Water costs money．In some places water is hard  31 ．What 32 when a town has these problems？A small town in California found a happy 33 ．
Very 34 rain ever fell there．The town had no water35 ．The water it used was 36  from a river 300 miles away．As more people  37  live in the town  38  water was needed．Now water  39  to be brought in from 600 miles away．All these cost  40 money．
The town 41 a plan．It found 42   to clean its “dirty” water．Once the cleaned water was reused  43  many ways．Five  44  lakes were built．Here people could swim and fish and go  45 ．They  46  have picnics in their new parks．Farmers had more water 47  their crops．New factories can be built，now that they have the promise of  48 ．
In most places，water is used and thrown 49．The town that saved 50 water has saved the town！
小題1:    

A．supplying

B．getting

C．to get

D．to supply

小題2:    A．happens     B．happening    C is happened     D．happened
小題3:    A．key         B．a(chǎn)nswer       C answering    D．way
小題4:    

A．little

B．a(chǎn) little

C．few

D．a(chǎn) few

小題5:    A．of itself   B．of its own  C．for its own    D for itself
小題6:    

A．fetch

B．take

C．brought in

D．guided

小題7:    

A．come to

B．came to

C．coming to

D．came for

小題8:    

A．many

B．plenty of

C．more

D．many more

小題9:    

A．has

B．had

C．must

D．needed

小題10:  

A．many

B．a(chǎn) few

C．a(chǎn) great many

D．a(chǎn) lot of

小題11:  

A．put

B．made

C．supply

D．noticed

小題12:  

A．a(chǎn) way

B．ways

C．a(chǎn)n answer

D．a(chǎn) key

小題13:  

A．for

B．by

C．a(chǎn)t

D．in

小題14:  

A．man-making

B．man-make

C．man-made

D．man made

小題15:  

A．boating

B．to boat

C．to boating

D．on boating

小題16:  

A．must

B．could

C．needed

D．had to

小題17:  

A．a(chǎn)s

B．with

C．for

D．to

小題18:  

A．water enough

B．enough water

C．crops enough

D．enough crops

小題19:  

A．off

B．of

C．a(chǎn)way

D．out of

小題20:  

A．it’s

B．its

C．one’s

D．his

Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places
★Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids' interest. Many offer workshops for making hand-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writer, and even musical performances and other arts.
★Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龍) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up.
★Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet(木偶)making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find.
★Try hands-on﹙動手﹚ science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They'll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums.
小題1: If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit        

A．a(chǎn) Youtheater	B．a(chǎn)n art museum
C．a(chǎn) natural history museum	D．a(chǎn) hands-on science museum

小題2:What can kids do at a Youtheater?

A．Look at rock collections.	B．See dinosaur models.
C．Watch puppet(木偶) making.	D．Give performances.

小題3: Where does this text probably come from?

A．A science textbook.	B．A tourist map.
C．A museum guide.	D．A news report.

Nowadays everybody seems to think that they know English. Many people speak it but few speak it really well. Practice is necessary in speaking English well.
Reading is also one of the things that will help you to speak English better. Read whenever you can and whatever you like! Read papers and Internet sites that you like in English every day. Then, you will see that the number of known words is increasing and you are able to speak with more skills. Then you will have made the foundations（基礎）and a good basis of English. It is not good to stop and get stuck there.
Going to England or an English speaking country is a good choice, but many people cannot afford it. If you cannot go, reading and speaking with your friends will also help you to practice your English. However, I think that it is very good to visit some English speaking country to see and test your knowledge in everyday life. You will feel the everyday usage of the language in its natural environment. There your level of English is going to improve even faster. Your ability to speak English is better. Nothing can match the excitement and happiness when a native speaker tells you that your English is very good!
Finally, in order to speak English well, you must be persistent（堅持的）and do it every day. It is like playing the piano. Pianists play it every day and so should you. Include English in your life and you will see where it is going. Practice, practice! Read, write and improve your language skills and you are on your way when you will be able to speak it with more and more confidence!
小題1:Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．How to Improve Your Language Skills	B．How to Speak English Well
C．Speaking English	D．Practice, Practice

小題2:What does the writer suggest doing about reading?

A．Trying to improve your vocabulary.

B．Keeping on reading when you have time.

C．Stopping when you have a good basis of English.

D．Looking up every unknown word when reading.

小題3:In the writer’s eyes, the essential way to improve your speaking skills is               .

A．practicing	B．going abroad
C．reading	D．writing

小題4:According to the passage, what may make the author excited?

A．Reading papers and Internet sites.	B．Having a good basis of English.
C．Going to an English speaking country.	D．A native speaker’s praise.

Not long ago the movie 2012 came into screen. The people were threatened by those scenes of destroying flood, severe earthquake, terrifying hurricane and constructions representing human civilization being destroyed and even swallowed by disaster.  Luckily, they are just the director' s imagination, but the present situation is not heading a positive direction, either.
Take my own experience in Alaska as an example. Once I took a trip to the glacier. Along the way there stood signposts marking the snow lines of different years.  They started from the foot of the mountain, but it was at the top when I finally saw melting glaciers(融化的冰川). My heart ached seeing the beautiful blue ice melting at every second.
Sad but true, they are the effects of global warming and the result of our human impact. Furthermore, each year the rising sea level will kill 56 million people, and that’s about the population of the entire Italy. According to studies, if the temperature keeps on rising like this, by the year 2050, some islands and coastal cities including New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney will be drowned in water.
Our fortune is in our own hands. It depends on us to shape our future, to reduce future human impact and find ways to form a peaceful relationship with our environment. Therefore, it's time for actions to be taken right now. Contribute a little to energy saving by using more efficient light bulbs and less hot water. Let recycle become our habit by thinking twice before throwing something away. Let us take public transportation as our first choice when going to a certain place. It might cost more time for now, but it' s to the benefit of a permanent future. Take care of every tree and grass around us by watering them or simply just avoid destroying them.
In a word, small drops of water make a big ocean. The earth does not belong to us. On the contrary, we belong to the earth. Please bear in mind that the earth is our home. It is our responsibility to build a brighter and better future of our planet and prevent what happened in the movie 2012 from becoming reality.
小題1: Why does the author talk about the movie 2012 in the passage ?

A．To give example.	B．To lead into the topic.
C．To make prediction.	D．To provide the evidence.

小題2:How did the author feel when he took a trip to the glacier?

A．Worried.

B．Puzzled.

C．Scared.

D．Bored.

小題3:It can be inferred from the third paragraph that________  .

A．56 million people in Italy have been killed owing to the rising sea level

B．Some islands and coastal cities will be drowned in water by the year of 2050

C．Human being will be in danger if we don't take actions to prevent the global warming

D．It is certain that what happened in the movie 2012 will come into reality

小題4:According to the passage, you are advised to ________.

A．drive our own private cars instead of taking buses to some place

B．recycle everything that is used

C．go to see the movie 2012 at once

D．work together to take good care of our planet

小題5: What does the author mean by saying "small drops of water make a big ocean"?

A．Think twice before taking action.

B．It's our duty to protect the ocean.

C．Everyone together can make a difference.

D．It's important to save every drop of water.

When you get in your car, you reach for it. When you're at work, you take a break to have a moment alone with it. When you get into a lift, you play with it.
Cigarette? Cup of coffee? No, it's the third most addictive thing in modem life, the cell phone. And experts say it is becoming more difficult for many people to curb their longing to hug it more tightly than most of their personal relationships.
The costs are becoming more and more evident, and I don't mean just the monthly bill. Dr. Chris Knippers, a counselor at the Betty ford Center in Southern California, reports that the overuse of cell phones has become a social problem not much different from other harmful addictions: a barrier to one-on-one personal contact, and an escape from reality. Sounds extreme, but we' ve all witnessed the evidence: The person at a restaurant who talks on the phone through an entire meal, ignoring his kids around the table; the woman who talks on the phone in the car, ignoring her husband; the teen who texts messages all the way home from school, avoiding contact with kids all around him. Jim Williams, an industrial sociologist based in Massachusetts, notes that cell - phone addiction is part of a set of symptoms in a widening gulf of personal separation. He points to a study by Duke University researchers that found one-quarter of Americans say they have no one to discuss their most important personal business with. Despite the growing use of phones, e - mail and instant messaging, in other words, Williams says studies show that we don't have as many friends as our parents.  " Just as more information has led to less wisdom, more acquaintances via the Internet and cell phones have produced fewer friends," he says.
If the cell phone has truly had these effects, it's because it has become very widespread. Consider that in 1987, there were only l million cell phones in use.  Today, something like 300 million Americans carry them. They far outnumber wired phones in the United States.
小題1: From the first two paragraphs, we can know________.

A．cell phones have become as addictive as cigarettes

B．cell phone addiction is good for building personal relationships

C．people are longing to have their own cell phones

D．cell phones are the same as cigarettes

小題2:Cell phone addiction has caused the following effects EXCEPT________  .

A．a(chǎn) barrier to personal contact	B．fewer friends
C．a(chǎn)n escape from reality	D．a(chǎn) serious illness

小題3: The underlined word "curb" in Paragraph 2 means “________. ”

A．ignore

B．control

C．develop

D．rescue

小題4:The example of a woman talking on the phone in the car supports the idea that________  .

A．women Use cell phones more often than men

B．talking on the phone while driving is dangerous

C．cell phones do not necessarily bring people together

D．cell phones make one - on - one personal contact easy

小題5:Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Cell phones Are the New Cigarettes

B．Cell phones Are Harmful to the Society

C．The New Report about the Cell phone

D．The Disadvantages of the Cell phone

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.
The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.
Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.
The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled to the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley.  They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, but there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.
The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the Valley, Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, "Good -bye, death valley. ” The name has never been changed.
Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.
The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty. by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.
小題1: The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s ________.

A．geography

B．climate

C．location

D．size

小題2:The volcanoes mentioned in the third paragraph proved ________.

A．a(chǎn) valley that is formed by explosions	B．a(chǎn) place where volcanoes are still active
C．a(chǎn) good example of the violence of nature	D．a(chǎn) symbol of rock formations in history

小題3:The woman who named Death Valley intended to ________.

A．explore the mystery of the valley	B．find an area with plants for animals
C．experience the terrible heat of summer	D．look for gold in California

小題4:If the passage continues, it will be about ________.

A．the truth about Scotty's Castle	B．why Spanish built the castle
C．when the castle was built	D．where the castle lies in

小題5:The main idea of the passage is about ________.

A．the interesting place in Death Valley	B．the facts about Death Valley
C．the origin of Death Valley	D．the route to visit Death Valley

     
Pollution is reducing the fragrance（芬芳） of plants and thus preventing bees from pollinating(授粉) them—endangering one of the most essential cycles of nature, a new study suggests.
The potentially hugely significant research, funded by US National Science Foundation, has found that gases mainly formed from the emissions（排放） of cars prevent flowers from attracting bees and other insects to pollinate them. And the scientists who have conducted the study fear that insects’ abilities to drive away enemies and attract mates may also be disturbed.
Professor Jose Fuentes, who led the study, said, “Scent molecules(香味分子) produced by flowers in a less polluted environment could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters. But today they may travel only 200 to 300 meters. This makes it increasingly difficult for bees and other insects to locate the flowers.”
The researchers, who worked on the molecules of snapdragons(金魚草),found that the molecules are volatile(易揮發(fā)的) and quickly bond with pollutants, mainly formed from vehicle(車輛)emissions. This chemically changes the molecules so that they no longer smell like flowers. A harmful cycle is therefore set up where insects struggle to get enough food and the plants do not get pollinated enough to multiply.
Already bees, which pollinate most of the world’s crops, are in such a great decline that has never been known before in Britain and across much of the globe. At least a quarter of America’s 2.5 million honey bee colonies have been mysteriously wiped out by colony collapse disorder(CCD),where hives are found suddenly deserted.
The crisis(危機) has now spread to Europe. Politicians insist that CCD has not yet been found in Britain, but considering the present number of bees, the agriculture minister Lord Rooker has sent the warning, “The honey bee population could be wiped out in 10 years.”
Although the researchers are not certain whether this is the real cause of CCD, they say that pollution is making life more difficult for bees and other insects in many ways.
小題1: In what way does pollution prevent flowers from attracting bees?

A．By shortening the distance traveled by the scent molecules of flowers.

B．By disturbing the bees’ ability to attract mates.

C．By weakening the bees’ ability to fight against enemies.

D．By stopping flowers from giving off fragrance.

小題2: From the passage we can know that      .

A．Europe is affected greatly by CCD

B．CCD has destroyed most of the honey bee colonies in Europe

C．no honey bees will be found all over the world in the near future

D．European officials have paid much attention to CCD

小題3: What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Traffic Pollution Puts Bees in Danger

B．Traffic Pollution is to Blame for CCD

C．Pollution Makes Flowers Lose Their Scent

D．Pollution Causes the Decrease in Flowers

New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (嚙齒動物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物種) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (減少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．Some new studies about animals.

B．People’s wrong ideas about animals.

C．Why the number of animals has dropped.

D．The importance of protecting animals.

小題2: According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.

A．a(chǎn)re less clever than rodents	B．can find their home
C．can read maps	D．a(chǎn)re good planners

小題3: Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?

A．The species of grass in grasslands.

B．The species of trees in grasslands.

C．The number of flowers in grasslands.

D．The number of animals in grasslands.

小題4:In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?

A．Geography.

B．Culture.

C．Travel.

D．Nature.

D
Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a better student. By using your time properly, you can do your homework more quickly. Learning to study is not difficult.
The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn. It doesn’t mean that you must always like the subject. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn. Try to understand why it is important and how it will help you now and later to do and learn other things. Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life.  Knowing how to spell makes any kind of writing easier. Sometimes subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work with them.
Here’s some advice for you: have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study, so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions(中斷); have everything ready before you sit down to study, a dictionary, paper, a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn before you start; read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things; when memorizing, first find out the main parts and then recite the whole thing; check your homework after you finish it; never forget the importance of review and preview.
小題1:The main purpose of the article is______

A．to prove that learning is not difficult

B．to make the readers be interested in study

C．to tell the importance of self teaching

D．to tell the students how to study well

小題2: We learn things because______

A．our parents want us to learn

B．every student learns at school

C．we may use these things in the future

D．we like the subjects

小題3:Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the article?

A．To put a pen, paper and books beside you before study.

B．To study at any possible time and place.

C．To review and preview.

D．To pay attention to the most important things.

Now let’s look ourselves as a species in relation to ecosystem balance.Modern scientists believe that humankind, like other animals, evolved(進化) through millions of years of changes and adaptations to the environment and that our most direct evolutionary ancestor was probably an earlier species of the primate(monkey, ape) group. Despite this similarity with other creatures, however, the evolution of humankind differs from that of other species in one important and unique way.
In other species, evolution has led to specialization, both in the species abilities and in its place within the environmental structure. For example, the giraffe is much adapted to feeding on treetops, but it is also specialized and thus limited to feeding on trees and shrubs. Only with great difficulty can it bend down to graze on the ground. Similarly, the anteater is extremely well adapted to eating ants but is unable to catch or eat other animals. The same is true for countless other species.
For humankind it is opposite. Our evolution had led to a very generalized ability. Our highly developed intelligence and ability to make and handle tools mean that we can do almost anything. Humans evolved in such a way that we are able to move into every environment on Earth and even into space. No natural competitor offers great resistance, and other natural enemies such as disease have been controlled.
Said another way, we see in humankind a great imbalance between biological potential and environmental resistance. The result is the rapidly increasing world population, frequently referred to as the population explosion. Further, to support our growing population, natural ecosystems are being increasingly displaced by human habitations, agriculture, and other human supporting activities.
小題1:From the passage we can infer that in the course of evolution _______.

A．humankind is very important to earlier species, such as the primate group

B．human beings are limited by the environment while animals are not

C．human beings become more and more different from each other

D．humankind has experienced a generalization rather than specialization in ability

小題2:According to the passage, primate includes such animals as _______.

A．monkeys and anteaters	B．tigers and apes
C．a(chǎn)pes and monkeys	D．monkeys and giraffes

小題3:According to the passage, evolution has made it possible for humans to _______.

A．increase the population

B．resist natural offers

C．go to the moon

D．cure all diseases

小題4:According to the author, imbalance between biological potential and environ mental resistance has resulted in _______.

A．the population explosion

B．the destruction of human habitations

C．the growth of natural ecosystem

D．the specialization of humans