When John and Victoria Fails arrived in New York from London for a one-year stay, they did not bring
many things with them. They had planned either to live in a furnished apartment (家具齐全的公寓) or to buy
used furniture (家具). But they soon learned that the renting (出租) of home furnishings (beds, tables, dishes,
and so on) has become one of America's fastest growing business.
     What kinds of people rent their home furnishings instead of buying them? Many kinds of people:
international businessmen,government officers, airline workers, young married couples--the people whose jobs
may make them move frequently (频繁地) from one city (or country) to another. They saved the trouble and
cost of moving their furniture each time. They simply rent new furniture when they reach their new home.
Young people with little money do not want to buy cheap furniture that they will soon grow to dislike. They
prefer to wait until they have enough money to buy furniture they really like. Meanwhile (另一方面), they
find they can rent better quality furniture than they could afford to buy.
     One family, who now have a large, beautiful home of their own, 1ike their rented furniture so much that
they decide to keep renting it instead of buying new things. But they don't like to tell people about it. The idea
of renting home furnishings is still quite new, and they are not sure what their neighbours might think.

1. The text is mainly about __________.

A. a new way of living abroad
B. why some people rent their furniture
C. how some people rent their furniture
D. a new way of moving from place to place

2. What is the characteristic in common of those who rent home furnishings?

A. They are poor.
B. They are young.
C. They move frequently.
D. They change their ideas frequently.

3. It can be learnt from the text that young people like __________.

A. good and expensive furniture
B. simple furniture
C. cheap furniture
D. used furniture

4. The family keep renting furniture as a secret because __________.

A. they are wondering what their neighbours will think about it
B. they like the furniture and pretend (假装) to be the owners
C. they are afraid others might laugh at them
D. they want to show that they are rich

     Look at the picture, this is a Chinese girl. Her name is Lin Ping. Her English name is Kitty. She is 12.
This boy is Lin Yang. He is 10.They live in Wuhan. They are friends.They have a cat.It is Micky. It is
three. It is very nice

1. Lin Ping is             .

[     ]

A. 10
B. a girl
C. nice

2. Kitty is             .

[     ]

3. Lin Ping and Lin Yang are             .  

[     ]

A. boys
B. girls
C. friends

4. Mickey is             .

[     ]

A. a boy
B. a cat
C. a girl

[     ]

A. The cat is very nice.
B. Lin Ping and Lin Yang are students. (学生).
C. Lin Ping and Lin Yang have three cats.

     Do people in your country hug and kiss on the street? In some countries, it is common for people to
show affection (喜爱) in public places. In the United States, for example, we often see couples hold hands,
hug or kiss on the street, in the park, in restaurants, and even on trains and buses! However, in some other
countries, people never show affection in public places because their customs don't allow this. For example,
in China and Korea, custom doesn't allow people to do so in public. So, when Chinese and Korean people
visit the United States, they often feel very surprised and shocked when they see Americans hug and kiss on
the street. In some countries friends show physical affection to each other.
     In some South American countries, female (女性) friends walk arm in arm when they walk along the
street together. In Italy and Russia, male friends often kiss each other on both cheeks when they greet. In
most countries, men don't kiss or hug when they greet another. They usually shake hands or pat each other
on the back.
    People around the world are different in amount, manner, and situations in which they touch each other.

1. How do Korean people feel when they see people kiss and hug on the street?

A. Worried and sad.
B. Happy and interested.
C. Relaxed and enjoyable.
D. Surprised and shocked.

2. What's the Chinese meaning of  'hug' in the passage?

A. 拥抱
B. 摔跤
C. 嬉戏
D. 鞠躬

3. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Social customs are different in different countries.
B. Customs in the United States allow public affection.
C. Women in South America never touch each other.
D. People around the world are different in some ways in which they touch each other.

4. From the passage we can know that ________.

A. it is not polite to hug and kiss in public
B. male friends in Russia often kiss each other on both cheeks
C. Chinese and Korean people don't hug and kiss each other
D. all Americans like to kiss

5. The main idea of this passage is that _________.

A. Chinese people are quite different from American people
B. Koreans and Americans can never understand each other
C. different culture allows different ways to show affection
D. people in some countries are more affectionate than those in some other countries

     The undersea world is very beautiful. Now more and more people want to dive in the water to find the
secrets there. Scuba diving is a new sport today. It can take you into a wonderful undersea world.
     You will find many strange animals in the sea. Some are as large as a school bus. Many sea animals give
out light in the dark and some have sharp teeth.
     During the day, there is enough light. Here, under the sea, everything is blue and green. When fish swim
nearby, you can catch them with your hands. When you have bottles of air on your back, you can stay in
deep water for a long time. However, you can't dive too deep. And you must be very careful when you dive
in deep water.   
     The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It's cold, and it's dark, too. The deeper it is, the less sunlight
there is. At about 3,000 feet, there is no light at all. It is dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes. Some have
big eyes. A few have eyes on one side.
     Besides (除了) the cold and darkness, deep-sea animals face a third danger---other animals. Animals eat!
They must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants. However, some animals eat meat. This means these sea
animals have two big jobs. They need to find animals as food, and they have to try not to become other animals' meal.

1. Why do people want to dive in the sea? Because ________.

A. they want to catch fish
B. they want to find the secrets of the undersea world
C. the sea is deep
D. there are all kinds of plants in the sea

2. In the daytime, when you dive in the sea, you _________.

A. can see everything green and blue
B. can't be in danger
C. can catch nothing
D. can't see anything clearly

3. How many dangers will animals meet in the deep sea?

A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.

3. How many dangers will animals meet in the deep sea?

A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.

4. When you do scuba diving, you can __________.

A. stay in deep water for a long time
B. dive very, very deep
C. live in deep water easily
D. dive freely without any dangers

5. Which of the following is WRONG?

A. One animal finds something to eat, and it may be eaten by others.
B. At the depth of 3,000 feet under the sea, many animals can find their way by hearing and feeling.
C. The deeper the sea is, the darker and colder it is.
D. At the depth of 3,000 feet under the sea, all animals can find their way by seeing.

1. What don't you need when you cook Almond Fried Rice?

A. 4 eggs.
B. 1 large crab.
C. 1 teaspoon of salt.
D. Chopped onions.

2. What is the first thing you do with the crab?

A. Clean it.
B. Cook it.
C. Cut it up.
D. Serve it.

3. How many steps do you need to cook Almond Fried Rice?

A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.

Dear grandma,
     How are you? I hope you are feeling well and your leg is improving. Can you walk a bit now? Is your
neighbor, Mrs Lu, bringing you enough books to read? I hope so.
     You'd love our school library, grandma. There are so many books for all kinds of subjects. The other day
I found a book about electronic engineering. I couldn't really understand it but I hope to learn more about this
topic sometime. This term I have three new subject classes, so I thought I'd tell you about them.
     I now study biology, which is really interesting. I'm learning all about the human body, where everything
is and what it does. Do you know that we have a kissing muscle? It's called 'orbicularis' (轮匝肌) and it's a
circular muscle that closes your mouth and moves your lips forward. I love biology. It's so interesting!
     Another new subject is religion. I didn't think I would like this one, but actually it is very interesting to
hear about how different people worship (崇拜). We are learning about lots of religions from all over the
world, not only Asia. Do you know about the religion on the island of Bali in Indonesia? They have a unique
religion which is based on Hinduism but also has elements of Buddhism as well. It is called Bali Hindu Dharma.
I am just learning more about it but it sounds fascinating.
     My other new subject is Spanish. It's really difficult to learn a new language but I know it will be useful
for me in the future, if I want to travel the world. Spanish is one of the official languages of the European
Union and the United Nations. I've learnt that Spanish is not only spoken in Europe but in South America, too.
Countries like Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico also speak Spanish. You know I've always wanted to go to
Mexico, so if I can speak some Spanish it would be really useful.
     Did you study these subjects when you were at school? I suppose subject choice changes over time,
doesn't it? I'll come to visit you again in the next holiday, which I think is in eight weeks' time. I'll bring you
some of my new books if you like. I hope you can write back soon and tell me all the village news. I miss you
very much.
                                                                                                                                Lots of love,
                                                                                                                                     Sara

1. Can grandma go to the library by herself?
    ______________________________________________________
2. What does grandma like doing, reading books or chatting on line? 
    ______________________________________________________
3. How many new subjects does Sara study this term? 
    ______________________________________________________
4. When will Sara probably go to see her grandma? 
    ______________________________________________________
5. Why does Sara write this letter to her grandma? 
    ______________________________________________________

     Very often, new-born babies are not beautiful. They are wrinkled (多皱的) or hairless, or they have an
angry look on their faces. They seem to say, "Get away! I hate everybody." But to a parent, that hairless,
wrinkled, angry-faced baby is the most beautiful and perfect (完美的) child in the world. When that proud
father or mother asks you, "Well, what do you think … isn't she beautiful?" what are you going to say? Is this
the time for the truth? Of course not!
     When you look at that proud father, you should say, "Yes, she is! She's really a beauty. She's one in a
million. She's going to be a movie star! She's as beautiful as a picture."
     In English, this is a white lie. White lies don't hurt people. They are not cruel (残忍的) or angry words.
People use them to make a difficult thing a little easier. When people don't want to meet someone, or eat
something new that they really don't like at a friend's house, they tell a white lie. They are trying to be kind.
They feel that being kind is sometimes more important.

1. Parents are usually ________ when their new babies are born.

A. angry
B. proud
C. sad
D. surprised

2. When a parent asks what you think of their new baby, they want you to _________.

A. tell the truth
B. say what you like
C. tell lies
D. say good words

3. From the passage we can know that __________.

A. a new-born baby hates everyone around her
B. a new-born baby is the most beautiful one
C. people who tell white lies are not kind
D. people who tell white lies want to be kind

4. Which of the following is a white lie?

A. You broke the window but you say you didn't.
B. You know Jack has stolen a watch but you say you don't.
C. You don't think his first drawing is great but you say it is.
D. You tell a parent that the new-born baby isn't beautiful.