"Oh，boys，don't throw stones at the poor bird，" said an old grey﹣headed man.
"Sir，" said a little one，"she makes such a loud noise that we can't bear her."
"I am afraid the stone will rebound （反弹） and hurt you as long as you live!"
"Rebound!We don't understand you，sir!"
"Well，I will tell you a true story.
"Fifty years ago，I liked throwing stones because I had no other boy to play with and I became very skillful.One day I went to work for an old couple who were very friendly to everybody，even to the birds.And the birds seemed to love the old couple，too.For seven years a bird had come and built her nest （鸟巢） in the same place.She and her mate had just returned on the day I went to work and the old couple welcomed them happily.During the day，I thought I would try my skill upon her.Suddenly the bird flew to a tree near me.I found a nice stone，and I threw it with my best skill.It hit the bird on the head and she dropped dead！
"I was sorry the moment I saw her fall off the tree.But it was too late.All day long her mate flew about，and chirped （发啁啾声） so sadly that he made my heart ache..I said nothing to the old couple but one of their grandchildren told them about it.Though the old couple never said a word to me，I knew that they were very sad.I could never look them in the eye and tell them how sorry I was.They have been dead for many，many years，and so has the poor bird.But don't you see how that stone rebounded，and hit me？For fifty years I have still remembered it though I have never spoken of it before.But if what I have told you will stop you，I will be happy."
The boys at once dropped the stones in their hands and the bird had no more trouble from them.
（1）Why did the boy throw stones at the bird according to what the little boy said？
A.Because they wanted to catch the bird.
B.Because they thought the bird was noisy.
C.Because they wanted to practice their skills.
D.Because they thought throwing stones was fun.
（2）Which word can best describe the old couple？
A.Kind.
B.Strict.
C.Proud.
D.Funny.
（3）The underlined word "They" refers to .
A.the birds
B.the old couple
C.the boys
D.the grandchildren
（4）How did the old man stop the boys from throwing stones at the bird？
A.By driving away the bird.
B.By taking away their stones.
C.By playing jokes on the boys.
D.By telling the boys his own story.
（5）What can we learn from the text？
A.Don't hurt others，or you will hurt yourself.
B.Try to save others and you will feel happier.
C.Keep practicing and you will be very skillful.
D.Don't waste time，or you will achieve nothing.
Fashion is a term commonly used to describe a style of clothing worn by most people of a country. A fashion usually keeps popular for 1-3 years and then is replaced by another fashion. Even though there are a lot of changes in fashion, most people do not easily hope for the changes.
Nowadays more and more young people prefer following the fashion. On this phenomenon(现象), different people have different opinions. It is held that one should follow the fashion so as not to be looked down or seem strange. But it is also held that one should have his or her own judgement(判断).
Those who hold the first opinion think that society is progessing and one should get used to the changes. In their opinions, if everyone always follows the old fashion, there won’t be any change and naturally there won’t be much progress. However, those who hold the second view think that one shouldn’t follow the fashion without having his or her own judgement and characters.
As for me, I agree with the second opinion. Of course, it’s good for people to keep up with the fashion, but this is not to say that people should follow the fashion blindly(盲目地). If all the people follow the same fashion, there will be no variety and the whole society will be boring.. The second paragraph mainly tells us ________.
| A．what the fashon is about |
| B．different people have different opinions about the fashion |
| C．whether one should follow the fashion or not |
| D．more and more young people prefer following the fashion |
According to those who hold the first view, why should one follow the fashion?
| A．One should follow the fashion so that they won’t be looked down. |
| B．One should follow the fashion so that society is progressing. |
| C．One should follow the fashion so that people will have their own judgement. |
| D．One should follow the fashion so that society will be boring. |
.We can tell from the story that the writer thinks we should _________.
| A．keep up with the same fashion |
| B．be against the fashion |
| C．say nothing about the fashion |
| D．follow the fashion by our own judgement |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Hope For Fashion | B．Have Your Own Judgement |
| C．How to follow the fashion | D．Two ideas about the fashion |
I stood there listening to my father shout at top of his voice. The look on his face said that one of us had done something wrong.
“Which one of you did this?”
We all looked down at the step. There was child’s handwriting in chalk there. I was very frightened. I hope no one could see it. Would he guess it was me? I was so scared. When he asked me, I lied, “Not me, dad.” The other denied(否认) it as well. Of course, we all knew that one of us must have done it. But as the youngest and smallest of the three, I just couldn’t find courage to tell the truth.
To find out who had written on the step, Father gave us each a piece of paper and a pencil. “I want each of you to write exactly what you see on the step.” I tried my best to write the words differently. I didn’t want dad to be able to tell it was me.
He gathered up our paper and looked at them. “Since none of you will say yes, then I will punish you all.” I stood there and said nothing. The last thing I wanted was for Dad to punish me!
“I did it.” My sister walked forward and said she had done something she hadn’t. she was punished for a month.
We didn’t talk about that day for many years. Not until we were all older and I knew it was safe to finally tell my dad it was really me. I always felt sorry because of it. That was the last time I let anyone take the blame for me. I told myself, “One must see to what he or she has done.” The writer’s father was _____________ when he saw the handwriting in chalk on the step.
| A．very happy | B．very sad |
| C．very angry | D．very excited |
The underlined word “take the blame” most probably means ________________ in Chinese.
| A．撒谎 | B．承担责任 |
| C．接受惩罚 | D．解决困难 |
The writer’s sister told a lie because _________________.
| A．she liked telling lies |
| B．she was afraid of being punished |
| C．she didn’t like her father |
| D．she didn’t want her father to punish them all |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The writer kept telling lies. |
| B．Her sister told the truth. |
| C．The writer’s father punished the children. |
| D．None of the children told the truth. |
Before you hit ‘Enter’ on MSN, read this
It is often said that the language we use online is less formal than that we use in a letter, or in direct speech sometimes. This is true, but it can also make us in trouble sometimes.
The thing about online communication is that you have no idea what the person who is reading your messages is feeling. For this reason, it is always a good idea to be polite and cautious when writing e-mails or messages to your friends.
Chinese can be a direct language, but in English, people often talk about a subject in another way. So instead of saying “Please meet me here” or “Do this for me now”, English speakers usually go for indirect phrases like “Would it be possible”, “if you have time” or “It would mean a lot to me if…”
If you have a close friend, you may still run into trouble because of your jokes. If you have asked someone to do something and they need a bit more time, you might joke with him: “What? You still haven’t done it yet? What’s wrong with you?” While this seems funny to you, your friend may feel unhappy.
If you have foreign friends in different countries, the time difference can also be a factor. While you are waking up for class on Friday morning, they may be having a party on Friday night. You will be serious and they will, probably, be excited. So don’t be angry if they seem not to care about you. Just try to message them at the proper time. According to the passage, we learn that our letters are more ______ than the e-mails.
| A．formal | B．direct |
| C．different | D．funny |
As a language, Chinese is ______, but English is not.
| A．polite | B．rude |
| C．direct | D．formal |
Why should we be polite and cautious while chatting online?
| A．Because we mustn’t play jokes online. |
| B．Because our friends are easy to be angry. |
| C．Because it can help us avoid lots of troubles. |
| D．Because we can’t see our friends online. |
According to the passage, which of the following is right?
| A．It is OK to connect your friend by MSN anytime. |
| B．Using the proper way to chat online is necessary. |
| C．Don’t ask your friend to do something for you by MSN. |
| D．Never play jokes with your friends. |
What time will drinks be served?
| A．At 5:30 | B．At 7:30 |
| C．At 8:15 | D．At 12:00 |
You can do the following things EXCEPT ______________________.
| A．bringing your swimming clothes |
| B．dancing with jazz music |
| C．taking a taxi to the party |
| D．wearing jeans and T-shirts |
Which is the following is NOT true about the party?
| A．It is Nicola’s 16th birthday party. |
| B．It is a swimming pool party. |
| C．It will be held at Hillview Hotel. |
| D．You must pay for the towels that the hotel will provide you. |
A. Choose the best answer (根据短文内容，选择最恰当的答案) (12分)
Sir Steven Redgrave—Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病), believing the profession trained for the whole of my life ended, I felt very sorry. Then one of my friends said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it—the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
Karen Pickering—Swimming World Champion (冠军)
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that amount of work by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success—you can’t follow a profession in any field without being well-organized. Make a list of what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kristen Stewart—Actress
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve anything. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to give most of your attention to one thing. When I feel nervous, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘focus’ , ‘calm’, ‘peace’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit and is a powerful psychological(心理学的) tool.”
| A．difficulties stopped his profession | B．doctors offered him help |
| C．illness couldn’t stop him trying to win | D．he didn’t believe in himself |
| A．6 hours a day | B．6 hours a week |
| C．6 days a week | D．4 hours a week |
| A．the amount of work | B．her activities |
| C．her goals | D．her sports news |
| A．things that turn one’s attention away |
| B．things that make one tired |
| C．words to enjoy |
| D．good habits |
| A．self-confidence | B．happiness | C．humour | D．wisdom |
| A．How to Be a Winner | B．Health and Food |
| C．Difficulties and Habits | D．Be a Sportsman |