Why do people travel? Well, many people travel because they want to see other countries and visit places that are famous, interesting or beautiful. People also travel to meet new friends, to try new kind of food, to experience life in other parts of the world or simply to get away from cold weather. Yet there are other reasons why people travel. Many of today’s travelers are looking for an unusual experience and adventure travel is becoming more and more popular. Here is a quick look at two popular activities: hiking and rafting.
HIKING
Hiking is a great way to travel. You will get close to nature and take exercise at the same time. Hiking is easy to do and doesn’t have to be very expensive. You can hike close to home or travel to other places. The basic equipment you need for hiking is simple: good shoes, clothes and a backpack. You can hike in the mountains, in a forest or along a river. You can also go for a hike in the city.
Hiking is fun and exciting, but you shouldn’t forget safety. Here are some basic tips for successful hiking: 1. Don’t hike alone. 2. Tell someone where you are going; 3. Bring water and a good map; 4. Watch out for dangers, such as spiders, snakes, or poisonous plants; 5. Wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun; 6.Bring a mobile phone if you have one.
RAFTING
Another exciting adventure is rafting. A raft is a small boat that you can use to paddle down rivers and streams. Rafting is a good way to experience nature. If you want a normal rafting trip, choose a quiet stream or river that is wide and has few trees and other dangers. The name “whitewater” comes from the fact that the water in these streams and rivers looks white when it moves quickly.
As with hiking, you should always think about your safety and wear good clothes. You also need to learn the basic skills of rafting, such as how to handle the raft, how to paddle and how to get in and out of the raft. You should not go rafting unless you know how to swim, and you should always wear a life jacket.Adventure travelers want to _______.
| A．try new kinds of food |
| B．meet new friends. |
| C．experience fun and excitement |
| D．visit famous sites or beautiful places |
Hiking is a kind of adventure travel because _________.
| A．it is not expensive |
| B．it is not only exciting but inexpensive |
| C．you need a lot of equipment for it |
| D．you will often put yourself in danger. |
While hiking or rafting, it is important to think about________.
| A．cost | B．excitement | C．safety | D．fun |
While you go rafting, you have to _________.
| A．put on a life jacket. | B．know how to swim |
| C．wear leather shoes | D．have rafting skills |
It is Saturday afternoon．You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend the night together． Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate．How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension（紧张情绪）between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations．As you are getting older，you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends．
However，at the same time，your family is trying to figure out how to deal with these changes． While you once spent most of your free time with your family，you are now often absent from home．Parents may get their feelings hurt．Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period．You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you．
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease（缓解）the tension．
* Make your plans in advance．Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time．
* When something with your friends interferes（干扰；冲突）with a family event，try to figure out if there is any way you can do both．
* Suggest something you would really like to do with your family．Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them．
Some of the time you won’t be happy with the outcome（结果）．You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends．However，if you show consideration（体谅）for the feelings of both your family and your friends，you can solve the problem in a tender way．
The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________．
| A．show a disagreement of views |
| B．serve as a description of teenager trouble |
| C．serve as an introduction to the discussion |
| D．show the popularity of teenager problem |
The tension between teenagers and their families is caused by the fact that____________．
| A．teenagers don’t like to take family demands |
| B．parents want to keep their family under control |
| C．parents feel unhappy that their children make so many friends |
| D．both parents and teenagers don’t pay attention to each other’s feeling much |
Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the passage?
| A．Don’t feel angry if your parents ask you to do something． |
| B．Try to think of ways to balance family event with friend event． |
| C．Tell your parents before you decide to spend time with your friends． |
| D．Advise your parents to do something that you are interested in with you． |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To inform us of parent and teenager tension． |
| B．To tell us about a common teenager problem． |
| C．To persuade parents to show consideration for teenagers． |
| D．To advise teenagers how to deal with their tension with their family． |
Win a trip to the OREGON COAST----- Dare to Explore the Pacific Ocean. Build the biggest sand castle on the beach. Search tide pools for sea life. Watch the bright orange sunset over the ocean. Whether you’ve been to the Pacific Ocean before or have only closed your eyes and imagined it, we want to know how you would explore the Oregon Coast if you had the chance to go this summer.
JUDGING
1. Clear relationship between the Essay and the Drawing 40%.
2. Creativity and skill in design and form of the Drawing 40%.
3. Expression of the passion to draw and explore 10%.
4. Journalistic quality, uncluttered(整洁的)nature and overall quality of the Essay 10%.
PRIZE
By entering, you will have the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the OREGON COAST. Activities will include: Kite flying, studying beautiful sea creatures, searching for sea life on a boat, science exploration at a science center and roasting over a beach campfire.
Who may enter: The competition is open to kids aged 6-14.
TEAM: Entries must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2010.
How to enter
Surf traveloregon.com/kids to download and print out an entry form.
Be sure to mark whether you have to or have not been to the Pacific Ocean in the form. Create a drawing of the Pacific Ocean on a piece of paper using a pen or paints.
Write an article of 100 words or less to explain why you want to go, what you think you would see, and what you would explore if you have never been to the Pacific Ocean, or describe your favorite memories from your last visit.
Send to Dare to Explore the Pacific Ocean, NG1145 17th street NW, WashingtonD.C.20036.
What is the most important for the judging?
| A．Whether your article is written in a neat way. |
| B．The article and the drawing should be closely related. |
| C．Whether you show your passion to draw and explore. |
| D．The skill in your drawing the map of the Atlantic Ocean. |
If you win the competition, you may________.
| A．fly a kite on the beach |
| B．search the ocean for sea plants |
| C．build the biggest tower on the beach |
| D．roast the sea creatures over a beach campfire |
What information can you get from the passage?
| A．Your article should be at least 100 words. |
| B．Every kid can take part in the competition. |
| C．You should mark the drawing with your name. |
| D．You must send the drawing before July 31, 2010. |
You can most probably read the passage in_______.
| A．a textbook | B．a travel guide | C．a newspaper | D．a research book |
Beliefs form a big part of our lives. Successful people have always believed that they can be and will be successful in their lives, such as Michael Phelps. Many of us have seen Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals in a single Olympic Games. That has created a history for himself. Many people have admired his success and the first reaction in their mind will be, “Wow, how I wish I could be like him!” Have you ever wondered what brought him success?
In fact, anyone can achieve what they have wanted to achieve. It is about beliefs. Everyone is a born winner. It is this belief that drives an individual to be successful in his or her own field. All successful individuals have strong beliefs and it is one of the bases for their success. If we start to believe in ourselves, the things that we can achieve will definitely give us a pleasant surprise.
Other than having a strong belief, it is the attitude that drives the individual to create their own history. The devotion towards themselves and the drive must also be present. Imagine having a strong belief in oneself and having a poor attitude towards life. Then how would that individual turn out to be? One’s attitude comprises the drive, the devotion and the desire to achieve his goals. If one has strong beliefs about the goals that he can achieve and he displays good attitudes towards them, it would be no surprise to anyone that he will be able to achieve his goals.
Start believing in yourself and you will achieve your goals and with the right positive attitude, you will definitely be able to create the miracle that you have always dreamt of.
Which of the following is the best summary of Paragraph2?
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．Good begun is half done. |
| C．No pains, no gains. |
| D．God helps those who help themselves. |
The underlined word comprises in Paragraph3 most probably means_______?
| A．serve as | B．belongs to |
| C．consists of | D．stands for |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．attitudes can be learned from one’s parents |
| B．only strong beliefs can’t ensure you a promising future |
| C．copying other’s behaviors is a good way to succeed |
| D．attitudes can only be learned through one’s success |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Differences Between Beliefs and Attitudes |
| B．The Nature of Beliefs and Positive Attitudes |
| C．Relationship Between Beliefs and Attitudes |
| D．The Power of Beliefs and Positive Attitudes |
When my daughter, Sophie, was admitted to a college we were very happy, but a little worried about becoming empty nesters. I knew I had to do something to help myself adapt, starting with the summer before she left.
Sophie had a pack of colorful T-shirts. I knew she wouldn’t wear them any more, so I decided to make a quilt out of them for her bed at college. It focused my energy, and also let me relive some memories. I tried to work on the quilt when Sophie wasn’t at home----which turned out to be often. She was very busy with her friends. Even when she was around, her door was shut more than usual. I felt a bit hurt. After all, we didn’t have much time together before she went to college, I was already missing her, and she hadn’t ever left yet.
When we arrived at the college, a wave of emotion flooded me. I tried to hold it back, but Sophie saw it in my face. She took a big red book from her bag. “I made this for you, Mom,” she said. Then I knew why she had been staying behind a closed door that summer. It was an album of photographs documenting the life of our family over the last 17 years.
I broke into tears. Some of it was sadness at having to let her go, but some of it was joy. I knew that our connection was more powerful than ever, and that we’d always be connected by the strongest of threads, the love that went into every stitch of her quilt and every photo of my album.
In Sophie’s dormitory I unfolded the quilt on her bed. For a moment she was speechless. Then she threw her arms around me. “Mom, I love you,” she said. One of her new friends was calling her outside. Sophie turned, and I let her go.
What do we learn about Sophie from the passage?
| A．She did not understand how her mother felt about her leaving. |
| B．She had few friends, and kept to herself at home that summer. |
| C．She made a photo album to show her love. |
| D．She liked her colorful T-shirts very much. |
Why did the author feel hurt, according to the second paragraph?
| A．Because Sophie was not interested in what she was doing. |
| B．Because Sophie had little time for her. |
| C．Because Sophie was going to leave home for a long time. |
| D．Because Sophie did not help her to make the quilt. |
How did the author feel when they arrived at the college?
| A．She felt worried. |
| B．She felt nervous. |
| C．She was sorry to be leaving her daughter. |
| D．She missed her daughter very much. |
Why did the author finally let her daughter go?
| A．She realized that her daughter had to go to college by herself. |
| B．She realized that the love between them would never be cut off. |
| C．Sophie’s present had made her forget her sorrow. |
| D．Sophie’s new friends were calling her outside the dormitory. |
With alarming regularity, we read about oil tankers having accidents near land and the terrible consequences of the oil spills （泄露） on people, nature, and the environment．
Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil．Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea．
Of all of today's environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious．Although oil is poisonous, it is a natural material．In the end, it breaks down naturally．There are, of course, long-term effects, but it is usually more serious in the short term．
Nature by itself works better than chemical materials, but when there is a spill we demand that governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible．In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tons of oil into the ocean．If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened．
Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage．Interestingly, the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run．
We should be thinking more about reducing our dependence on oil．Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power （太阳能） , electricity, hydrogen, and so on．Much of this research has, in the past, been held back by the oil, gas, and coal．
If the world's millions of cars were 10% more efficient （高效的）—and the industry could easily produce cars at least twice as efficient we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year．If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too．．What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．Oil spills pollution． | B．What oil pollution is． |
| C．Oil tanker accidents. | D．How to reduce oil pollution. |
How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe?
| A．By giving a description． | B．By making an argument． |
| C．By giving an example． | D．By drawing a diagram． |
．What does the underlined word "risk" in Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．Transportation depending more on oil． |
| B．Poisonous oil breaking down naturally． |
| C．Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea． |
| D．More environmental damage being caused． |
．Which suggestion is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?
| A．We should build safer tankers in the near future． |
| B．We should develop new technologies to cut oil use． |
| C．Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines． |
| D．Countries should build more oil pipelines under the sea． |