Is the whale the world’s largest fish? No. It looks like a fish, but it is really a mammal (哺乳动物). Then what’s the world’s largest fish? It’s the whale shark.

Although the whale shark is our biggest fish and lives in many oceans around the world, few people have ever heard of it. Scientists have not been studying whale sharks for very long. Much more needs to be learned about them.

A whale shark is sometimes called a “gentle giant (温柔的巨人)”. It likes to be alone and doesn’t care a bit about divers or humans. The biggest whale shark weighed 24,250 pounds and was nearly 40 feet long. This makes it heavier and longer than a school bus.

Inside its huge mouth are great numbers of very small teeth. To count all of them, you’ll need to do some math. The whale shark’s teeth are arranged in rows. There are between eleven and thirteen rows on each jaw (颚) and around three hundred teeth in each row.

However, the whale shark rarely uses its teeth. It does not chew or bite its food. Large amounts of water are pulled into its mouth and then pushed out through its gills (鳃).

For a few months every year, a group of whale sharks comes to Ningaloo Reef, off Western Australia. This gives scientists a wonderful chance to study the large fish. Whale sharks do live in other oceans of the world, but no one knows their population. It is possible that our biggest fish may need protecting. It is one of the reasons why scientists continue to learn all they can about these gentle giants.

51. Little is known about whale sharks because scientists _____.

A. are not interested in learning about them

B. find them too difficult to catch

C. do not know the best places to find them

D. have studied them for a short time

52. Which sentence can tell us that whale sharks are gentle?

A. They have large mouths.

B. They leave divers alone.

C. They have small eyes.

D. They live in many oceans.

53. How does the writer help us know what the whale shark’s mouth looks like?

A. By giving reasons.

B. By describing colors.

C. By comparing sizes.

D. By using numbers.

54. The fifth paragraph is mainly about _____.

A. how a whale shark eats

B. what a whale shark eats

C. how different fish use their gills

D. what’s inside a whale shark’s mouth

55. Which of the following is the best title for the article?

A. Gentle Giants                                         B. The Diary of a Sailor

C. The Largest Animal                                 D. My Life on the Sea

Each year, thousands of Chinese middle school students go to study in foreign countries. Recent research shows among 428 middle school students in Shanghai, nearly half of them would like to study abroad.
    "Chinese children are eager to go abroad to get a wider view, less academic (学业) competition or even family honor," said Chen Yi, a Chinese writer who has lived in the US for 16 years. "But life in foreign countries can be hard for young people."
"We have to face the culture shock and language problems," said Hong Guang, a Chinese student in London.
    However, these are not always the most difficult things to overcome (克服). To most children, controlling themselves when studying alone in a foreign country is a big challenge.
Zhang Jia, a 16-year-old student from Shanghai, entered high school in Melbourne, Australia last October. To his surprise, his teachers there seldom pushed students to study. And usually there wasn't much homework.
    Some of his friends spent their whole year's money in the first two months of the new term.
"Studying abroad at a young age can help students learn foreign languages quickly and broaden their minds, but students and parents should know about the challenges," Chen said.

Last month I got the chance to take part in an underwater research project in an area of the Gulf of Mexico called the Flower Gardens. A team of professional researchers, led by the scientist Dr Matt Phillips, was trying to learn more about the fish and different creatures that live in this part of the sea. The Flower Gardens are a long way from the shore (海岸) and we spent three days on a boat.

The team used a piece of underwater equipment(装备) called ROV to collect information. The ROV was great fun. It was controlled by a computer on the boat, and I was allowed to operate it a few times. However, the thing I enjoyed most was diving into the water. At first, I was quite scared---mainly because I couldn’t see land in any direction. But as soon as I jumped into the water, I wasn’t afraid any more. It was amazing to see the colorful fish swimming around and I could see all the ways to the Flower Gardens, which are almost 30 meters down.

I will never forget the Flower Gardens. The trip was like a holiday but I also learnt new things about science and research projects. It was a great chance and it has made me think about my goals in life. The experience will help me work harder to become a scientist.

1What does the writer want to tell us in the article?

A. To describe the experience he had in a science project.

B. To explain how to protect the wildlife under water.

C. To give advice on understanding difficult areas of science.

D. To encourage others to organize their own science projects.

2 What does the writer say about ROV?

A. It was very boring.                     B. It was used to collect information.

C. It was so difficult to control.             D. It was controlled only by man.

3  Which of the following words best describes the writer’s feeling towards diving?

A. Bored.           B. Frightened.        C. Amazed.       D. Sad.

4  What influence has the trip had on the writer?

A. It has changed his opinion of science.

B. It has improved the way he works in a team.

C. It has made him more interested in the sea.

D. It has encouraged him to work harder towards his goals.

                                D

D

It was Sunday morning. A butcher(屠夫) heard the doorbell(门铃) and       thought it must be a customer. But he was surprised to see that a dog was

coming into his shop. The dog had $10 and a note in its mouth. The butcher

took the note and read it. It said,“10 pork chops(排骨), please.”So the butcher took the money and put a bag of chops in the dog’s mouth.

Then he quickly closed the shop because he decided to follow the dog. He found the dog on the street. The dog was waiting for a green light. Then the dog walked across the road. The dog went to a bus stop. When a bus arrived, the dog checked the number and then got on the bus.

After a while, the dog stood up on his back paws(爪子) to push the “stop” button(按钮). The bus stopped and the dog got off. Then the butcher followed it to get off the bus.

The dog ran to a house and dropped the bag in front of the front door. It then began to beat its head against the front door. After a while, a big man opened the door and began shouting at the dog. The butcher ran up and shouted at the man, “What are you doing? Your dog is a genius(天才).”

The owner of the dog said, “Genius? No way! I always tell him to take the keys when he goes to the stores. But he never listens to me!”

1 Who was the customer that Sunday morning?

A. A big man.           B. A butcher.    C. A dog.           D. A little boy.

2  How much did the dog pay for the pork chops?

      A. $20.      B. $10.               C. $5.               D. $62.

3 How did the dog take the note?

A. In the bag.             B. On its back.       

C. In its mouth.           D. Around its neck.  

4 Which is NOT right according to the story?

A. The dog stood up on its back paws to push the “stop”

B. The butcher quickly closed the shop to follow the dog.

C. The big man was pleased with his do

D. The butcher thought the dog was a genius.

5 What is the story mainly about?

      A. A customer.        B. A smart dog.    C. A butcher.  D. A big man.

Mo Yan, a well-known Chinese writer, won the Nobel Prize for literature(文学) in 2012. He was also the first Chinese writer who got this prize in history. When he was interviewed, he said he was only a normal person who could tell stories. He especially thanked his mother. He thought his mother had a strong influence on him.

Mo Yan was born in a poor family in China’s rural area. When he was young, he was a little bit shy because he thought he wasn’t good-looking. His classmates often played jokes on his look. That made him very upset. His mother encouraged him to face the fact bravely. She told him not to look down on(看不起) himself. She said it didn’t matter if a person didn’t have a good look and it was important to work hard and never give up. She hoped that his son would be a useful person in society.

Mo Yan didn’t let her mother down. He worked hard at writing. He wrote many famous novels, such as Hong Gao Liang(《红高粱》)and Wa(《娃》). His success tells us a truth,“Nobody can beat you unless you beat yourself.”Hold on to your dream and your dream will come true in the end.

6What does Mo Yan do?

A. He is a famous singer.                  B. He is a famous actor.

C. He is a famous writer.            D. He is a famous doctor.

7 When did Mo Yan win the Nobel Prize?

A. In 2010.          B. Last year.               C. In 2013.        D. Last month.

8Why did Mo Yan feel upset when he was a little boy?

A. Because he was poor.

B. Because he couldn’t tell stories.

C. Because his classmates often laughed at his look.

D. Because he didn’t work hard.

9 What is the most important for a person according to the article?

A. Working hard.      B. Money.      C. A good job.        D. A good look.

10 What can we learn from the story?

A. Mo Yan’s classmates were friendly to him.   

B. Mo Yan was born in a rich family.

C. Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for peace.

D. Mo Yan’s mother helped him a lot.