Dear Headmaster，
Lately our class has become worried about the environment at the back of the school，and we would like to do something to make it more attractive．We have done some research and have come up with a plan．With the help of our parents，we can do most of the work ourselves，but we will need a small amount of money for equipment，plants﹣and paint．I am writing to ask the council for permission to do this work and to ask if the school council could donate 500towards our project．
We would like to turn the empty land at the back of the school into a nature garden．We would plant trees and grasses，make paths through the garden and dig a small pond．We think this would provide a peaceful place for students and teachers to walk in．It would also attract birds，insects and small animals which students could then study in science classes．We would also like to paint the back wall of the school that faces the new garden．Some of our art classes could then paint a huge picture on it．It might be possible to paint over the wall each year so the next classes can make a new picture．
Lastly，we would like to paint all the rubbish bins．At the moment they look old and the paint is coming off．If we paint them in bright，attractive colours，students might be more likely to use them．We think our plan would greatly improve the back of the school and everyone in the school would benefit．We have already asked our parents and they have promised to donate one weekend of their time to help us complete the project．
We hope you will give us permission for this worthwhile project and will be able to donate the ＄500we need．When we have finished the work，we hope the council will join us in a celebration morning tea so that the whole school can thank you．
Yours sincerely，
Jim White
Monitor of Class 1，Grade 9
34．This is a letter from a to a ．
A．student； headmaster
B．student； teacher
C．Teacher； headmaster
D．headmaster； student
35．How many things does Jim White ask the school for to complete the project？
A．One
B．Two
C．Three
D．Four
36．How much time have the parents promised to help with the work？
A．One morning
B．One day．
C．One weekend
D．One week．
37．What is NOT in the plan？
A．Doing some painting work．
B．Making morning tea every day．
C．Making paths through the garden．
D．Growing trees，grass and flowers at the back of the school．
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 |