American schools begin in September after a long summer holiday. There're two terms in a school year. The first term is from September to January, and the second term is from February to June. Most American children begin to go to school when they're five years old. Most students are seventeen or eighteen years old when they finish high school.
High school students take only five or six subjects each term. They usually go to the same classes every day, and they have homework for every class. After class, they do a lot of interesting things.
After high school, many students go to college(大学). They usually have to pay a lot of money. So, many college students work after class to get money for their studies.In America, schools begin in_________ after summer holiday.
| A．July | B．September | C．May | D．February |
Most American children go to school at the age of _________.
| A．five | B．seven | C．eighteen | D．seventeen |
After high school, many students go to _________.
| A．cities | B．work | C．college | D．town |
I’m Sam. My hobby is playing chess（棋）—one of the greatest games in the world. My mom taught me how to play when I was 7. She beat(打败) me every time for the first year. But then on my eighth birthday, I won for the first time. I nearly always beat her from then on.
It takes about a day to learn the rules(规则). But if you want to be good, you have to practice for years. You don’t need much to play chess—just a chess set(棋具) and someone to play with.
Chess sets can be quite cheap, or very expensive. Some people collect chess sets as a hobby, but some prefer playing.
There is a chess club in our school, and we meet every week to play with each other. I’m the best player in the club, and the captain of the school chess team. This year we won the All English Schools’ Championship(锦标赛), and I had to go up on stage(台子) in front of the whole school to collect the trophy(奖品).
I’m saving up my money to buy a chess computer. It’s very expensive, but very good for practice. In that way, I’ll always have someone to play with. One day I will be the world chess champion(冠军).
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。Sam’s mom_______ beats him at chess.
| A．never | B．always |
| C．usually | D．sometimes |
You have to spend________ money on a chess set.
| A．lots of | B． little | C．much | D．some |
Sam’s school has a very good ______ team.
| A．chess | B．soccer |
| C．basketball | D．pingpong |
Sam is the _______ of the school chess team
| A．teacher | B． owner | C．captain | D．worker |
Sam has got ___________.
| A．a chess computer | B．a chess club |
| C．a chess set(棋具) | D．Both A and B |
Someone once said, “The pen is even stronger than the sword (剑).” Bertha von Suttner believed in peace. She thought that none of the world’s problems could be solved until people learned to live together in peace. She used her pen to tell the world her beliefs.
Bertha Kinsky was born in 1843 to a rich Austrian family. In 1859 she heard about the horrors of war taking place in nearby areas of southern and central Europe. In 1864 she saw a war taking place in her country. The Kinsky family lost its money, and Bertha became a private teacher to the von Suttner family. She left Austria in 1876 to work for Alfred Nobel, a rich factory owner. She soon returned to Austria to marry the Baron von Suttner, but she and Nobel were still friends.
In 1898 Bertha von Suttner wrote a book against war called Lay Down Your Arms. It was immediately popular. In 1891 she started the Austrian Peace Organization. From 1892 to 1899, she was the editor of a worldwide peace magazine. Then, in 1899, she wrote her most famous book, The Machine Age.
Alfred Nobel supported Bertha von Suttner’s work in the peace movement. Before he died in 1896, some of his money was set aside to create the Nobel Prize. Every year since 1901, people who have done important work in sciences, literature (文学), and peace have received Nobel Prizes. Many believe that Nobel’s friendship with Baroness von Suttner convinced (说服) him to create the peace prize.
In 1904 Bertha von Suttner won the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first woman to win the peace prize, and she was the second woman to win the Nobel Prize.
Bertha von Suttner died I June 1914. A week later, World War I began in Europe.Did Bertha von Suttner use her pen to tell the world her beliefs?
When did a war take place in Austria?
What did Bertha von Suttner do against war?
Why did Alfred Nobel create the Nobel Prize?
What does the passage mainly talk about?
Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, “Happiness depends on be happier.
The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future — for example, getting into college or getting a good job — that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.
Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. Many people experience dancing, or playing a sport, such as swimming. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity.
Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes. The second paragraph tells us that ________.
| A．we shouldn’t think about our future |
| B．some people fail to live a happy life |
| C．happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life |
| D．the more friends you have, the happier you will be |
The passage gives us ________ pieces of advice on happiness.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．Reading a good book |
| B．Traveling to a foreign country |
| C．Playing a sport |
| D．Spending time with close friends |
When you work long hours and Sundays are no longer a day to rest, feeling overworked can become the new normal. Take sportsmen as examples and do the same yourself, so you’ll know if you’re overworking.
Check your resting heart rate (率). Every day, before you get out of bed, take your pulse (脉搏). Usually your heart rate will stay within a few beats every minute. But when you’re overworked, the rate increases. If your heart rate is up in the morning, get a little more rest or sleep that night.
Check your emotions. Getting angry easily? If you can’t put your finger on a clear reason, there may be something wrong with your emotions. Hoping to change the condition won’t help. The only way out is a break.
Check your weight. If you lose or increase more than 1% of body weight from one day to the next, something is wrong. Maybe yesterday you were too busy and failed to notice you didn’t eat and drink enough. Or maybe you failed to notice that you were eating too much. How many ways are mentioned to check if we’re overworking?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
When should we check our heart rate?
| A．In the morning | B．In the afternoon |
| C．At noon | D．At night |
What is the best way to deal with the problem of overwork?
| A．Doing more sports | B．Drinking more water |
| C．Having more rest | D．Eating less food |
How do you make friends? Some students are sharing their ideas with us.
 Tom Although we are quite different, Adam and I have been close friends for 5 years. We have a lot to talk. We play basketball together after school. We go for a picnic at weekends. It’s always a pleasure to be with him. |
 Yumi I spend my spare time mostly with people from other countries. When I’m with them, I really get to know what they’re like and how easy they are to get along with. They help me to improve my English. |
 Anna I’ve made some good friends at the gym I go to. People there are very friendly. Talking to them as I take exercise is a good way for us to get to know each other. |
 Peter I can make more friends on the Internet because it keeps me in touch with the whole world. I can get worldwide stories from my friends all over the world. |
Adam is ______ friend.
| A．Tom’s | B．Yumi’s |
| C．Anna’s | D．Peter’s |
With the help of her friends, Yumi ______.
| A．takes more exercise |
| B．learns English better |
| C．feels happier at picnics |
| D．knows more about the world |
What helps Peter make more friends?
| A．The story | B．The sport |
| C．The Internet | D．The language |