This year, Sichuan schools decide to start morning classes an hour later. This will help students feel less
tired. And most junior high schools will begin the first class at about 8:30 am.
     The students are happy about the change.
     Liu Ming told us that his class were excited by the news on the first day of school. "Great! From now on
we students at Chengdu No. 4 Middle School don' t have to get up so early!" Liu said that he used to get up
at 6:40 am. Now he can get up at 7:40 am because class doesn't start until 8:40 am.
     Wu Hongli feels the same. She said the new timetable (時間表) was good for her health. "I used to get up
at 6:30 am. I had to drink coffee every night, or I would feel too sleepy to finish my homework," said Wu.
"Now I can finish it without coffee. Because I can sleep a little longer."
     Many teachers say the change will help students learn better. "Students used to doze (瞌睡) for the first
two classes in the morning, " said Huang Shan, an English teacher at Chengdu No. 12 Middle School. "But
now they are active in class and learn much better than before."
     But some parents are worried that more sleep will mean less learning. There used to be five classes in the
morning. Now there are only four.
     In fact, every coin has two sides. So does the change in the school timetable.

1. This year, most Sichuan junior high schools will start the first class _____.

A. at about 8: 30 am
B. at about 7:40 am
C. at about 7:30 am
D. at about 6:40 am

2. Hearing the news, the students at Chengdu No. 4 Middle School felt _____.

A. worried
B. sad
C. excited
D. angry

3. How many classes are there in the morning in Chengdu schools now?

A. Five.
B. Four.
C. Three.
D. Two.

4. _____ used to drink coffee at night in order to finish homework.

A. Some parents
B. Liu Ming
C. Wu Hongli
D. Huang Shan

5. Which is right according to the text?

A. The students in Chengdu No. 12 Middle School used to doze for the first two classes in the morning.
B. All the parents say the change will help students learn better.
C. The students will have to get up one hour earlier than before.
D. Many teachers are worried that more sleep will mean less learning.

     It is well-known that it will take travelers only 48 hours by train to go from Beijing to Lhasa, the capital
of west China's Tibet on July 1 this year. Travelers can enjoy the beautiful views during the 48 hour train ride.
     The new railway line will be controlled by the Beijing's West Railway Station from July 1, 2006. The most
important part of the line, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, has been completed.
     The Qinghai-Tibet part of the railway is the world's highest railway. About 960 kilometers of the train
tracks are 4,000 meters above sea level. The highest parts reach 5,072 meters.
     The railway is the world's longest plateau railroad which is 1,956 kilometers long, from Qinghai's capital
Xining to Lhasa in Tibet. The Glommed-Lhasa part is 1,142 kilometers long and goes across the Kunlun and
Tangelo mountain ranges.
     The trains running on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway have very good conditions. If the passengers feel hard to
breathe, they will be provided with oxygen masks, because all of the trains have oxygen supplying equipments.

1. It will take people 48 hours by train to go to Lhasa from Beijing _________.

A. from now on
B. next July 1
C. from July 1, 2006
D. from July 1, 2005

2. When we talk about the Qinghai-Tibet part of the railway, we say _________.

A. the railway is well-known
B. the railway is the highest
C. it is easy to operate
D. it was completed easily

3. The highest parts of Qinghai-Tibet Railway reach _________ meters.

A. 960
B. 4,000
C. 5,072
D. 1,956

4. In the last paragraph, the phrase "oxygen masks" means _________. 

A. 氧氣面罩
B. 望遠(yuǎn)鏡
C. 熱水
D. 藥品

5. The best title of the passage is _________.

A. Travel from Beijing to Lhasa
B. Qinghai-Tibet Railway
C. Train with Best Conditions
D. Well-Known Railway

     I started my school life at the age of six. At first the school for me, a boy, meant play, play and more play
instead of sitting in the classroom and learning something. However, I changed the way I used to behave (表現(xiàn)) at school with the help of my teachers. I tried my best to do well in my schoolwork and follow the school rules.
     Growing and learning were great fun. Every year we had different kinds of school trips. Not only could we
learn things from them, but also we were given many projects (課題) as homework. It helped us know more.
At the same time, we made many good friends. In Grade 8, I won prizes in drawing and English speech
competitions. When I was in Grade 9, I realized that I should give all my attention to my studies because I was
going to take the exams to get into senior (高級的) middle school.
     Whenever I think of my school life, I feel very happy and I think in everybody's school life there are many
ups and downs (苦樂; 盛衰) that influence his life. School is a place where all of us learn to care and share.
"School" is not just a place, but a large building made up of rules, knowledge and love. I think in everybody's
success, school plays a key role. I can describe my school in "Three Ss". They are: Small, Sweet and Simple.
My school was the best, is the best and will always be the best.

1. When did the writer start to go to school? 
    _____________________________________________________
2. Who helped him change the way he used to behave at school?
    _____________________________________________________
3. Does he think the school trips were useful? 
    _____________________________________________________
4. Why did he give all his attention to his studies in Grade 9? 
    _____________________________________________________
5. He describes his school in "Three Ss". What are they? 
    _____________________________________________________

1. Which dish is the cheapest one?

A. Noodles.
B. Potatoes.
C. Fried fish.
D. Eggs and tomato soup.

2. Which drink is the most expensive?

A. Milk.
B. Coffee.
C. Orange juice.
D. Green tea.

3. Which of the following will cost you 31 yuan?

A. Beef with potatoes, a bowl of rice, eggs and tomatoes.
B. Sweet and sour pork, cabbage and a bottle of milk.
C. Vegetable salad, a bowl of noodles and a cup of coffee.
D. Fried fish, a plate of dumplings and a glass of orange juice.

     Most people may not think that there are any problems with watermelons (西瓜), but some Japanese
sellers do. There is often wasted space when they store (貯存) watermelons, because round watermelons
do not sit nicely on shelves. So some clever farmers have solved the watermelon problem. They make their
watermelons grow in square glass boxes so the watermelons become square. The only problem now is the
price. The square watermelons cost about 80 dollars each.
     Many people know the saying "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you". Well, today
the poem needs to change to "Roses are red, roses are blue"! Australian scientists have just recently discovered
that when they put a chemical from a blue flower into a rose, they can create a nearly 100% blue rose. Some
of science's inventions are beautiful, not just useful!
     Since the mid-1990s, many Chinese farmers have had amazing rice harvests. For many years Chinese
scientists have been working on developing new kinds of stronger rice and now they have produced a new
kind, called super rice. Super rice not only can protect itself against insects (昆蟲) and diseases, but it also
produces more than any other kind of rice. Today farmers can grow almost one and a half times more rice
than they could grow in the past.
     Doctors might be able to use vegetables to fight cancer now. US scientists have discovered a way to put
a chemical into tomato plants while they are growing. When cancer patients eat the tomatoes, the tomatoes
will fight the cancer in their bodies. These cancer-fighting vegetables are not yet for sale, because scientists
have not finished testing them. If study finds no problems with the tomatoes, then patients can begin to use
this easy and delicious new treatment.

1. The square watermelons look like ____________.

A. B. C. D.

2. __________ find a way to make blue roses.

A. Chinese scientists
B. Australian scientists
C. American scientists
D. Japanese farmers

3. Which of the following is true?

 A. Super rice can keep itself from insects.
B. Blue roses are more beautiful than red ones.
C. The tomatoes can fight many kinds of diseases.
D. The square watermelons cost less than ordinary ones.

4. The main idea of this passage is ____________.

A. how scientists discover new plants
B. how science makes plants produce more
C. how science has changed plants and people's lives
D. how technology makes our world more beautiful