Winter sports are very popular in European and North American countries. These places usually receive a lot of snow during the winter months.

Skiing and skating become the major sports activities for Westerners during the winter. People from Norway, Italy, the United States, Sweden and Canada all like winter sports.

Winter sports such as alpine skiing and skating(高山滑雪) are very popular because they allow people to keep warm while enjoying outdoors.

People can exercise outdoors in beautiful surroundings: snow-covered mountains and pine trees among endless white snow. Putting oneself into the white world and breathing fresh air, one can relax and forget all worries. Of course, the practice of flying down the hills excites people.

The Alps in Europe is the most ideal place for skiing. The Rocky Mountains in the Western United States is another good place.

Some people call winter sports "royal sports". That is because of their high cost. These sports always require expensive equipment. They also need high-standard places to be enjoyed.

Winter sports are not popular in China. The southern and coastal areas have no skiing and skating. And the snow-blanketed northeastern and southwestern areas have very poor equipment.

But thanks to the efforts of the government, China has caught up with world class competition in short track speed skating(短道速滑). This is also true for women's figure skating. However, in alpine skiing events, China ________________________.  

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

_______________________________________________________________________________

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

   Taking part in the outdoor winter sports with snow-covered surroundings makes you feel refreshed and carefree.

________________________________________________________________________________________

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

_______________________________________________________________________________

79. Do you think winter sports will become popular in China? Why? 

(Please answer within 30 words.)

______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

80. Please translate the underlined sentence in the third paragraph into Chinese.

Winter is a great time to experiment with new sports. The key is to find one that matches your interests and natural abilities. If you like to walk, keep walking ― on snowshoes. If you want to try an endurance sport, go for cross-country skiing. Besides, snowboarding is just great fun.

Not satisfied with these? Try downhill skiing, then. Downhill skiing is not as hard as it used to be ― shorter, lightweight, curved skis make any beginner feel like an Olympic winner. These newer skis ― along with another type of equipment called skiboards, which are even shorter than skis ― help you control your speed and body movements.

Consider testing the latest high-tech skis or snowboards？Check with your local sports shops or the rental places at the ski mountains about sample programs.

You could also try sledding. Use a wood-framed sled with steel runners or a plastic sled to head down a snowy hill. If you prefer ice to snow, think hockey or figure skating.

Runners can also train during the winter in spite of wet or slippery roads. One of the easiest sports around, snowshoeing can be excellent cold-weather cross-training for runners and cyclists ― or anyone wanting to take a wintry walk in the woods. Snowshoes are smaller, lighter, and better than ever. If you want to try them out, you may be able to rent a pair for a day at many of the larger outdoor or sporting goods stores.

Whatever sport you choose, don’t rely on a friend for instruction. You wouldn’t let an inexperienced doctor perform a brain operation on you, but why let one teach you to ski or skate? That’s what instructors are for ― to help newcomers start out right. Instructors can give you advice about equipment, techniques, safety, and dealing with injuries if they do happen to you.

Above all, if you want to progress, invest your time in learning the basic skills thoroughly. Everything else you do as a skier, boarder, or skater will be built on these first skills.

72.     How many different types of sports are mentioned in the first two paragraphs?

A. Six.                   B. Five.                     C. Four.                     D. Three.

73.     What can we learn from the passage?

A. Runners and cyclists cannot train because of the wet or slippery roads in winter.

B. Downhill skiing used to be more difficult to learn because of the old-fashioned skis.

C. People can rent snowshoes for a day at their local sports shops or the rental places.

D. In general, first skills are more important in skiing than in snowboarding or skating.

74.     What does the sentence “You wouldn’t let an inexperienced doctor perform a brain operation on you, but why let one teach you to ski or skate?” imply?

A. Don’t let an inexperienced doctor perform an operation on you when injured.

B. You may have a brain operation if you ski or skate with a newcomer.

C. Instructors can give better advice on skiing and skating than your friends do.

D. It’s dangerous to have an inexpert person teach you to ski or skate.

75.     Who are the most likely readers of the passage?

A. High school students.                     B. Physical educators.

C. Winter sports lovers.                     D. Professional athletes.

In order to read this magazine you have to have a decoder(解码器). Each page of it is numbered, so you only have to dial the number to choose which subject you want to read about. There is a wide choice—everything is included from cooking to the latest sports news.

If you want to read the news, the first thing you have to do is to turn to the back page which has an easy-to-remember page number, 100 for example. Then you start choosing what you want to read. The news is on page 101 to 109 so you put in the numbers and the news appears written across your screen. Perhaps you want to go out in the afternoon, so you press 181, and a brightly colored weather map appears on the screen. But the weather is terrible so you decide to go shopping and dial 162 for a list of the week’s best bargains. But should you drive or take the train? To answer that question you only have to press 189 for the traffic report . It is very simple to use . But probably the best thing about the service is that it is being updated all the time . Journalists type new material directly onto the screen and the whole pages of the magazine can be replaced in minutes .

London already has three services . One ,sent out by TV, is called ORACLE while the other two , on BBC, are called CEEFAX because they let you see facts . Although CEEFAX and ORACLE have been operating for some time, they have not been well publicized . BBC engineers do not think that their idea will ever replace books and newspapers because they can be taken with you everywhere . But many people would agree that is a breakthrough as great as the invention of printing , which could not just change our reading habits but our whole way of life .

1．The magazine is unusual because of         .

       A．its paperlessness                                 B．its strange viewpoint

       C．its simplicity                                       D．its quickness in communication

2．We can know from the passage that in London         .

       A．the magazine is available at any local homes

       B．most of the postmen will lose their jobs someday

       C．everyone can read this magazine if they have a television

       D．the readers can get various kinds of information from the magazine

3．In the sentence “Each page of it is numbered,” the word “it” refers to the         .

       A．decoder              B．magazine            C．program              D．subject

4．According to the passage , the “decoder” is used to help people         .

       A．receive some special TV programme for entertainment

       B．go shopping and have other entertainment

       C．read the information sent by TV signals

       D．figure out the total of certain numbers

5．The passage is mainly about         .

       A．a new magazine printed in London       

       B．an up-to-date way of getting information

       C．a popular TV programme about magazines 

       D．an advanced technology helping people communicate

As we all know, getting benched in sports is usually a bad thing. But at one school in Florida, a girl has taken a bench and turned it into something entirely different – a place to find friends. It’s called the Friendship Bench. And it’s the brainchild of a sixth grader at Palm Bay Elementary – a girl named Acacia Woodley.

Acacia’s attitude toward life might be summed up best by a question she recently asked members of the Brevard County School Board – “what if we spend as much time putting the spotlight on kindness as we do on cruelty?” It’s a philosophy Acacias has learned to live her own life -despite having a lot of people would consider a handicap. She was born without a right hand. And her left hand did not form properly. But Acacia says that she has not stopped her from achieving her goals. “You need to believe in your dreams. If you don’t believe in you dreams, I can definitely tell you that they are not going to come true.” She said.

Acacia came up with the idea for the Friendship Bench after seeing kids getting bullied at school. She says she has also experienced bullying herself – kids whispering about her or picking on her because she is different. “Some people say they feel sorry for me. I tell them not to,” she said. “I don’t care that I’m different. I like being different.”

The Friendship Bench looks like a lot of other benches. It has arm sets and a place to lean on. But there are also words painted on it – words such as “hope”, “respect”, “listen” and “dream”. Acacia put the benches together with the help from her mother and brother.

Any time a kid feels he or she needs a friend, all that kid needs to do is sit on the bench. It is then up to the other kids – or grown-ups – to fill that need. “It’s a perfect idea,” Palm Bay Elementary Principal Lori said. “It’s something we’ve needed so badly.”

The Friendship Bench has been such a success at Palm Bay Elementary that other schools are now interested in installing one too. “There’s a saying in my teacher’s classroom,” Acacia said. “It says, ‘it you can dream it, you can achieve it.’”

1.What is the function of the first sentence in Paragraph One?

A. To explain the meaning of getting benched is sports.

B. To introduce the important role “bench” plays in sports.

C. To introduce what the author wants to say in the text to us.

D. To tell us that the passage is connected with the word “bench”.

2.What can be learned about Acacia from the passage?

A. She is disabled but leads an active life.

B. She has a deep understanding of life.

C. She finds it difficult to achieve her goals.

D. She finds herself always in need of help.

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Acacia has also suffered from other kids’ bullying.

B. The kids who sit on the bench feel they need friends.

C. Grown-ups are allowed to offer their help to the one in need.

D. The Friendship Bench is different from others in the arm sets.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A. More Friendship Benches will be installed in other schools soon.

B. Students stop bullying other schoolmates at Palm Bay Elementary.

C. The students at Palm Bay Elementary have become more friendly.

D. Acacia has become a very important figure at Palm Bay Elementary.

5.What is the best title of this passage?

A. Acacia’s New Invention

B. The Friendship Bench

C. Help from a Special Bench

D. Getting Benched in School

ingredient) but all that sugar means they'll be high in calories and give you little nutrition.
     A granola (麦片) bar is a good example of a snack that people think is healthy. Although granola
bars can be a good source of certain vitamins and nutrients, many also contain a great deal of fat,
including a particularly harmful type of fat called trans fat (反式脂肪酸). Check the Nutrition Facts
label on the package to be sure.