People believe that climbing can do good to health.Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you're wrong.Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms.Here, people are learning on special climbing walls.The climbing wall goes straight up and has small holding places for hands and feet.

　　　 How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and a harness (保護(hù)帶) around your chest to hold you.There are ropes tied to your harness.The ropes hold you in place so that you don't fall.A beginner's wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up.There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to.Sometimes it's easy to see the next piece of metal.Sometimes, it's not.The most difficult point is to control your fear.It's normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it's difficult not to feel fear.But when you move away from the wall, the harness and the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe.You move slowly until you reach the top.

　　　 Climbing attracts people because it's good exercise for almost everyone.You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs.This sport gives your body a complete workout.When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.

(　　)6.According to the passage, if you want to do some climbing, you can ________.

A.go to the mountains　　　 B.stay in city gyms

C.stay at home　　　　　　 D.both A and B

(　　)7.The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is ________.

A.to tie ropes to your harness　　　　　 B.to control your fear

C.to move away from the wall D.to climb straight up

(　　)8.If you are a beginner, you'd better ________.

A.climb high walls　　　　　　　　　 B.climb low walls first

C.not use a harness D.climb with friends

(　　)9.The underlined word “workout” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.

A.settlement B.exercise　　

C.excitement　 D.tiredness

(　　)10.What can we infer from the passage?

A.People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays.

B.It is impossible to build up one's body by climbing.

C.People can only learn the skill of climbing outdoors.

D.It is always easy to see holding places in climbing.

Saturday, 17th March

Today I got my dream job in New York! However, it's far away from my hometown and I've never visited New York before.Yesterday I took the train here and one of my workmates met me at the railway station.Then he showed me to the company.There they had a welcome party for me.Great！

My company offered no living place, so I had to find somewhere to live.I stayed in a hotel while I looked for a new home.

Sunday, 1st April

　 I've found the perfect flat! It's small but very nice.It's near my office, so I can walk to work.The only problem is that it's $1,000 a month.That's too much for a young man like me！

　 I've soon got used to the life here.I love it! There's a supermarket nearby and some restaurants I can go to when I do not want to cook.My workmates and new neighbours are friendly.It's April Fool's Day today and I even played a trick on my neighbour next door.Cool！

       Once there was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace.Many artists __1__.The king looked at all the pictures.But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose __2__ them.

    One picture was of a __3__ lake.The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful high mountains all around it.Overhead was a blue sky with white soft clouds.All that saw this picture __4__ it was a perfect picture of peace.

    The other picture had __5__, too.But these were rugged (崎嶇的) and bare (光禿的).Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played.Down the side of the mountain was a waterfall.This did not look peaceful __6__.But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a bush __7__ in the crack (裂縫) in the rock.In the bush a mother bird had built her nest (鳥窩).She sat on her nest, watching the running water.

       After the king compared the two pictures __8__, he chose the second picture __9__ explained, “Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.Peace means when facing unhappy situations, you can still be calm in your __10__.That is the real meaning of peace.”

(　　)1.A.argued        B.invited              C.tried              D.invented

(　　)2.A.between       B.except              C.within             D.through

(　　)3.A.calm          B.round               C.small             D.deep

(　　)4.A.announced     B.thought              C.doubted           D.promised

(　　)5.A.lakes         B.clouds              C.mirrors            D.mountains

(　　)6.A.at all          B.at last               C.at once            D.at present

(　　)7.A.lying          B.growing             C.dying             D.moving

(　　)8.A.actively        B.carefully            C.angrily            D.widely

(　　)9.A.so            B.but                 C.or                D.and

(　　)10.A.voice         B.world               C.heart              D.view

—Have you decided ________the children in the poor area?

—By sending them books and schoolbags.

　　　 A.how you will help B.what you will give　

　　　 C.when will you call　　　 D.how much will you send

We all like the story about the teacher ________ happened in our school last week.

A.which  B.who  C.whom  D.what

You've studied for long hours.Why not ________ a rest?

　　　 A.stop having B.to stop having

C.to stop to have D.stop to have

Sam ________ a book when his mother came home from work last night.

A.was looking B.was reading

C.looked at D.read

—Must I wash my clothes now, Mum?

—________.You can do it tomorrow.

A.No, you needn't B.No, you mustn't

C.Yes, you need D.Yes, you must

The hall is________ to hold one hundred people.

             A.enough big   B.big enough      C.as big   D.big too

—I didn't know you go to school by taxi.

—Oh, I ________ take a taxi to school, but my bike needs repairing.

A.always　　 　 B.sometimes　　　　　 　 C.often 　　　　　　　 　D.seldom