Hidden in our subconsciousness (潜意识) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw（拼图玩具） puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles(通道), condemning the minutes for loitering --waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 38.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the loan!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! ”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish(appreciate) the moment” is a good motto, actually it isn’t the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough.Why does the author describe the mental picture?
| A．To lead us into a perfect world. |
| B．To let people enjoy the scenery. |
| C．To introduce an actual trip of his. |
| D．To compare it to our life’s journey. |
How do people feel when they’re on their trip?
| A．Puzzled. | B．Happy. | C．Relaxed. | D．Impatient. |
What does the author mean by “Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today” in Line 2 Paragraph 5?
| A．Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today. |
| B．We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear. |
| C．regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life. |
| D．We’re frequently challenged by the two : regret and fear. |
Why does the author write the passage?
| A．To teach us a good lesson. |
| B．To tell us the right attitude to life. |
| C．To advice us to forget our worries. |
| D．To stop us wandering along the aisles. |
Jesse was a great teacher, tutor, mentor, and family member. He was a dedicated (忠诚的)volunteer in the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa. He went to a place where he knew he could make a difference and wanted to help teach children who otherwise would not have a teacher. He made friends wherever he went and touched the hearts of many.
Jesse was never one to go anywhere without making a good impression on everyone he met. His sudden death in a tragic car accident in Africa brought his family and friends together in a celebration of his life. They came from all over: Africa, Canada, the US. The church was filled with people who knew that Jesse had made a difference in their lives, in the lives of the children, and in the hearts of his loved ones.
Jesse volunteered with the Peace Corps to help educate children in Guinea, Africa. Guinea is a very poor and complex country where tribalism（种族主义） is strong. Each tribe that Jesse worked with wanted him to commit（致力于）to one or the other.
Jesse would not surrender（投降）to tribalism when he took an African name, and he wanted a tribal last name. Each of the two tribes in which he taught insisted that he choose their name. He would not choose but married the tribes' two names into one.
Jesse was a light to all who knew him. We will always remember the joy and love he brought to his work, to his family, his friends. The people who loved Jesse are planning to build a school in Guinea in his honor. So his work continues...Why were there so many people remembering Jesse?
| A．Because he was a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Guinea. |
| B．Because he was kind and helpful to people from heart. |
| C．Because he wanted to make friends with all people. |
| D．Because he loved children who needed education. |
Jesse died from _____.
| A．a tribal fight | B．a traffic accident | C．a sudden disease | D．tiredness of overwork |
The way he dealt with the tribalism was ______.
| A．giving in to one side | B．criticizing both sides |
| C．uniting both sides | D．satisfying both sides |
From this passage we can learn _____.
| A．Jesse was a person had great influence in Guinea |
| B．Jesse was a person who had religion belief |
| C．Jesse was a hero of many local people |
| D．Jesse did great contribution to local peace |
The writer wrote this passage _____.
| A．in memory of the teacher | B．in praise of a teacher |
| C．in honor of a teacher | D．in approval of a teacher |
If you want to learn anything at school, you need to listen to your teachers. Unfortunately, millions of kids can’t hear what their teachers are saying. And it’s not because these students are goofing off. Often, it’s the room’s fault. Building architecture and building design can create echo(回声)-filled classrooms that make hearing difficult.
Children with hearing impairments（损伤）suffer most from noisy classrooms. They sometimes can’t hear questions that other students ask in class. Compared with kids with healthy hearing, they have a harder time picking up new vocabulary words by hearing them in talking.
Even kids with normal hearing have a harder time in the classroom when there’s too much noise. Younger children in particular have trouble separating important sounds – like a teacher’s voice – from background noise. Kids with learning disabilities and speech impediments（障碍）and kids for whom English is a second language also have a harder time learning in noisy situations.
In recent years, scientists who study sound have been asking schools to reduce background noise, which may include loud air-conditioners and pipes. They’re also targeting outdoor noises, such as highway traffic. Noise reduction is a big deal. Why? Because quieter classrooms might make you smarter by letting you hear your lessons better.
“It’s so obvious that we should have quiet rooms that allow for access to the lesson,” says Dan Ostergren, a hearing scientist. “Sometimes it surprises me that we spend so much time discussing this topic. I just want to go. Why is this hard for anyone to grasp?” The underlined part “goofing off” in the first paragraph can be replaced by “ ”.
| A．lazy | B．intelligent | C．sleepy | D．foolish |
Who is most affected by noisy classrooms?
| A．Children with learning disabilities. | B．Children with hearing impairments. |
| C．Children with speech impediments. | D．Children with normal hearing. |
Why should noise be reduced in classrooms?
| A．Quiet classrooms are suitable for kids to have discussions. |
| B．Quiet classrooms help kids recover from hearing impairments. |
| C．Kids can become smarter after hearing lessons better. |
| D．Kids can’t separate sounds of air-conditioners and pipes. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Noisy classrooms | B．Classroom design |
| C．The sense of hearing | D．Disabled kids |
Some mammals migrate（迁徒）. One of these is the caribou（驯鹿）. They travel to the tundra（苔原）every summer to eat the rich grasses that grow there. When the weather becomes cooler, they migrate to the warmer forests and spend the winter there. Another mammal that migrates is the humpback whale. They spend the winter in Hawaii, and the summer in the Arctic（北极的）waters. They travel to the Arctic to eat millions of small shrimp（虾）.
Anther habit that some animals have to survive the cold winter is called hibernation. Animals that hibernate, rest or sleep during the winter. While they are hibernating, their bodies use up the fat layer that they have put on by eating large amounts of food during the summer. Some animals that hibernate in the Arctic are small animals called lemmings（旅鼠）, squirrels（松鼠）and bears.
There are two habit adaptations that animals in the Arctic have all year round. These are called herding and pack life. Caribou are example of animals that live in herds. A herd is a group of animals that lives together for most, or all of their lives. A herd of caribou can have a thousand or more animals in it. They live in herds for protection. It is easier for caribou to protect themselves when they are together than it is when they are alone. This is because the meat-eaters hunt in packs.
A pack is a small group of animals that lives together. It is usually controlled by a head male and a female. All the members of the pack must obey them. Packs have a very definite social structure. Each animal in a pack has a different position, or importance. Animals in a pack are usually meat-eaters. They live together for protection and hunting purposes.According to the first paragraph, the humpback whale .
| A．travels to the Arctic for shrimp in summer |
| B．spends the winter in the Arctic |
| C．lives in Hawaii in summer |
| D．has the same living habits as the caribou |
What kind of animal doesn’t hibernate in the Arctic?
| A．The caribou. | B．The bear. | C．The squirrel. | D．The lemming. |
Caribou live in herds in order to .
| A．use up their fat layer | B．find food | C．protect themselves | D．hunt in packs |
What do we know about pack life according to the last paragraph?
| A．Animals in pack are usually grain-eaters. |
| B．All animals are in an equal position in a pack. |
| C．It is either controlled by a head mate or by a female. |
| D．Each animal has its own different role in a pack. |
Barbara and Barry Zucker – Pinchoff, both doctors from New York City, took their three daughters on a walking safari（旅行）last year in Tanzania. Barbara told about their experience in Kinbero, “It is the most remote（遥远的）place we have ever been to,” camping with a few other Americans, two Tanzanian guides, and several Hadza（哈扎人）who had time to sit and chat because they had just killed a giraffe.
About 400 members of the Eastern Hadza tribe（部落）live in Tanzania today, the only hunter-gatherers who remain in Africa. The Hadza hunt game, gather edible plants and honey, and move from place to place whenever the weather changers. Every two weeks or so, they move to a new campsite.
At the Pinchoffs’ campsite, three Hadza men stopped by to visit and ended up staying three days. One of the guides gave the men a cigarette. They took out the tobacco, put it in a pipe, and lit the pipe with fire they started.
It takes less than two hours for Hadza women to build a new camp. They make huts（茅屋）by bending branches into round structures about six feet high, and then covering them with long, golden grass. If the weather is very wet, the women may choose a dry cave to set up a camp. Some rock caves have been used over thousands of years and are decorated（装饰）with ancient rock paintings. Whether they sleep in huts, caves or in the open, the Hadza cover themselves only with thin cloths and depend on fire to keep them warm.
The Hadza refuse to be “settled” into villages or to have the life of farmers. By 1979, almost all of them had returned to their old ways. They Hadza may be the only tribe in Africa the has never paid taxes. The passage mainly tells up .
| A．one of the author’s travel experiences |
| B．the life of the Hadza tribe in Tanzania |
| C．Barbara’s walking safari in Tanzania |
| D．the efforts of the Hadza to keep their old ways |
What does the underlined word “game” ( in Paragraph 2 ) probably refer to?
| A．Part of a match. | B．Edible wild animals. |
| C．An area of work. | D．A children’s activity. |
What do we know about the life of the Hadza?
| A．They change their campsites regularly. | B．They live mainly on farming. |
| C．They keep warm using leaves at night. | D．It takes them a long time to set up a camp. |
Where do the Hadza live in wet weather?
| A．On the farm. | B．In huts. | C．In caves. | D．In the open. |
Edinburgh Mela
Time: 25th – 31st August 2008
Tel / Fax: 0131 557 1400
E-mail: info@edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Website: www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Each year Edinburgh Mela is Scotland’s biggest multicultural（多文化的）arts festival that celebrates in Scotland. Although Edinburgh Mela’s roots are in South Asian cultures, this is a festival for everybody. Music, colour, dance, art, fashion, food, children’s activities, the Mela bazaar（集市）and much more!
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Time: 9th – 25th August 2008
Tel: 0131 718 5666
Fax: 0131 226 5335
E-mail: admin@edbookfest.co.uk
Website: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world’s biggest book festival. We present different programs for both adults and children including discussions, lectures, debates and workshops, all in one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful spaces, Charlotte Square Gardens.
Edinburgh International Festival
Time: 8th – 31st August 2008
Tel: + 44 (0) 131 473 2000
Fax: +44 (0) 131 473 2002
E-mail: eif@eif.co.uk
Website: www.eif@eif.co.uk
Each year the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the greatest celebrations of the arts, attracting audiences from around the world to the city’s exciting atmosphere. The festivities offer a special opportunity to experience the excitement of live performance by internationally well-known artists as well as the joy of discovering new and unfamiliar works.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Time: 25th March-5th April 2008
Tel: 0131 558 7666
Fax: 0131 557 9177
E-mail: esf@scifest.demon.co.uk
Website: www.sciencefestival.co.uk
The UK’s largest Science Festival is back with one of the most exciting line-ups in the Festival’s 16-year history. The Science Festival is an unbelievable place for everyone, with events at all levels, all ages and all purses. On offer are 10 days of non-stop shows workshops, presentations, hands-on activities, exhibitions and tours designed to amuse and entertain. Call our ticket hotline on 0131 557 5588.According to the passage, the four festivals .
| A．are all about arts | B．all happen in 2008 only |
| C．are all celebrated in Edinburgh | D．are all mainly for children |
What do we know about Edinburgh Mela?
| A．It is deeply rooted in Edinburgh. | B．It is a place to buy and sell things. |
| C．It shows kinds of cultures in Scotland. | D．It offers a chance for you to buy books. |
How many ways are available for you to get the information about each festival?
| A．Only one. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
If you want to book tickets to Edinburgh International Science Festival, you’d better dial .
| A．0131 557 5588 | B．0131 558 7666 |
| C．+ 44 (0) 131 473 2000 | D．0131 557 1400 |