Travelling has been popular with people for a long time. Many of today’s travellers are trying to find an unusual experience or adventure. Hiking may be a good choice.
Instead of spending your vacation on a bus, in a hotel or sitting on the beach, you may want to try hiking. Hiking is a great way to travel. You will get close to nature and take exercise at the same time. Hiking is easy to do and doesn’t have to be very expensive. You can hike close to home or travel to other places. The basic equipment you need for hiking is simple: good shoes, clothes and a backpack. You can hike in the mountain, in a forest or along a river. You can also go for a hike in the city.
Hiking is fun and exciting, but you shouldn’t forget safety. Here are some basic tips for successful hiking:
﹡Don’t hike alone.
﹡ bring water, a good map and a cellphone.
﹡Wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
【小題1】 Hiking is a good way to get close to nature.
【小題2】 Good shoes, clothes and a backpack are the basic equipment for hiking.
【小題3】 People can only hike in the mountain, in a forest or along a river.
【小題4】 Hiking is always fun, exciting and safe
【小題5】 You’d better go hiking with others.

One day a man saw an old lady standing by her expensive car, clearly in need of help. So he stopped his old truck and got out. Although he was smiling, the old lady was worried. Was he gong to hurt her? He didn’t look safe.
The man could see that she was frightened, so in his friendliest voice he said, “I’m here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.” Bryan quickly fixed the car and the lady thanked him. Then she asked how much she should pay him.
But Bryan wanted no money. He was just giving a hand to someone in trouble. This was normal for him. He said, “If you really want to repay me, next time you see someone in need, help them and think of me.”
After saying goodbye, the lady continued down the road until she reached a small café where she decided to stop for something to eat. As the pretty waitress took her order, the lady noticed she was nearly eight months pregnant(懷孕). Although the waitress looked tired she was very kind. As the lady was going to pay the $10 bill she remembered Bryan’s words.
She paid with a hundred-dollar bill. But when the waitress returned with the change the lady was gone. On the table she saw a small note. There ware tears in her eyes when she read it: “Somebody once helped me the way I’m helping you. If you want to pay me back, continue being kind to others.” Under the note were nine more $100 bills.
Was the old lady an angel? The waitress was so excited that she called her husband to tell him the news. “Bryan Anderson my dear…you’re not going to believe what just happened…”
【小題1】When the lady saw Bryan, she was worried because she thought_____ .

When I was a teenager growing up in Russia, I wanted to leave school and have my own life. The only way I could do this was to work in the local brick factory in my town, or get married. I was nervous when I told my father I wanted to leave school. I thought he would say, " No! You are going to college. " He took me by surprise when he said, "OK. We'll go to the brick factory. "
Two days later, he took me to the factory. I had a very romantic idea of working in a factory. ' I had imagined everyone to be friends working together and having fun. I even imagined there would be music and singing. I guess I had watched too many movies as a teenager.
When we arrived at the factory gates, my father spoke to the guard and one minute later we were inside. My father said, "Take your time. Look around." I walked around the factory looking at the building, the workers, and listening to the noise. It was horrible. I ran back to my. father and said, "I want to go home. "
He asked me, "What do you think of the factory?"
"It's terrible," I replied.
"And marriage is even worse!" he said.
I went back to school the next day thinking about studying hard so I could get into a good college. I enjoyed studying English so I decided to major in languages at college. Thanks to my father and our trip to the brick factory, I now work at the United Nations and my father is very proud of me. I married a very good man and my life is much better than it would have been working in the factory!
【小題1】 The writer lived in_________ when she was a teenager.
A. Russia B. Japan C. China
【小題2】At first she thought life in the factory would be _       _ than in school.
A. more careful B. more colorful C. more beautiful
【小題3】When she told her father that she wanted to leave school, he expressed his disagreement________.
A. by doing nothing    B. in a special way C. by saying nothing
【小題4】 After they visited the factory, the girl________.
A. decided to work there        B. decided to get married        C. changed her mind
【小題5】The underlined word "horrible" means "_     _" in Chinese.
A. 糟糕的    B. 緊張的   C. 浪漫的

In North America, most students go to school by bus. The subway is also widely used in some cities. In small towns and cities, walking is still popular.
The yellow school bus is a familiar sight all over North America. It is a very convenient form of transportation because it takes students right to the entrance to the school. It also gives students opportunity to chat with their friends. However, the bus is slow and does not always pick up on time.
The subway is a means of getting around quickly in many cities. However, it is expensive and can be very crowded during rush hour. Another disadvantage of the subway is that the stops are not so close to the school, and students often have to walk considerable distance or take a bus from the subway stop to the scho
Walking has a number of advantages for those who live reasonable close to school. It's free and it provides a form of exercise. However, it's no fun if you have a large backpack full of books to carry. It's also unpleasant if the weather is either too hot or cold or wet.
【小題1】In North America, most students usually go to school by_________.
A. school bus or subway B. car or bicycle C. taxi or car
【小題2】 For many students, the yellow school bus is convenient but it is_________.
A. too expensive B. slow and sometimes late      C. crowded and dirty
【小題3】Subways are fast but the stops are often a little bit_________the school.
A. close to B. busy for C. far away from
【小題4】Walking is a good way for the students that live reasonable close to school and it is_________.
A. not convenient B. bad for health C. good for health
【小題5】This passage is about_________in North America.
A. transportation B. students C. schools

As Sam slowly woke, he got a funny feeling in his stomach. He knew he would have to do something that he had been afraid to do for a long time.
The school bus came on time, and he sat with his friend, Billy. They chatted about baseball. It was a great way to get his mind off what he had to do later. As they got close to the school, he could feel his heart beating. His hands were starting to sweat. He hated this!
He entered Mrs. Owen’s class. She was smiling, and saying hello to all her students as she did every morning.
“Hi, Sam!” she said as he walked in.
“Hi,” he said and quickly sat in his seat. Then the class began to take their spelling test. He looked at the clock. The time was near. He hoped he was not first! Mrs. Owens said it was time to begin their special day.
“Sam, you’ll be first.” Mrs. Owens said to the class, “Sam has worked very hard on his report on Hawaii, and I know it is very interesting.”
Sam nervously greeted his class. Then, he thought about the fun things he had read about surfing, volcanoes, and pineapples in Hawaii, and he started to talk. He talked in front of the whole class, and it was fun. The class clapped as he finished and Mrs. Owens was smiling. It wasn’t terrible at all and he knew he would do better the next time.
【小題1】 How did Sam feel after he woke?

Traveling by train is usually not easy in China. It can be hard to get a ticket. When you’re traveling to the railway station you look at your watch, afraid you will miss your train.
But there is good news for people traveling between Beijing and Shanghai. Construction (建設(shè)) on the express railway (高速鐵路) between the two cities started just before the Spring Festival of 2008. When it is finished by 2013, taking a train will be as easy as taking a bus.
“There will be trains every several minutes. Buying a ticket, getting through the checkpoint (檢查站) and taking your seat, will take just 10 minutes,” said an engineer.
There may be high-speed trains running at 350 kilometers an hour. The travel time between the two cities will decease from 10 to about 5 hours. The trains will carry twice the present number of passengers.
The new line will be 1,318 kilometers long and go across specially built bridges. It will run along side the present line. There will be 21 stations in Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu.
“The cost of traveling by the express railway may be around 800 yuan. That will be more expensive than an ordinary train, but cheaper than by air.” Said Zhang Xiaoling, a Jiangsu government official.
According to Zhang, the higher price is caused by the large cost of the railway project. At about 200 billion yuan, the project may be even more expensive than the Three Gorges Project (三峽工程).
【小題1】The express railway between Beijing and Shanghai will be finished _______.

People know the dangers of fires. It’s good for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are sonic suggestions:
Put a smoke a1arm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.
Make escape (逃脫) plans. They should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire, everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.
Buy fire extinguishers (滅火器) in the house, Everyone in the family should know how to use them.
Practise for a fire. They do fire practice because they teach children about fire safety. Everyone in. the family should know the following fire rules:
★ Don’t open a hot door! The tire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
★Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than fire, The best air is near the floor because smoke rises.
★What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First, stop! Don’t run! The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. Then roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket (毯子) around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you.
There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire, don’t forget to call 119 for help.
【小題1】What does it mean when a smoke alarm rings at home?

Monday, April 17
Dear Gramps,
I was so upset last week when somebody stole my Super Racer from the park by your house. I called up the toy company but they said they have only red, blue and green racers. Dad called Cobb’s Toy Store today and found out they might have purple ones. Can we go there when I come to visit you next week?You and I were only gone for a few minutes to the shop down the street to get ice-cream and cookies. Maybe the thief was watching us. Mum was surprised when I told her the racer was stolen. She said she used to leave things at the park all the time when she was young. Once she even left her bicycle for two days near the swimming pool.
Tell Grandma that I like the food she made last time. Ask Grandma if we can have pancakes with sugar for breakfast when I come this time. I have packed in my towel, comb and soap. Tell her this time I won’t forget to pack in my toothbrush.
Love
Toby
【小題1】This letter is written by________.

When you cough or sneeze, please turn your head away from others and cover your mouth with the full part of your hand. Afterwards, you should say,” Excuse me.” This is a rule I set for my students
It is so simple, but many kinds have never been told to do this. In fact, I notice adults cough and sneeze in public without putting a hand over the mouth. I hate traveling by subway(地鐵) in New York during cold and flu season, because it is certain that someone is going to stand right behind me and cough or sneeze on my neck.
One important thing I point out to the kids is that after they sneeze or cough on their hand, they should wash their hands as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will be passing those germs(病菌) along to everything and everyone they touch.
In order to help the kids remember this rule, I tell them about an old story. It says that when you sneeze, evil spirits jump into your body. If you don’t cover your mouth, the spirits will enter, but if you cover your mouth, you will keep them out, We say “God bless you” when someone sneezes, and in Germany you should say “Gesundheit”. That means “Good health to you. “ Both expressions are said just in case you didn’t cover your mouth in time and the spirits were able to enter your body. The kids love finding out the origins(起源) of these expressions and it encourage them to put the advice to use more often.
【小題1】The writer of this article must be _______ .