In America, drivers'education is part of the regular high school curriculum (課程). Every student in his
or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver's education. However, unlike other
courses, it is not given during the regular school year. Instead it is a summer course.?
     The course is divided up into two parts: class time for learning laws and regulations, and driving time to
practise driving. Class time is not unlike any other class. The students study the basic traffic laws from a text
to pass the written driving test that is given to anyone who wants to get a driver's license.
     Driving time is a chance for the students to get behind the wheel (steering wheel) and practise starting
steering, backing up, parking, switching lanes, turning corners, and all the other maneuvers (操作) required
to drive a car. Each student is required to drive a total of six hours. The students are divided up into groups
of four. The students and the instructor go out driving for two hour blocks of time. Thus, each student gets
half an hour driving time per outing. The instructor and "driver" sit in the front seats and the other three
students sit in the back.
     After the student has passed the driver's education course and reached the appropriate age to drive (this
age differs in every state but in most cases the person must be 16 years old), they can go to a designated (指
定的) state office to take their driver's test, which is made up of an eye examination, a written test, and a
road test. The person must pass all three tests in order to be given a driver's license. If the person did well in
his or her driver's education class, he or she will pass the test with flying colors and get a driver's license.?

1. In America, the driver's course mentioned above _____.?

A. is considered as part of the advanced education?
B. is given to anyone wanting to get a driver's license?
C. is carried on at the same time as other courses?
D. is offered to all the students of Grade 2 in high schools

3. To prevent accidents, a drivers Ed car _____.?

A. has a sign inside it
B. has two sets of brakes?
C. is big enough to hold five persons
D. can't run very fast

3. We can infer that the students are required to _____ in their whole driving practice.

A. spend at least six hours driving
B. get half an hour driving
C. drive for two hour blocks of time
D. go out driving for twelve times

4. Which of the following is Not True for the students wanting to get their driver's license??

A. They must have their eyes examined.
B. They must be 16 years of age.?
C. They should go to have their driver's test.
D. They ought to do well in their driver's course.?

5. In the last sentence, "with flying colors" means _____.?

A. happily
B. quickly
C. colorfully
D. successfully

     That our students rarely get the opportunity to use their imagination was an open secret among Chinese
people. Now,a global survey has brought it to the notice of the rest of the world. 
     The survey covering 21 countries, conducted by International Educational Progress Evaluation
Organization, showed Chinese students excelled at math, beating their peers from other countries. But when
it came to using their imagination, they were tied for the last place. And in creativity, they were fifth from
the bottom.
     The survey results are not shocking, given the way our children are taught in schools and at home. But
they are a severe reminder to our educators and parents to improve their ways.
     Chinese students rarely get the time or chance to use their imagination. Right from the day they enter
school they are pushed into a culture of exams and more exams.
     Teachers and parents teach them that education is all about passing these exams with flying colors. And
to pass those exams, they are made to learn by fixed standard answers. Teachers dare not encourage students
to think outside the box. Teachers don't like students questioning them, killing the curiosity of the young
minds. For children, there's hardly any room for bright ideas either in class or at home.
     Israel shares the values of education with China. But there is a world of difference between the way Israeli
parents treat their children and we do. Israeli parents do not mollycoddle their children. Instead, they
encourage them to learn how to live independently. In contrast, Chinese parents go to extremes, allowing their
children to do whatever they like to do and punishing them severely the next for committing a "mistake".
     The global study should make us swing into action and help our students to throw open their young minds
to imagination and creativity. It is time our education officials and educators asked themselves what they
should do to let our children's imagination and creativity blossom.

1. Based on the text, the creativity of the Chinese students ranks _____ among the 21 countries.

A. the 5th
B. the 17th
C. the 2lst
D. the 1st

2. Why is the imagination of the Chinese students so poor?

A. Their parents often improve their educational ways.
B. They are thought to be lacking in curiosity.
C. Their teachers are afraid of being questioned.
D. They are not encouraged to imagine both at home and in class.

3. What does the underlined word "mollycoddle" probably mean in Paragraph 6?

A. spoil
B. motivate
C. appreciate
D. scold

4. It can be learned from the text Israeli parents _____.

A. lay much more emphasis on education than Chinese ones
B. allow their children to live in whatever way they like
C. focus more attention on developing their children's living ability
D. encourage their children to commit mistakes in lives

5. Israel is introduced in the text mainly _____.

A. to enrich the content of the text
B. to support and advocate Israel education
C. to illustrate the disadvantages of Chinese education
D. to criticize the wrong behavior of Chinese parents

     A new study indicates that combining aerobics (有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)) and weight lifting can help people with Type 2
diabetes (糖尿病) keep their blood sugar levels under control.
     Most people probably think of diabetes control in terms of diet or insulin (胰島素), but Dr. Tim Church
says exercise can play a big role.
     "If you look at what diabetes is, it's the failure of the body to manage the blood sugar, and the biggest
consumer of blood sugar in the human body is skeletal (骨骼) muscle," he says." So if you keep skeletal
muscle happy, it's chewing up blood sugar 24 hours a day."
     Church says most previous studies looked at the impact on diabetes of one kind of exercise only-typically
aerobic exercise, like walking or bicycling. So he and his colleagues recruited (招募) more than 250 patients
with diabetes and randomly assigned them to an aerobic exercise group, a weightlifting group, a group that did
both kinds of exercise, or a control group that had no organized exercise program.
     After nine months, he said, the results were clear.
     "And for everything we looked at, but in particu1ar related to hemoglobin (血紅蛋白) A1C-that represents
blood sugar control-the group that did both the walking and the resistance training, or weight lifting, did by far
the best."
     Church said he expected that the group that did both kinds of exercise would do better, but he was
surprised by how much better they did-not just on controlling blood sugar, but on other relevant measures as
well, like weight. He said different kinds of exercise affect the body differently, especially the big muscles that
are fueled by blood sugar.
     "Skeletal muscle is so important for your health, and that's particularly true in individuals with diabetes," he
explained."And aerobic exercise affects skeletal muscle through one set of mechanisms(機(jī)制), and the
weight-lifting affects skeletal muscles through a completely different set of mechanisms. So when you
combine aerobic plus the weight-lifting, you're doubling the opportunity for benefit."

1. Which of the following is true of diabetes?

A. The body fails to manage the blood sugar.
B. It can be controlled only through diet or insulin.
C. Skeletal muscles can't consume blood sugar.
D. People with type 2 diabetes are too fat.

2. Dr.Church was surprised that _____.

A. the group doing both kinds of exercise just controlled blood sugar
B. his colleagues recruited so many people in his experiment
C. the result of his experiment was far beyond his expectation
D. the group doing both kinds of exercise just controlled weight

3. What does the underlined phrase "the resistance training" refer to?

A. aerobics
B. walking
C. bicycling
D. weight-lifting

4. According to the text, we can learn that _____.

A. all the experiment groups have an organized exercise program
B. different kinds of exercise affect the body the same way
C. skeletal muscles are important only for individuals with diabetes
D. aerobics and weight-lifting affect skeletal muscles in a different way

5. The text is most probably a _____.

A. science fiction story
B. science health report
C. newspaper advertisement
D. book review

     Stonehenge may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple
in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more
than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups,
seeking cures.
     After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was "the ancient healthcare centre of
southern England" because of the existence of "bluestones"-the smaller columns of dolerite (輝綠巖) that
formed an earlier stone structure.
     By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff
Wainwright, of the Society of Amtiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury
Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was
built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: "I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered.
We're able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why-all of which changes our
previous understanding of the monument."
     The research reveals the importance of the henge's famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips
gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects-the
key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles
from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have
concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and
holy wells.
      Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease,
and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the
construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally
thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the "Amesbury Archer"-a sick traveler from the Swiss or
German Alps who had an infected knee-whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge.
The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing
powers of the monument.

1. Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people _____.

A. to recover from poor health
B. to observe star movements
C. to hold religious ceremonies
D. to gather huge bluestones

2. What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?

A. The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B. The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C. Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D. The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.

3. The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be ______.

A. a devoted religious person from Stonehenge
B. one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge
C. the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones
D. a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A. Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest
B. Stonehenge: Still Making News
C. Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers
D. Stonehenge: Still Curing Patients

     As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps
a preschooler:
     Develop social skills
     As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co-workers and
learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients.
Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop
empathy for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better
able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.
     Build self-confidence
     Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers or a
superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and
their potential.
     Boost intellectual growth
     Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought. Children who can see a king's castle in a mound
of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically. This skill is important in school
where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.
     Practice language skills
     Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking. This helps boost their vocabulary, improve
sentence structure and enhance communication skills.
     Work out fears
      Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children role-play about the big,
bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad.
Imaginative play also helps kids vent confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or
rivalry(競(jìng)爭(zhēng)) with a new sibling (兄弟姐妹).
     To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to
visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.
     For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on
fascinating adventures. Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful vintage Disney edition of Peter Pan,
which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here  to find out how you can get this classic story along
with 2 free books-Bambi and Pinocchio.

1. Where can you probably find the article?

A. Newspaper
B. Magazine
C. Internet
D. Book

2. What's not the advantage of children having a good imagination?

A. Understanding the other people's feeling and problems.
B. Expressing their feelings like anger toward a parent.
C. Doing good to their speeches.
D. Learning to think symbolically expands a child's mind.

3. What's the meaning of the underlined word?

A. improve
B. limit
C. push
D. praise

4. What's the purpose of writing the article?

A. Tell the readers 5 benefits of encouraging the child's imagination.
B. Advise the parents to encourage the child's imagination.
C. Introduce some Disney stories to the readers.
D. Persuade the parents to buy books for their children.

     Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.    1    Make a study
time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kid to learn to schedule their day and will
give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.
     Allow them to study in block of time, such as for half an hour with a five-minute break in the middle.
    2    Ideal (理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner. Never allow your
children to study in front of the television, as that will encourage passive activity.    3   
        4    You'll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you've set up a good study time
for little learners, set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing.
     Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair. 
       5   This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the
answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and
help make studying enjoyable.

A. Pick a place where your children can study properly
B. Hold them to the schedule they create for themselves.
C. Finally, spend time with your kids when they're studying.
D. Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement, too.
E. Instead, use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.
F. Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.
G. One of the best ways to from good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.

     Many researchers used to think yawning (打呵欠) was necessary for increasing oxygen intake to the
lungs (肺), while others insisted it was to increase blood pressure and the heart rate.
     While both findings are correct, new studies show that the main point of yawning is to relax.
Researchers point out that we have a tendency to yawn before big events-athletes yawn before races, pilots
yawn before take-offs, and students yawn before exams. Humans are not the only creatures who yawn.
Animals have been observed to yawn before feeding time. while wild animals have a tendency to yawn
before fights.
     New findings also show that yawing might be a handover from our ancestors, and represents a need
for change. Our ancestors passed it to us with other life skills. Even babies yawn as they change positions,
but children do not begin to copy other people's yawns until the age of four or five.
     Strangely enough yawning is also related to respect. Hundreds and thousands of years ago,the campfire
(篝火) served as the main gathering point for members of groups. Researchers claim that as people sat
around the fire, warming themselves, they would yawn if the leader yawned, as a mark of respect. Those
who were more supportive of the leader tended to yawn more easily.
     Despite all these findings, scientists still haven't figured out why we yawn before bedtime. Then again,
it may be another way of demanding a change-enough of TV, it's time to go to bed!

1. What is the text mainly about?

A. People who tend to yawn.
B. Why we yawn.
C. The history of yawning
D. The disadvantages of yawning.

2. According to researchers, yawning before an exam suggests that _____.

A. you need to relax.
B. you don't like taking exams
C. you want to control your heart rate
D. you're sleepy

3. The underlined word "handover" in the third paragraph probably refers to _____.

A. a need for change
B. something our ancestors have passed on to us
C. the way in which people copy others'yawns
D. a lost life skill

4. From the fourth paragraph we can leam that _____.

A. people used to yaxvn to draw attention
B. people yawn when they feel warm
C. yawning happened at night in ancient times
D. yawning was a social skill in ancient times

     We've used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind
power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that.
Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind (磨碎) corn, which is where the term"windmill"
comes from.
     We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propeller on the top. The wind
blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these
towers together, to make a"wind farm" and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and
the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It's only worth building wind farms in places that
have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans (大篷車) increasingly have small wind generators to
help keep their batteries charged.
     The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in
mountains-places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an
average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places
such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several"wind farms" supply electricity to
homes around Los Angeles.
     The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be
angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines (垂直渦輪機(jī)), which don't
need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where
the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming.

1. The first paragraph aims to introduce to us ______.

A. the function of wind power
B. the source of wind power
C. the nations using wind power
D. the history of using wind power

2. The best places for building the wind farm are places where ______.

A. boats and caravans can often be seen
B. isolated farms don't have enough electricity
C. there are less human activities
D. the wind is strong and reliable

3. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. wind farms will not take up too much farming land
B. wind farms need no fuel because wind is free
C. the blades can be angled to turn to face the wind wherever it comes from
D. the higher and larger the towers are, the stronger the wind is

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A. Where to build a wind farm.
B. ABC of the using of wind energy.
C. How to make best use of wind.
D. Wind energy is the best energy.

                                                              Stingrays (黃貂魚)
     Stingrays are pancake-shaped fish, and you'd never guess it: they're close cousins of sharks.The smallest
kinds are about the size of a dinner plate. But some 4-metre stingrays live in the waters near Australia. About
170 different kinds of stingrays live in the oceans around the world. And some live in freshwater too. In South
America, a few kinds swim in the Amazon and other rivers that flow into the Atlantic. One ocean kind, the
Atlantic stingray, also lives in the St. Johns River in Florida.
     A stingray has a mouth and nostrils (鼻孔) on the bottom of its body. These nostrils are for smelling, not
for breathing. When water flows into a stingray's nostrils, the fish may pick up the smells of creatures it wants
to eat. It can also find prey (犧牲者) by sensing the tiny amount of electricity that animals give off. Slowly,
slowly the fish hunts by moving along the ocean or river bottom. When it senses a worm, clam, shrimp, or
other creature, it flaps (拍打) its fins until the prey is uncovered. Then the fish lies down over the prey, sucks
it in, and crunches it with its small teeth. A stingray's flat shape helps it hide. It stirs up a cloud of sand by
flapping its big, flat fins. When the sand settles down over the fish, everything is covered but its eyes,
breathing holes, and sometimes its tail. Its tail gave the"sting" to a stingray's name. When a stingray is attacked
by an enemy, it whips its tail around. Then a sharp stinger releases a powerful poison into the enemy. When
stingrays are on the ocean bottom, it's easy for a diver to step on one by mistake. Then the fish usually stings
the person in the ankle. The poison is very painful, and the wound may hurt for a day or two. Worse yet,
pieces of the stinger can break off and infect the ankle. But stingrays don't chase after prey or people to sting
them. In fact, divers can swim among friendly stingrays without getting hurt.

1. Why did the author write the article "Stingrays"?

A. To tell readers an exciting story about the ocean.
B. To give readers facts about an interesting fish.
C. To warn readers about dangers in the ocean.
D. To teach readers how fish hunt their prey.

2. It is easy for a diver to step on a stingray by mistake because stingrays ______.

A. are of many different sizes
B. can cover themselves with sand
C. move slowly above the ocean floor
D. live in freshwater as well as in oceans

3. Why does a stingray flap its fins when it feels prey?

A. To smell the prey.
B. To escape from the prey.
C. To find the prey.
D. To frighten the prey.

4. How might a sting from a stingray become infected?

A. Poison from the stinger gets into the wound.
B. Pieces of the stinger come loose in the wound.
C. Electricity from the stinger shocks the wound.
D. Fins beside the stinger throw sand into the wound.