A little stream flowed down from a high mountain far, far away through many villages and forests, until it reached a desert. The stream then thought, “I’ve been through countless obstacles. I should have no problem crossing this desert!” But when she decided to start her journey, she found herself gradually disappearing into the mud and sand. After numerous tries, she found it was all in vain and was very upset. “Maybe it’s my destiny(命运) ! I’m not destined to reach the vast ocean in the legend, ” she murmured sadly to herself.

At this time, a deep voice came, saying, “If a breeze can cross the desert, so can a river.”

It was the voice of the desert. Unconvinced, the little stream replied, “That’s because a breeze can fly, but I can’t.”

“That’s because you stick to what you are. If you’re willing to give it up, and let yourself evaporate （蒸发） into the breeze, it can take you across, and you can reach your destination,” said the desert in its deep voice.

The little stream had never heard of such a thing. “Give up what I am now and disappear into the breeze? No! No!” She could not accept this idea. After all, she had never experienced anything like it before. Wouldn’t it be self-destruction to give up what she was now?

“How do I know if this is true?” asked the little stream.

“The breeze can carry the vapor across the desert and release it as rain at an appropriate site. The rain will form a river again to continue its course,” answered the desert very patiently.

“Will I still be what I am now?” asked the little stream.

“Yes, and no. Whether you’re a river or invisible vapor, your inner nature never changes. You stick to the fact that you’re a river because you don’t know your inner nature,” answered the desert.

Deep down, the stream vaguely remembered that before she became a river, it was perhaps also the breeze that carried her halfway up a high mountain, where she turned into rain and fell onto the ground and became what she was now. Finally the little stream gathered her courage and rushed into the open arms of the breeze, which carried her to the next stage of her life.

Perhaps you can try asking yourself these questions: What is my inner nature? What is it that I cling （紧抓） to? And what is it that I really want?

1.When reaching the desert at first, the little stream was ________ to cross it.

A．upset  B．confident    C．pessimistic  D．hesitant

2.The desert suggests that the stream ________ in order to cross the desert.

A．change its form            B．disappear into the desert

C．stick to what it is D．turn to another stream for help

3.Finally the stream successfully crossed the desert with the help of ________.

A．the rain       B．the desert   C．the breeze  D．the mountain

4.In the text the writer compares the stream to ________.

A．the Truth     B．the courage   C．the course of life      D．the obstacles in life

Why do Chinese people love hot pot so much? As the winter months begin to settle in, I find myself wondering what it is about this traditional meal, which has existed for more than 1，000 years, that makes it a Chinese food favorite．But it seems that the answer lies beyond the dish itself．

Hot pot isn't just designed to keep you warm during the cold months; it's also a social experience．It's a "theater” cuisine that turns a meal into an event．There is a lot of fun for everyone to have in adding ingredients to the hot pot．

Hot pot is eaten over two to three hours．For this reason, it is often, considered an evening's entertainment, and time to spend with friends and family．However, many westerners would be put off by the idea of other people sticking chopsticks in their food．When we come to eat at the table in the UK, we tend to have our own individual portions （份额）, although the experience is still a social one．

A similar experience to the hot pot one can be found in Korean barbecue restaurants, which let you cook your own meat．This allows people to have their meat done however they want．

For most Westerners, the idea of going to a restaurant to cook their own food is bizarre （古怪的）．But having given hot pot a go, I find it's now one of my favorite meals in Beijing．The steam from the pot left my clothes smelling of food when I got home, but perhaps this is also part of the experience．When the chilly （刺骨的） wind is blowing outside, just grab （抓） some chopsticks, some good friends, and dig in．For me it's like throwing a dinner party where my taste buds （味蕾） and my appetite are equally satisfied in the warm company of friends．

1.According to the author, hot pot is popular in China because ________．

A．it is a fun social experience

B．it has been developing for over 1,000 years

C．it involves many unique ingredients

D．it keeps people warm in winter and it is creative

2.We can conclude from the article that generally British people _______.

A．prefer a Korean barbecue to Chinese hot pot

B．find it interesting to cook their own food in restaurants

C．don't like sharing food with others

D．don't mind the smell of food staying on their clothes after dinner

3.The underlined word "put off" in the third paragraph probably means _____

A．excited     B．disappointed  C．puzzled    D．discouraged

4.What is the tone of the article?

A．Appreciative B. Longing      C．Humorous．D．Serious．

Do you often play with your pet dog or cat? Do you like touching wild animals such as squirrels? They are cute. But be careful. If they bite you, you may get a terrible disease——rabies.
Believe it or not, in the last five months, rabies killed more people in China than any other disease. 2,254 people got rabies in the first nine months of this year. In September, 318 people died of rabies. That is 37 per cent more than last September.
Animals like dogs, cats, squirrels and bats can have rabies. If they bite or scratch（抓）someone, rabies could infect（感染）the person’s nervous system（神经系统）. The person could even die. It’s important to get the right treatment as soon as possible.
Every year, more than 50,000 people around the world die of rabies. Most of them are from developing countries. India has the most deaths. China is second.
【小题1】Rabies is the name of _____.

Do you often play with your pet dog or cat? Do you like touching wild animals such as squirrels? They are cute. But be careful. If they bite you, you may get a terrible disease——rabies.

Believe it or not, in the last five months, rabies killed more people in China than any other disease. 2,254 people got rabies in the first nine months of this year. In September, 318 people died of rabies. That is 37 per cent more than last September.

Animals like dogs, cats, squirrels and bats can have rabies. If they bite or scratch（抓）someone, rabies could infect（感染）the person’s nervous system（神经系统）. The person could even die. It’s important to get the right treatment as soon as possible.

Every year, more than 50,000 people around the world die of rabies. Most of them are from developing countries. India has the most deaths. China is second.

1.Rabies is the name of _____.

2.Paragraphs two and three _____.

3.Which of the following animals might NOT have rabies?

4.The Chinese for the underlined word “treatment” probably is _____.

5.What the best title for the passage?

We can express our feelings and needs by using body language. Cats can do that too. The ways that cats use their tails to show their feelings and needs are interesting.

Unlike dogs, which generally wave their tails to express good feelings, cats use their tails to send a lot of signals. When a cat waves its tail strongly from side to side, it may be a sign for us to leave it alone, or we may get scrathed (抓伤). Throwing a little toy for the cat to play with can get it relaxed. When a cat holds its tail upwards with a slight move, it means the animal is very happy to see its owner.

We all like to cuddle (依偎) inside our bed, and cats do that thing, too. Much as little children like to wrap (用……缠绕) their arms around their Teddy Bears, cats like to wrap their own tails around their bodies to get a sense of safety while asleep. If we notice a cat sleeping in such a position, we should not break its peace.

Usually the tip of the cat’s tail doesn’t draw our attention. But its particular position may also show the cat’s feelings. For example, a cat holding the tip of its tail pointed downwards may try to say that it is not feeling comfortable. So at this point, the cat not only feels angry, but also unsafe. This may again be a sign for us not to upset the cat in any way.

In conclusion, cats use their tails in many different, sometimes funny ways to send us messages, and we can learn to know more.

1.According to the text, in which way are cats different from dogs?

A．Cats draw more attention from humans than dogs.

B．Cats are friendlier to humans than dogs.

C．Cats have more feelings than dogs.

D．Cats show more feelings with tails than dogs.

2.When a cat waves its tail strongly from side to side, it probably feels    .

A．safe              B．sleepy            C．anxious           D．hungry

3.A cat wraps its tail around its body when sleeping to      .

A．get its tail well relaxed                   B．get a sense of safety

C．show friendship to its owner               D．warn strangers to keep off

4.What does the fourth paragraph mainly tell us?

A．A cat can use its tail tip to show its feelings.

B．We should pay attention to the tip of a cat’s tail.

C．Why a cat holds the tip of its tail pointed downwards

D．A cat has many ways to express its feelings