After my husband died, my world crashed around me. My six children were ten, nine, eight, six, three and 18 months, and I was overwhelmed(不知所措的) with the responsibilities of earning a living, caring for the children and simply keeping my head above water.

I was lucky to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings, the children and I were alone, and frankly(坦诚地) I was uneasy. Every unusual noise or any late-night phone call filled me with fear. I felt really alone.

One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd(牧羊犬) on our doorstep. It was obvious he wanted to make the house his home. The children took an instant liking to “German” and asked me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement(地下室) until the next day. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.

The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner, but with no results. Saturday night he was still with us. 

On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case(以免) his owner came by, we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas at a local station, we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. He stayed again Sunday night.  

Monday morning I let him out for a run while the children got ready for school. He didn’t come back. We thought we’d never see him again. On Friday evening, German was back again. We took him in, and again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived. It went like this for almost 10 months. We looked forward to his coming. Each Monday morning he left home.

Each week, between German's visits, I grew a little braver, but every weekend I enjoyed being with him . Then one Monday morning we patted his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back. We never saw or heard from German again. I think of him often. He came when I needed him the most and stayed until I was strong enough to go on alone. I believe German was sent because he was needed, and because no matter how abandoned(被放弃的) and alone we feel, somehow, somewhere, someone knows and cares. We are never really alone.

1.What does the underlined part “keeping my head above water” in the first paragraph mean?

A．trying to keep calm in public

B．trying to get attention from other men

C．showing her high spirit in the face of trouble

D．trying to continue to live

2.When the author’s husband died, ______.

A．she couldn’t raise the six children on her own

B．she couldn’t relax at weekends

C．The housekeeper only came at weekends

D．she was too busy to feel lonely

3. Which of the following is WRONG according to the article?

A．German was fond of living with the family.

B．The writer felt safe and protected with German around.

C．The dog stayed until the writer was strong enough to go on alone.

D．The writer was too busy that weekend to go to find the dog’s owner.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A homeless dog                        B．A friend’s strength

C．How to keep a dog                      D．Keep up when in trouble

Computers can injure you. Most other injuries happen suddenly. For example, if you fall off a bike and break your arms, it happens very quickly. But computer injuries slowly.

You probably know how to ride a bike safely. Now learn to use a computer safely.

Your eyes

Too much light can injure your eyes, so never sit too close to a computer screen. Your eyes should be at least 50 centimeters from the screen. Remember to look away from it sometimes. This gives your eyes a rest.

When you use a computer, the window should be on your left or your right. If it is behind you, the light will reflect on (反射) the screen. If the window is in front of you, the sun and the screen will both shine into your eyes.

Your hands and wrists (手腕)

Hand and wrist injuries can happen because the hands and wrists are moved in the same way hundreds of times. If you use a keyboard for a long time, follow these three rules: 1) Rest your wrists on something. 2) Keep your elbows at the same height as the keyboard. 3) Stop something and exercise your hands, wrists and fingers in a different way.

Your back

Some people sit for many hours in front of a computer. If you sit in the wrong way, you can injure your back or your neck. So you should sit with your back straight. The top part of the screen should all be in front of your eyes. Your forearms, wrists, hands and the upper part of your legs should all be parallel (平行) to the floor. If you are sitting for a long time, get up every 30 minutes and exercise your arms, legs and necks.

Enjoy your computer, but use it safely.

1.A computer screen may injure your eyes if __________.

2.Hand and wrist injuries are caused when you _________.

3.Your eyes and hands will be safe if __________.

4.It is good for your back and neck if you sit __________.

5.What would be the best title for the passage?

 It’s important to prepare(准备) for earthquakes because you don’t know where you will be when an earthquake happens. Earthquakes may happen at any time, so prepare some things for your home, office and car.

    1. Clothes.

    If you live in a cold place, you must keep warm. You might not have heat after an earthquake.

Think about your warm clothes.

    2.Flashlights(手电筒) and spare batteries.

    Keep a flashlight beside you bed, at your office and in your car. Do not use matches(火柴) after an earthquake until you are sure that no gas leaks(气体泄漏).

    Prepare a radio and some spare batteries. Most telephones will be out of order, so radios will be your best source of information(信息来源).

    3. Food and medicine.

    It’s always a wonderful idea to keep some food on hand. For example, some biscuits, some canned food, milk and some other drinks for at least 72 hours. You’d better get some necessary medicine for your family.

    4.Water.

    A person needs at least 1/2 gallon(加仑) of water daily just for drinking. Store at least 1 gallon of water for a person every day and be prepared for 72 hours. It is suggested that you buy bottled water. Do not open the bottle until you need it. Also, do check the “use by”date.

1.Why should people prepare themselves for an earthquake?

A.           Because earthquakes can be know before they happen.

B.           Because earthquakes usually take place in the neighborhood.

C.           Because we don’t know when and where an earthquake will happen.

2.If you live in a cold place, you should prepare _________.

      A. some hot water        B. some warm clothes       C. some batteries

3.According to the article we know that ___________.

A.           we need to prepare some things only at home

B.           a telephone is the most important source of information

C.           flashlights but not matches are first used after earthquakes

4.You should prepare all of the following except ________.

      A .milk               B. fresh vegetables           C. biscuits

5.About the water, which description is RIGHT?

      A.A person should drink at least 1 gallon of water in a day.

      B. You shouldn’t open the bottled water until you need it.

      C. You’d better keep some hot water for 72 hours.

When you are feeling unhappy or forget how great you are，these are six ways to make you feel good about yourself．

    1)Look in the mirror and say to yourself，“I am a special person and there's no one  in the world like me．I can do anything!” It may not sound so good，but it really works !

    2)Do something nice for someone．Helping others always makes you feel good．

    3)Smile! Be friendly to people you meet．Look for the good things in your friends and family．

    4)Learn something new! Have you always wanted to decorate your own room or learn how to swim? Go for it! New challenges(挑战)are fun and give you a sense of accomplishment (成就感)when you have finished．

    5)Read and start a diary．Turn off the TV and let your imagination(想象)fly! Write down your thoughts，dreams or anything you want! Writing always helps to express your feelings．

    6)Stay with your family．We all need our family time．Talk with your Mum or Dad or maybe even your cousin．

1.You may see this passage in ____________．

A．a science book    B. a story book  C．a magazine  D．school rules

2.According to the passage , new challenges ______when you finish them.

A. are fun????? B. make you feel confident??

C. are dreams?? D. both A and B

3.Which of the following should you say “NO” to when you are unhappy?

A．You should always look for the good things of others．

B．Stay alone at home as much as possible．

C．Learn something new and go for it!

D．Keep a diary to express your feelings．

4.The best title(标题)for the passage is_______.

A．Do Your Best

B．Six Ways to Feel Good about Yourself

C．It's Never too Late to Learn

D．Always Smile to Your Life

No Car Day was first started by 34 cities in France on September 22, 1998. It was started to protect the environment. By now, more than 1,000 cities around the world have had a No Car Day.

The first No Car Day in China was in Chengdu in 2001. Other cities including Taipei, Shanghai and Wuhan, also support the day.

In Beijing, more and more people are taking part in the activity. It asks drivers to leave their cars at home for one day each month and walk or ride a bike to work. It also calls on Beijingers not to use cars on June 5th (World Environment Day). The slogan(口号) for the day is, “ If we drive for one less day, we can have one more nice day.”

So far, more than 200,000 drivers have shown their support. “We can’t control the weather, but we can choose not to drive,” said Wu Zhonghua, a car club chairman. Beijing is trying to have 238 blue sky days this year. In the first quarter of 2007, Beijing only had 52 blue sky days. This was 11 days less than the number for the same period last year. Much of the dust comes from the desert, but cars cause most of the air pollution. We must do more for No Car Day.

1.No Car Day was started _______.

A. to save money                    B. to control the weather  

C. to make the air cleaner         D. to keep out dust from the desert

2.The No Car Day activity asks Beijing drivers _______.

A. to work hard to get fewer blue sky days

B. not to work on World Environment Day

C. to ride a bike or walk instead of driving to work once a month

D. to leave their cars at home for a week each month

3.When is World Environment Day?

A. On July 5th.                 B. On June 5th.  

C. On September 22nd.           D. On February 2nd.

4.Which of the following about No Car Day is WRONG?

A. It was started in France in September, 1998.

B. It was first started in China in 2001.

C. It is supported by over 1,000 cities around the world.

D. It was first started by a car club chairman in Beijing.

5.What can we infer(推断) from the passage?

A. More and more people in Beijing are joining car clubs.

B. People will have one more World Environment Day each month.

C. More and more people won’t drive on No Car Day in Beijing.

D. The car club chairman Wu Zhonghua won’t drive any more.