It is a bright morning in the Ethiopian countryside. Yohannes walks beside a pair of donkeys that are pulling a two-wheeled cart. They arrive at the agricultural town of Awassa where Yohannes opens the sides of the cart to display, not the usual vegetables or tools, but children’s books. This is the Donkey Mobile Library, the first of its kind in Ethiopia and one of only a few in the world.
Yohannes was born in Ethiopia, North Africa, but trained to be a librarian in the USA and returned to Ethiopia years ago. The cart is full of picture books donated by American libraries, teachers and school children.
Yohannes arranges small painted benches in the shade of the trees, and suddenly Ethiopian children come shouting and racing down every road and path. It’s mobile library day! They circle the bookshelves with great excitement. Until the Donkey Mobile Library began its regular two-monthly visits, many of these children had never seen a book.
“Without books, education is very dull, like food without salt. You can survive but you can’t really come alive,” says Yohannes. “The ability to read is the basis for greater productivity, better health and longer life. Even though the children lack material goods, with books they can imagine a world of possibilities.”
Yohannes first worked in the children’s section of the main library in America. Surrounded by books he had never seen before, he realized how joyful and imaginative children’s literature is. He says, “I always thought of Ethiopia. But how could I bring children’s books to my home country when it had almost no libraries to keep the books in?”
He contacted Jane Kurtz, a writer born in America but brought up in Ethiopia, and together they created the Donkey Mobile Library. The children say that the Library has given them ideas about what they might do in the future. A child called Dareje wants to be a scientist and find a cure for life-threatening diseases. An eleven year-old girl, Fikerte, wants to do research about the moon and discover new facts about outer space. Tamrat, aged 10, comes every time.
“What brings you back here time and time again?” the librarian asks him.
“The stories,” Tamrat replies instantly.How do the children feel when they see the Donkey Mobile Library?
| A．Curious. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Interested. | D．Excited. |
We can conclude from the passage that .
| A．Ethiopian children have no idea about their future |
| B．Yohannes and Kurtz share similar life experiences |
| C．donkey carts in Awassa usually carry vegetables and tools |
| D．most books in the Donkey Mobile Library were bought in America |
According to the passage, the Donkey Mobile Library .
| A．visits the countryside every day |
| B．benefits Ethiopian children a lot |
| C．was created by Yohannes himself |
| D．was the first of its kind in the world |
Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. |
| C．A historical story. | D．An advertisement. |
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized（强调） the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was showed in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman, on the road, and soon we began to talk． As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished, gently shaking his head ,shrugging his shoulders, saying, “You don’t say! You don’t say!” I was puzzled, I thought, perhaps this is not a proper topic．Well, I had better change the topic． So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everybody back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent（壮丽的，不凡的）.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it. ” Soon I was interrupted（打断） again by his order “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t request you to do so,” He answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “You don’t say actually means really? It is an expression of surprise Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.A year ago, I did not pay attention to English idioms because_______.
| A．English idioms were too difficult to master |
| B．I care little about the teacher’s instruction |
| C．My teacher didn’t emphasize the importance |
| D．I had no interest in English learning |
When I first heard “ You don’t say!” I thought _______.
| A．the Englishman was not interested in my English studies |
| B．the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking at once |
The underlined word “ amusing ” means _______.
| A． interesting | B．important |
| C．terrible | D．lucky |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don’t know them as well their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to _________.
| A．go to their friends |
| B．talk with their parents |
| C．have a discussion with their family |
| D．talk with their friends on the phone |
Which of the following is DIFFERENT in meaning from the sentence “Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends.”?
| A．Some parents may even not allow their children to meet their good friends. |
| B．Some parents may even ask their children to stay away from their good friends. |
| C．Some parents may even not let their children meet their good friends. |
| D．Some parents may want their children to stop to meet their good friends. |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
| A．Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B．In all families, children can choose everything they like. |
| C．Parents should try their best to understand their children better. |
| D．Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
The main idea of this passage is that ___________.
| A．Teenagers need friends |
| B．Friends can give good advice |
| C．Parents often choose their children’s friends for them |
| D．Good friends can communicate with each other |
Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steer them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.According to the text, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?
| A．Those who often take exercise. |
| B．Those who often watch television. |
| C．Those who often have meals at home. |
| D．Those who often walk to school. |
The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because
| A．their parents often cook meals for them |
| B．they are too busy to go out and play |
| C．they can' t choose what to eat |
| D．there are too many fast food shops around |
The word "steer" underlined in the last sentence most probably means _______.
| A．force | B．guide | C．expect | D．observe |
The main purpose of the text is to _________.
| A．tell a story | B．provide facts |
| C．give advice | D．compare opinions |
On January 11, 2007, as students sat and listened, a very important guest speaker named Richard, spoke to the students in the lecture hall. He not only showed the potential（潜能）within young adults, but encouraged them to work hard at their lessons.
Richard was a young child when his mother died and his father walked out. He was forced into many different foster homes（寄养家庭）where he felt unhappy. He did not know that his life was taking a turn for the worst.
His uncle, after getting out of prison, got him into drugs and alcohol. His uncle taught him that his place in life was either to be in prison or die trying to be “a man.” His uncle’s teaching almost started affecting him until a very important person came into his life: a teacher. This teacher taught him there is a place in the world for everyone and it isn’t related to drugs.
Richard is now a Harvard University graduate and has a great and loving family. Why? He was taught to have respect not only for others, but for himself.
After the meeting, it was hoped that the students realized within them there is a potential, and within everyone around them, is knowledge. As Richard reminded them, “Knowledge is power.”On January 11, 2007, students listened to a speech made by Richard, who graduated from ________.
| A．Harvard University | B．a foster school |
| C．his teacher’s school | D．his uncle’s university |
Richard encouraged the students ______.
| A．to love life | B．to be a man |
| C．to study hard | D．to leave drugs |
When he was young, Richard lived a（an）_______ life in foster homes.
| A．rich | B．unhappy | C．relaxing | D．interesting |
Who played an important role in Richard’s successful life?
| A．His uncle. | B．His teacher. |
| C．His friends. | D．His parents. |
An American spacecraft is moving closer to a dwarf planet(矮行星)called Ceres(谷神星). The American space agency's Dawn spacecraft is set to reach the planet-like object in March.
Space agency scientists will then place Dawn in an orbit(轨道) around the dwarf planet. Agency scientists want to know more about ice on Ceres. The spacecraft will gather clues about whether Ceres may have once had conditions to support life as we know it.
Dawn left Earth more than seven years ago on a trip to explore Ceres and another dwarf planet, called Vesta(灶神星). Both dwarf planets are in the main belt of asteroids(小行星), a group of large objects, between the planets Mars and Jupiter.
Marc Rayman is the chief engineer and director of the Dawn mission.
Scientists call Vesta and Ceres "protoplanets(行星) ". Mr. Rayman says they were in the process of becoming full-size planets when, in his words, "their growth was terminated(终止)."
Scientists believe Ceres is made of rock, and covered with ice.
The Dawn mission is based in Los Angeles, California. Scientists there send second-by-second commands to the spacecraft. They direct its every move, including telling it what pictures to take. Dawn will make a map of the dwarf planet. It will also try to discover how Ceres' surface has changed.
Carol Raymond is the deputy principal investigator(副首席研究员) of the project. He says Dawn made an unexpected discovery while orbiting Vesta.
"Instead of being bone dry, which we expected, there were patches on the surface of Vesta that showed significant amounts of water bound in the rocks and possibly even free water that could have flowed on the surface in the past."
She says that if Earth's water came from wet worlds like Vesta and Ceres, then life could have developed there, too.
If Dawn finds that the environment of Ceres could have supported life, scientists may seek to explore the dwarf planet with other scientific instruments.
Dawn will gather information about Ceres until the middle of 2016. It will then continue to orbit the small planet.Which of the following about spacecraft Dawn is true?
| A．It was sent into space in 2008. |
| B． It is orbiting around the dwarf planet Ceres. |
| C． Its destination is just the dwarf planet Ceres. |
| D． It will gather information about Ceres until early 2016. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “patches”?
| A．spots | B．roles | C．sorts | D． kinds |
What do we know about Vesta?
| A． It is in the main belt of asteroids between the planets Mars and Venus. |
| B． It is another dwarf planet which Dawn will explore. |
| C． It is becoming a full-size planet. |
| D． It is made of rock, and covered with ice. |
The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A． Spacecraft , Dawn, is researching Ceres. |
| B． What Spacecraft , Dawn, is. |
| C．NASA Spacecraft, Dawn, is moving closer to a 'Dwarf Planet'. |
| D．How Dwarf Planet research program is carried out. |