Of the several films Hirokazu has made about childhood and children, this one is the most modest, but no less pleasing for its delicate style and small setting. This wise and funny film works small miracles in describing such a moment when kids turn from the wishfulness of childhood into shaping the world for themselves.
The sweetly reflective hero, a sixth-grader named Koichi, starts out by wishing for a volcano to erupt. Not just any volcano, but the one that towers above his town, smoking heavily and giving off ash. An eruption would lead to a withdrawing, which would lead, at least in his mind, to a reunion with his father and kid brother, who’ve been living in Hakata while Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in Kagoshima. The volcano, knowing nothing of this, refuses to erupt, but Koichi hears of another approach to realizing the desired miracle.
One of the pleasures of I Wish is watching how kids behave — how Koichi attacks his dinner, for example. Another pleasure is rediscovering how kids think. These kids can be logical and ever so tricky. But children’s thought processes can also be fancy. A boy wishes he could play baseball like one of baseball stars, who eats curry for breakfast; so he, too, starts eating curry for breakfast, instead of practicing on the field. Another boy tries to wish his dead dog, Marble, back to life. And what does Koichi finally wish for? I wish you’d see this delightful film to find out. Koichi wishes the volcano to erupt so that he can ______.
| A．enjoy the wonderful scene of a volcano |
| B．help those who suffer from the eruption |
| C．get together with his family members |
| D．work miracles during the disaster |
Which of the following statements is true of the film?
| A．It is set in a volcano eruption. |
| B．It is a serious science fiction movie. |
| C．It shows some dull and ridiculous behaviors. |
| D．It shows a lively and thoughtful world of children. |
What does the writer intend to do in this text?
| A．To recommend a film. |
| B．To make a review on a film. |
| C．To share pleasures of watching a film. |
| D．To discuss kids’ behavior and thoughts. |
No one knows yet the accurate number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire. But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred.
A wall of fire fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria. Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes. People are rushing excitedly into the streets. The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so.
The cause of the fire is unknown. No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months, and the hot, north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour.
The firefighters are traveling to the fire by road, rail and air. But it is not easy to get there. Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines. The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips (飞机跑道).
It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War.By the time the article is written, the fire .
| A．has just broken out | B．has been put out |
| C．is spreading fiercely | D．is coming to an end |
The writer writes this article mainly to tell people .
| A．the fire is terrible and dangerous |
| B．it is very easy to put out the fire |
| C．less than one hundred people die of the fire |
| D．to join in the fight against the fire |
In the 4th paragraph, the writer suggests (暗示) that .
| A．the fire would be controlled by the firefighters very soon |
| B．it will be very difficult to put out the fire |
| C．the government is paying great attention to the fire |
| D．the fire has caused great losses and the airport was in danger |
The underlined word “ accurate ” in the first sentence has the same meaning as .
| A．recent | B．false | C．rough（大约的） | D．exact |
Ed Viesturs grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where the tallest thing on the ground was the water tower. But on Thursday, Viesturs became the only American to climb to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
His last hike was up Mount Annapurna, in Asia’s snowcapped Himalayas. At 26,545 feet, its top is the 10th highest in the world. It is the mountain that inspired him to start climbing.
“It seems to be the most difficult, the most dangerous,” said Viesturs. “There’s no simple way to climb it. There are threatening avalanches (雪崩) and ice falls that protect the mountain.”
In high school, Viesturs read French climber Maurice Herzog’s story of climbing the icy Annapurna. Herzog’s story was of frostbite (冻伤) and difficulty and near-death experiences. Viesturs was hooked right away.
Viesturs got his start on Washington’s Mount Rainier in 1977, guiding hikes in the summer. Fifteen years ago, he set out to walk up to the world’s highest tops. Finally, he’s done.
The pioneering climber talks about mountains as if they were living creatures that should be treated with respect. “You have to use all of your senses, all of your abilities to see if the mountain will let you climb it,” said Viesturs. “If we have the patience and the respect, and if we’re here at the right time, under the right conditions, they allow us to go up, and allow us to come down.”
What’s next for a man who can’t stop climbing? “I’m going to hold my wife and kids and enjoy the summer,” says Viesturs. But for a man who has climbed the world’s 14 tallest mountains, he will probably soon start another adventure. The author used Viestures’ words in Paragraph 6 to support an opinion that .
| A．mountain climbing is a dangerous sport |
| B．mountains should be regarded as living creatures |
| C．mountain climbing needs more skills than physical energy |
| D．those who like mountain climbing won’t stop climbing |
The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by ________.
| A．frightened | B．discouraged | C．interested | D．upset |
What’s the next probable plan of Viestures?
| A．Stopping climbing and staying with his family. |
| B．Climbing to the top of the world’s 14 tallest mountains again. |
| C．Writing down the experiences about his adventure. |
| D．Climbing another one of the highest mountains. |
Studies show that walking several times a week can lower, or reduce, the danger of many diseases. Walking also can help you lose weight.
Fast walking is good for the heart. It lowers the blood pressure. Researchers say walking can reduce the danger of suffering a heart attack by as much as fifty percent.
Studies have shown that walking for thirty minutes a day can delay and possibly prevent the development of Type Two Diabetes. It can prevent diabetes among people who are overweight and at danger for the disease.
Studies show that women who walk and take calcium reduce their danger of thinning of the bones. Walking also helps lower the pain of arthritis in areas where bones are joined by strengthening the muscles around the bones.
Walking several times a week is a good way to control your weight and even lose body fat. Studies show it also helps lower feelings of sadness.
Experts say walking is one of the safest ways to exercise. There is a low danger of injuries. So it is good for people who are starting an exercise program for the first time and for older people.
A walking program is easy to start. You should wear loose clothes and good shoes. Shoes designed for walking are best.
How fast should you walk? You should be breathing hard while you are walking. Yet, you should be able to
talk.
Let your arms move back and forward at your sides while you walk. The title of the passage probably is ______.
| A．Walking | B．Feelings of Sadness | C．Weight | D．Diseases |
“Walking is one of the safest ways to exercise” means ______.
| A．walking is easy to start | B．there’s a low danger of injuries |
| C．walking is good for heart | D．walking can prevent the development of diseases |
Walking helps reduce the following EXCEPT_________.
| A．the danger of many diseases | B．weight | C．sad feelings | D．money for shoes |
According to the passage, walking ________.
| A．is the safest way to all of the people | B．is a good way to reduce the danger of many diseases |
| C．can cure the disease of heart attack | D．can help put on weight |
Valencia is in the east part of Spain. It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.
The city is a market center for what is produced by the land round the city. Most of the city’s money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.
Valencia has an old part with white old buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The university in the center of the city was built in the 13th century.
The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela named Valencia. From the text, how many places have the name Valencia?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
What is the main difference between the two parts of the city?
| A．The age of the buildings. | B．The parks and gardens. |
| C．The number of people. | D．The churches and museums. |
When was Valencia the most important city in Spain?
| A．In the 2nd century. | B．In the 8th century. | C．In the 13th century. | D．In the 20th century. |
What is Valencia famous for?
| A．Its seaport. | B．Its university. |
| C．Its churches and museums. | D．Its parks and gardens. |
The main income of the city of Valencia is from its _____.
| A．markets | B．businesses | C．factories | D．agriculture |
EVENTS
Long March exhibit
The Shanghai History Museum is putting on an exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of the Long March. On show are more than 220 photos and 40 items that explain with pictures how the communist Red Army drew back from its besieged(被围困的) bases in Jiangxi Province and fought its way to northern Shanxi Province in the mid-1930s. Explanations are all in Chinese. The show will end on November 20.
Time: 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Address: 1286 Hongqiao Road
Admission: 8 yuan for Chinese /15 yuan for foreigners
Thai elephants
Eight elephants from Thailand are entertaining visitors at Changfeng Park by riding bikes, playing basketball, balancing on a beam, dancing and blowing a mouthorgan. People are encouraged to have a tug-of-war(拔河比赛)with the animals or lie on the ground and have the elephants walk over them. The elephants give three shows a day at 9:30 am, 3:30 pm and 8:00 pm and there is an additional show at l:30
pm at weekends. The show will end on November 15.
Address: 189 Daduhe Road
Admission: 30-40 yuan
Dancing dolphins
Dolphins jumping from the water to touch a ball, swaying their bodies to music, kissing people and doing math by tapping their tails have made the dolphin arum in Peace Park an attraction for children. Seals and sea lions also perform.
Hours: 10:30 am, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 pm
Admission: 20 yuan for adults and 10 yuan for children.If you go to visit the Long March exhibit with an
Australian, how much will you pay altogether for the admission?
| A．16 yuan. | B．23 yuan. | C．30 yuan. | D．20 yuan. |
At the exhibition, you will see ______.
| A．many articles written by famous writers |
| B．many things left by the Red Army |
| C．books on the Long March |
| D．many photos and pictures about the Long March |
Which of the following is NOT done by the Thai elephants?
| A．Riding bicycles. | B．Blowing a mouth-organ. |
| C．Doing math. | D．Having a tug-of-war with people. |
The dolphin atrium in Peace Park is a hall where you can see ______.
| A．not only dolphins but also seals and sea lions perform |
| B．only dolphins perform |
| C．only seals and sea lions perform |
| D．only seals perform |
Dancing dolphin performance will began in _____.
| A．11:00am | B．14:00 | C．18:00 | D．19:30 |