You can see kangaroos everywhere in Australia. They appear on TV ， in books and in the shops. The government even plans to put them on passports(護照).Although it's the best loved animal in Australia,millions of kangaroos are killed every year. Why,people ask,do the Australians kill them? Quite simply,there are too many of them.

  The number of kangaroos in Australia is believed to be 20 - 25 million. It is as much as 7 million more than the number of people living in the country.

  There are several reasons for the growth in the kangaroo numbers. There is plenty of water in the places where kangaroos live and many of the dingoes―dogs that like to kill and eat kangaroos ， are not there any more.

Kangaroos also produce(繁殖)the young all the year round. When a female kangaroo gives birth (生育).she gets pregnant again immediately (馬上).

  The large number of kangaroos means some kangaroos don't get food to eat. They are so hungry that they break into farms and fight against other animals for food.

To solve the problem ， the Australian government allows a certain number of kangaroos to be killed each year.

Many people don't think that it's right to kill kangaroos,but the government thinks that it is only helping the farmers.

  Australia sells 5 million kilos of kangaroo meat every year―it is used to make hamburgers and meat for dogs.

(   ) 1. What's the main idea of this passage?

A.     Why there are so many kangaroos in Australia.

B.     Why people in Australia kill a certain number of kangaroos every year.

C.     What kangaroos do to farmers in Australia.

D.     Why kangaroos need food.

(   ) 2. The reason for the killing of kangaroos is that         .

A. people don't like them B. farmers are hungry
C. they kill farmers    D. there are too many of them
(   ) 3. From the passage we learn that         .

A.         there are more people than kangaroos in Australia

B.         all people like the idea of killing kangaroos

C.         only people eat kangaroo meat

D.         dingoes lived in the same place as the kangaroos before

(   ) 4. The writer talked about       reasons why there are too many kangaroos in

Australia.

A. 2     B. 3        C. 4     D. 5

(   ) 5. The word "pregnant" in the fourth paragraph in Chinese means         .

A.繁殖的     B.懷孕的    C.出生的    D.可愛的

  Sometimes,even the best friends have fights. They disagree with each other and begin to argue. Sometimes,they even stop talking to each other.

  What can be done to help the two friends make up? Finding a good friend who knows both of them very well to be a peacemaker is a good way. Maybe one day you will be a peacemaker for your good friends. Here are some useful communication strategies for you to use:

 State your feelings clearly but don，t criticize them. Begin with "I feel. . . " instead of "You always...”

  Don't stop or finish the other person's sentences.

  Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Try to see the other person's side of the disagreement.

 Look at the other person in the eyes when you are talking.

 Ask questions to make sure that you understand the other person. 

  Repeat the other person's ideas as you understand them.

  Never put anyone down. Saying things like "You're stupid" makes communication difficult.

  Try to find a solution that makes the two friends happy. Never decide who is right and who is wrong. Instead,help them to find their own "win-win" solution. A "win-win" solution allows each of them to feel good. In this way,their friendship can be continued. 

(   ) 1. Who can be a good peacemaker to stop fights between two friends?

A. One of their parents. B. One of their friends.

C. One of their teachers. D. One of their classmates.

(   ) 2. Which of the following is the suitable language for a peacemaker?

A. I feel. . . B. You always...

C. You are stupid. D. It's not right...

(   ) 3. How should the peacemaker behave when talking with the two friends?

A.     Stop the other person's sentences in time.

B.     Repeat his own ideas to make himself understood.

C.     Listen to the other person carefully and ask some questions.

D.     Look at the sky when the other person is talking.

(   ) 4. What does the phrase "put anyone down" mean in the article?

A.令人失望   B.提醒人     C.羞辱人   D.讓人覺得累

(   ) 5. How do you understand a "win-win" solution?

A.     It is a way that helps make new friends.

B.     It is a way that makes both people pleased.

C.     It is a way that tells who is right and who is wrong.

D.     It is a way that makes you successful.

  I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it as Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair,looking at the ink bottle,pens,and white paper,I decided that the act of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.

  Years later,during her final illness,Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. "But the desk," she said again, "is for Elizabeth.”

  I never saw her angry,never saw her cry. I knew she loved me;she showed it in action. But as a young girl ， I wanted to have heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.

They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was "too emotional(易動感情的)". But she lived "on the surface(表面)”.

  As years passed and I had my own family ， I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.

  I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.

  My hope turned to disappointment,then little interest,and finally,peace―it seemed that nothing could ever happen. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it,and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

  But the present of her desk told me,as she'd never been able to,that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside―a photo of my father and a one-page letter,folded and refolded many times. It was my letter ：

  "In any way you choose,Mother,you always choose the act that speaks louder than words."

(   ) 1. The writer began to love her mother's desk         .

A. after Mother died    B. before she became a writer

C. when she was a child    D. when Mother gave it to her

(   ) 2. The passage shows that     .

A.     Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B.     Mother was too serious about her daughter in words

C.     Mother cared much about her daughter in careful words

D.     Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

(   ) 3. The word "gulf" in the passage means         .

A.     deep understanding between the old and the young

B.     different ideas between mother and daughter

C.     free talks between mother and daughter

D.     part of the sea going far in land

(   ) 4. What did Mother do with her daughter's letter asking for forgiveness?

A.     She had never received the letter.

B.     For years,she often talked about the letter.

C.     She didn't forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D.     She read the letter again and again till she died. 

(   ) 5. What's the best title of the passage?

A. My Letter to Mother    B. Mother and Children

C. My Mother's Desk    D. Talks between Mother and Me

 In choosing Steven Chu as his energy secretary (;能源4卩長).Barack Obama has chosen one of the most prominent U. S. scientists of using science to deal with global warming(全球變暖).

  Steven Chu got his first doctor's degree in maths and physics in 1970. Then he went to California for another doctor's degree. In 1978， Chu worked in Bell Lab where he developed ways to cool and trap atoms using a laser(用激光冷卻和俘獲原子).In 1997， he got the Nobel Prize for physics for this. He left Stanford in 2004,after he was made head of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in California. As the head of the national lab ， Chu tried to find scientific ways to climate change and soon became a member of the Climate Council working for a new global climate treaty (氣候條約)for 2009.

  He also insists on the need to end the unnecessary waste of energy. "If I were king of the world,I would spend the next ten years on energy efficiency and conservation(節(jié)能和環(huán)保)”，he said.

  On December 11th,2008,Barack Obama made him energy secretary. He would be the first Chinese-American to run the Department of Energy and devote himself to sustainable(可持續(xù)發(fā)展的)energy.

(   ) 1. Who is Steven Chu?

A.     He is a Nobel Prize winner for energy.

B.     He is a visiting scientist in America.

C.     He is an American-Chinese.

D.     He is a Chinese-American.

(   ) 2. The word "prominent" in the first paragraph means         .

A.參與競選的                      B.遵守承諾的

C.才能卓越的                      D.出身顯赫的

(   ) 3. Which is the right order of the following events about Steven Chu?

a.      He was chosen by Barack Obama as U. S. energy secretary.

b.     He got the Nobel Prize for his excellent research work.

c.      He studied in California for his second doctor's degree.

d.     He became a member of the Climate Council.

e.      He acted as the head of the national lab in California.

A. b，c，d,e，a B. c，b，e，d，a

C. d，a，b，c，e D. a，c，b，d，e

(   ) 4. In the next part of this passage,the writer would most probably tell us the following
EXCEPT         .

A.     Obama's reason of choosing Chu as the energy secretary

B.     Chu's plan and work on energy efficiency and conservation

C.     Obama's new plan to Chinese-Americans

D.     both Obama and Chu's plans and ideas on sustainable energy

 A famous foreign company in China wanted a clerk for its public relation department (公關

部).

 A beautiful girl with a master's degree(碩士學位)went through a lot of challenges and went to the final. In the final stage she faced an interview together with another girl. Both of them were outstanding,not only in looks but also in education.

 The girl was successful in the interview. It seemed that she would get the chance. At last the examiner asked her, "Can you come to the office next Monday?" Shocked by the unexpected question,the beautiful girl couldn't make a decision at the moment,so she said, "I have to talk with my parents before I give an answer. " The examiner felt surprised but said calmly ， " If so ， let's wait till you are ready."

 The next day ， the girl came to tell the examiner that her parents had agreed to let her begin work next Monday. But the examiner said regretfully(遺憾地)."Sorry,another suitable candidate (選手)has got the job. You had better try another place. " The beautiful girl was surprised. She asked for an explanation(解釋)and was told, "What is needed here is a person who knows her own mind.”

 That was how a good opportunity right under the nose of a beautiful girl ran away. 

(   ) 1. The beautiful girl wanted to ask her parents for advice because     .

A. she didn't like the job

B. she didn't expect the examiner would ask such a question

C. she didn't want to answer the question

D.  her parents would be angry if she didn't ask them
(   ) 2. We can learn from the passage that       

A. the company lost its best clerk

B.no girl got the job

C. the other girl who failed in the last interview might get the job

D. the examiner was very pleased with the girl

(   ) 3. The examiner regarded         as the most important.

A. a person's confidence    B. a person's knowledge

C. a person's age      D. a person's beautiful looks
(   ) 4. The phrase "right under the nose of probably means         .

A.就在鼻子下      B.想要得到的

C.沒有把握的      D.就在眼前的

(   ) 5. The best title for the passage above might be .

A. Make Decisions with Your Parents

B.     A Successful Interview

C.     Use Your Own Mind

D.     Answer the Examiner's Question Quickly

 Part of the American Dream for most people is to own home. Right now,about 65% of them do. But in time,fewer and fewer Americans will be able to make their dreams come true. There are fewer houses to buy ， and houses have become much more expensive in the last thirty years. In Atlanta,Georgia area,for example,a house that cost $60,000 in 1976,sold for $500,000 in 1995.

 Americans are proud of their homes. Very often they ask a first-time visitor to their homes, "Would you like to see the house?"

 They spend a lot of time on home improvements and often they do the work themselves. Americans say, "Home is where the heart is. " And their hearts can be found in such unusual places as boats,railroad stations,factories and barns.

 Ed and Gina moved into a church tower in Boston,Massachusetts,in 1998. The church tower is seven stories(層)high,with one room on each floor. There's no lift. But when the phone rings,they don't have to run far. There are four phones. One on every other floor. "Everybody loves this place, "said Gina, "even my grandmother. She came here with some of her friends who were in their seventies,and they went all the way to the top.”

  "We like it because it's different," said Ed.

(   ) 1.         of Americans own their houses.

A. Only one half    B. Only a quarter

C. Less than a half    D. More than a half

(   ) 2. Because     ，fewer and fewer Americans will realize(實現(xiàn))their dreams.

A.     no new houses are being built

B.     many new factories have been built

C.     the cost of housing is going up

D.     the cost of housing is going down

(   ) 3. The words "their hearts" here mean .

A. their homes    B. their gardens

C. parts of their bodies    D. their working places

(   ) 4. Ed and Gina like their home because     .

A.     it's different from other houses

B.     Gina's grandmother likes it very much

C.     it's in Boston,Massachusetts

D.     there is one phone on every other floor

(   ) 5. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? 

A. There are seven rooms in the church tower.

B.  Americans spend lots of time on home improvements.

C.  Gina's grandmother is too old to reach the top of the tower.

D.   Americans often ask a first-time visitor to see their houses.

  Can plants eat people? Probably not,but there are many plants that eat meat. Some of them are big,and they can eat small animals. One famous meat-eating plant is Venus Flytrap(捕蠅草).

  Venus Flytrap is a very strange plant. It grows in dry parts of theUnited  States. Its leaves are like the pages of a book. They can open and close very quickly. Inside the leaves,there are three small hairs. If a fly touches one of the hairs,the leaf closes quickly so the fly cannot get out. In about half an hour,the leaf presses the fly until it is dead. Then,the plant covers the fly and slowly eats it.

  Why do plants do that? Most plants get what they need from the sun,the air,and the ground. In some places,the ground is very poor. It doesn't have all these important things,especially nitrogen(氤).Animal meat has a lot of nitrogen,so some plants eat meat to get what they need. Let's hope that bigger plants don't get the same idea!
(   ) 1. Venus Flytrap is a kind of         .

A. plant    B. animal      C. food   D. meat

(   ) 2. Venus Flytrap grows in         .

A. most parts of the world    B. parts of Africa

C. dry parts of the United States    D. wet parts ofEngland
(   ) 3. From the passage,we learn that         .

A. all plants can eat people    B. all plants can eat animals

C. some plants can eat people    D. some plants can eat animals
(   ) 4. The word "presses" probably means         in Chinese.

A.擠壓     B.關上     C.打開    D.松開

(   ) 5. Why do some plants eat animal meat? Because         .

A. plants are dangerous to animals

B.     animals are dangerous to plants

C.     plants want to get what they need from animal meat

D.     plants want to protect themselves against animals

  Have you ever rubbed your hands together when they get cold? Why do we do that? We do that for friction. Friction happens when two things that aren't very smooth rub together to make heat energy. The faster you rub two things together,the more friction (and heat) you can make. Let's discover friction ！

 WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

. Soap         . Water       . Your hands ！

WHAT TO DO：

1. Make sure your hands are dry.

2. Rub your hands together until you feel the heat of your hands.

3. Now,use soap and water to get your hands very slippery(滑的).

4. Try to make friction happen while your hands are slippery.

5. Please write down what has happened. LET'S TALK!

  Friction is an energy that happens when two things rub together. When friction happens,it makes heat!When your hands are slippery,they won't make very much friction and your hands won't get so hot. DID YOU KNOW?

1. Friction happens when you stop your fast running bike.

2. Ancient people made fires by rubbing two pieces of wood together. Friction happened though they didn't know it.

？

  Friction is everywhere. Have you ever noticed situations where friction is happening? If not,ask your parents to take you out in a car. If it is not too hot,touch the tires(輪月臺)of the car before and after a short drive to see how much wanner they get from friction.
(   ) 1. This text is most probably         .

A.     a science report

B.     a car advertisement

C.     a rubbing introduction

D.     a chemistry programme

(   ) 2. You'd better make your hands    to get heat when you rub them.

A. slippery    B. dry       C. wet D. smooth

(   ) 3. What does the word "friction" in this text mean in Chinese?

A.摩擦      B.冷卻        C.膨脹          D.震動

(   ) 4.           is NOT an example of friction.

A. Bike riding    B. Car driving

C. Hands rubbing    D. Friction discovering

(   ) 5. What's the last column(欄目)？

A. THINK IT OVER！    B. WHAT HAPPENED?

C. EVERYDAY ACTION    D. WORK WITH PARENTS ！

  You feel sick,so you go to the doctor's. She checks your fever,looks at your throat,and asks what you've been thinking about lately. When you leave,she gives you some medicine,and also a list of thinking skills that you are supposed to practice daily. She says that the way you think is causing some of your illness.

  Psychologists ， scientists who study the human mind and try to explain why people behave in the way that they do,are starting to believe it. You know that your brain is connected to every part of your body through your nervous system(神經系統(tǒng)).Now scientists have proved that how you think and feel can have an influence on the health of your body.

  Stress(壓力，緊張)is caused whenever there is a problem or a change in your life. Of course,everybody has stress more or less;nobody's life is perfect. In fact,stress is necessary. Without stress,we would never learn anything or grow or change. We would probably be bored to death. But too much stress can hurt you. It can weaken your body's protection so that you are more likely to catch diseases. It can even make you more likely to have an accident.

  When you feel stress,your brain sends a message to your body to produce a chemical called adrenaline(腎上腺素).Adrenaline speeds up your breathing and your heartbeat. Today you have a different kind of stress. Problems like endless homework or troubles with your family are the kind of things you can't fight or run away from. So you don't use up all that adrenaline. It just stays bottled up inside you,and that's what can do something bad to you.

What can you do about stress? First,you can try to find ways to change things so you aren't under so much stress. You can set up a plan to finish homework or go to a doctor or a psychologist to work things out with your family or your friends. But sometimes you can't change a stressful situation or you don't even want to. A big change might be a good change,but it will still be stressful.

  The link(關聯(lián))between your body and brain works in two ways. Your body can help your mind deal with stress. If you are under stress,you need to take especially good care of your body.
  It's important to get enough sleep and eat nutritious meals. Some people take a vitamin-mineral pill every day. Another thing that you can do is daily exercise. If you go walking or do aerobic dancing or work out at the gym,you give your body a chance to burn up some of that adrenaline.
  Of course,a person who isn't used to much physical activity should start slowly. Anyone with a continuing physical problem should check with a doctor before starting any exercise programs.
(   ) 1. A "psychologist" is a person who may help you with your         .

A.     illness and abilities

B.     thoughts and behaviour

C.     mind and nervous system

D.     physical activity and daily exercise

(   ) 2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. You shouldn't go to the gym if you are under stress.

B.     One can do his homework to burn up adrenaline.

C.     Diseases and accidents are caused by stress.

D.     Everyone needs stress to improve himself.

(   ) 3. From the last sentence of Paragraph 5 we can infer that         .

A.     it's difficult to change a stressful situation

B.     it's not stressful when a good change takes place

C.     a big change will cause another stressful situation

D.     a stressful situation can't be changed without any effort 

(   ) 4. What is probably the best title for this passage?

A. The Body-Brain Link  B. The Causes of Stress

C. The Advice on Health  D. The Nervous System

  One day,Betty saw an advertisement in a magazine. It offered a packet of 100 mixed stamps for $ 10. Betty wanted to start a stamp collection,so she ordered the packet. One hundred mixed stamps seemed a good way to begin a collection. She sent a packet order to the stamp company ， and waited excitedly for the stamps to arrive.

Betty checked the mail every day for four weeks,but the stamps didn't arrive. So Betty decided to write to the company.

  "Dear Sir / Madam，" she wrote, "A month ago,I sent you a postal order for $ 10 as payment for 100 mixed stamps. But they haven't arrived yet. Please send them by return of mail."

  Another month passed,the stamps still didn't arrive,neither did she receive any reply to her letter. She asked her father for advice. Mr. Wilson said, "You must write a stronger letter. Make the stamp company worry that you will report them to the city government."

  "Dear Sir / Madam," Betty wrote in her second letter, "I，m writing to complain about your poor service. Two months ago,I sent you a postal order for $10 as payment for 100 mixed stamps. I did not receive the stamps. A month ago,I wrote to inform you of this. I still haven't received the stamps and you haven't replied to my letter. If I do not receive the stamps within seven days,I shall report this matter to the city government.，'

Two days later Betty received the stamps in the mail.
(   ) 1. From the reading we learn that         .

A.     Betty's father is a city official

B.     Betty wanted to collect stamps

C.     the advertisement was not true

D.     the stamp company had no mixed stamps at a]J
(   ) 2. The word "inform" in the reading means         .

A. warn    B. tell C. introduce    D. trouble

(   ) 3. Betty wrote the second letter because         .

A.     her father told her to do so

B.     she wanted her $10 back

C.     the company didn't receive her first letter

D.     she could get more than one hundred stamps 

(   ) 4. How long did it take Betty to get her stamps?

A. Four weeks. B. Four months.

C. Less than a month. D. More than two months.

(   ) 5. We can infer that     .

A.     the company wanted to get more money from Betty

B.     the company didn't want to get into trouble

C.     the company had no people to do the job

D.     Betty wrote to the city government