In the summer of 1978 an English man named Steven was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered something strange. Some of his wheat was lying on the ground. The flattened wheat formed(形成)a circle about six meters across . Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat.

　 Three years later a farmer who lived nearby discovered almost the same circles in one of his fields. These circles were larger—nearly 15 meters across . That same year , another English farmer discovered three circles of flattened wheat on his land—one large circle between two small circles. During the following years, farmers in England found circles in their fields more and more often.

　 The circles are called “crop circles” because they usually appear in fields of wheat or corn. The wheat in the circles lies on the ground but is never broken; it keeps on growing, and the farmers can later harvest it. Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September. What causes the crop circles?

　 At first, people thought that some kids were making them as a joke, or that farmers were making them to attract tourists.(In fact, in 1991, two men said they made the circles themselves, but many scientists don’t believe them.) People tried to copy them: They tried to make circles exactly like the ones the farmers had found. They couldn’t do it. They couldn’t enter a field of wheat without leaving tracks, and they couldn’t flatten the wheat without breaking it.

　 Several times people reported seeing stranger objects near the fields where crop circles later appeared. Many people believe that these crop circles are the messages sent by living things from outer space(外层空间)or the marks left by their spaceships.

　 Scientists who have studied the crop circles try to find out what causes them. In the summer of 1990 some scientists spent three weeks in the part of England where many circles have appeared. They had all the latest high-tech equipment(最新高科技设备). The equipment—worth 1.8 million dollars—got nothing. But one night, as the scientists were watching a field, crop circles formed in the field behind them, which were quite different from the others. The scientists had neither seen nor heard anything.

　 When Steven discovered the crop circles on his land in 1978, he said, “It was just like something that had landed in the field from the air and gone back up again. I don’t know what to make of these things.”

　 Crop circles have appeared in England, Japan, the United States and Russia. Experts from all over the world have studied them, and they say what Steven said: They don’t know what to make of these things.

1.Which picture is probably the one formed in the field behind the scientists?

2.“Flattened wheat” means ___________.

　　   A. broken wheat             B. lying wheat

　　   C. harvested wheat          D. growing wheat

3.The passage is mainly about something ___________ .

A. that is done by living things from outer space

B. that cannot be solved but found all around the world

C. that cannot be made clear or understood

D. that is discovered and copied by the farmers

China and the Netherlands (荷兰) are long-time friends. The Netherlands is more than 41,500 square kilometres in area. It is a bit larger than the size of Taiwan, China.
The Netherlands is rich in culture and art. It is home of many great artists, for example, Vincent van Gogh. Besides fine art, the Netherlands is also called the country of tulips (郁金香). It has the world’s largest tulip garden: Keukenhof garden.
Dutch people are very hard-working. There’s a saying: “God made the Earth, but the Dutch made Holland.” More than a quarter of the country is below sea level. So Dutch people build many dams (水坝) to protect the country from flooding. They have created almost one sixth of the country from seas and rivers!
Did you know?
◆ Rubber ducks are popular around the world. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created it in 2007. The yellow duck is 26 metres high.
◆ Wooden clogs (木底鞋) are traditional shoes in the Netherlands. They make good gifts for tourists.
◆ In the Netherlands, it is impolite to start eating at once. Dutch people will sometimes say “delicious” before eating.
◆ Like the UK, the Netherlands also has
kings and queens.
【小题1】Taiwan, China is 　　　 than the Netherlands in area.

It was Christmas time in 2008, I had no idea that this would be the 31 Christmas we would spend with mom.This was a very special Christmas for me—you see mom 　32 owned a new coat that I could remember.

Mom had polio(小儿麻痹症)when she was a young child. One of her legs was larger than the other. Sometimes she would have trouble walking, but she never complained. Mom always 　33 my friends with kindness and they were always welcome at our house 　34 .I remember my good friend Glen coming over and talking with mom even when I wasn't at home. Mom was always willing to 　35 a listening ear.

　 Mom's all clothes were four dresses, four pairs of shoes, a light jacket,and a couple of sweaters.

　I decided that I would buy mom a 　36 that year, so I took her 　37 　to find something for Christmas. As we went past the coat shelf, one of the coats on the shelf 　38 　mom's eys. I asked her to try on the coat for fun. She said that we did not have the money to buy the coat. 　39 after a long talk with mom, we left the store with mom wearing that nice new coat in the end. She agreed that the coat did look good 　40 　her. I will ever be 　41 for this opportunity. being able to give back just a little. This was the nicest coat that she ever 42 .

　In Februay of 2009 mom passed 　43 at age 42. As I reflect(回忆)back on my mother's life, it was 　44 　with acts of kindness. Giving came 　45 　her heart,with a willingness to help whenever possible.

31. A.first 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. last　　　　　　　　　　　 C. thirtieth 　　　　　　　　 D. fortieth

32. A.ever　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. always　　　　　　　　　 C. never 　　　　　　　　　　 D. even

33. A. helped　　　　　　　　　　 B. treated　　　　　　　　　 C. suggested　　　　　　　　 D. provided

34. A. anytime B. sometime C. at times D. some times

35. A. hold 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. lend　　　　　　　　　　　 C. help　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. give

36. A. coat　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. dress 　　　　　　　　　 C. jacket　　　　　　　　　　　 D. sweater

37. A. off　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. away　　　　　　　　　　 C. up 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. down

38. A. took　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. caught　　　　　　　　　 C. attracted 　　　　　　　　 D. got

39. A. But 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Until 　　　　　　　　　　 C. Though 　　　　　　　　　 D. And

40. A. in　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. at 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. on 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. by

41. A. pleased　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy　　　　　　　　　　 C. excited　　　　　　　　　　 D. thankful

42. A. bought　　　　　　　　　　 B. owned　　　　　　　　　 C. took 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. tried

43. A. back　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. away　　　　　　　　　　 C. over 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. through

44. A. filled 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. fill　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. full　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. fulled

45. A. with 　　　　　　　　　　 B. off　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. in　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. from