With society developing fast,people's life standard has improved greatly. More and more people own their personal cars,which causes many problems,such as air pollution,traffic jams (堵塞) and even traffic accidents.

   In big cities,traffic jams happen every now and then,especially in rush hours. Cars can5t move smoothly and people feel upset on the way to work or home. For this,they are often late for work and even lose their jobs.

   To solve these problems,the government has taken many measures (措施) ，such as broadening (拓宽) the roads,building more roads and subways,increasing buses and so on. The government has also suggested people taking public transport and using fewer personal cars.[2013 贵州黔东南改编]

  根据短文内容，回答下列问题。

1. What problems do more and more personal cars cause?

2. When do the traffic jams often happen according to the passage?

3. What does the underlined word “smoothly” mean in the passage?

4. What measures has the government taken?

   A large part of China experienced larger amounts of haze (雾霾) than usual this January and the air was badly polluted. The distance one could see was shorter than 1,000 meters in Beijing,Tianjin,and the provinces of Hebei,Henan,Shandong and Anhui. In some areas,it was down to 200 meters.

   People usually set off firecrackers (爆竹) to celebrate the Spring Festival. But because of the haze,this year seemed very quiet. It was really different. A man called Zhang Wei said that his friends and he hadn’t set off a single firecracker.

   “We all suffered from last month's haze. If we don't call an end to the firecrackers,the environment will get worse and worse during the holiday ,” said Zhang Wei. He called on more people to set off fewer firecrackers during this year's Spring Festival holiday by putting up a notice in his neighborhood.

   More Chinese looked forward to celebrating the holiday in a greener way. They decided not to set off firecrackers. They also decided not to waste food. They said that the new celebrations sounded fashionable.

   To clean the sky,more than ten provinces including Guangdong,Zhejiang and Jiangsu have started to use national 4 standard (标准) ，which is expected to reduce (减少) vehicle emission (车辆排放) by 30% to 50%. Beijing even has started to use the stricter national 5 standard.

   We still have a lot to do to improve the air quality. For example,using public transportation as much as possible is not a hard thing for us to do,but it matters a lot.[2013 广西贵港]

() 1. What happened in a large part of China this January?

   A. It experienced larger amounts of haze.

   B. People set off lots of firecrackers.

   C. There was a heavy rain.

   D. Many car accidents happened.

() 2. How do people usually celebrate the Spring Festival in China?

   A. By putting up a notice.

   B. By setting off firecrackers.

   C. By not wasting food.

   D. By using public transportation.

() 3. How many provinces have started to use national 4 standard?

   A. Three. B. Six.

   C. Eight. D. More than ten.

() 4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. Zhang Wei didn't set off a single firecracker this Spring Festival.

   B. We should use more public transportation to help reduce the air pollution.

   C. Zhejiang has started to use national 4 standard to reduce vehicle emission.

   D. More Chinese think the celebration of setting off firecrackers is fashionable.

() 5. What's the best title for the passage?

   A. How to reduce the vehicle emission.

   B. How to improve the air quality.

   C. What Chinese do in the Spring Festival.

   D. Using public transportation.

   Europe's best known places of interests—including the Eiffel Tower,Big Ben and Rome's Colosseum— fell dark on Saturday,following on Sydney's Opera House and Beijing's Forbidden City in joining a global climate change protest,as lights were turned off across the world to mark the Earth Hour event.

   The lights went out at the Empire State Building in New York,the National Cathedral in Washington,and the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta.

   Millions of lights were expected to turn off from 8 ： 30 p. m. to 9 ： 30p. m. They want to call people to protect the environment. It was the fourth time to hold Earth Hour,organized by the World Wildlife Fund.

   4,000 cities from more than 120 countries —starting with the remote Chatham Islands off the coast of New Zealand—were turned off on Saturday,though traffic lights and other safety features were still on,organizers said.

   In England,Buckingham Palace and the British Parliament building St. PauFs Cathedral and the Royal Albert Hall,as well as Edinburgh Castle in Scotland went dark to support it.

   Moscow took an active part in it. State University,on a hill overlooking the city disappeared into the darkness as the city took part.The gigantic Luzhniki Stadium (卢日尼基大体育场) nearby also went black. Some big restaurants in Vladivostok held a so-called Candle Evening,making Earth Hour as a chance for romance.

() 1. The lights were turned off across the world in these places but.

   A. Eiffel Tower   B. Big Ben

   C. the Statue of liberty   D. Rome's Colosseum

() 2. Millions of lights were expected to turn off for.

   A. half an hour   B. an hour

   C. two hours   D. all night

() 3. It was the time to hold Earth Hour.

   A. first   B. second

   C. third   D. fourth

() 4. The passage may come from a .

   A. story   B. diary

   C. report   D. poster

   It seems that these days the word “green” is everywhere. I don't just mean the color. It is a lifestyle that respects the environment and doesn’t hurt our environment. So what's the big deal? First of all,being green doesn’t just save the environment,but the green in your wallet as well. Second,it's a great way to stay healthy. So how can you be green? Here is something you can easily do.

   Use green transport 

   Ride your bike,or walk if it isn’t too far away for you. Meanwhile,biking and walking are by far the most environmentally friendly things on the planet which use no gas,and therefore produce no pollution. All of these options are environmentally friendly as public transportation carries many people at a time,rather than a car which usually carries one person at a time. Public transportation saves you money,too.

   Use reusable cups or bags 

   Many coffee shops now offer you a 10 cent discount (折扣) for bringing your own reusable mug (圆筒形的 有柄杯) . Reusable cups keep your drinks,like coffee hotter,and cold drinks,like water,colder. They can be a little expensive to buy outright,but they save the environment,and your money. You can also use reusable bags. You will save money by bringing your own lunch from home every day,and save the environment by not throwing away lunch containers. By bringing your lunch to work every day in a reusable container you are saving trees from being cut down for useless items.

() 1. The word “green ” in the first paragraph means the .

   A. color   B. lifestyle

   C. transport   D. cups or bags

() 2. Which is the most environmentally friendly transport?

   A. By bike. B. By bus.

   C. By car. D. By train.

() 3. You are saving trees from being cutting down by using.

   A. paper cups   B. paper bags

   C. reusable bags   D. All above

() 4. The passage is about .

   A. how to protect the environment

   B. how to stay healthy

   C. how to protect trees

   D. how to live a green life

                           Why help others?

   The question often comes to my mind;why should I help others when I have everything with me and I don't need any help from anyone? Let's d 1 this point why help should be given to others and what e 2 it has on the helper.

   We all know that man is a s 3 animal. He cannot live alone forever. If a man is kept a 4 for a long time,he may be mad. So this is in the very nature of man to mingle up with other members of his species.

   While living together,situations appear when everyone has to d 5 on others for one thing or another. It could be a small thing like requesting to pick up something or other big jobs.

   If we help someone,it builds a c 6 in them. They develop self-confidence. Self-esteem is one of the basic needs of humans. When someone is helped,particularly,w 7 asking for it,a sense of self-realization is achieved. This will always pay back to the helper in future in one way or another. When we help someone,it gives an inner pleasure to us b 8 this is also human nature. It gives us a sense of satisfaction that further develops to a sense of belonging,which is actually the basis of a society. Society is a g 9 of people living together that have some sort of r 10 among them. If we help someone and the one helps someone else,a chain reaction is started which is beneficial for the society.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

9. 10.

   There is always happiness in giving than receiving. The feel of belonging further 1 to other qualities (品质) of one's self. These include confidence,happiness,motivation,positive thinking and many other things. All these things 2 you achieve your goal in life and to 3 . Helping others is such a win-win situation in which no one loses 4 . The person helped feels much 5 ,and helping others hat raises your self-esteem (个人评价) . No one can say that he was never helped in life. Everyone grows 6 as a result of an integrated system of help developed by the society. All of us are at a better stage now in life than earlier. A lot of people helped us in 7 this stage,in different forms and relations. We could not have been here 8 our parents,friends,relatives and those 9 we come across face to face at different times of life,though for a short time. If you think it in a democratic way,you will be convinced that it is always good to help 10 .

() 1. A. takes   B. leads   C. brings   D. gives

() 2. A. give   B. let   C. help   D. take

() 4. A. anything   B. something   C. everything   D. nothing

() 5. A. well   B. good   C. best   D. better

() 6. A. up   B. on   C. in   D. with

() 7. A. getting   B. reaching   C. arriving   D. taking

() 8. A. with   B. without   C. and   D. or

() 9. A. what   B. which  C. whom   D. when

() 10. A. another   B. other   C. others   D. the other

   If you want to volunteer for an organization,you should find the right match. If you like to read,consider volunteering at a school or tutoring programs;if you like to work outdoors,try volunteering to clean up a local park;like to speak another language,perhaps work with immigrants;like to work at home,maybe make fun raising money like to play sports,then volunteer as a coach,and like to promote health... try a local hospital or clinic (诊所) .

   Whatever you choose,ask if the group will provide support for you,like training or a contact (接触) to answer the questions that arise. To find volunteer opportunities,call your city or county information line for the contact information for a volunteer coordinator service (协调员服务) . You also can check your Yellow Pages under “Volunteer Clearinghouse” or “Volunteer Center” or find options online at Volunteermatch. org or 1-800-volunteer,org. Your local Mental Health America affiliate office also may be looking for volunteers.

  根据短文内容，回答下列问题。

1. What should you do if you want to volunteer for an organization?

2. How many kinds of jobs can you do if you want to volunteer according to the passage?

3. Tom will volunteer for an organization;what should he do first?

4. How do you find volunteer opportunities?

   In many British schools,the pupils usually wear their school uniforms to school on weekdays. However,recently the students at LVS Ascot Junior School in England wore something quite different. What they wore was what people wear when they go to bed — pyjamas (睡衣) . They did this not only for fun,but for a local charity called Christopher's Smile.

   Christopher's Smile was set up in 2008 by Karen & Kevin Capel whose only son Christopher died of cancer at a young age. They hope their charity will help pay for more research into children's cancers. Since then,the charity has raised a lot of money and gotten more and more volunteers. Every year,thousands of people take part in different activities such as charity walk or run to show their support for Christopher's Smile.

   The students of Grade 6 at LVS Ascot Junior School also wanted to do something for the sick children. They organized the event “Pyjama Day” to support Christopher's Smile. “We wanted to raise money for our charity in a way that the whole school could join in it'so each pupil paid £l to wear his or her pyjamas to school on ‘Pyjama Day”” said the young organizers. Both the students and their teachers took part in the event with great interest. Together they not only raised some money,but also had a good time.

() 1. Who set up Christopher's Smile?

   A. LVS Ascot Junior School's teachers.

   B. The local government.

   C. LVS Ascot Junior School's students.

   D. Christopher's parents.

() 2. Christopher's Smile was set up to .

   A. tell people some knowledge about children's cancers

   B. have fun for the students in LVS Ascot Junior School

   C. help the local government do more things for students

   D. raise money for more research into children's cancers

() 3. Which of the following is TRUE?

   A. It has been over 5 years since Christopher's Smile was set up.

   B. Few pupils wear school uniforms to school on weekdays in Britain.

   C. In LVS Ascot Junior School,only students join in the event “Pyjama Day”.

   D. All students in England need to wear pyjamas to school on Pyjama Day.

() 4. The best title for the passage may be .

   A. The Christopher's Smile   B. Fun and Charity   C. The Pyjama Day   D. Children's Cancers

   Wang Ruonan is a 17-year-old Beijinger. Huang Yuying is a Junior 1 middle school student living in Beichuan,Sichuan. The two girls are good friends. Their friendship started from a schoolbag.

   In 2009 Wang's father told her about a project called “The Schoolbag of Love”.It is about donating (捐 献) schoolbags to kids in poor areas.

   You can pay 100 yuan to buy a schoolbag full of school supplies (用品) at the post office. Then the workers there give you a list of kids in poor areas. You choose one of them to send your schoolbag to. After the kid gets the bag,he or she will mail a return postcard to you.

   Wang thought it was a very good idea and she acted quickly. She chose to send the bag to Huang. Two weeks later,she got a postcard back from Huang. The two soon became good friends.

   One thing influenced Wang deeply after she made friends with Huang.

   “It was 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. I suddenly got her message telling me a small earthquake hit her place. Their house was shaking (颤抖) and they couldn’t sleep. ”

   Wang said she was moved because in panic (惊慌) Huang sent a message to her,meaning the girl saw her as a true friend.

   Warmed by the friendship,Wang donated a second “schoolbag of love” to a girl in Xinyang,Henan last month. She also became a volunteer to introduce the schoolbag project to other communities (社区) in Beijing.

   “I like the project because I can get to know the people I help and make friends with them ,” said Wang.

() 1. You can pay yuan to buy a schoolbag full of school supplies at the post office.

   A. 50   B. 100   C. 200   D. 300

() 2. Wang got the message and knew a small earthquake hit Huang's place in the.

   A. morning   B. afternoon   C. evening   D. night

() 3. The underlined word “moved” means .

   A. 移动   B. 搬动   C. 打动   D. 搬家

() 4. Wang Ruonan donated “schoolbag of love”.

   A. one   B. two   C. three   D. four

                Helping others thus has a lot of advantages 

   First,you feel good about yourself. A sense of belonging (归属感) is made up between you and the other person. Your small help to someone could be a small step to something big. As the whole world is now a global village,the action starts and spreads throughout the world. You feel good because you start. If the kindness is passed and it carries on,it will be remembered forever. This makes the world a better place to live in.

   Second,a kind act is never forgotten. When you help,you facilitate encouragement. If a person is experiencing a hard time in his life,showing love and behaving kindly with him can really uplift that person from that situation. If you help others,it will be an example for your family,children and friends. They will learn from that and do the same thing. Many people just need a start to do something good. You can be the first step for them.

   Third,it always has a positive impact on your health. Once you start giving,you will develop a habit and then it will continue and you will feel happy and healthy.

   Last,helping others is the easiest thing to do for others. This will always make a difference for you. It is a great way of thanking God for the blessings that you have but others don't. By helping you develop selflessness and that is a great virtue (美德) . It will change your thinking all the way and will make you a great human being.

   These are the reasons why we should always help others as much as we can. Even meeting people with a pleasant smile on the face is a great help. It might help others recover from a bad mood. And this is the best way to thank Almighty God for the blessings that we have but others don't.

() 1. According the article,how many advantages does helping others thus have?

   A. 2.   B. 3.   C. 4.   D. 5.

() 2. What does the writer think of the world?

   A. A sense of belonging. B. A global village.

   C. A small step. D. A better place to live.

() 3. If you help others,what will your friends do?

   A. Help others. B. Remember forever.

   C. Develop a habit. D. Feel happy and healthy.

() 4. How can you uplift the person from experiencing a hard time in his life?

   A. Being an example for your family,children and friends.

   B. Meeting people with a pleasant smile on the face.

   C. Making a difference for you.

   D. Showing love and behaving kindly with him.