移). This means they travel to places where the weather is warmer. Many birds leave before the winter starts. They fly in groups. If they fly together, the trip will be safer. They like to migrate to the same places every year. Do you know how they can find the same places? Scientists say that birds use the sun, moon and stars to help them. Other animals like moose (麋鹿) also migrate. Fish and whales swim to warmer water.
Some animals don’t have leave their homes. They hibernate in winter. They fall into a very deep sleep. The animals’ temperature drops and their breathing slows down. Before the winter, these animals must eat too much food that they get very fat. If they don’t eat enough, they may die when they are hibernating. In winter, ___________________________.
| A．Animals like to use warm coats and heater. |
| B．The pets like dogs ad cats also migrate. |
| C．Birds like to migrate to different places every year. |
| D．Some animals migrate. |
Fish and whales ________before the winter starts..
| A．hibernate | B．keep quiet in groups. |
| C．swim to warmer water | D．eat a lot of food. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Some birds fly in groups because they can find food more easily. |
| B．Some animals spend their winter sleeping. |
| C．The moose hibernate in winter. |
| D．some animals must do exercise to keep their bodies warm. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Why birds migrate in winter |
| B．How animals hibernate in winter. |
| C．How animals keep warm in winter. |
| D．Why animals like winter. |