Weekday mornings are very busy for US middle school students. When your school doesn’t have a bus, and you live too far away to walk, you need a carpool (拼车). A carpool is a group of people sharing the responsibility (责任) of driving to school in the morning. There are usually four or five kids in a carpool and their parents take turns to drive the kids in their cars.
Someone’s car smells like wet dogs. Some kids get to eat desserts (甜点) for breakfast and some parents shout so much that all you try to do is to stay quiet and go unnoticed. When your mom or dad drives the carpool, your classmates get a close-up look at how strange your parents can be. It might be your first sociological (社会学) study and your first time to work with others.
Teamwork is really important in the carpool because nobody wants to make everyone else late. It’s a great lesson in responsibility. Imagine (想象) sitting in the car outside of a classmate’s house, watching the clock and counting the seconds. Then you start to understand how your carpool friends might feel when you are still inside the house at 7:48. You really begin to learn all your real life lessons just moments before the start of school—in the carpool.What is a carpool?
| A．Parents take turns to drive their kids to school. |
| B．Parents drive kids to schools on their way to work. |
| C．Kids go to school in their parents’ cars. |
| D．Kids drive their own cars to school. |
What can students learn from a carpool?
| A．How to drive a car. |
| B．How to get along with others. |
| C．What to do with parents. |
| D．Real teamwork. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．If kids live far away from school, they are always late for school. |
| B．US children enjoy carpooling better than taking a school bus. |
| C．Kids can learn real life lessons in a carpool. |
| D．Kids often have enough time to study in a carpool. |
A “Gap Year” is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent travelling or working. It can give young people useful learning experiences and new skills.
Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows：
Learn about the World and Yourself
Although you don’t have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better.
Face Challenges and Have Fun
A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn’ t always easy, but it is an important part of growing up. Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun.
Save Money and Improve Your College Admission Chances
There’s a common thought that gap years are only for rich students, but it’ s not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a part-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college. Clear learning goals ran keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing.
Imagine an admission officer trying to admit (录取) only one between two students. Both of them are excellent and have high grades. However, one student has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation. Who do you think the admission officer will choose?A “Gap Year” means in the passage.
| A．going abroad in a year for further education |
| B．travelling around the world in a year |
| C．taking a break before going to a university |
| D．doing a part-time job to make money during a vacation |
Besides having fun, gap year students have to face the .
| A．money | B．information |
| C．vacations | D．challenges |
Having a gap year may make you .
| A．become very rich |
| B．remain less popular |
| C．experience foreign cultures |
| D．have no chance to break |
The last sentence implies(暗含) that will probably be admitted by the admission officer.
| A．either of the two students |
| B．the student with high grades |
| C．neither of the two students |
| D．the student with a gap year experience |
Sydney Harbour Bridge and look down 134 meters at the water below! This 4-hour climbing tour is fantastic! Book your tour now?
Tour includes:
A certificate to prove your climbed the bridge.
A photo of you and your friends on top of the bridge.
We also offer you :
★Special clothes to protect you from the strong wind.
★A radio to communicate with the tour leader.
 |
Morning/Afternoon/Night Tours |
Lunch /Dinner Tours |
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| Mon.—Fri. |
Sat.—Sun. |
Mon.—Sun. |
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| From June 1 to August 31 |
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| Adults |
$170 |
$190 |
$250 |
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| Children (10-16) |
$110 |
$130 |
$190 |
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From September 1 |
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★Snacks (for lunch and dinner tours only).
★Prices are in Australian dollars
★Children must be with an adult. At most 2 children per adult.
★For more information, email us at tours@touraustralia.com.
| A．invitation | B．timetable |
| C．notice | D．advertisement |
| A．Children can join in the tours alone if they are about 10. |
| B．It can be quite windy sometimes on the top of the bridge. |
| C．Free snacks are offered to the climbers during the tours. |
| D．It takes at least 4 hours to climb to the top of the bridge. |
| A．$480 | B．$560 | C．$640 | D．$880 |
阅读理解（本题共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
Dear daughter
You are a wonderful person and your mother and I love you. It will not be long before you leave school to make your way in the world. Can I give you some friendly suggestions? Here are some things that you should never do.
1. Never get upset with your looks.
We think you look great. Please be happy with the person you are and the body you have. Eat well, take exercise and be healthy. Some girls become upset because they try to lose weight or get the perfect shape. You look fine.
2. Never spend money more than your income (收入).
Never spend money more than your income and save a little every month. Don’t borrow others’ money if possible.
3. Never look down on yourself.
You are great of achieving great things so believe in yourself. When things go badly, never stop believing. Some girls get upset and lose confidence (自信), and then all kinds of problems can follow.
4. Never give less than your best.
We are very proud of what you have succeeded so far. You should be proud too. Keep doing well. Keep trying your hardest at everything you do.
5. Never forget that your parents love you.
Whatever happens in life, your family will still be your family. Whatever difficulties you have, you can always talk to us and we will try to help. We are here for you.
Love
Dad
| A．leave school |
| B．go to college |
| C．go to another city |
| D．face lots of difficulties |
| A．aren’t healthy enough |
| B．don’t make enough money |
| C．look down on themselves |
| D．try to have the perfect shape |
| A．nobody will love him |
| B．he can’t get good income |
| C．all problems will follow him |
| D．his parents won’t believe in him anymore |
| A．happy | B．successful |
| C．perfect | D．careful |
首字母填空。
阅读短文，根据短文内容及首字母提示，在空白处填入一个适当的单词。
When I was young, my family lived a hard life in the country. As you can i, many country roads are difficult to walk on. One evening we were visiting some relatives and the weather was very bad. It began to rain on our way back home. Dad c
me on his back. Mom gave her coat to my brother. We walked together in the r
for more than an hour.
I was fat at that time and Dad must be tto hold me for such a long time. He almost fell down many times. I tried to get down and walk myself, but I achieved nothing since I was just a little kid.
When we arrived home, the inside of our house was cwith rain water. The rain had come t
the broken roof(屋顶) and water was everywhere. Mom put bowls all a
the house to collect the rain. Then she put my brother and me to the dry place on the bed. I fell asleep soon. When I opened my eyes, I found Dad and Mom were sleeping in chairs, both having caught a s
cold.
It happened more than twenty years a. And now I’m a mother, too. I can remember neither the b
nor the end, but whenever I think of it, tears ran down my face from my eyes because I fully understand what the parents’ love means.
阅读表达。
Some time ago, an old businessman had a large store in Boston. He wanted a boy to work for him, and he put an advertisement in the newspapers. The next morning, many boys came to the old man’s office, asking for the job.
There was a post (柱子) by his desk, and there was a nail (钉子) in it. He took a walking stick(拐杖) and said, “Everyone has three chances. If anyone can hit that nail on the head with this stick more than once, I will give him the job.”
The boys thought it was very easy. They all tried, but nobody could make it. So the old man said, “I’m sorry I can’t take any of you,” and they left.
He kept the advertisement in the papers, and the next morning many more boys came, and among them he saw a thin boy who had been there the day before. The boy hit the nail successfully three times. The old man felt surprised and asked how he did that.
“Yes,” said the boy, “I failed yesterday, but I thought that if I kept on trying a while, I could do it. So I went home and practiced hitting a nail with a stick till I could do it, and I got up very early this morning, and tried again.”
The old man said, “You are the boy for me,” and gave him the job. Whatever the boy had to do, he tried to do his best. It was not very long before he became the best worker in the store.
Answer the following questions with No More Than Six Words.What did the old man have in Boston?
_________________________________________________________________Why did many boys come to the old man’s office?
___________________________________________________________________How many boys got the job on the first day?
_________________________________________________________________Where did the boy practice hitting a nail?
__________________________________________________________________How did the boy deal with his job?
___________________________________________________________________