Saving money gives you freedom (自由) .If you have enough savings,you may be able to give up your job. I know a couple (夫妻) who saved up enough money so that they were able to leave their jobs for a year and travel across the country. You could see the wonderful experiences they had because they were able to enjoy that time together.

  Saving money is improving your future life. It is important to realize that by saving money now,you will be able to live as you like in your later years. You can retire early and spend time traveling around the world. By saving money now,you will be able to do as many things as you like and enjoy a good life.

  Saving money will bring you peace of mind. Every dollar that you have in the bank is a dollar which stands between you and disaster (災難) .People who have savings are not worried when a car breaks down or they become sick. They know that they will be okay even if they lose their jobs and it takes time to find a new one.

  Saving money sets an example for your children. By teaching your children to save money and plan for the future,you leave them a priceless treasure. It may be one of the most important ideas that you teach your children.

(   ) 1. According to paragraph 1,if you want to give up your job       , .

   A. you can travel across the country

   B. you must have enough savings

   C. you can stay with your family

   D. you will have wonderful experiences

(   ) 2. Paragraph 2 tells us that by saving money,       .

   A. you can do more things in the future

   B. it is easier for you to retire whenever you wish to

   C. it will be possible for you to have a better future life

   D. you will never do the things you don't like

(   ) 3. Paragraph 3 mainly tells us         .

   A. not to lose a job if you don't have savings

   B. to put the money in the bank when you have savings

   C. not to worry if a car breaks down or someone is ill

   D. to save money if you want to have a peaceful mind

(   ) 4. Paragraph 4 mainly talks about         .

   A. the plan for future life

   B. the importance of children's education

   C. the influence of saving money on children

   D. the skills of saving money for children

(   ) 5. The best title (#11) for this passage may be      

   A. Money Saving Importance   B. Money Saving Purpose

   C. Money Saving Skills   D. Money Saving Experience

  You may know the word " astronaut" - But do you know the word " taikonaut" ？

It means "Chinese astronaut" in English. It comes from the Chinese pinyin "taikong" and the English word "astronaut". In 1998,a Malaysian Chinese scientist used the word for the first time. Since then,because of the fast development of China's space industry (工業(yè)) ，more and more people all over the world have known the word. In September,2008,taikonauts caught many people's eyes again.

  The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft (宇宙飛船) that carried three taikonauts took off from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 25th. It's the third time for China to send people into space. During the flight in space,some tasks were completed and the 20-minute spacewalk was the most exciting one. With the help of his two teammates,Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng,Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang completed China's first spacewalk. China has become the third country to finish such an outer space activity following Russia and the U. S. A. All the Chinese people are proud of their country.

(   ) 1. What does "taikonaut" mean in English?

   A. Chinese astronaut. B. Chinese scientist.

   C. Chinese center. D. Chinese space industry.

(   ) 2. Who completed China's first spacewalk?

   A. Jing Haipeng. B. Liu Boming. C. Zhai Zhigang. D. Yang Liwei.

(   ) 3. Which countries have finished such an outer space activity?

   A. Russia and the U. S. A.   B. Russia and China.

   C. China and the U. S. A.   D. Russia,the U. S. A. and China.

(   ) 4. Which sentence is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. It's the third time for China to send people into space.

   B. Russia and the U. S. A. have already finished outer space activity.

   C. The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft was sent into space on September 25th,2008.

   D. Zhai Zhigang completed 20-minute spacewalk without the help of his two teammates.

(   ) 5. The best title of this passage is         .

   A. The Shenzhou-7 Spacecraft

   B. Chinese Taikonaut's First Spacewalk

   C. How the Word "Taikonaunt" Comes from

   D. The Fast Development of China's Space Industry

   Ma Yan is not really a writer. But this 15-year-old girl has written a book that has moved many people around the world. Ma Vans Diary tells us about Ma's life. She lives in a poor village called Zhangjiashu in Tongxin,Ningxia,and she has no money to go to school. But she is brave and has a strong desire (欲望) to go to school.

Her mother gave her diary to a French reporter,Pierre Haski,when he went to Zhangjiashu in 2001. Now it has been published in France,Italy,Germany,Japan and China.

  Ma is now a Junior Three student at Yuwang Middle School in Tongxin. But she had to leave school twice before. The first time she had to quit school because her mum told her there was no money for her to go to school. She worked for 21 days and saved 13yuan. With this money she continued her study. The second time,her family told her she had to leave school so her two brothers could have enough money to go to school.

  "I want to study," Ma wrote in her diary. "Why can boys study but girls can't? It would be wonderful if I could finish my study at school."

  Ma loves school so much because she wants to have a better life.

  "My parents work hard in the fields but they are still poor. They have no knowledge. Most girls in my village leave school early and get married young. I don't want that kind of life," Ma said.

  After her story became known,many French students sent money to her. Ma's dream is the same as ever. She hopes to go to Tsinghua University and become a reporter. " Then I can find poor kids like me and help them," she said.

(   ) 1. Which of the following can describe Ma Yan's character (性格) best?

   A. Brave. B. Pretty. C. Lucky. D. Poor.

(   ) 2. Now you can find Ma Yans Diary in all the following countries except         .

   A. Germany   B. Britain   C. Japan   D. France

(   ) 3. Which of the following is the main reason for Ma Yans Diary to be published?

   A. Her mother gave her enough money to publish the book.

   B. She wrote about the poor life in her village.

   C. She is very good at writing.

   D. Her diary was read by a French reporter.

(   ) 4. Which is the reason for her leaving school for the second time?

   A. She had to help her mother do some housework.

   B. Her brothers studied better than she did.

   C. Girls were not equally treated (平等對待) in their village.

   D. She didn't study hard.

(   ) 5. Ma Yan wants to study because she wants to         .

   A. teach her parents knowledge

   B. get more money for her study in Tsinghua University

   C. become more famous

   D. get more knowledge to change her own life

  Three rich ladies met every day by the river. They sat there and talked the whole day. Once the three ladies quarreled. One of them said, "Look,how white and beautiful my hands are!" Another one said, "My hands are more beautiful."The third one said, "Mine are the most beautiful ones. " Just then,an old woman beggar came up to them. "Beautiful ladies," she said, "I'm old and can't work. Fm hungry. Please give me something to eat."

  But the three ladies gave her nothing. They only asked, "Tell us,old woman,which one of us has the most beautiful hands?"

  A woman farmer was also sitting by the river. She was poor and her hands were rough because of hard work. The old beggar came up to her and said, "I'm hungry. Please give me something to eat."The woman farmer took out her only cake and gave her a half.

  The old woman ate it and drank some water. Then she took the woman farmer's hand,brought her before the rich ladies and said , " Now I can tell you whose hands are the most beautiful. The hands of the poor woman farmer are rough because of hard work,but they give us food. They are far more beautiful than your hands which have never done anything."

(   ) 1. The three ladies         .

   A. had a quarrel every day   

    B. were rich but unkind

   C. had a talk about their hands every day   

    D. lived by the side of the river

(   ) 2. The old woman beggar asked for something to eat,         ,

   A. but none of the three rich ladies gave anything to her

   B. but only one of the three ladies gave her half a cake

   C. because she wanted to know whose hands were beautiful

   D. because she wanted to know which lady was the richest

(   ) 3. The woman farmer's hands were not so white as the three ladies'         .

   A. because of the hard work she had done

   B. but she was stronger than any of them

   C. so she didn't quarrel with the three ladies

   D. but she was more beautiful than any of them

(   ) 4. The old woman said that the woman farmer's hands were more beautiful than the three ladies' because         .

   A. she liked dark hands better than white hands

   B. the woman farmer gave her some cake

   C. her hands had worked hard to provide food for people

   D. the three ladies didn't give her anything to eat

(   ) 5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

   A. Half a Cake

   B. A Woman Farmer's Hands

   C. The Rich Women's Hands

   D. Smooth (光滑的) Hands and Rough Hands

  A jobless man wanted very much to get the position of "office boy" at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. "You have passed the test," he said. "Give me your email address and I'll send you the form to fill in and the date when you may start. " The man replied, "But I don't have a computer,neither an email. " "Fm sorry," said the HR manager. "If you don't have an email,that means you are not living. And anyone who isn't living cannot have the job."

  The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do,with only $ 10 in his pocket. He thought and thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10  kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours,he had 20 dollars. He repeated the thing three times,and returned home with $60. The man came to realize that he could make money in this way,and started to leave home early every day,and returned home late. Shortly,he bought a cart,then a truck,then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles (運貨車隊) .Five years later,the man was one of the biggest food retailers (零售商) in the U. S.

(   ) 1. What did the man do for the test?

   A. He sent emails. B. He did the cleaning.

   C. He sold computers. D. He filled in forms.

(   ) 2. The man didn't get the job because he         .

   A. disliked such a job   B. didn't pass the test

   C. didn't have an email   D. knew nothing about computers

(   ) 3. The man        after he left Microsoft.

   A. went to look for another job

   B. asked for food from door to door

   C. thought of an idea to make money

   D. bought a computer and got an email

(   ) 4. Why could the man become one of the biggest food retailers in the U. S.？

   A. Because he had many friends to help him.

   B. Because he was smart and worked very hard.

   C. Because he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

   D. Because he wanted to show Microsoft he was living.

(   ) 5. What does the story want to tell us?

   A. Computers are very important in our daily life.

   B. Everyone can make a lot of money with only $ 10.

   C. The HR manager didn't find the ability of the man.

   D. Nothing in the world is impossible if we work hard.

  "How are you?" is a nice question. It's a friendly way that people in U. S. A. greet each other. But "How are you?" is also a very unusual question. It's a question that often doesn't need an answer. The person who asks "How are you?" hopes to hear the answer "Fine" even though the speaker isn't fine at all. The reason is that " How are you?" isn't really a question,and "Fine" isn't really an answer. They are simply the ways of saying "Hello" or "Hi".

  Sometimes people don't say exactly what they mean. For example,when someone asks "Do you agree?"，the other person might think, "No,I disagree. I think you're wrong. . . ”But it isn't very polite to speak out one's real thoughts so directly,so the person might say " Fm not sure"，which is a nicer way to say that you don't agree.

  People won't tell the truth when they want to finish talking with other people. For example,many talks over the phone finish when one person says "I've to go now."Often,the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse like "Someone's at the door, "or "Something is burning on the stove."What they say might not be true. They want to hang up simply because they don't want to talk any more,but it isn't polite to tell the truth. The excuse is more polite and it doesn't hurt the other person's feelings.

  Whether they are greeting each other,talking about an idea,or finishing a talk,people don't always say exactly what they are thinking. It's an important way to get along well with each other,and it's part of the game of a language.

(   ) 1. When a person in America asks "How are you?", he or she wants to hear

   A. How are you   B. Hello   C. I don't know   D. Fine

(   ) 2. When a person disagrees with someone,it is polite to say "      ."

   A. You are wrong   B. I'm not sure

   C. I'm sure I disagree   D. No,I disagree

(   ) 3. A polite way to finish a talk is to say "      ."

   A. You have to go now   B. I want to hang up

   C. I have to go now   D. I don't want to talk any more

(   ) 4. When a person say "I've to go now. Someone's at the door."，the person may be      

   A. giving an excuse   B. hurting someone's feeling  

     C. ill   D. asking you a question

(   ) 5. The rule of the game of a language is probably "          .”

   A. Always say what you mean

   B. Don't disagree with people

   C. Never say exactly what you're thinking

   D. Be polite

  Soon computers and other machines will be able to remember you by looking at your eyes!The program works because everyone's eyes are different. So in the future,you won't have to remember a number when you want to use a machine or take money out of a bank. You'll just look at the machine and it will be able to tell who you are.

  The eyerecognition program is already being tested in shops and banks in USA. Britain,Spain,Italy and Turkey. Soon this technology will take the place of all other ways of finding out who people are.

  Scientists are working on other systems,too. Machines will soon be able to know you from the shape of your face or hand or even your smell!We have already had machines that can tell who you are from your voice or the mark made by your finger.

  But eyerecognition is better than other kinds because your eyes don't change as you get older,or get dirty like hands or fingers. And even twins have different eyes,so the program can be up to 94% correct,depending on how good the technology is. Some programs may only be right 51% of the time. In Britian,it was found that 91% of people who had tried it said that they liked the idea of eyerecognition.

In the future,your computer will be looking you in the eye. Some smile！

(   ) 1. What will the program for remembering eyes be used for?

   A. Banks and computers. B. Banks and shops.

   C. Schools and computers. D. Schools and shops.

(   ) 2. How does the eyerecognition program work?

   A. You look at the machine and type a number.

   B. You need to speak and then look.

   C. The machine looks at your face.

   D. You look at the machine.

(   ) 3. Which recognition program is already in use?

   A. Remembering eyes and smell. B. Remembering fingers or voices.

   C. Remembering faces and voices. D. Remembering hands and faces.

(   ) 4. What problems could there be with the eyerecognition program?

   A. Some eyes are the same. B. Eyes can change.

   C. It is not always correct. D. Eyes can get dirty.

(   ) 5. What's the advantage of using recognition programs?

   A. You needn't remember a number. B. You needn't take money with you.

   C. You don't need to speak. D. People think they are interesting.

 Are you the only child of your parents? If so,you are the most important in your family. Parents are the closest people to you in the world. But a lot of middle school students have a problem. They feel they're not as close to their parents as before. They even don't think their parents are fair (公平的) to them.

Some students complain that their parents often say a lot to them,but never listen to them.

  Some say their parents don't allow them to play computer games when other classmates are doing that. Others say when they're making phone calls to friends,their parents are always eager to know whom they're speaking to,a boy or a girl. These make them very unhappy. Some students even decide to leave home because they're afraid to tell their parents when they have done something wrong,especially when they do badly in exams. They think running away is the only choice (選擇) for them. But they don't know running away will bring them even more problems. Problems are parts of life. Here are some suggestions for you to solve your problems.

1) Find a good chance to talk with your parents. Don't be afraid to tell them your feelings.

2) Get help from others like good friends or teachers.

3) Keep a diary to help you understand more about yourself and your feelings.

4) Show your parents you're growing up. Then they'll feel you're no longer a small child. If you follow the advice,you'll have a happy life and never think of running away.

(   ) 1. According to the article,         are the closest people to an only child.

   A. teachers   B. classmates   C. parents   D. grandparents

(   ) 2. Which of the following is TRUE?

   A. Parents don't love their children now.

   B. Middle school students don't have any problems.

   C. Some students don't think their parents are fair to them.

   D. Students no longer love their parents now.

(   ) 3. We'd better        if we have problems with them.

   A. talk with our parents   B. quarrel with our parents

   C. leave our parents   D. cry to our parents

(   ) 4. Why does the author advise us to keep a diary?

   A. Because it's our homework.

   B. Because it can help us practice writing.

   C. Because it can help us understand ourselves better.

   D. Because we can communicate with our parents in this way.

(   ) 5. This article is about some middle school students'       .

   A. friends   B. hobbies   C. problems   D. parents

  Do you have the qualifications (資格) and experience to become an astronaut? Shuffle captains (機長) must already have 1,000 hours' experience of flying planes. If you are not a pilot,but want to be part of the team,you must already be a specialist (專家) .You must be a Doctor (博士) of Science or Maths. You have probably already done research. You work well in a team.

  The 2-year training program is hard. You must be 1. 6-1. 9 metres tall. First you must be fit. You must be able to work for long hours without sleep. You should have good concentration (專心) .Do you have the right character (個性) ？

  Do you get angry when your bicycle has a flat tire (走了氣的輪胎) ？

That would not help the team!Astronauts must work calmly and must be ready to do any job in space.

  If you are clever,qualified (有資格的) and experienced,you can always try. You will be away from home for two years. Flights into space are dangerous. You will not make much money. On the other hand,you will have an exciting trip into space and wonderful views. You will always be famous. You'll always be one of the world's very few astronauts.

(   ) 1. According to the passage,       people can become astronauts.

   A. few   B. a lot of   C. many   D. plenty of

(   ) 2. Which of the following people would not be a good astronaut?

   A. A pilot. B. A Doctor of Maths.

   C. A scientist. D. A Doctor of History.

(   ) 3. From the passage we can know that a good astronaut         .

   A. works well and stays calm   B. can do just one job

   C. sometimes helps people in the team   D. sometimes gets angry

(   ) 4. The passage tells us that an astronaut's job         .

   A. is hard but safe   B. is hard but exciting

   C. is very well paid   D. will soon be forgotten

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

   A. Astronauts Travel the Fastest   B. People Can Become Astronauts

   C. Being in Space Is Exciting   D. How to Become an Astronaut

  Good morning. The program today is about music. The word "music" comes from the Greek word "muse". The Muses are the goddesses of the arts. Music is only one of the arts. It is like the spoken language,but it uses sounds. Today's program brings together music from different corners of the world. Who invented music? Who sang the first song? No one knows exactly the answers to these questions. But we know that music plays an important part in almost everyone's life. Babies and young children love to hear people singing to them. When they are a little older,they like to sing the songs they have heard. When children go to school,their world of music grows. In the middle grades,students take music lessons. When they reach high school,they become interested in listening to pop music.

  The records we have chosen for you today are from American country music,Indian music,pop music and so on. Music has meaning for everyone. It can make people happy or it can make them sad. In this program,we shall study the language of music. We shall try to find out more about how music works. We are going to find out how music says what people feel.

  Now,here comes the music today. I shall explain why they are all good music...

(   ) 1. The first paragraph is mainly about the         .

   A. styles of music   B. history of music

   C. taste of music   D. knowledge of music

(   ) 2. The speaker is probably         .

   A. a host   B. a singer

   C. a dancer   D. a teacher

(   ) 3. Which is TRUE according to the passage?

   A. The Muses invented music.

   B. Music can bring people some feelings.

   C. Music was from a Greek village.

   D. Everyone is interested in pop music.

(   ) 4. The speaker believes that       .

   A. music is a spoken language

   B. music develops as we grow up

   C. music is above the other arts

   D. music plays an important part in our life

(   ) 5. What is NOT the purpose of this music program?

   A. To study the language of music.

   B. To learn more about the music.

   C. To give a complete background to music.

   D. To give people some music to listen to.