"The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. "That's an old saying in English. It means other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating Western holidays.
Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with Mid-Autumn Festival. And let's not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.
It's good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they cannot replace your own culture. It's good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.
Judge the following sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.The Spring Festival is more meaningful for Chinese people.
The saying means the place where you live looks better than other places.
Foreign culture can't replace Chinese culture.
Some people worry that young Chinese ignore Chinese culture.
This passage mentioned three Chinese festivals.
阅读下列内容，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
Researchers at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a State-owned defense contractor, have developed and made the world’s first robot whale shark（鲸鲨）.
The robotic shark has been on display in an aquarium（水族馆）at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park since January.
A whale shark is a slow-moving carpet shark and the largest known living fish.
Designed and built by engineers at the Shenyang-based No 111 Factory, the underwater robot is 4.7 meters long, weighs 350 kilograms and can move 42 meters a minute.
Powered by a lithium battery, it can swim, turn, float and dive like a real shark by moving its mechanical fins（鳍）. The mouth and gills（鳃）can also open and close like a shark’s. The biomimetic shark is made of sensors（传感器）, multi-joint fins, batteries, and systems which enable it to avoid what’s in the way in all directions.
“The robot can reach a depth of 10 meters and work for as long as 10 hours,” said Fang Xuelin, a senior researcher in charge of the robot shark program.
“The shark can be remotely controlled and can also swim based on preset programs or its own sensors,” he said.
“We have built multiple kinds of robot fishes, and the robotic whale shark is the largest mechanical fish we have made so far,” Fang added. “Our robots are to serve three purposes—to perform in aquariums for entertainment, spread knowledge about the sea and aquatic（水生的）animals among youngsters, and carry out scientific tasks such as hydrological surveys, underwater photography and environmental inspection.”
“The factory now plans to develop more types of aquatic robots, including some extinct mammals（哺乳动物）, for display in parks and schools. It will also promote the products to businesses engaged in fields such as underwater salvage and mineral prospecting,” he said.
（1）The whale shark on display is ________.
| A． |
the world’s first robot |
B． |
the largest living fish |
| C． |
a 7.4-meter-long shark |
D． |
a robotic shark |
（2）What does the underlined word “biomimetic”in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A． |
仿生的 |
B． |
虚拟的 |
C． |
杂交的 |
D． |
变异的 |
（3）Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A． |
The shark is the first mechanical fish made at the factory. |
| B． |
Powered by a lithium battery, the shark can swim without stopping. |
| C． |
The factory has built multiple kinds of robot fishes including the shark. |
| D． |
The factory has developed some extinct mammals for display in parks. |
（4）What does Paragraph 8 mainly talk about?
| A． |
The limits of the aquatic robots. |
B． |
The purposes of the aquatic robots. |
| C． |
The progress in making aquatic robots. |
D． |
The steps to developing aquatic robots. |
阅读下列内容，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
My five-year-old son befriends the woman. It starts with voices in the yard. When I come out to check on Daniel, his face is pressed on the fence（篱笆）.
The woman says, “You wait right here; I’ll be right back. ”
She returns with a saw（锯子）. There’s a whirring. A circle in the wooden fence drops out of sight.
“Dad! Sandy just drilled out a hole in the fence so Sandy and I can talk! ” Daniel spins around.
I hadn’t known her name was Sandy. We’ve lived here a month before Daniel was born.
Daniel’s and Sandy’s murmuring voices continue. Whenever Daniel is outside, he circles near the fence that isn’t a fence any more. Some days my son just goes to stand at the hole, yelling, “Sandy! Saaaaandyyyyy!” Sometimes I hear bits of their talk.
“We painted a ghost at school.”
Or: “Wheeler and Jackson were playing football, and they told me I couldn’t play.”
“That wasn’t very nice, ” says Sandy. “Did that hurt your feelings? Did you let them know that?”
I can’t hear how he replies. A moment of envy runs through me. He never talks about his school things with me.
Daniel and Sandy not only keep chatting through the hole, they also exchange gifts. A coloring book, then a Hot Wheels car. It’s unclear what Daniel gives Sandy in return.
One afternoon, I hear Sandy’s voice floating over the top of the fence with the hole. “I thought maybe Daniel could come for a play date.”
We ring the bell on Sandy’s porch. She’s a middle-aged woman with smiling eyes. Sandy’s yard is sweet with the smell of flowers. We have a pleasant afternoon with Sandy, my son’s adult friend, the first friend Daniel has made on his own. 
A month later, Sandy leaves to care for her mother in Kansas. She left behind a box of presents: a coloring book, sidewalk chalk, the missing orange part in the Hot Wheels track. When I look at Daniel, he’s looking down at his shoes.
He sometimes wanders down to the fence. Instead of calling “Sandy! Saaaaandyyyyy!” he cries. “Hello! Helloooooo!”
One day, Daniel receives Sandy’s postcard. They write frequently, warmly.
（1）Which of the following is the correct order of the story?
a. Sandy leaves for Kansas to care for her mother.
b. Daniel and Sandy exchange gifts through the hole.
c. Daniel and Sandy are good pen friends.
d. Sandy drills out a hole in the fence.
e. Sandy invites Daniel to come to her yard for a play date.
| A． |
dbeac |
B． |
badec |
C． |
dceab |
D． |
ecadb |
（2）Which sentence should go in the empty box in Paragraph 4 from the bottom?
| A． |
The neighbourhood I grew up in has a fence like this. |
| B． |
We’ve passed through the hole in the fence. |
| C． |
Beyond that fence stands Sandy’s blue house. |
| D． |
I’m a person who looks on the bad side of the fence. |
（3）What can we know about Daniel from the underlined sentences in the story?
| A． |
He doesn’t care about Sandy’s leaving. |
B． |
He is impressed with the shoes from Sandy. |
| C． |
He is heartbroken when hearing the news. |
D． |
He does not want to be Sandy’s friend any more. |
（4）Which sentence best expresses the theme of the story?
| A． |
Parents are children’s best friends. |
B． |
Trust and friendship can go beyond ages. |
| C． |
A good fence makes a good neighbour. |
D． |
Grass is greener on the other side of the fence. |
阅读下列内容，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
Every month, Julia and her cousins would go for the big family meal at their grandparents’ house. On each visit, their grandpa would give them a few coins. Then all the children would run off to buy sweets. One day, he gathered the children together. He said, “Let’s have a competition to see who can manage money wisely. At the end of this year, tell me how you’ve used your money.”
Ruben and Nico, the two smallest kids, continued spending their money all on sweets. Every time, they would show off their sweets in front of the other children. This made Clara and Joe so angry that these two could no longer keep saving their money. They soon joined Ruben and Nico.
Monty was a clever boy. He decided to manage his money by buying and selling things. Soon he made a lot of money with little effort. The way he was going, he would end up almost a rich man. However, he began to spend his money on more and more expensive things for himself. A few months later, he hadn’t a single penny（便士）left.
Alex saved and saved all the coins he was given, and at the end of the year he had collected more money than anyone. He was the clear winner.
There was also Julia. Poor Julia hadn’t a penny on the day of the competition. She had spent all her coins on her secret plan. Julia knew a poor violinist who played in the park, and she offered him all the coins for his violin lessons. Although it wasn’t much money, on seeing Julia’s excitement, the violinist agreed. A little after a year the violinist loaned her a violin so they two could play together in the park. They were so successful that she managed to buy her own violin. Even better, she later became a very famous violinist.
（1）Why did the children’s grandpa suggest the competition to them?
| A． |
To encourage them to win competitions. |
B． |
To teach them how to manage their money. |
| C． |
To tell them money was important to them. |
D． |
To know who was the cleverest child in the family. |
（2）The underlined words “these two” in Paragraph 2 refer to（指的是）________.
| A． |
Clara and Joe |
B． |
Ruben and Nico |
C． |
Monty and Alex |
D． |
Alex and Julia |
（3）What can we learn from Julia’s story?
| A． |
Get rich slow, or get poor fast. |
| B． |
Little effort always brings much money. |
| C． |
A little money well spent can help realize your dreams. |
| D． |
It is not wise of you to spend all the money you've got. |
（4）What is the best title for the passage?
| A． |
Grandpa’s coins |
B． |
Julia’s cousins |
| C． |
A saving competition |
D． |
A happy family |
阅读下列内容，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
Wetlands are any land that is flooded with shallow water all or most of the time. They are a natural water holding system.
There are many types of wetlands. Among them, bogs, marshes and swamps are the three main types. The different types of wetlands have different kinds of plants. Only mosses(苔藓)and a few other kinds of plants can grow in bogs. Grassy plants like cattails（香蒲）and reeds(芦苇)are the most common plants in a marsh. A swamp is a forest whose ground is underwater all or most of the time. Unlike bogs or marshes, a swamp is full of trees and bushes. It’s not a good idea to go exploring a swamp without a guide. There are hidden pools of water, thick mud, and sometimes big crocodiles(鳄鱼)looking for their next meal.
Hungry crocodiles aren’t the only animals that make the wetlands their home. Otters, turtles, frogs, snakes and many other animals do too. The water is home to many kinds of fish and crabs. Birds, including ducks, geese and cranes, use wetlands seasonally during their long migrations.
Wetlands are important because they provide habitats for plants and animals. A wetland system can also protect shorelines, make polluted waters clean, prevent floods, and restore underground water supplies.
According to WWF, more than half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since the beginning of the 20th century. If this continues, countless plant and animal species will surely die out. Without wetlands, cities have to spend more money treating water. Don’t feel helpless. Try to do your part to protect them right now. Here are some ideas.
（1）According to Paragraph 2, what can you see in a swamp?
| A． |
Mosses. |
B． |
Cattails. |
C． |
Reeds. |
D． |
Trees. |
（2）According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A． |
Wetlands are a man-made water holding system. |
| B． |
There are three types of wetlands in the world. |
| C． |
People can not meet with big crocodiles in wetlands. |
| D． |
Wetlands can protect shorelines and prevent floods. |
（3）What is the writer probably going to talk about after Paragraph 5?
| A． |
What are the different types of wetlands? |
| B． |
What will happen if wetlands disappear? |
| C． |
What actions can people take to protect wetlands? |
| D． |
What other kinds of plants and animals live in wetlands? |
|
As Chinese, I’m sure you know something about Taichi. It’s a kind of sport and one of the symbols of Chinese culture.
Taichi is common in China. If you walk through a park, you might see people doing these slow and beautiful actions. They are doing Taichi, an ancient art called Wushu. Doing Taichi is good for our health. It can make us walk and move freely. During slow actions we can pay special attention to our hands and feet. We can control them better. Taichi also mixes slow actions and deep breaths perfectly. People will become healthier by practicing it.
But Taichi is more than a kind of sport. It shows how we see the world as well. The world is full of yin and yang, such as dark and light, soft and hard, full and empty etc. Taichi sets up good relationships between yin and yang, while they aren’t opposite. Just like the picture on the left, a white circle is in the black area and a black circle is in the white area. After a dark night, the sun will rise. Leaves fall in autumn but grow in spring. Everything keeps changing— that is how we should see the world. Yin and yang depend on each other and make differences to each other. That is why humans can get on well with nature and people can use softness to beat hardness. Taichi makes full of yin and yang. In China, Taichi has been practiced for about 600 years. At present, more people are encouraged to join in the Taichi and pass it on. Over 100 million people in more than 150 countries practice Taichi. It is getting more and more popular in the world. |
1. The actions of Taichi are ________.
| A． |
slow and beautiful |
B． |
quick and free |
C． |
quick and beautiful |
2. The underline word “them” refers to (指的是) ________.
| A． |
Wushu and sport |
B． |
walking and moving |
C． |
hands and feet |
3. What does Taichi show us?
| A． |
It shows us that yin and yang are opposite. |
| B． |
It shows us that nothing is changing. |
| C． |
It shows us the relationships between yin and yang. |
4. How long has Taichi been practiced in China?
| A． |
For about 600 years. |
| B． |
For about 100 years. |
| C． |
For about 150 years. |
5. We can most probably read this article in ________ in a newspaper.
| A． |
BUSINESS & DEVELOPMENT |
| B． |
SPORTS & CULTURE |
| C． |
TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION |
