Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the local climate, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.
【小题1】Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?

Once my mother told me a story that in Africa, when an antelope (羚羊) wakes up every morning, the first thing it thinks about is, “I must be 36 to run faster than the fastest lion, or I will be killed.” 37 , a lion wakes from his dream. The first thing the lion thinks about is, “I must be able to catch the 38 antelope, or I will starve to 39 .” So almost simultaneously(同时地), the antelope and the lion get up and start running toward the 40 sun.

This is 41 : full of chances and challenges. Whether you are an antelope or a lion, you must go 42 when the sun rises. For students, it is just the same. If we don’t study hard, sooner or later, we will 43 the other students. At first I didn’t know what the word “exam” 44 . Later, I knew an exam was a kind of 45 . In competitions, there are always winners and 46 . As I grew up, I got to know competition well. In one’s life, there must be competitions, so people can 47 .

Each time I saw children playing games and heard their 48 , I wished I were that age again.  49 , I remembered my parents’ words: You must work very hard for a good future. So I 50 my pen and began to study hard again.

I was still not sure what competition 51 meant. One day, I was 52_in an English-speaking competition. When I went to the stage, I saw other students looking at me kindly. Suddenly I 53 what competition was. It is not as cruel as my teacher and parents told me. In fact, competition is the 54 : it is kind and necessary.

I learned a lot from realizing this 55 . Now I understand better about the world. Competition is important for us all.

1.                A．able           B．willing          C．ready    D．eager

2.                A．On the contrary  B．At the same time  C．In other words D．In the first place

3.                A．fastest         B．weakest        C．slowest   D．strongest

4.                A．death          B．survival         C．disease   D．suffering

5.                A．sinking         B．setting          C．shining   D．rising

6.                A．rule           B．life            C．study D．exam

7.                A．over           B．through         C．ahead    D．beyond

8.                A．fall behind      B．pass by         C．catch up  D．hold back

9.                A．felt            B．meant          C．referred  D．doubted

10.               A．victory         B．defeat         C．process   D．competition

11.               A．competitor      B．players         C．losers D．failures

12.               A．improve        B．conclude       C．acquire   D．handle

13.               A．crying          B．laughter        C．whisper   D．delight

14.               A．However       B．Therefore       C．Besides   D．Otherwise

15.               A．put up         B．brought up      C．made up   D．picked up

16.               A．commonly      B．simply          C．obviously  D．really

17.               A．succeeding      B．participating     C．taking D．getting

18.               A．doubted        B．acknowledged   C．knew D．admitted

19.               A．tough          B．important       C．content   D．opposite

20.               A．experience     B．knowledge      C．fact  D．consequence

Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.

A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.

Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.

What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.

Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the local climate, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.

Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.

1.Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?

A. They can keep the rain and storm water.

B. They can help reduce the pollution problem.

C. They can be healthy for the people around.

D. They can make the environment more beautiful.

2.One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that ______.

A. they cost less and are much easier to get

B. they may attract local wildlife to come

C. they require little care from the local gardeners

D. they are more used to the local growing conditions.

3.We can infer from the passage that after native plants are planted, rain gardens ______.

A. need little water             

B. need little care

C. need to be watered every day

D. needn’t be watered if there is at least an inch of rainwater per week

　　There are different types of cars． For example, if you want to carry both persons and goods, you operate or drive a van --a car larger than a standard car or an ordinary car． But if you want to save money you'd better purchase or buy a compact car smaller than a standard car or even a subcompact car smaller than a compact car． However, if you didn't purchase or buy any car, you could save your money and put it into the bank , which will give you interest --- an extra amount of money every year or after a certain period of time ． But if you are a car owner you'll have to spend money on such things as maintenance and tires --- your car may need repairing sometimes and one of your front tires or back tires may be flat or broken and you’ll have to get it repaired or buy a new one． Besides, you must pay a certain amount of money to the insurance company so that if your car happened to have an accident or even were completely destroyed they would pay you a large amount of money for that． Of course, whatever kind of car you operate or drive you'll have to burn oil or use fuel , a certain number of gallons of fuel for which you have to pay constantly ． But if you sell your used car, the price will have to be much lower than that of a new one, so the resale value must be considered;that is to say, if you buy a new car for $8,000 your resale value is -2,000 and you'll get an extra amount of $ 2,000 for your resold car．

　　Many drivers or neighbours who have cars made an agreement to take turns driving each other to work． This agreement is called a car pool or car pooling ． A certain amount of money saved each year in this way is called "average annual savings through car-pooling or van-pooling to work "． Driving someone to and from work once is called a round trip ． Now look at the following three tables and answer the questions below them:

1．What is the difference between the average purchase prices of a standard car and a compact car?

A．$600　　　　B．$2,400　　　　C．$2,800　　　　D． $3,200

2．Over the four-year period, the average cost for insurance on a compact car is about what percent of the average total cost to operate a compact car?

A．11%．　　　　B．13%．　　　　C．15%．D．17%．

3．The average daily cost per passenger in a van pool traveling 50 miles round trip to work is about what percent greater than the average daily cost per passenger in a van pool traveling 40 miles round trip to work?

A．8%．　　 B． 10%．　　 C． 12%．　　 D．13%．

4．What is the mileage (average miles per gallon of fuel) of a compact car?

A．13．　　 B． 18．　　C． 20．　　　　D． 25．

5．If two people, who would otherwise be driving alone in subcompact cars, drive in a 2-person car pool using subcompact cars, what is the total of their average annual costs of car pooling to work?

A．$821　　 B．$1,400　　 C．$1,521　　 D． $1,642

Now I’m a senior high school student in Grade Two . I feel that school life is a little hard , just as my friends said . However , a hard life doesn’t have to mean a boring one at all .
School life is not just about studying and getting high marks . Getting involved in student clubs can be a unique and unforgettable experience .
Wang Tian enjoys Tuesday afternoons more than any other time of the week . Why ? Well , that’s when Wang and 47 other members of the DIY ( do it yourself ) club learn to make things such as rondo flowers ( 丝网花 ) and cross-stitch（ 十字绣 ）. Wang also knows how to knit scarves and make clay accessories（ 小饰件 ）. They even sell their products to raise money for poor students !
When Chen Mo started the High School , there was a drama club and a rock band , but no street dance club . So the girl started one . “Street dancing is dynamic and helps us relax and keep fit ,” Chen said . There are around 30 students in Chen’s club . They practice dance skills on Sundays . Sometimes they go to street dance performances in the city . “We watch , learn and make friends . People in this circle are actually very nice and sweet ,” she said .
There are dozens of clubs for me to choose from , such as basketball club or science club . But I love the translation club best . The 30 club members get together once a week . With the help of a volunteer teacher , I’ve learned the general principles of professional translation . It’s the first step to becoming a good translator . Besides ,after attending this club , my English has improved a lot .
I like my school life very much . And I believe whether a life is meaningful or not depends on the person who leads it .
【小题1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage ?