I first met Li Ming at a friend birthday party five years ago. Then I invited Li Ming over in my place. We listen to my CDs together and soon became best friend. Three years ago, Li Ming’s parents invited I to spend two wonderful week in Qingdao with them during the summer holiday. Li Ming and I loved walking along the beautifully beaches there. Last year I was ill but had to stay in hospital for a week. Li Ming came see me every day. Then his father has changed jobs and they moved to another city. Since then we haven’t see each other much. But we’ve kept writing to each other.

I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier(收银台)in her general store. 　 1.　I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you”.

At first I was paid in candy. 　 2.　I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a. m. to 7 p. m. . My father helped me set up a bank account. 　 3. 

By the time I was 12, My grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics(化妆品). I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “What color do you think I should wear? ”I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup(化妆)ideas. 4. 

The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn’t need to be a rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. 　 5.　Expect they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A. Later I received 50 cents an hour.

B. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.

C. I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics.

D. Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

E. My grandma’s trust taught me how to handle responsibility.

F. Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

G. Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

A school master of Thurso in Caithness, William Munro, wrote in a report in THE TIMES on September 8, 1809 that twelve years earlier he had been walking along Sandside Bay shore when he saw what he first thought was a naked woman, sitting on a rock and combing her light brown hair. The face was fatty round, with reddish cheeks and blue eyes. If the rock where the woman sat had not been so dangerous for swimmers, Munro would have thought it was human. After a few minutes it dropped into the sea and swam away. Others had seen it too.

The island of Benbecula in the outer Hebrides, about 1830, women cutting seaweed reported they had met a creature of female form playing happily off the shore. A few days later her dead body was found two miles from where she had first been seen. The description of the creature was recorded thus, “the upper part of the creature was about the size of a well-fed child of three or four years of age, with an extraordinarily developed breast. The hair was long, dark and glossy(有光泽), while the skin was white, soft and tender. The lower part of the body was like a salmon(鲑鱼). ”

1.From the description given by the witnesses, we know that　　　　.

A. mermaids did exist

B. mermaids shaped like females

C. mermaids looked terrible

D. mermaids shaped like fish

2. This passage most probably comes from　　　　.

A. scientific books　　　　B. tales collection

C. travel guideD. fishing webpages

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The school master and the women saw a mermaid in the same year.

B. The school master saw a mermaid swimming in the sea.

C. The women saw a mermaid swimming in the sea.

D. It was said that mermaids developed from salmons.

4. Which of the following is WRONG?

A. Not all the people believe they were mermaids.

B. People have taken photos of the creature.

C. The creature in the second case looked like a woman with a fish’s tail.

D. Both of these two tales may not be true.

　　Ten years ago, with only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China was desperately trying to clone(克隆)the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That was a move similar to what Texas A & M University researchers had been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”(诺亚方舟).

Noah’s Ark was aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

It was estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles would become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, was in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They were then trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

“The nucleus transfer(核子移植)of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used)panda eggs could be a major problem,”Kraemer believed. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy(having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort, ”added Kraemer, who was one of the leaders of the project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.

“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed. ”

At present, the project has worked. The number of the pandas has increased to more than 1, 500.

1.The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project was to　　　　.

A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B. save endangered animals from dying out

C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D. transfer the nucleus of one animal to another

2. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of　　　　.

A. available panda eggs　　　B. host animals

C. qualified researchersD. enough money

3. The best title for the passage may be　　　　.

A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning

B. The First Cloned Panda in the World

C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

D. China—the Native Place of Pandas Forever

4.From the passage we know that　　　　.

A. Kraemer and his team had succeeded in cloning a dog

B. scientists tried to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

C. Kraemer would work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

D. about two thousand species would probably die out in a century

There has been an outpouring of love for a 23-year-old disabled woman whose dog was killed in front of her while a groomer(美容师)tried to trim(修剪)its claws.

Calls and e-mails came from as far away as the Upper Peninsula and Arizona as well as Oakland and Macomb counties, offering Laurie Crouch, who uses a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis(硬化症), everything from dogs to money, such as that from Jason Daly of Roseville who said, “I would like to buy her a new dog. ”

A story about the death of Crouch’s pet, Gooch, was printed on the front page of Macomb Daily. Crouch said a groomer tied Gooch up with a collar, and then she and a man sat on the dog to trim its nails. Gooch died after one claw was trimmed.

Crouch yelled at the groomer to stop when she saw Gooch was struggling to breathe, but she said she was ignored. “If I could have walked, I would have put my hands on her and pulled her off my dog and physically stopped her, but I can’t do that. ”Gooch was not a trained service animal, but naturally helped Crouch by picking up things for her.

“This case is absolute animal abuse(虐待), ”Larry Obrecht, division manager of the Oakland County Animal Shelter in Auburn Hills said.

People who read the story contacted Oakland Press to offer help. A message, from Rebecca Amett of Giggles N Wiggles Puppy Rescue in Roseville, said, “We have puppies to donate and want to help the young woman who lost her service dog. ”

“When Gooch was with me I was happy, ”Crouch said, “I think I can be happy again but no animal can replace Gooch. There’s never going to be another Gooch out there but I think I will find a dog that can bring me joy again. ”

1.People called and emailed to　　　　.

A. give their angry voice to the groomer

B. offer help and care to Laurie Crouch

C. tell Crouch how to punish the groomer

D. offer a cure for Crouch’s disease

2. Gooch died mainly because　　　　.

A. the groomer was careless

B. the groomer didn’t know how to trim the dog’s nails

C. the groomer sat on the dog with another man

D. the dog was wearing a collar

3.What do we know about Crouch’s dog?

A. It was a specially trained service dog.

B. It was trained to do many things for people.

C. It was Crouch’s only friend.

D. It could offer some help to Crouch.

4.What does the passage mainly tell us?

A. A disabled woman’s service dog.

B. A cruel groomer killed a disabled woman’s dog.

C. People’s love for a disabled woman who lost her dog.

D. A disabled woman loves to have the dog as company.

　　It was July 1976. An unmanned spaceship, Viking One, had arrived at Mars. On July 20th, the spaceship　　. Part of it continued toward a landing on the planet. It fell　　through the late afternoon Mars’ sky.

Forty kilometers above the planet, the thin　　began to slow its fall. Six kilometers above the planet a big parachute(降落伞)opened. The landing craft fell more slowly. Then, three rocket engines　　. And the landing craft set down　　on the surface. 　　in the Viking One Lander immediately sent a message to the earth. It said, “I am here. I am down safely. I am beginning my work. ”

The message　　at the speed of light. It took twenty minutes to reach the earth, more than three hundred and twenty million kilometers　　. Scientists and engineers at the control center　　.

Moments later, television receiver in the control center began to　　the first picture from Viking One. People at the center could see the feet of the landing craft sitting firmly on the　11　soil of Mars. Those pictures were our first　　look at the planet. They showed a red surface, full of rocks, with no sign of　　. It was our first look at a planet that is full of surprises, mysteries and promise. Viking One was launched toward Mars in August, 1975. The spaceship had two　　: an orbiter(轨道飞行器)and a lander(着陆器). The orbiter would circle　　Mars. It would take pictures of Mars’ surface. It would　　the atmosphere.

The　　would go down to the surface. It would carry　　to dig up and study soil and　　.

It also would report about any evidence of life on the planet. The lander would send this　　to the orbiter and then back to the earth.

1.A. separated　　　　　　             B. appeared

C. workedD. started

2. A. correctly　　B. slowly　　C. quickly　　D. directly

3. A. airB. universe

C. spaceD. atmosphere

4.A. firedB. fellC. openedD. floated

5. A. heavilyB. softly

C. suddenlyD. immediately

6. A. A computerB. A rocket

C. A pilotD. An astronaut

7.A. spreadB. traveledC. shotD. moved

8. A. farB. longC. distantD. away

9.A. shoutedB. watched

C. cheeredD. welcomed

10. A. makeB. takeC. showD. search

11. A. redB. brownC. grayD. black

12.A. carefulB. closeC. realD. clear

13. A. menB. lifeC. treesD. air

14.A. partsB. rocketsC. enginesD. centers

15. A. throughB. towardsC. overD. around

16. A. enterB. examine

C. collectD. discover

17. A. orbiterB. lander

C. spaceshipD. rocket

18. A. engineersB. astronauts

C. parachutesD. instruments

19. A. surfaceB. treesC. rocksD. pictures

20.A. spaceshipB. rocket

C. landerD. information

One night in March 1999, a man was driving from California to Oregon, US, to visit some friends. He had stopped his car to have some food when he started to hear strange noises. Turning on the headlights, he saw an 8-foot-tall creature covered in thick, dark hair. The creature stared at him for a minute, turned in the road and walked off slowly into the woods.

In the past 50 years alone, there have been thousands of reported sightings of similar creatures in the US, Canada, the Himalayas(喜马拉雅山地区)and even Hubei Province in China. The creature is known as bigfoot.

Bigfoot is said to be a very tall(between 2 and 4. 5 metres), ape-like(类人猿似的)creature that is covered in hair and walks upright on two legs. It is very wary(警惕的)of human beings.

Believers think bigfoot is a direct descendent(后代)of ancient gigantopithecus(巨猿). But it remains one of the planet’s undiscovered secrets. There is a little evidence(证据)to support the believers’ theory: traces of hair, footprints and body prints as well as the reported sightings. Some people have even showed what they say with photos or films of bigfoot.

But so far, no one has found bones or any other definite proof that the giant creature exists.

As a result many people believe the evidence is just part of a big trick.

The footprints are easy to make and they say: all you need to do is to make two large feet out of plaster(石膏), attach them to the bottom of your shoes and walk with big steps. As for the photos and films, they are just people dressed in ape suits.

They also say the sightings are not real, just people making mistakes. For example, bigfoot could be a bear living in the wild that sometimes stands up on its back legs.

1. So far what we can be sure about is that　　　　.

A. there exist savages(野人)in several places in the world

B. there are some traces of hair, footprints and body prints of the “bigfoot”

C. bigfoot is a direct descendent of ancient gigantopithecus

D. all the big foot discovered have the same look

2.It was in　　　that man first found the ape-like creature.

A. 1999B. the 1960’s

C. the 1950’sD. the 1940’s

3. The article infers but doesn’t say so that some people　　　　bigfoot’s existence.

A. may fool the world into believing

B. have definite evidences to prove

C. refuse to believe

D. will soon offer proofs of

4.If bigfoot is just a misunderstanding, what they saw might NOT be　　　　.

A. apes

B. bears

C. gigantopithecus

D. people dressed in animal skins

Today, more and more high school student publish their own blogs on the Internet. For one thing, it can provide colorful platform to show their talents, and for another, it is also a way to release their pressure. And this make it popular to high school students. But many parents and teachers hold a same view, and they think that managing a blog will take a lot of time and energy, while this should be used study which is their main duty. Personally, I do approve of this activity. Open and organizing an eye-catching blog needs various abilities such like writing, designing and so on. Only if that we have those abilities can we make a good blog. And also, we can improve themselves during the procedure of organizing our blogs.

　　It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?

Viti Levu—Great Fiji—is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.

With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded.  And with a climate(气候)that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.

From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.

　　Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events, from war dances to religious(宗教的)songs, from market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji.  And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional(传统的)sharing of yaqona—a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.

So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?

1. Where is the international airport of Fiji?

A. In Suva　　　　　　　B. In Sydney

C. On the island of VatoaD. On the island of Viti Levu

2. What does the text tell us about Fijian people?

A. They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.

B. They stick to a traditional way of life.

C. They like to travel from place to place.

D. They love taking adventures abroad.

3. One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is　　　.

A. its comfortable hotels

B. its good weather all year round

C. its exciting football matches

D. its religious beliefs

4.Where can we most probably read this text?

A. In a personal diary

B. In a science report

C. In a travel magazine

D. In a geography textbook

When I started my career in management, I was really green, but I always tried to stay positive on the job. I was working for a new company that was having a difficult time with its customers. Actually, at one point my General Manager told me he liked me and suggested I should start looking for a new job as we were about to lose our only order. Every day we faced people leaving the company, customers complaining, and upper management preparing to close the place.

One night, I went home thinking about the problems. My wife told me to forget about work and see a movie. We went and saw Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal, an eighteen-year-old Indian young man, is from a poor family and becomes rich later. He tries his best to change his position. I realized what we needed to do was to correct the situation.

The next day I called my customers to have a talk. I promised to do my best to solve the problems if they would give us some time. As a result, we were given one month to turn the situation around. This was our only chance to correct the situation. To achieve this, I worked day and night with my team. I can remember working from 6 a. m. and not going home until 2 a. m. the next day.

To make a long story short, we succeeded in solving all of the problems and at the same time increased our productivity(生产率). The customers and management were very happy, and I knew at that moment we had saved our jobs. Actually things went so well that we ended up having our pay doubled.

Through this experience I understand that you can achieve what you desire as long as you work at it and stay positive.

1. The General Manager advised the author to look for a new job mainly because　　　.

A. he knew the author didn’t want to stay there

B. his company was too small to hire so many people

C. he believed the author could get more pay that way

D. the management was preparing to close the department

2. Who caused the author to decide to change his situation?

A. The hero in a movie. 　　　B. His wife.

C. His boss. D. The customers.

3. How long did the author stay in his department every day during that month?

A. 8 hours. B. 15 hours.

C. 20 hours. D. 24 hours.

4.The experience of the author shows that　　　.

A. if a person does his best and keeps positive, he’ll succeed

B. if a person takes advice from others, he’ll make progress

C. if a person is clever, he’ll realize his dream sooner or later

D. if a person wants to change his fate, he mustn’t change his job

5.What would be the best title for this passage?

A. My Work Experience

B. My First Management Job

C. How to Correct Your Situation

D. The Importance of Working Hard

If you want to help children develop language and speech skills, UCLA researchers say, listening to what they have to say is just as important as talking to them.

The effect of a conversation between a child and an adult is about six times as great as the effect of adult speech input(输入)alone, the researchers found. “Adults speaking to children helps language develop, but what matters much more is the interaction, ”said the study’s lead author, Frederick   Zimmerman, an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles.  The researchers also found that TV viewing didn’t have much of an effect—positively or negatively—as long as it wasn’t displacing conversations between an adult and a child.

The UCLA study included 275 families with children between 2 months and 48 months old.  They represented a variety of incomes and education.  The researchers found that, in an average day, children heard about 13, 000 spoken words from adults and participated in about 400 adult-child conversations a day.

Assessed separately, factors positively associated with language development included each additional 100 conversations a day and each 1, 000 words increase in the number of words spoken by adults and heard by children.  When looked at alone, TV was negatively associated with language development.  But, when these three factors were analyzed together, the only one that stood out was conversation between adults and children.

“The more a child speaks and interacts with an adult, the better idea a parent has about where the child is”, Zimmerman said. “Although it’s mostly done unconsciously, parents will provide feedback and correct mistakes.  They’ll also tailor their speech to the child.  Parents can give the children words by talking to them about what they’re doing, such as, ‘I’m putting on your pajamas now’.  But give your child the opportunity to talk, hopefully without the rest of the noise in the environment, ”she added. “If parents can carve out some conversation time—maybe at bath time or at dinner time—that’s a wonderful thing. ”

1. The researchers also found that TV viewing　　　　.

A. could have a positive effect on a child’s language development

B. had a little effect on a child’s language development

C. affected a child’s language development more negatively than positively

D. affected a child’s language development both negatively and positively

2.Frederick Zimmerman would probably agree that　　　　.

A. parents should let their children talk most of the time

B. children should watch TV programs selectively

C. the conversation between parents and children should be two-way

D. it’s no good for parents to correct their children’s mistakes when they are speaking

3. We can conclude from the last paragraph that　　　　.

A. parents should let a child repeat what he or she says

B. bath time or dinner time is the best chance for parents to talk to a child

C. parent-child conversation can be carried out at any proper time

D. parents should leave a child talking alone

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Talk with kids, not at them

B. Let your children voice their own opinions

C. How to develop a child’s language ability

D. The importance of early child language development

5.The underlined word “tailor” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by　　　　.

A. controlB. improve

C. passD. adjust