The Great Wall of China is one of Beijing’s biggest draws for tourists; despite its fame and ubiquity in postcards across the world, it rarely fails to attract tourists at the first proper sight.Yet the authorities open only certain sections of the wall as fit for viewing, and few get to visit the unauthorized sections. Fewer still are aware of the existence of at least one part of the Wall that remains in almost original condition, nearly 1,500 years after construction of legendaryfortification began. But there’s a good reason for this – it’s underwater.
American journalist Steven Schwankert has been diving since age 10. It was though his setting – up of a diving school that Schwankert came to explore some of lesser – known areas of China’s lakes – and discovered the underwater Wall under a reservoir.“The most fascinating piece of diving I ever did in China must be the Great Wall. I managed to find out about it via the Internet. It wasn’t difficult to get to Pan Jiakou in Hebei Province, near the East Qing Tomb about 4 hour’s drive from Beijing. Why do I want to dive the Great Wall? Why do people want to walk on the Great Wall? It’s the same answer.”
There are, however, advantages of visiting the Great Wall in a diving suit over being on foot. The water acts as a preservative by preventing the kind of mass tourism that has brought trouble on other parts of the Wall.“Unlike the people who walk in the Wall, we as divers never need to actually touch it. I’ve dived twice there, the last time in July. I found that the water then was much deeper than it was before – 13 meters deep.” When he first dived, parts of the Wall were visible above the surface. Now even the guard tower is completely submerged. “It’s better that the Wall is deep under water, as there are lots of boats coming in and out around that area. Their wave action could potentially damage the brickwork. So, the deeper, the better.”

1. 1.

   Steven Schwankert is most interested in           

   1. A.
      collecting photos of the Wall
   2. B.
      walking along on the Wall
   3. C.
      diving the underwater Wall
   4. D.
      visiting some famous lakes
2. 2.

   What does the underlined word “submerged” in Paragraph 5 most probably mean?

   1. A.
      Damaged by water
   2. B.
      Washed by water
   3. C.
      Preserved by water
   4. D.
      Covered by water
3. 3.

   What is the topic discussed in the last paragraph?

   1. A.
      Advantages of walking on the Great Wall
   2. B.
      Advantages of visiting the underwater Wall
   3. C.
      The reasons why the Wall is deep under water
   4. D.
      The reasons why the underwater Wall is protected
4. 4.

   What can we infer from the text?

   1. A.
      The underwater Wall will sink deeper year by year
   2. B.
      Diving the Wall is popular with divers all over the world
   3. C.
      Diving is a good way to visit the Wall without causing much damage
   4. D.
      More and more tourists will come to visit the underwater Wall in China

“Well, we’re in our new house. Let’s get a new pet to go along with it,” Mrs. Brown said to her husband.
“That sounds like a very good idea,” he answered. “Do you want to see the ads in the newspaper?”
“Let’s go to the animal shelter. Many pets there need homes. Since tomorrow is Saturday, we can both go.” she said.
The next morning the Browns met Mr. Snow at the animal shelter. “We want to be sure that the pets here go to good homes,” Mr. Snow said, “So I need to ask you some questions.”
After they talked for a while, the Browns decided to get a small dog. It wouldn’t need a big house or a big yard. A small dog would bark and warn them if someone tried to break into their house. After Mr. Snow gave the Browns a book on pet care, they chose one and wanted to take her home right away. But the animal doctor hadn’t examined her yet. So Mr. Snow told them to return on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon the Browns went to the animal shelter. The animal doctor said, “Shadow has had all of her shots（預(yù)防針）. She will be healthy.” The Browns thanked the doctor and took Shadow home

1. 1.

   Which of the following statements is true?

   1. A.
      The Browns have never had a pet before
   2. B.
      The Browns knew about Shadow from the newspaper
   3. C.
      Shadow is a small and healthy dog
   4. D.
      Mr. Brown didn’t quite agree with his wife
2. 2.

   The word “shelter” in the reading means _________

   1. A.
      a place to sell small dogs
   2. B.
      a place to keep homeless animals
   3. C.
      a place to study animals
   4. D.
      a place to sell books on pet care
3. 3.

   Mr. Snow asked the Browns some questions to _________

   1. A.
      see if they had moved to a new house
   2. B.
      find out how rich the Browns were
   3. C.
      know where they’d keep their new pet
   4. D.
      make sure they’d take good care of pets
4. 4.

   The Browns think that a small dog _________

   1. A.
      doesn’t need any room to keep
   2. B.
      can help them watch their house
   3. C.
      eats less food than a bigger one
   4. D.
      usually has a beautiful name

When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, “Be sure and take a typing course so when this show business thing doesn't work out, you'll have something to rely on.” Mary responded in typical teenage fashion. From that moment on, "the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a typing course," she recalls. 
The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently, when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her mom, “I don't know how to use a computer,” she admits. 
Unlike her 1995 autobiography(自傳), After All, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress and more about living with diabetes (糖尿病). All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. “I felt there was a need for a book like this,” she says. “I didn't want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that things get better when we're self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease.” 
But she hasn't always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40 years ago, when she received two pieces of life-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying, and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a box of doughnuts (甜甜圈). Years would pass before she realized she had to grow up ---again---and take control of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet. 
Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses to fall into self-pity. “Everybody on earth can ask, 'why me?' about something or other,” she insists. “It doesn't do any good. No one is immune (免疫的) to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make things better by helping others. I've come to realize the importance of that as I've grown up this second time. I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be.”

1. 1.

   Why did Mary feel regretful?

   1. A.
      She didn't achieve her ambition
   2. B.
      She didn't take care of her mother
   3. C.
      She didn't complete her high school
   4. D.
      She didn't follow her mother's advice
2. 2.

   We can know that before 1995, Mary______.

   1. A.
      had two books published
   2. B.
      received many career awards
   3. C.
      knew how to use a computer
   4. D.
      supported the JDRF by writing
3. 3.

   Mary's second book Growing Up Again is mainly about her______.

   1. A.
      living with diabetes
   2. B.
      successful show business
   3. C.
      service for an organization
   4. D.
      remembrance of her mother
4. 4.

   When Mary received the life-changing news, she______.

   1. A.
      lost control of herself
   2. B.
      began a balanced diet
   3. C.
      tried to get a treatment
   4. D.
      behaved in an adult way
5. 5.

   What can we know from the last paragraph?

   1. A.
      Mary feels pity for herself
   2. B.
      Mary has recovered from her disease
   3. C.
      Mary wants to help others as much as possible
   4. D.
      Mary determines to go back to the dance floor

Because of the change in the American public school system over the last several years, now many parents choose to home-school their children. There are many reasons behind this. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
For some parents, they have religious (宗教的) reasons for home-schooling. The public school system does not have religious teachings, so these parents want to put religion into the children’s daily school activities. This might include teaching religion-based courses rather than coursework that is taught in public schools.
For some parents, they do not feel that their local school system offers their children the best learning opportunities. So they want to take matters into their own hands. This may be because the local school has low educational standards (標(biāo)準(zhǔn)) or for some other reason the parents think it necessary to take their children out of the system. Sometimes the parents just feel the children will get a better education at home.
Some parents may not be rich enough to send their children to a private school, so the next best thing in their eyes is home-schooling. Thus they can teach their children what they like.
One should remember that the laws about home-schooling vary from state to state. In some states, the parents are required to hand in monthly attendance records (出席記錄) to their local school system. What’s more, most states require state testing at certain periods such as the CRCT

1. 1.

   The writer wrote this passage mainly to _______

   1. A.
      advise parents to home-school their children
   2. B.
      explain why some parents choose to home-school their children
   3. C.
      tell us the advantages and disadvantages of home-schooling
   4. D.
      praise home-schooling and private schools
2. 2.

   Paragraph 3 tells us that some parents choose home-schooling because ______

   1. A.
      school teachers are not strict with their children
   2. B.
      their children don’t do well in their studies at school
   3. C.
      their children don’t like going to school
   4. D.
      they are not satisfied with the school education
3. 3.

   What does the underlined word “vary” in the last paragraph mean?

   1. A.
      Increase
   2. B.
      Change
   3. C.
      Spread
   4. D.
      Keep
4. 4.

   How many reasons for home-schooling are mentioned in the passage?

   1. A.
      2
   2. B.
      4
   3. C.
      3
   4. D.
      5

An 8-year-old girl was dragged about 900 feet by a school bus today in Livingston County.
According to State Police, the incident occurred about 2：40 pm on State Route 436 in the town of Ossian after three sisters were dropped off the bus.
As the last sister was leaving the bus, driver John Coley, 62 , of Wayland, Steuben County, told the police that he was not paying attention when he closed the door and trapped her backpack inside. Coley then continued 900 feet before he realized the girl was being dragged, State Police said.
The girl was hurt and was transported to Nicholas H Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville，Livingston County, by Dansville Ambulance.
Another 8-year-old child on the bus said he hit his head on the seat in front of him when the bus came to a sudden stop, causing an earache.
●Conservation staff in New Zealand have put down 33 stranded（擱淺的）whales after several attempts to refloat them failed.
The whales were shot on Farewell Spit on the South Island. Department of Conservation area manager John Mason says staff and hundreds of volunteers had tried all week to get the whales refloated.
He says they thought they were successful on Wednesday when they got the whales into deep water——but were saddened on Thursday to find that they had swum back ashore. He says the condition of the whales had significantly become worse.
As well as the 33 whales that were shot，36 had died naturally since Monday and 17 were successfully refloated. 13 remain unknown

1. 1.

   The last sister was dragged by the bus because______________

   1. A.
      she stood too close to the bus when getting off
   2. B.
      the bus driver stopped the bus suddenly
   3. C.
      something was wrong with the bus door
   4. D.
      her backpack was stuck in the closed door
2. 2.

   It can be inferred from the first news that______________．

   1. A.
      three sisters were dragged about 900 feet by a school bus
   2. B.
      the driver stopped the bus immediately he realized his mistake
   3. C.
      two children were hurt and sent to hospital
   4. D.
      a boy was hurt when the bus started suddenly
3. 3.

   How many whales were trapped ashore in total?

   1. A.
      33
   2. B.
      36
   3. C.
      99
   4. D.
      13
4. 4.

   The 33 refloated whales returned ashore on______________

   1. A.
      Monday
   2. B.
      Tuesday
   3. C.
      Wednesday
   4. D.
      Thursday

Little Mark is only 6, but he has an IQ of 200, a genius among geniuses. But his intelligence comes at a cost. His parents must keep him intellectually simulated（啟發(fā)）while making sure he is like any other little boy.
Mark has been attracted by the way how the world works since he was a baby. When he was 3, Mark was reading fluently, mostly self-taught. His parents haven't been able to keep him away from books since.
"I tried many times to stop him reading. We worry about his crazy fond of reading because he constantly wants to read every-thing whatever it is.”
A psychologist at the Centre for gifted children tested Mark and gave him an IQ of 200. The average child of Mark's age has an IQ of 100. At 200, Mark is a genius-even compared with other child geniuses.
"With children like Mark you can tell that's a bright child as soon as they walk in. They just have this sort of intensity, and maybe they're not so good at communicating with people," the psychologist said. "He will never fit perfectly into a class where he's with children of his age.”But Mark's mother worries about the "socially isolated" labels. "Nobody wants their child to grow up with that image. I want him to communicate with others freely, but not to be frustrated academically, so it's really hard to find a balance," she says.
Helen Dudeney from the Talented and Gifted Children Association says Mark is one in a million with such a high IQ. She points out that geniuses are still rare and difficult for the public education system to handle. "The lack of coping comes because teachers aren't trained in teaching gifted children," says Dudeney.
Helen believes it's also extremely important for them to be recognized and supported in their talents. Mark's parents are trying to figure out how best to help Mark. At the moment, there are few options. Mark finds first year work boring and simple, but he must learn to complete the work. His mother says, "We just want to be happy. Just to have a happy childhood and want to go to school every day.”

1. 1.

   By saying "But his intelligence comes at a cost. ",the author means that______.

   1. A.
      Mark must pay for his intelligence at a high price
   2. B.
      Mark's intelligence brings him negative effects at the same time
   3. C.
      Mark's intelligence results from his parents
   4. D.
      Mark's parents make Mark clever at all costs
2. 2.

   Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   1. A.
      Mark's parents are very satisfied with his love for reading
   2. B.
      Mark began to teach himself reading at the age of 3
   3. C.
      Many child geniuses are not good at communicating with others
   4. D.
      It is hard for parents to bring up a genius
3. 3.

   If there are 6. 6 billion people in the world, the number of geniuses with an IQ of 200 will be
   ______．

   1. A.
      about 4,400
   2. B.
      about 5,500
   3. C.
      about 6,600
   4. D.
      about 7,700
4. 4.

   What would be the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      A genius' craziness for books
   2. B.
      The life of the genius' parents
   3. C.
      The burden of being gifted
   4. D.
      The characteristics of Mark

Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to(屬于) a rich man. One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man’s house. On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children. They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the ground. The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off. They obeyed(服從) and the farmer went into the house. He asked to see the rich man. A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting.
“I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for,” he said.
“But why have you brought a half-empty basket?” the rich man asked.
“I met your children outside, and they stole some of the apples.”

1. 1.

   Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? Because        

   1. A.
      he was poor
   2. B.
      he liked the rich man
   3. C.
      his farm belonged to the rich man
   4. D.
      the rich man’s children liked apples
2. 2.

   What did the monkeys do when the farmer was on the doorsteps?

   1. A.
      They jumped and jumped
   2. B.
      They played
   3. C.
      They ran away
   4. D.
      They ate some of the apples
3. 3.

   The monkeys left the basket because         

   1. A.
      they had thrown apples on the ground
   2. B.
      the farmer had politely asked them to get off
   3. C.
      they were afraid of the hat
   4. D.
      the farmer was angry wit h them
4. 4.

   How did the rich man feel when he saw the basket?  He felt        

   1. A.
      pleased
   2. B.
      moved
   3. C.
      excited
   4. D.
      unhappy

1. 1.

   This advertisement is designed especially for those who __________．

   1. A.
      like eating in restaurants
   2. B.
      have little time
   3. C.
      prefer home-cooked meals
   4. D.
      want to save money
2. 2.

   What information CAN’T we get from the advertisement about Quickeats?

   1. A.
      Different kinds．
   2. B.
      High quality．
   3. C.
      Exact prices．
   4. D.
      Good taste．
3. 3.

   Which of the following can be cooled in a refrigerator before eating according to the ads?

   1. A.
      Pasta Salad．
   2. B.
      Dried Fruit．
   3. C.
      Noodles．
   4. D.
      Nuts．
4. 4.

   What can we learn from the advertisement?

   1. A.
      Get one Quickeats container and you’ll have four Quickeats to eat．
   2. B.
      Take one coupon and you can eat freely in a participating store．
   3. C.
      Buy one coupon and you’ll get a free Quickeats．
   4. D.
      Buy one Quickeats and you’ll get a container．

First lady Michelle Obama urged students to visit China at the “100,000 Strong” China Study Abroad Forum at Howard University.
President Barack Obama announced the “100,000 Strong” Initiative（十萬強(qiáng)計(jì)劃）during his 2009 visit to China. The program aims to increase the number of American students studying in China by making study abroad more affordable.
During the event at Howard, Mrs. Obama spoke about the importance of studying abroad. “Studying in a country like China is about so much more than just improving your own prospects（前途） in the global market. The fact is that with every friendship you make and every bond of trust you establish you are shaping an image of America projected to the rest of the world and making America known better.” she said.
Mrs. Obama encouraged students to set aside the opinion that studying abroad is for “rich kids only” or for those attending “certain schools”. The first lady also announced that the Chinese government is giving 10,000 “Bridge Scholarships” to cover costs for American students studying in China.
Some students who had studied in China shared their experiences. David Marzban from Pepperdine University recalled a time when he formed a cross-cultural bond with a complete stranger at a restaurant near Fudan University in Shanghai. He noticed a young chef signaling him to come over. “He pressed the play button on his media player and started singing California Dreaming and wanted me to sing along with him,” Marzban said. “At that time I knew a great friendship had started during my first two weeks in China.”
Nicole Baden from Howard University recalled how her time in China really helped her master the language. “You have to experience the culture while learning the language to really master it to understand why things are how they are compared to your own culture,” Baden said.
12-year-old Sarah Davis, who studied in China last summer, said she was very excited to hear Michelle Obama talk about the country. “I love Chinese. Out of all the languages I’ve learned, Chinese is the most difficult and interesting.” She said

1. 1.

   According to the passage, the “100,000 Strong” Initiative ______

   1. A.
      provides convenience for American students to study in China
   2. B.
      was made by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009
   3. C.
      got little support from the Chinese government
   4. D.
      isn’t well-accepted among American students
2. 2.

   According to Mrs. Obama, ______

   1. A.
      American students used to be unable to study abroad
   2. B.
      Studying in China can make American students’ future better
   3. C.
      the Chinese government will offer all the US students scholarships
   4. D.
      American students’ studying in China helps improve the relationship between China and the US
3. 3.

   Three examples are given mainly to indicate that ______

   1. A.
      American students are very popular in China
   2. B.
      Chinese is the most difficult to learn in the world
   3. C.
      Many US young people have actually been studying in China
   4. D.
      American students’ studying in China is important and worthwhile
4. 4.

   What is the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      A great program for American students to study in China
   2. B.
      Michelle Obama encourages students to study in China
   3. C.
      More American students will go to China to study
   4. D.
      China is attracting more and more American students

1996 Production of the United States
Director: Charles Russell
Major Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (As John Kruger)
Vanessa Williams (As Lee Cullen)
James Caan (As Robert Deguerin)
After Last Action Hero, Junior and True Lies have been warmly received by the whole world, the best known film actor Arnold Schwarzenegger once again stars as an unbeatable and witty tough man. Together with the pop star Vanessa Williams, he has made it among the 1996’s best movies as well as The Rock and Mission : Impossible. John Kruger, an agent for the Federal Witness Protection Program, is to protect Lee Cullen, an employee of the Cyrez Corporation. Cyrez is supposed to be developing technology for US defense, but they are secretly selling it to the Russian Mafia. Cullen has two computer disks as proof and she is willing to testify (作證). However the disks she gives to the Feds have disappeared and she herself is in danger. Kruger hides her in New York’s Chinatown. Robert Deguerin, Kruger’s director, turns out to be a spy for the Cyrez Corporation. He tries to cheat Kruger into taking them to Cullen. Kruger gets on the plane with Deguerin but gives him the wrong address. A gun battle is started and Kruger parachutes (跳傘) out of the plane. Kruger is reported to be a spy! He is forced to escape and finds Johnny and asks for his help. The three of them break into the Cyrez Corporation to read the disk. Deguerin and the others are waiting, but are outsmarted. In a shipyard of Baltimore, Deguerin and Kruger battle it out. The shipment is stopped and Kruger clears his name

1. 1.

   The film is directed by _____

   1. A.
      Michael Bay
   2. B.
      Brian De Palma
   3. C.
      Charles Russell
   4. D.
      Robert Deguerin
2. 2.

   According to the introduction, Arnold Schwarzenegger once took an important part in the film _________

   1. A.
      The Rock
   2. B.
      True Lies
   3. C.
      Mission: Impossible
   4. D.
      All the above
3. 3.

   The Cyrez Corporation is unlawful because ______

   1. A.
      it is developing technology for US defence
   2. B.
      It is secretly selling some disks to the Russian Mafia
   3. C.
      It is selling technology for US defence to others
   4. D.
      It is to protect witness for the Feds
4. 4.

   Kruger, Johnny and Cullen break into the Cyrez Corporation in order to ______

   1. A.
      steal the lost disk
   2. B.
      find out where Deguerin is
   3. C.
      stop the shipment
   4. D.
      find some necessary information from the disk
5. 5.

   What does the underlined word “outsmart” mean?

   1. A.
      fool
   2. B.
      kill
   3. C.
      catch
   4. D.
      find