It was nearly dark, the sun was dropping down the mountains far away. Little Tom came back home, with tears in his eyes.
“What’s the matter, Tom? How’s your trip?” his mother asked with a big smile. “I failed. The mountain is so high and full of big or small stones on the way, I still go ahead. But I was tired and it was so late that I had to come back.” Tom cried. “It doesn’t matter, you are only 14 years old after all. You will have another chance.” his mother said. “But, standing at the top of the mountain is my dream!” Tom said. His father came over and asked, “Did you see the green trees on your way to the mountain?” “Sure, and there are a lot of beautiful flowers by the side of the road.” Tom replied. “Did you hear the birds singing?” his father asked. “There were many kinds of birds singing in the trees, and the sound was very sweet.” Tom said. “Did you feel the beauty of nature?” his father asked. “Yes, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green trees and the colorful flowers made a nice picture.” Tom answered. “That’s enough!” his father smiled and said, “Please remember, son. For often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Although you didn’t reach the top of the mountain, you got a lot on the way.”
It is true that not every goal will be achieved, not every job will end up with a success, and not every dream will come true. The most beautiful scenery (风景) is on the way.
Tom got back home _____________ when the sun was dropping.
| A．slowly | B．sadly |
| C．quickly | D．early |
Tom’s parents wanted Tom _______________.
| A．to be friendly | B．to be happy |
| C．to be clever | D．to be healthy |
What’s the main reason that Tom didn’t reach the top of the mountain?
| A．The mountain was so high. |
| B．The way was full of big or small stones. |
| C．He was tired and it was so late. |
| D．He was only 14 years old. |
Tom saw a lot of things on the way to the mountain except _______________ .
| A．clear water | B．blue sky |
| C．colorful flowers | D．green trees |
The writer tries to tell us that ____________.
| A．the goal is not important |
| B．everyone should climb the mountain |
| C．the mountain is very beautiful |
| D．the process (过程) is more important than the result |
The world would be a very different place if someone hadn’t invented the lift. There would be few, if any, high-rise buildings because people would refuse to climb many stairs. By the time workers reached their offices on the top floors of a tower building, it would be time to go home – if they were not too tired for the long walk down！
The first lift that we know about was used by the Greek scientist, Archimedes, in about 230 BC. It was a simple place that could be pulled up and down with a rope. A lift like this was used much later in the 12th century by priests who lived on top of a mountain at Metereo in Greece. Because they were afraid of killers, the priests had not built any stairs up the mountain. The only way up was by lift, which priests worked from the top of the mountain.
A few hundred years later, a Frenchman, Villayer, invented a ‘flying chair’ which used a rope and a place. A number of rich people had these ‘flying chairs’ built in their homes, including Queen Anne of England in Windsor Castle and Louis XVI of France at Versailles. Unluckily, Louis’ daughter was badly hurt when using one of the chairs, and Villayer ran away, afraid that he would be punished.
The main problem for lift engineers was that either humans or animals were needed to pull the ropes. This problem was not worked out until the discovery of steam power. But even steam powered lifts were not always safe because they also used ropes which sometimes broke. If the rope broke - which it sometimes did - the lift fell to the ground and people in it were killed or hurt. This problem worked out in 1854 when an American, Elisha Otis, invented something which stopped the lift from falling if the rope broke. At first Otis lifts were used only in factories, then in 1857 he built one in a large New York store. Now lifts use electric power and are completely safe. They also travel very quickly. Some lifts travel faster than 60 kilometers an hour.The writer thinks that lifts are important today because __________.
| A．people like playing on them |
| B．they are the best way of using steam power |
| C．we need them for tall buildings |
| D．workers are lazy |
The 12th century priests had a simple lift instead of stairs because ___________.
| A．they thought the stairs were broken |
| B．they liked having stairs and a lift |
| C．the lived at the bottom of a mountain |
| D．they were afraid of killers |
Villayer thought he would be punished because ____________.
| A．poor people could not afford his ‘flying chair |
| B．someone was hurt in one of his ‘flying chairs’ |
| C．his ‘flying chair’ did not work at all |
| D．he ran away with Louis XVI’s daughter |
Steam power meant that ________ .
| A．they did not need a living thing to pull the ropes |
| B．Elisha Otis could invent a lift that would not fall |
| C．the rope always broke |
| D．they could use lifts in factories |
When I was a foreign teacher in China, every day I taught English to my students and they taught me about China. One day the topic turned to saying “I love you”. I was shocked to learn that not one of my students had saidthis to their mothers, nor had their mothers said it to them. “Does your mom love you?” “Of course ,”they answered. 
How do you know?” was my logical question. They responded that their moms cooked and always toldthem what they were doing wrong to showtheir caring. I was stunned .So mom’s cooking and criticizing read out as “I love you”. “Then how do you say ‘I love you’to her?” They agreed that getting good grades, followed by god jobs would be how they showed their love.
I come from a culture where most people are expressive enough, so I repeated these queries in classes over time. Gradually, I began to get different response. Some of them had exchanged those sentiments with their moms.
One of my favorite stories of change came from a girl. When she came home from university, her mother met her at the door and hugged her. This had never happened before, but her mom said, “Now that you have gone I have more time to myself. I noticed that in some places mothers and children hug each other and I decided it was a good idea and that I would begin hugging you.”
In my family we all say “I love you” a lot .While it is true that we often say the words without having great depth of feelings at that moment, it is almost like a blessing we give each other. Those three little words carry a world of meaning, even when said as a greeting, but most especially if they are the last words we say to or hear from those we love.The foreign teacher_______.
| A．comes from America | B．is a young woman |
| C．is expressive enough | D．knows much about China |
Chinese people prefer to show love by________.
| A．saying “I love you” | B．cooking |
| C．getting good grades | D．doing something helpful; |
In paragraph 4, what’s the real meaning of the mom’s hugging?
| A．She is meeting her daughter at the door. |
| B．She loves her daughter and misses her. |
| C．She is glad that she has more time to herself |
| D．he finds it interesting to hug her daughter. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Say “I love you” more to your family. |
| B．Say “I love you ” a lot to Chinese people . |
| C．Say “I love you ” as a greeting to others. |
| D．Say “I love you ” without great depth of feelings. |
Bananas don’t grow on trees. They grow on a stalk that looks just a little like a stalk of corn. The stalk is soft enough to be cut with a knife. 
It takes about a year before bananas are ready to be picked. Some are as small as fingers. Others are as long as men’s arms. Some banana plants grow as tall as a house – even taller!
Not all bananas are eaten as fruit. Some never get sweet, and they are cooked as a kind of vegetable.
People in most countries never see a banana until it reaches the store. But if you visited a country where it’s hot and rains a lot all the year, you might see a banana plantation, a large farm where bananas grow.
The tasty fruit doesn’t come from a seed but from a root planted deep in the ground. First a stalk pushes up into the air. The leaves grow. In the beginning the banana plant grows very fast – sometimes as much as the length of your feet in one night. Soon, sweet-smelling flowers come out, and when their flowers drop off, bananas begin to grow.
As they get bigger, bananas start turning up. It looks as if they’re growing upside down! Bananas are ready to eat when they turn soft and yellow. Bananas are picked long before this – when they’re hard and green. This is because bananas have to travel many miles before they arrive at a store. On trucks and boats and trains bananas travel all over the world. There are special boats just for bananas and special trains that keep them just cool enough so that they will get ripe while traveling. If bananas are picked when they are ripe (成熟的), they will spoil on the way.What’s the weather like in places where bananas grow?
| A．Dry and cold | B．Cold and wet | C．Wet and hot | D．Hot and dry |
The fruit of banana plants come from________.
| A．a stalk | B．a tree | C．a seed | D． a root |
Bananas are picked long before they are _____________.
| A．green | B．ripe | C．hard | D．red |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．All bananas are eaten as fruit. |
| B．Some banana plants grow taller than a house. |
| C．Bananas get ripe on their way to the store. |
| D．It takes about a year before bananas are ready to be picked. |
Susan, the US
My best friend is Fanny. She is clever and interesting. We always look after each other. The first week we met, I got sick and she looked after me every day.
Betty, England
My best friend’s Ana. She is honest and serious. We were born in the same city in England. Then I moved to America with my family. I thought I would never see Ana again. When I went to college in New York,, Ana and I shared the same room!
Ken, Japan
I love to spend time with Daisuke because he is funny and smart. We enjoy talking about the funny things we did when we were children , and tell the same stupid jokes over and over again.
Lily , Australia
Linda is very confident girl and she is really kind. Some people may wonder why Linda and I are best friends because we are totally different, but I think this is why we are such good friends.Who is Susan’s best friend?
| A．Ana | B．Fanny | C．Linda | D．Daisuke |
Where is Ken from
| A．Australia | B．The US | C． England | D．Japan |
What is Linda like
| A．Confident and kind | B．Funny and smart |
| C．Honest and serious | D．Clever and interesting |
In today’s world, so many people like traveling around the world. Traveling abroad can be expensive, but there are some ways of visiting Britain cheaply. So we hope we can give you some good ideas.
If you don’t go there in the busy months—July and August, your visit may be cheaper. There will be fewer visitors. The weather in Britain can be pleasant from April to the end of September. Of course you can go there in winter, but it is often dark by 4 pm. Many places, such as large houses and castles(城堡)are closed in winter. However, if you are interested in museums, art galleries(画廊) or theaters, winter may be the good time to visit.
If you are a student, it is a good idea to apply for (申请) an International Student Identify Card. With the card, you can save a lot of money. You can get the card from your local （当地的）student travel office, and you can also call (44)08708 413224 to get it. To get the card, you need to show that you are a student, get a passport photo, and pay for a little money.If you want to visit ____, it is not the good time to visit Britain in winter.
| A．museums | B．castles | C．art galleries | D．some places |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．There are many visitors in July in Britain. |
| B．Days are very long in winter in Britain. |
| C．Many museums are not closed in winter. |
| D．Only student can get the International Student Identify Card. |
A student without an International Student Identify Card may______.
| A．get a little money. | B．watch TV at home. |
| C．spend more money. | D．save a lot of money. |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．How to have a cheaper trip in Britain. |
| B．How to travel to Britain. |
| C．When to travel to Britain. |
| D．Why to travel to Britain. |