B
At the middle school level, there are many academic clubs in which students can participate. Students can choose clubs that focus on an area of interest.
Mathcounts Club
Mathcounts tries to increase excitement towards mathematic achievement. It hopes to provide students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers. Schools select individuals and teams to participate in competitions. Local competitions are held in February with winners progressing to state competitions and then on to the national level. Mathcounts works to challenge student math skills, develop self-confidence and give rewards for their achievements.
Envirothon
The Envirothon program focuses on natural resources knowledge and exposes students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography. The ecology field competition for five-member middle school teams offers competitions in wildlife, soils, forestry, current environmental issues and aquatics. Students work and learn in middle school clubs and can compete at the local and state level.
Future Problem Solvers
Future Problem Solvers is an academic club that uses a six-step process to solve problems that may happen in the future. Students who are in the talented and gifted program, who like to “think out of the box,” or who enjoy thinking about futuristic problems may like this club. Teams comprised of four students read future scenes and write up solutions in a booklet using the six-step process. Teams that score high enough can go to the state competition and then to the international competition.
Builders Club
Builders Club is open to any middle school student who wishes to perform community service. Each Builders Club is co-sponsored by a Kiwanis club and the middle school. The members learn by doing, and they learn organization, teamwork, and leadership. Builders Clubs can sponsor a "Teacher of the Year" program, provide a recycling collection point, organize canned food and clothing drives to support local shelters, adopt a resident at a local senior citizens home, adopt a highway, tutor, etc.
Middle school academic clubs offer students a place to explore interests or talents. The clubs they join in middle school can help guide choices in high school and beyond.
59．The students who are not interested in competitions woudld like to choose        .
A．Mathecounts Club    B．Builders Club
C．Future Problem Solvers   D．Envirothon
60．Why do some of the students choose Mathcounts Club?
A．To be successful in science careers.
B．To enjoy solving future problems.
C．To perform community service.
D．To study wildlife and soils.
61．What is the common feature of the four clubs?
A．Competitions.            B．Sponsorship.   
C．Scientific researches.       D．Teamwork.
62．The passage mainly talks about         .
A．the state academic competitions     B．middle school clubs
C．extra – curricular activities        D．the gifted students

B

       At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.

       The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.

       The real attractions of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded (相邻) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition of the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.

       I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (无牵挂的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.

46.   What do we know about the author?

       A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he live.

       B. He made a study of many farms before buying.

       C. He made money by buying and selling farms.

       D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.

47.   Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?

       A. It was of good market value.                  B. It was next to the highway.

       C. It was is a good position.                       D. It was behind a nice garden.

48.   Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?

       A. He was afraid the owner might change his mind.

       B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.

       C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was.      D. He was eager to become a farm owner.

49.   The underlined words “the loss” in the last paragraph refer to ________.

       A. the money the author lost in buying the farm

       B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place

       C. the removal of the trees around the house

       D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place

50.   What does the author believe as important in life?

       A. To own a farm.                                           B. To satisfy his needs.

       C. To be free from worries.                        D. To live in the countryside.

D

In the north of Scotland there is a lake called Loch Ness. It is the biggest lake in Britain. It is over thirty kilometres long and in places nearly 300 meters deep. It is cold and dark and not many people went there until after 1930. Then a road was made around the lake. Holiday makers began to use the road, and this was when the stories began.

Someone said that he had seen a monster in the lake. He said it was twelve meters long. It had a long neck and a small head. Then someone else said he had seen it. Others said the same thing and in 1933 a London doctor took a photo. It looked like a monster with a long neck and a thick body but the photo was not dear. The newspapers printed the picture and called it the Loch Ness monster, or "Nessie".

Then the argument began. Some people, however, were certain there was something living in the lake. Others said there was nothing there.

In 1961, a lot of people joined together to make a real effort to see and photograph the monster if there was one! Several times people thought they saw something but after ten years there was still no real proof.

Later underwater television cameras were used, but no one found any real proof. However, they did find something interesting: a huge underwater cave. It was big enough to be home of a monster, but of course, this was not a proof.

In 1975, however, some American scientists formed a search group. They used an underwater camera. It took pictures every seventy seconds. Some of the pictures seemed to show a red-brown creature. Its body was about four meters long and had a very ugly head on the end of a four meter neck. Many people then began to believe in the monster. But even today we can not be certain.

63. Before 1930, ____.

A. few people went to Loch Ness Lake

B. many people had been there

C. nobody went to the lake

D. nobody knew about the lake

64. What did the monster look like?

A. It looked like a horse.

B. It was a creature with a long neck and a small head.

C. It looked beautiful.

D. It was tiny and pretty.

65. Who first took a photo of the monster?

A. An American

B. A television camera

C. A holiday-maker

D. A doctor from London

66. A search group formed by some American scientists.

A. found the monster itself

B. found a huge cave under water

C. believed that there wasn't any monster at all

D. took some pictures which seemed to show a monster

D

In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.

I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit(追求) of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.

However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try. ” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve(缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.

66. What does this passage mainly talk about?

       A. Competition helps to set up self-respect

B. Opinions about competition are different among people.

C. Competition is harmful to personal quality development.

D. Failures are necessary experiences in competition

67. Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?

       A. It pushes society forward                       B. It builds up a sense of duty.

C. It improves personal abilities.                 D. It encourages individual efforts.

68. The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means__________.

       A. those who try their best to win

B. those who value competition most highly

C. those who are against competition most strongly

D. those who rely on others most for success

69. What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?

       A. One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others

B. One’s success in competition needs great efforts.

C. One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills

D. One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.

70. Which point of view may the author agree to?

       A. Every effort should be paid back.

B. Competition should be encouraged.

C. Winning should be a life-and-death matter.

D. Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

B

       At the middle school level, there are many academic clubs in which students can participate. Students can choose clubs that focus on an area of interest.

Mathcounts Club

       Mathcounts tries to increase excitement towards mathematic achievement. It hopes to provide students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers. Schools select individuals and teams to participate in competitions. Local competitions are held in February with winners progressing to state competitions and then on to the national level. Mathcounts works to challenge student math skills, develop self-confidence and give rewards for their achievements.

Envirothon

       The Envirothon program focuses on natural resources knowledge and exposes students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography. The ecology field competition for five-member middle school teams offers competitions in wildlife, soils, forestry, current environmental issues and aquatics. Students work and learn in middle school clubs and can compete at the local and state level.

Future Problem Solvers

       Future Problem Solvers is an academic club that uses a six-step process to solve problems that may happen in the future. Students who are in the talented and gifted program, who like to “think out of the box,” or who enjoy thinking about futuristic problems may like this club. Teams comprised of four students read future scenes and write up solutions in a booklet using the six-step process. Teams that score high enough can go to the state competition and then to the international competition.

Builders Club

       Builders Club is open to any middle school student who wishes to perform community service. Each Builders Club is co-sponsored by a Kiwanis club and the middle school. The members learn by doing, and they learn organization, teamwork, and leadership. Builders Clubs can sponsor a "Teacher of the Year" program, provide a recycling collection point, organize canned food and clothing drives to support local shelters, adopt a resident at a local senior citizens home, adopt a highway, tutor, etc.

       Middle school academic clubs offer students a place to explore interests or talents. The clubs they join in middle school can help guide choices in high school and beyond.

59．The students who are not interested in competitions woudld like to choose        .

       A．Mathecounts Club    B．Builders Club

       C．Future Problem Solvers   D．Envirothon

60．Why do some of the students choose Mathcounts Club?

       A．To be successful in science careers.

       B．To enjoy solving future problems.

       C．To perform community service.

       D．To study wildlife and soils.

61．What is the common feature of the four clubs?

       A．Competitions.             B．Sponsorship.   

       C．Scientific researches.       D．Teamwork.

62．The passage mainly talks about         .

       A．the state academic competitions     B．middle school clubs

       C．extra – curricular activities         D．the gifted students