Every student can learn rope jumping.

You can jump alone or with your classmate. You can also help turn a long rope for many others to jump over, one at a time. If you jump alone, you will need a short rope and it will be just enough for your height. Try ropes of different lengths until you find a right one for your size.

A rope should be turned slowly. It must also be turned high enough to let you jump freely and safely. Turning the rope freely and safely needs careful timing. In rope jumping, timing means turning the rope slowly enough for you to jump over at the right time without its striking your feet.

When you jump rope, your heart beats faster and your face has a healthy color. But if you jump too many times at first, you will get fired. You must learn when to stop for a rest before you jump again, If you practice, you can increase the number of limes you jumpers without resting.

1. This passage is about _______.

A. a game       B. a rope C. rope jumpers     D. careful timing

2. How many people can join in rope jumping?

A. One alone.  B. Two.   C. One or more.     D. Two or more.

3. The word “one” in the last sentence of the first paragraph means _______.

A. man    B. rope    C. thing   D. size

4. Before you do rope jumping, you must _______.

A. find a good player

B. try whether the rope will be right for you

C. stop to rest for an hour

D. try whether the rope will be strong enough

5. Which of the following is true?

A. A rope must be turned as slowly as possible.

B. A rope must be turned as high as possible.

C. People can do rope jumping without resting.

D. Careful timing is needed to turn a rope.

The Taj Mahal (泰姬陵) is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian architecture. It is at Agra in northern India. It lies beside the River Jumna in the middle of gardens with quiet pools.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mogul emperor (皇帝) Shah Jehan, who ruled India in the seventeenth century. It is in memory of his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Bagam, known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The building, which was completed between 1632 and 1638, was designed by a local Muslim architect (建筑師) Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The whole building, with gardens and gateway structures, was completed in 1643. The Taj Mahal stands at one end of the garden tomb with marble (大理石) path. The room is softly lighted by the light that passes through double screens of carved marble set high in the walls. The building now is kept in good condition.

The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build. Shah Jehan planned a similar building, but in black instead of white, to lie on the other side of the river. But before it could be built, Shah Jehan was imprisoned (監(jiān)禁) by his son and buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.

1. The Taj Mahal was built for____.

A. Mumtaz 　B. Shah　 C. Either Mumtaz or Shah D. Both Mumtaz and Shah

2. Why do you think Shah Jehan was buried next to his wife?

A. His own tomb hadn't been built.　 　　　　 B. He hoped to be buried there.

C. King and Queen should be buried together. D. He liked Mumtaz all his life.

3. The passage mainly tells us____.

A. why the Taj Mahal was built　

B. the love story between Shah and Mumtaz

C. some information about the Taj Mahal　

D. the Taj Mahal—the pride of Indians

4. Form the passage we can learn that____.

A. the Taj Mahal looks more beautiful than before.

B. the Taj Mahal doesn't exist now.

C. the Taj Mahal has completely changed.

D. the Taj Mahal has become a place of interest.

Tom Hanks ranks as one of Hollywood’s most popular actors. Moviegoers(去看電影的人)eagerly anticipate（參加）in the opening of his new pictures. If you’re a Hank fan, you don’t have to wait much longer. Hank’s newest film, Cast Away, opens this winter.

　 Tom Hanks plays Chunk Noland, a FedEx executive who lives by the clock. He carefully plans every minute of both his professional(職業(yè)的) and personal time. But on his way home for the holidays, the small plane he’s in crashes in the Pacific Ocean. Only Noland survives. He ends up alone on a tropical island and begins a battle for survival. In the process, his view of success and life itself change dramatically(戲劇性地).

This role may be the most physically-challenging of Hank’s career. The actor lost 53 pounds for the part. Director Robert Zemeckis shot the first section of the film with Hanks weighing more than 225 pounds. The filming took a break （間隔）for a year while Hanks lost weight. To take off the pounds, Hanks ate little and exercised a lot.

The movie may surprise some of Hank’s fans. It’s not an upbeat comedy like Sleepless in Seattle or You’re Got Mail. In fact, Hanks spends a large part of the movie not speaking. After all, who is there to talk to when you’re alone on an island?

1．What do you think the expression “l(fā)ive by the clock” in the text mean?

A．To make an income（收入） from selling clocks.

B．To put one’s whole life on a schedule(計劃).

C．To behave according to the rules of books.

D．To work very quickly in order to finish a job before a certain time.

2．Which of the followings is not true according to the passage?

A．Chuck Noland goes home to spend his holidays.

B．All the passengers but Chuck Noland survive the air crash.

C．While living on the island, Chuck Noland greatly changes his view of life.

D．The part of Chuck Noland requires Tom Hanks less weighty.

3．How did Tom Hanks lose so much weight? Because____.

A．he had no one to talk to　　　 B．he felt he was too weighty, so he had to

C．he was alone on an island　　 D．he ate little and exercised a lot

On hearing the words “Just do it!”, you will know there is a Nike product nearby．If it’s “Always Coca-Cola”, you can be sure someone wants to sell you a refreshing drink.

An advertising slogan(廣告標(biāo)語) is to a brand what eyes are to a person．The slogan helps people understand the brand better by telling them what it wants to sell to its customers．Good slogans leave a message inside people’s minds．It’s almost certain that every brand has a popular slogan.

Here are a few examples:

“Just do it!”—This slogan speaks out to teens．It tells them to do something, but only if they think it’s worth it．And if so, why not do it wearing Nike?

“Always Coca-Cola.”—Coke’s slogans change every few years, but this one has enjoyed a lasting popularity because it shows the brand’s spirit．It seems to say “Coke is the only drink there is; there are no other forms of drinks.”

“Share moments, share life.”—This slogan from Kodak connects photos and beauty．It asks people to remember the happy moments in life by taking photos of them—using Kodak film of course!

1．What would be the best title for the text?

       A．Just Do It!              B．Slogan And Brand

       C．Famous Slogans             D．What Is A Good Slogan?

2．Which of the following can best explain the underlined sentence (paragraph 2)?

       A．A good advertising slogan should draw people’s attention.

       B．A brand should have an advertising slogan just as people have eyes.

       C．An advertising slogan is as important to a brand as eyes are to a person.

       D．An advertising slogan acts as the eyes of a brand.

3．The word “them” in the last paragraph refers to____.

       A．people             B．the happy moments

       C．photos and beauty          D．Kodak film

What would we do without humour? How would we enjoy speaking with others if we did not use humour to invite a smile or a laugh? And how would we manage in times when we feel sad and lonely?

　 Using humour we lighten up each day, and we find common ground with others. We build healthy relationships with others by knowing what to say and what to do. When our use of humour is successful, we build trust and cooperation. We discover that we are not alone, we learn to accept our mistakes, and we look for the good in others and in ourselves. Most importantly, we create common ground, as humour is an essential skill needed to communicate well with others. A few well-chosen words get the attention of others and make a serious point without their getting defensive (自衛(wèi)的). Whether we prefer to be the centre of attention or to be shy and quiet, humour can be adjusted (調(diào)整) to suit our personality.

　 However, when we lose our sense of humour, we often get critical or defensive, and we blame others or ourselves for what was said, and how it was said.

　 To ensure that our humour is welcomed by others, we need to combine our humour with speaking clearly and listening effectively.

　 Have you ever noticed that successful individuals often use self-depreciating（自嘲）humour to humble (貶低) themselves, without putting themselves down? These individuals understand that every person has strengths and weaknesses and that self-depreciating humour invites others to feel more confident and equal. In this way, humour is the shortest distance between two people.

　 Humour is the spice of life, as it brings happiness, numbs pain and it makes us speak and listen well.

1. By asking three questions in Paragraph 1, the author intends to __________.

A. challenge readers to answer the questions　　　　　 B. indicate the importance of being humorous

C. advise people to be humorous while talking　　　　 D. cheer up those who feel sad and lonely

2. With a sense of humour, __________.

A. people can become good at speaking and listening　　　

B. people will become the centre of attention

C. people will become more confident in themselves

D. people may appear more trustworthy and cooperative

3. Successful individuals often use self-depreciating humour to humble themselves, because they think ____.

A. humour can draw people closer together　　　　　 B. they are afraid of their weaknesses being discovered

C. humour can make them feel equal with others　　 D. they are more self-confident than others

4. From the passage we can learn that ________.

A. a sense of humour can change one's personality　

B. a person who has a sense of humour is helpful

C. a person who lacks a sense of humour easily trusts others

D. humour improves our ability to communicate

 You may picture firefighters holding a hose (水管) outside of a burning building，but the Golden Eagles Hotshots don’t fight fires quite that way. When they go into action，you may not even see a fire truck.

The Hotshots are firefighters who battle fires in wilderness areas. But don’t think you’ll only find them in their home state California. Wherever there is a national wildfire emergency，the Golden Eagles Hotshots could be there.

But these firefighters don’t work the same way as firefighters in a big city. They work in areas where there are large numbers of trees，bushes，and grass. They climb up and down steep hills to clear brush and burnable debris (殘骸)．They sometimes use water，but they often fight fire with fire!

They do that by lighting what are called “backfires”，which are small，controlled fires that burn up fuel in the path of larger wildfires. That way，when the Wildfire gets there，it has nothing to burn and nowhere to go，because all the burnable fuel has already gone up in smoke.

The Hotshots also clear away fuel using old-fashioned hard work. For example，they use a saw to cut away trees and heavy brush that could catch fire.

Of course there are times when the Golden Eagles Hotshots do have trucks to supply water to the fires. But the water is limited，and these guys have to rely on hard work more than anything. Physical fitness is very important. They have to be in great physical shape to handle steep hills and difficult terrain (地形) while carrying a 60—pound pack.

The Golden Eagles Hotshots definitely work hard for their pay. But thanks to their efforts，many lives have been saved，many houses have not burned，and countless trees are still standing.

1．The firefighters mentioned in the passage________.

A．do much of their work in California

B．a(chǎn)void climbing steep hills in their work

C．do their work equipped with advanced tools

D．carry out their work mostly in forests and mountains

2．According to the passage，why do the firefighters light “backfires”？

A．To signal for help.

B．To remove obstacles.

C．To protect trees and bushes.

D．To prevent the fire from spreading.

3．What can we learn about the Golden Eagles Hotshots ?

A．They are firefighters working in big cities.

B．Their work requires physical strength.

C．They are voluntary firefighters working for free.

D．They usually hold a hose to put out the fires.

4．What is the author’s attitude towards the Golden Eagles Hotshots?

A．Appreciative.  B．Doubtful  C．Worried.  D．Critical.

 WHEN an NBA player is young he thinks he can win the championship by himself. It is only later when he has aged and been through many battles that he learns an important lesson: there is no "I" in "team".
  There is no better example of the value of teamwork than the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were all superstars on three different teams. Yet, none of them had any titles to show for it. Then, last season, they decided to sacrifice money and individual statistics to play together. Garnett and Allen joined Pierce on the Celtics and changed the NBA in the process.
  It started in simple ways. Garnett and Allen are two of the most intense athletes in the world. They treat every second of every practice like it is the NBA championship. If you want to play alongside them then you will have to do the same. So, the young guys on the Celtics started giving their full effort too.
  Pierce had been the star of the Celtics for many years. He used to shoot the ball many times a game. But with the addition of Allen and Garnett he shot less and focused on defense. His selflessness showed the young players that doing what made the team better was the only thing that mattered.
  When the Celtics were winning and the game was almost over, Garnett, Pierce and Allen would come out of the game. But they wouldn’t just sit on the bench. Instead, they stood and cheered and screamed for their teammates. They wanted to support their friends and teammates.
  Now, the guys who don't play know they can still affect the game by cheering so they scream and cheer when Garnett, Allen and Pierce are playing. The Celtics have developed a strong relationship. They are more than just teammates. They are brothers.
  The result: the Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA championship and are considered the favorites to win the Eastern Conference championship again this year.
  There is a saying that goes, “A successful team beats with one heart.” If that is the case, the Celtics may have the biggest heart in the NBA. 

1. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The stories of three famous basketball superstars.
B. The importance of teamwork among teammates.
C. A famous basketball team named the Boston Celtics.
D. Matches between the Boston Celtics and other teams.

2. From the passage, we can see that _______.
A. most mature NBA players believe they can win the championship by themselves
B. Pierce, Garnett and Allen had to give up personal glory for team success
C. Allen, Pierce, together with Garnett had been the stars of the Celtics for many years
D. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett had won NBA championships before they joined hands.

3. What does this sentence “there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’.” mean in Paragraph 1?
A. “I” will be missing once "I" am on the court.
B. “I” work so hard in a team that “I” will forget who “I” am.
C. The members of the team are more important than the individual.
D. Surrounded by other players, “I” don’t seem to exist.

4. Which of the following is NOT true about Pierce’s recent performance?
A. He became an even better shooter with others’ help.
B. He focused much more attention on defense.
C. He created more chances for teammates.
D. He stood and cheered for his teammates.

5. Which of the following didn’t contribute to the success of the Boston Celtics?
A. The whole team has become devoted to each and every stage of the game.？
B. The cooperation and teamwork among the teammates in the match.
C. The influence of Garnett, Allen, Pierce and other teammates’ cheering.     
D. The increasing frequency of team players on the bench

Rome had the Forum（論壇）. London has Speaker’s Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill.

Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 20s, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street comers. And just talk.

Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, “Talk to me,” they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits.

They don’t collect money. They don’t push religion（宗教）. So what’s the point?

“To see what happens,” said Liz. “We simply enjoy life with open talk.”

Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return.

“It started as a crazy idea.” Liz said. “We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their job, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything.”

Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went.

Marcia had led her husband to a serious disease. “That was very heavy on my mind.” Marcia said. “To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good,” she explained.

To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people appeared, as well as some television cameramen and reporters.

They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something the two say they’ll consider before making a decision.

1. What did Liz and Bill determined to do after the attack on September 11, 2001?

A. Telling stories to strangers.          B. Setting up street signs.

C. Talking with people                D. Organizing a speaker’s party.

2. What they have been doing can be described as ____________.

A. pointless（無意義的）                    B. normal（正常的）

C. crazy                                  D. successful

3. Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?

A. They knew Liz and Bill very well.

B. They happened to meet the writer of the text.

C. They organized the get-together in the city park.

D. They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill.

4. What will Liz and Bill do in the future?

A. Go in for publishing             B. Do more television programs.

C. Continue what they are doing     D. Spend more time reading books.

5. How do they like the idea of writing a book?

A. They have decided to wait a year or two.

B. They will think about it carefully

C. They agreed immediately

D. They find it hard to do that.

More than half of Americans do not take all their vacation days，even though they think they need one more holiday.And nearly a third of workers who take a break check their e-mails from the boss every other day and some even keep in touch hourly.

“We’re workaholics(工作狂)’，”said Samuel Nahmias.“From a general perspective，this has a lot to do with the economic situation in the US.More and more people are unemployed.”

With jobless numbers reaching 9.6 percent，people who have jobs seem to be unwilling to take time off.“It_is_not_a_great_picture and that affects vacations.People are not going on vacation as much and those who are going on vacation are being more selective about where they are going.”Nahmias explained.

Unlike European countries where four or more weeks of holiday each year is normal,27 percent of people questioned in the poll said they had 6 to 10 days of annual leave and 20 percent had less than 3 days.With more people on unemployment lists in America，those still with jobs are facing more responsibility at work，which is reflected in their lack of time off.

The majority of workers who did not take time off mentioned too many responsibilities or stress at work，while some people said they simply did not have time to plan a holiday.“People are more conscious of what they are doing and when they are going on vacation because they don’t want to look bad in this situation，”Nahmias explained.

Technology is also playing a part with smartphones enabling workers to keep in contact in ways that were not possible before.It has to do with technology and the level of concern about what is going on in the office.

1．Americans don’t take all their vacation days because ________.

A．they devote themselves to the whole work

B．they are afraid that they may lose their jobs

C．they are asked to keep in touch with their bosses

D．they aren’t in need of holidays at all

2．What does Nahmias mean by saying the underlined words in Paragraph 3?

A．Travelling makes people unwelcome.

B．People are unwilling to go on short vacations.

C．The economic situation remains at a low point.

D．People are more selective about places of interest.

3.We can infer from Paragraph 4 that ________.

A．Unemployment rate is higer in America than that in Europe

B．European economic situation is better than that in America

C．Americans are more hard-working than Europeans

D．More people are losing their jobs in Europe

4．What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Americans are all workaholic.

B．Many Americans don’t choose to take vacations.

C．Unemployment is going from bad to worse.

D．US economic situation becomes worse and worse.

 When did you last see a polar bear(北極熊）? On a trip to a zoo,perhaps?  If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago,  you would have seen a whole polar bear club.  These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water.  That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a little higher.  The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60.  Members must satisfy two requirements.  First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club.  Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

Doctors don't agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming.  Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops.  Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming.  They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循環(huán)系統(tǒng)）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm.  Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water.  A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental.The Polar Bears love to swim all year round;  they find it fun and relaxing.  As one 70-year-old woman says,"When I go into water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."

1.The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____.

A.they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

B.they must reach the age of 60

C.they should be easy to make friends with

D.they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

2.According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that_____.

A.Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

B.cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

C.you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

D.cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

3.The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for_____.

A.it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter          B.they can remain young

C.they find it enjoyable and interesting         D.they might meet fewer troubles in life

4.The passage is mainly about_____.

A.the requirements of the Polar Bear Club          

B. a group of cold-water-swimming livers

C.the Polar Bears' life in New York             

D. doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming