Many countries such as Iraq, Uganda, Guatemala, and many others have been known to abduct（诱拐）children and force them to serve in the army. The reason is that the enemy isn’t likely to suspect children as a real threat. Many non-government organizations are also known to abduct and force children into being child soldiers. Below we have some quotes from former child soldiers.

“The army was a nightmare. We suffered greatly from the cruel treatment we received. We were often beaten, mostly for no reason at all, just to keep us in a state of terror. I still have a scar on my lip and sharp pains in my stomach from being violently kicked by the older soldiers. The food was not enough, and they made us walk with heavy loads, much too heavy for our small bodies. They forced me to learn how to fight the enemy.”

——Emilio, 14

They gave me pills that made me crazy. When the craziness got in my head, I beat people on their heads and hurt them until they bled. When the craziness got out of my head, I felt guilty. If I remembered the person, I went to them and apologized. If they did not accept my apology, I felt bad.

­­­——Michael, 13

As seen in the quotes, the army is not very friendly toward children. Forced to act like adults, kill like adults, and carry an adult’s load, these children sometimes die from exhaustion（筋疲力尽）. Below are some facts about child soldiers.

Today, as many as 300,000 children under the age of 18 serve in government forces or armed rebel groups. Some are as young as eight years old. Children are most likely to become child soldiers if they have no money to buy food and clothes. Many children join armed groups because of economic or social pressure, or because children believe that the group will offer food or safety. Child soldiers are used all over the world. Here is a list of where child soldiers are used.

59.Many countries force children to serve in the army because__________.

A.children are brave and strong

B.the enemy doesn’t consider children as a threat

C.there aren’t enough adults to join the army

D.they think children are very easy to control

60.Which of the following words can best describe Emilio’s feeling about his army life?

A.Adventurous              B.Happy                     C.Boring                     D.Terrible

61.When Michael became crazy, he would_____________.

A.try to kill people                                             B.apologize to people

C.beat people violently                                    D.feel guilty about himself

62.According to the passage, many children who become child soldiers_________.

A.are very poor                                                     B.have lost their parents

C.are loyal to their country                       D.are braver than other children

Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessary so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here is how.　　

1). Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you can have to do. After making the list, you should make a schedule of your time. First time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don’t forget to set aside enough time fro entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.　　

2). Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room. Free from everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject. 　　

3). Make good use of your time in class. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what your teachers say.　　

4). Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teachers mentioned in class. If you want to know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read the material in advance. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.　　

5). Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be overly worried.　

There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.　　

How to Become A Better Student?

    There's a man in the habit of hitting me on the head with an umbrella. At first I couldn't stand it；now I'm used to it.

    I don't know his name. I know he's average in appearance，wears a gray suit，and has a common face. One hot morning，when I was sitting on a tree­shaded bench in Palermo Park，reading the paper，suddenly I felt something touch my head. It was the very same man who now，as I'm writing，keeps striking me with an umbrella.

    On that occasion I turned around filled with anger. He just kept on hitting me. I asked him if he was crazy. He didn't even seem to hear me. Then I threatened to call a policeman. Calmly，cool as a cucumber，he stuck with his task. After a few moments of hesitation，and seeing that he was not about to change his attitude，I stood up and hit him on the nose. The man fell down. But he immediately got back on his feet，obviously with great effort，and without a word again began hitting me on the head with the umbrella. His nose was bleeding and，at that moment，I felt sorry for him. I felt regret for having hit him so hard. After all，the man wasn't exactly hitting me；he was merely tapping me lightly with his umbrella，not causing any pain at all. Of course，those taps were extremely bothersome. As we all know，when a fly lands on your forehead，you don't feel any pain；what you feel is annoyance. Well then，that umbrella was one huge fly that kept landing on my head time after time.

    Convinced that I was dealing with a madman，I tried to escape. But the man followed me，wordlessly continuing to hit me. So I began to run(I should point out many people run as fast as I do). He took off after me，trying to land a blow. The man was out of breath so that I thought，if I continued to force him to run at that speed，he would drop dead right then and there.

1.When the man began to strike the author with an umbrella, the author________.

    A. became angry                     B. called the police

    C. turned around and escaped            D. turned around and fought back

2.The author would most probably agree that the man was ________.

    A. deaf                             B. blind

    C. dead                             D. mad

3.The author felt sorry for the man because________.

    A. the man formed a bad habit of beating others

    B. he hit the man so hard that his nose bled

    C. the man couldn't catch up with him

    D. there was a fly on the man's head

4. It can be learned from the passage that the man ________.

    A. shouted loudly while hitting the author

    B. wanted to tell the author something

    C. ran after the author breathlessly

    D. acted as if he were a fly

.

STEVE Wayne, 16, who worked this summer as a lifeguard and swim teacher in Idaho Falls, was thrilled to see an extra $20 in his paycheck when the federal minimum wage increased in July.

“When you’re getting paid minimum wage, anything helps, ” Wayne said.Wayne is one of several hundred thousand American teenagers who earn the minimum wage. The last of three recent increases that took the minimum from $5.15 an hour in 2007 to $7.25.U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis says the minimum-wage increase will pump an extra $5.5 billion into the economy over the next year, which is helpful at a time when the economy is hurting.

"You're giving people who spend money a raise," says Kai Filion of the Economic Policy Institute. "Those people will go out and spend that money, and it will circulate through the economy."

But other economists say raising the minimum wage actually hurts the very people it's designed to help. A higher hourly minimum, they say, could force businesses to cut workers' hours, or even lay people off.

"What matters for people earning minimum wage is how much money they take home, in total, in their paycheck," explains Rajeev of Georgia State University's Economic Forecasting Center. "Their hourly rate may go up, but their number of hours may come down, so it's not an overall increase."

Business owners also say that raising the minimum wage exerts（施加）upward pressure on other wages. "If the minimum wage is $7 and I have to pay $8 or $9 to hire a dishwasher, then the cooks are going to say they want more," sayd Cleveland restaurant owner Rick. "How much can I charge for that hamburger?"

Another argument is that it makes it more expensive for businesses to hire new workers. For many businesses already struggling to make ends meet in these tough times, it will be simply too expensive to keep or to hire new people.

55．Steve Wayne was excited that_____________ .

A．his hard work had paid off

B．he had received a big wage increase

C．he has more money due to an increase in minimum wage

D．the wages of American teenage workers have been increased

56．According to the text, the US federal government has increased minimum wage with the aim of__________

A．decreasing unemployment

B．promoting economic recovery

C．increasing American teenagers’ wage

D．narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor

57．What matters most to people in need of help is_____________.

A．a higher hourly minimum       B．more working hours

C．a minimum-wage increase      D．an increase in total income

58．Some are against the increase in minimum wage because they say_____________.

A．only very few workers will be helped

B．they have to cut down working hours

C．many business owners can’t afford to employ new workers

D．minimum wage workers will expect more pay rises in the future

For a small but increasing  number of young women in modern-day China, true love is all about the numbers. A potential suitor may have a good sense of humor and reasonable good looks, but what they say really matters is if he owns an apartment and how many square feet it is. A sizable bank account is also a must, and, some say, so is a luxury car。

      At least, that’s the way things look if you watch Chinese television these days. The latest reality-TV scandal to shock the nation involves Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing who appeared on China's most popular dating show, If You Are the One. She rejected an offer from a male contestant to take a ride on his bike. "I'd rather cry in a BMW (宝马) car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle," Ma told her suitor with a giggle.

      The televised words swept the Internet and made an instant celebrity of Ma, who becomes one of the most talked-about women in the country. The reaction  among young Chinese was especially severe, reflecting growing anxieties over the widening gap between rich and poor, shifting societal values and public attention on the difficulties of finding a mate in a country where men are expected to outnumber women by 24 million in a decade.

      As disgusted as they have been by some of the contestants, viewers continue to watch religiously. Why are people still tuning in? "Audiences like programs because they are honest. They show the current reality of Chinese society," says Yan Mu, one of the founders of Baihe.com. Young people are so focused on making money and building their careers these days, they have little time to devote to dating, he says. "Many people feel pressure from their parents and peers," Yan adds. " It can be a struggle to find a partner." Money may not buy you love. But on China's reality shows, it can at least get you a date.

The underlined words“numbers”in the first paragraph include the following except_______

A. the age and degree B. the size of the house C. the sum of the deposit D. the price of the belonging

What does Ma Nuo mean by saying“I’d rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle.”in the second paragraph?

A. When she is in a BMW car, she will cry   B. When she is on a bike, she will laugh

C. She prefers money to true love           D. She prefers true love to money

Why do many young men take part in TV dating shows?

A. because they think they may get true love from them 

B. because they think China’s reality shows can at least give them a chance to date

C. because their parents and peers force them to do so

D. because viewers like dating shows

Which one of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. some contestants have been disgusted because they are dishonest

B. young people are too busy to take part in dating shows

C. some people are worried that societal value are changing

D. Ma Nuo rejected the bike offered by the contestant

What is the best title of the passage?

A. China’s TV Dating Show       B. Date for Love or money 

C. Date Makes You a Celebrity     D. Popular TV Dating Show