I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签 ) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, "Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!" Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬 ) under her covers, weeping. Obviously, that was something she should not go through phone. All of a sudden ,a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart,

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn't noticed Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. "Thanks."

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn't always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in. cleaning up and holding on.

1.What made Kate angry one evening?

A. She couldn't find her books.

B. She heard the author shouting loud.

C. She got the news that her grandma was ill.

D. She saw the author's shoes beneath her bed.

2.The author tidied up the room most probably because___.

A. she was scared by Kate's anger

B. she hated herself for being so messy

C. she wanted to show her care

D. she was asked by Kate to do so

3.How is Paragraph I mainly developed?

A. By analyzing causes.

B. By showing differences.

C. By describing a process.

D. By following time order.

4.What might be the best title for the story?

A. My Friend Kate B. Hard Work Pays Off

C. How to Be Organized D. Learning to Be Roommates

GUATEMALA CITY(Reuters)-----A fish that lives in mangrove swamps(红树沼泽)across the Americas can live out of water for months at a time, similar to how animals adapted to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.

The Magrove Rivulus, a type of small killifish, lives in small pools of water in a certain type of empty nut or even old beer cans in the mangrove swamps of Belize, the United States and Brazil. When their living place dries up, they live on the land in logs(圆木), said Scott Taylor, a researcher at the Brevard Endangered Lands Program in Florida.

The fish, whose scientific name is Rivulus marmoratus, can grow as large as three inches. They group together in logs and breathe air through their skin until they can find water again.

The new scientific discovery came after a trip to Belize.

“We kicked over a log and the fish just came crowding out,” Taylor told Reuters in neighboring Guatgemala by telephone. He said he will make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.

In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.

Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in an inactive state. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and remain active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at Canada’s University of Guelph.

Further studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.

“These animals live in conditions similar to those that existed millions of years ago, when animals began making the transition (过渡) from water onto land,” Wright said.

1.The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that __________.

A. likes eating nuts

B. prefers living in dry places

C. is the longest living fish on earth

D. can stay alive for two months out of water

2.Who will write up a report on Mangrove Rivulus?

A. Patricia Wright B. Scott Taylor

C. Scientists from Belize D. Researchers in Guatemala

3.According to the text, lungfish can____________.

A. breathe through its skin

B. move freely on dry land

C. remain alive out of water

D. be as active on land as in water

4.What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?

A. It was made quite by accident

B. It was based on a lab test of sea life

C. It was supported by an American magazine

D. It was helped by Patricia Wright

Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That’s why Mexicans speak Spanish.

Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country’s capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.

Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn’t always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.

Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.

1.According to the passage, what happened second on historical timeline?

A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.

B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.

C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.

D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.

2.The passage says that President Polk wanted ______.

A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean

B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th

C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union

D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language

3. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ______.

A. inspect B. cover

C. change D. determine

4.Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ______.

A. building styles B. vocabulary

C. clothes D. food

5.Before the Aztecs were conquered(征服), these Native Americans probably ______.

A. didn’t speak Spanish

B. couldn’t read or write any language

C. didn’t have tools

D. didn’t understand the concept of time

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