People read books less often in these days． With the invention of radio， television and most recently， the Internet and computer games， it seems that reading books is no longer a popular activity． However， I believe that books are an important part of our lives．
Books offer an outstanding wealth of learning and at a cheaper price than taking a course． Books can make people cleverer， because heavy readers have greater knowledge of how things work and who or what people were．
Everything in today's society requires reading． Imagine trying to do something as simple as reading the directions on a medicine bottle without good reading skills． Someone could not understand themand become very sick or even die．
Even something as simple as walking or driving through the city could become very dangerous without enough reading． Sometimes， you must be able to understand what is written and explain the meaning of them．
Some people say that reading is a waste of time and we can do better things with our time． Even if we don't read books， we still read every day， and reading books can strengthen （加强） our abilities． Reading is one of the greatest things we can do in our spare time．
With a book， you can travel anywhere you want， do anything you want， and talk to anyone you want． Reading is very important in our lives， no matter your age． So I think people should read books．
（1）What activity is less popular these days than before？
| A． |
Reading a book． |
| B． |
Listening to the radio． |
| C． |
Watching TV． |
| D． |
Surfing the Internet． |
（2）We can learn from the second paragraph that ．
| A． |
reading can improve your memory |
| B． |
reading can make you interesting and attractive |
| C． |
reading can make you smarter |
| D． |
reading can reduce stress |
（3）The underlined word "them" in the third paragraph refers to ．
| A． |
the books they are reading |
| B． |
the directions on a medicine bottle |
| C． |
the good reading skills |
| D． |
the words a doctor tells a sick person |
（4）Some people disagree to read books because they think ．
| A． |
walking in the city also needs reading skills |
| B． |
driving along the road is dangerous |
| C． |
reading books is very helpful for our abilities |
| D． |
reading books just wastes their time |
（5）The best title of the passage can be ．
| A． |
People Should Enjoy Themselves |
| B． |
How We Improve Reading Skills |
| C． |
Why People Should Read Books |
| D． |
What We Love Doing in Spare Time |
When people want to know about the weather, they usually go to their radios, TVs, newspapers, or to the Internet. However, you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed senses. Drops in air pressure produce an effect on small animals in many ways. Mice and deer are good weather indicators. People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that, before a storm, field mice come out of their holes and run around. Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains.
Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways. For example, some birds become irritable(暴躁) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread. Other birds chirp and sing just before a storm. It seems they know they won’t get another chance for an hour or two. Birds also look for safe places before a storm. You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building. Pre-storm low pressure make the air so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime, rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn. Watch for other weather signs if you see this. If they fly in the wrong direction, they may be flying ahead of a storm.
By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature, we can become better prepared for any kind of weather.The word “indicators” in paragraph 1 probably means .
| A．maps | B．services | C．signs | D．stations |
How can birds sense the coming of a storm?
| A．By feeling a drop in air temperature. |
| B．By noticing the change of wind directions. |
| C．By feeling a drop in air pressure. |
| D．By noticing the movements of other animals. |
The best title for the text would be.
| A．Signs of a Storm | B．Drops in Air Pressure |
| C．Animals’ Sharp Senses | D．Nature’s Weather Signs |
| Hans Bethe The late German-American physicist Hans Bethe once described himself as “the H-bomb’s midwife（接生婆）”. He left Nazi Germany in 1933, after which he helped develop the first atomic bomb（原子弹）, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967 for his contribution to the theory of nuclear reactions（核反应）and advised controls over nuclear weapons（武器）for the peaceful use of the nuclear energy. |
| Francis Crick The late Francis Crick, one of Britain’s most famous scientists, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology（生理学）or Medicine in 1962. He is best known for his discovery with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, the double helix structure（双螺旋结构）of the DNA, though he also made important contributions in other fields. He died in 2004. |
| Peter Hall Sir Peter Hall’s life in the theatre has seen him running the Arts Theatre, founding the Royal Shakespeare Company when he was only 29, and directing the National Theatre. He also directed Akenfielf for London Weekend Television and runs the Peter Hall Company, which has 40 productions worldwide to its name. |
The above information is about _________.
| A．famous physicists | B．great people |
| C．great directors | D．Nobel Prize winners |
Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize before ________ years of his death.
| A．32 | B．24 | C．42 | D．45 |
Mrs. Thompson came to the 5th grade class and noticed that Teddy was always alone. Also, he did badly in his studies．When she reviewed Teddy’s past records，she find he was a good child at first，but he began to change when his mother got ill. Finally he lost interest in school after his mother’s death.
Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and felt sorry for him．She felt even worse when her students brought her beautifully-covered Christmas presents．His presents were covered with some old paper. Some children laughed when she found a bracelet(手镯)with some of the stones missing, and a bottle with a little perfume(香水). But she said how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some perfume on her hand．Teddy stayed after school for a long time just to say，“Mrs. Thompson，today you smelled just like my mom used to.”After the child left，she cried for quite a long time.
On that very day，she taught not only knowledge but also children. As she worked with Teddy，his mind seemed to come alive. By the end of the year，Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
A year later，Teddy left school. She found a note under her door，from Teddy，saying that she was the best teacher he ever had in his life. After that, these words were repeated in each of his letters to her.
Then after he finished college, Teddy wrote telling her that he had met a pretty girl and was going to get married. He explained that his father was dead，and that he wondered if Mrs. Thompson might sit at the wedding in the place for the mother of the groom(新郎).
Of course，Mrs. Thompson did. She wore the bracelet and the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together．
They hugged(拥抱)each other，and Teddy whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear，“Thank you，Mrs. Thompson，for making me feel important，and showing me that I could make a difference．”
Mrs. Thompson，with tears in her eyes，whispered back，“Teddy，it’s not like that. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What made Teddy change before Mrs. Thompson came?
| A．His mother’s illness and death. | B．His classmates’’ laughing at him. |
| C．His past records by his teachers. | D．His interest in some other things. |
Teddy left a note for Mrs. Thompson when he left school mainly to say _______.
| A．sorry | B．hello | C．thanks | D．goodbye |
What kind of person was Mrs. Thompson?
| A．Wise and humorous. | B．Kind and helpful. |
| C．Selfish and impatient. | D．Strict and stubborn． |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．Mrs. Thompson became Teddy’s mother at last. |
| B．Mrs. Thompson didn’t know how to teach all her life. |
| C．Teddy didn’t finish college before he got married. |
| D．Mrs. Thompson and Teddy each made a difference. |
It is common to believe that learning just takes place in school, but much of human learning happens outside the classroom, even from birth and people continue to learn throughout their lives.
Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to use toys, food, and other objects. They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their environments. They learn how to communicate with their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other people important to their world. When they enter school, children learn subjects like reading, writing, and maths. They also continue to learn a lot outside the classroom. They learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished. They learn social skills for communicating with other children. After they finish school, people must learn to deal with many changes that affect their lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job.
Because learning continues throughout our lives and affects almost everything we do, the study of learning is important in many different fields. Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate children. Scientists, social workers and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people’s behaviors.
Learning is closely related (相关的) to memory, which is the storage of information in the brain (大脑). Scientists who study memory are interested in how the brain stores knowledge, where this storage takes place, and how the brain later offers knowledge when we need it. However, scientists who study learning are more interested in behavior and how behavior changes as a result of a person’s experiences. The underlined word “siblings” in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.
| A．teachers | B．classmates | C．doctors | D．brothers or sisters |
When do children begin to know to behave well according to the passage?
| A．After they go into society. | B．Before they enter school. |
| C．When they are at school. | D．Before they are born. |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．As a matter of fact, learning begins at a person’s birth and last the whole life. |
| B．Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate their students. |
| C．People need to understand how certain experiences change their behaviors. |
| D．Social workers need to study how experiences affect people’s thoughts. |
After our hospital visit, my husband and I needed cheering up, so we thought we would treat ourselves to a big breakfast at our favourite restaurant. While we were waiting for our meals, we decided to use all our small change and make our wallets light, so we counted it out as we waited.
I vaguely(含糊地) remember seeing a man sitting nearby. When our meals arrived, we found a note. It read,” Your breakfast has been paid for. Hope you have a lovely day.”
It was a wonderful surprise as nothing like that had ever happened to us. He must have thought we could hardly pay the bill. We looked around to thank him, but he had left. As retirees(退休者)，we were grateful for the help like this, but it was the kindness of a total stranger that meant so much more to us.The old couple went to restaurant for a big breakfast in order to _______.
| A．become happier | B．become healthier |
| C．become lighter | D．become younger |
What have you learnt from the story?
| A．The old couple couldn’t afford the meal. |
| B．The old couple paid the meal by small change. |
| C．The old couple had a free meal in the end |
| D．The old couple bought the man a big breakfast |
Clearly, the man sitting near the couple was _______.
| A．poor | B．rich | C．helpful | D．grateful |