Talking on a mobile phone is expensive, so a lot of people send text messages. Text messages are much cheaper than talking on a mobile phone, and you can make it cheaper by making the words shorter. You can do this by taking out “unimportant” letters in the words and using numbers instead of words (2 =" to," 3 =" free," 4 =" for," 8 =" ate," so h8 =" hate," etc.). You can also keep away from using punctuation (标点). Here is an example: Do U wnt 2 g 2 th cnma tnite (Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?)
What do you think these text messages mean?
Whr hv U bn? Iv bn wtng hrs fr a cll.
Im hm nw, why nt gv me a cll.
I gt a txt mssge frm my frnd. Shes hvng a prty on Strdy.
Mobile phone users have developed a group of symbols (符号) to show how they feel. They are called emoticons, and there are some examples below. To read an emoticon, you have to look at it sideways. For example, if you say something in a text message that is a joke, you can follow it with a smiling face. Like this: Why didt u call me? I’m so sad.   (
Here are some others. Can you think of text messages where you could use them?
) laughing     ( sad    ＜ really sad
Ⅴ shouting    |·| asleep   ：0 shocked
8·| surprised    \·o bored
【小题1】Why are text messages popular?

For hundreds of years, artists have used cartoons to criticize bad rulers or landowners. As early as the 19 th century, people produced and read books of drawings. In many ways, they were similar to modern comics（漫画）. They contained stories of naughty children and playful animals. The owl and the elephant were usually wise animals, ready to give advice. The lion and tiger were brave. The fox and wolf were cunning, greedy and dangerous.

    A century ago, an American newspaper published the first-color comic strip. It was so popular that sales of the newspaper, Morning Journal, increased quickly. Since then, newspapers throughout the world have included comic strips.

    In modern time, comics are popular in China, Japan, the USA and almost everywhere. Not even video games or CD-ROMs have reduced their popularity. Names such as Snoopy, Woodstock and Garfield are well known in dozens of countries. The Peanuts comic strip appears in over 2,000 newspapers and in more than 25 languages.

    Perhaps one day, you may like to create your own comic strip and become a millionaire. First, you must think of a good plot. It should be funny, exciting or interesting in some way. It should have plenty of action. Moreover, the language must be realistic and simple. The words should suit the characters in your story.

    Furthermore, the characters in your story must be clear to readers. They should be obviously good or bad. In many comic strips—especially those showing crime of adventure—there should also be a hero or heroine. This will attract the reader to keep on reading the story. 

1. Which of the following is NOT the name of a cartoon character?

  A. Snoopy             B. Garfield         C. Peanuts        D. Woodstock

2. We can know from the first paraphaph that rulers ________.

  A. asked the artists to draw cartoons           B. probably did not like cartoons about them.

C. often drew cartoons many years ago.        D. used cartoons to give people advice.

3. According to the passage, what makes a popular and successful comic strip?

 A. Good plot         B. suitable language      C. clear characters      D. All of above

4. The underlined word “plot” is similar in meaning to ______.

 A. places              B. stories            C. events               D. characters

For hundreds of years, artists have used cartoons to criticize bad rulers or landowners. As early as the 19 th century, people produced and read books of drawings. In many ways, they were similar to modern comics（漫画）. They contained stories of naughty children and playful animals. The owl and the elephant were usually wise animals, ready to give advice. The lion and tiger were brave. The fox and wolf were cunning, greedy and dangerous.

    A century ago, an American newspaper published the first-color comic strip. It was so popular that sales of the newspaper, Morning Journal, increased quickly. Since then, newspapers throughout the world have included comic strips.

    In modern time, comics are popular in China, Japan, the USA and almost everywhere. Not even video games or CD-ROMs have reduced their popularity. Names such as Snoopy, Woodstock and Garfield are well known in dozens of countries. The Peanuts comic strip appears in over 2,000 newspapers and in more than 25 languages.

    Perhaps one day, you may like to create your own comic strip and become a millionaire. First, you must think of a good plot. It should be funny, exciting or interesting in some way. It should have plenty of action. Moreover, the language must be realistic and simple. The words should suit the characters in your story.

    Furthermore, the characters in your story must be clear to readers. They should be obviously good or bad. In many comic strips—especially those showing crime of adventure—there should also be a hero or heroine. This will attract the reader to keep on reading the story. 

1. Which of the following is NOT the name of a cartoon character?

  A. Snoopy             B. Garfield         C. Peanuts        D. Woodstock

2. We can know from the first paraphaph that rulers ________.

  A. asked the artists to draw cartoons           B. probably did not like cartoons about them.

C. often drew cartoons many years ago.        D. used cartoons to give people advice.

3. According to the passage, what makes a popular and successful comic strip?

 A. Good plot         B. suitable language      C. clear characters      D. All of above

4. The underlined word “plot” is similar in meaning to ______.

 A. places              B. stories            C. events               D. characters

第二节：阅读表达（共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分）

Would you spend more time playing outside, reading, or studying? Well, now it’s our chance to turn off your TV and find out! TV-Turnoff Week is here.

The goal of TV-Turnoff Week is to let people leave their TV sets off and participate in activities from drawing to biking. The event was founded by TV-Turnoff Network, a non-profit organization which started the event in 1995. In the beginning, only a few thousand people took part. Last year more that 7.6 million people participated, including people in every state in America and in more than 12 other countries! This is the 11 th year in which organizers are asking people to “turn off the TV and turn on life.”

According to the TV-Turnoff Network, the average kids in the US spend more time in front of the TV （about 1, 023 hours per year）than they do in school （about 900 hours per year）. Too much TV watching has made many kids      .In fact, in 2001’s TV-Turn-off week, US Surgeon General David Satcher said, “We are raising the most overweight generation of youngsters in American history. This week is about saving lives.”

Over the years, studies have shown that watching a lot of TV leads to poor eating habits, too little exercise, and violence. Frank Vespe of the TV-Turnoff Network said that turning off the TV “ is , or should be ,part of a healthy lifestyle.”

“One of the great lessons of participating in TV-Turnoff Week is the realization that every time I turn on the TV, I’m deciding not to do something else,” Vespe said.

TV-Turnoff Week seems to be making a difference. Recent US Census （人口普查）data shows that about 72 percent of kids under 12 have a limit on their TV time. That’s up from about 63 percent ten years ago.

81．What’s the best title of the passage? （Please answer within 10 words）

_______________________________________________________________________________

82．Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?

According to many studies, spending too much time in front of TV has many bad results.

_______________________________________________________________________________

83．Please fill in the blank in the third paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. （Please answer within 10 words）

_______________________________________________________________________________

84．Can you think of other bad results of watching too much TV? （Please answer within 30 words）

_______________________________________________________________________________

85．Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Talking on a mobile phone is expensive, so a lot of people send text messages. Text messages are much cheaper than talking on a mobile phone, and you can make it cheaper by making the words shorter. You can do this by taking out “unimportant” letters in the words and using numbers instead of words (2 = to, 3 = free, 4 = for, 8 = ate, so h8 = hate, etc.). You can also keep away from using punctuation (标点). Here is an example: Do U wnt 2 g 2 th cnma tnite (Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?)

What do you think these text messages mean?

Whr hv U bn? Iv bn wtng hrs fr a cll.

Im hm nw, why nt gv me a cll.

I gt a txt mssge frm my frnd. Shes hvng a prty on Strdy.

Mobile phone users have developed a group of symbols (符号) to show how they feel. They are called emoticons, and there are some examples below. To read an emoticon, you have to look at it sideways. For example, if you say something in a text message that is a joke, you can follow it with a smiling face. Like this: Why didt u call me? I’m so sad.   (

Here are some others. Can you think of text messages where you could use them?

) laughing     ( sad     ＜ really sad

Ⅴ shouting    |·| asleep    ：0 shocked

8·| surprised    \·o bored

Why are text messages popular?

A. Because they are expensive.             B. Because they are cheap.

C. Because they are hard to write.          D. Because they are not important.

The first paragraph tells us that we can make the text messages shorter in             ways.

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

What does this text message “Do U wnt 2 cm?” mean? It means “                    ?”.

A. Do you want to come                      B. Do you wear two caps

C. Do you want two cakes                    D. Do you go home early

Why do people use emoticons?

A. Because they can show how users feel.  B. Because the symbols are beautiful.

C. Because text messages are short.         D. Because the users can’t make the words shorter.