The island Fiji has always been around me in my life. My parents met in Fiji when my father was a teacher as a Peace Corps volunteer and my mother a student. They taught me about its people, culture, foods and religious beliefs.

At the age of two, I made my first trip across the Pacific Ocean to Fiji. My mother and I made that trip unexpectedly because my grandma was ill and longed to see her American granddaughter. Although I have few memories of that first trip, I do remember grandma braiding (编辫子)my hair every day. The brush gliding through my hair is a feeling I will treasure forever because she passed away soon. I returned to America when I was five years old. This time I had a brother, Martin, who was two.

I resisted my third trip to Fiji when I was 15, being a teenager who did not want to spend the summer away from friends. It was this trip, however, that made me realize that Fiji is not just a place to visit but a part of who I am. The smells and sounds and sights came back to me, but the best part was getting to know my relatives.

Vishal was one cousin I quickly bonded with. Born two days before me, I had only known him through pictures before. Though raised oceans apart in different cultures, we talked and laughed about everything from American sports to Fijian dancing. I was able to form close ties with all my cousins, and when I talk about them now, it’s as if I have known them my whole life. Spending time with them helped me understand the traditions and values my mother grew up with. Hospitality and care and respect for family members are central values in Fijian culture.

I truly enjoyed learning about my roots during this trip. Fiji is just like a second home, and I will never forget the time I have spent there.

1.From the passage, we can learn that _______.

A．the author’s parents had been classmates before

B．the author had lived in Fiji for about five years

C．the author had no memories of her grandma

D．people value family in Fijian culture

2.The author resisted her third trip to Fiji because _____.

A．she didn’t want to separate from her brother

B．she didn’t know her cousins there very well

C．she didn’t want to separate from her American friends

D．her grandma had passed away

3.Which of the following is TRUE about Vishal?

A．He is younger than the author.

B．The author had met him on her first trip to Fiji.

C．He and the author had lots of common interests.

D．He and the author held different opinions about Fijian culture.

February 28^th, 2009 2:54 am GMT

I have to say that am shocked at just how bad the new music is. This cannot be the same band that produced great albums such as HTDAAB and ATYCLB! This is awful! They either do not care anymore, or have completely lost it. I never thought U2 would become irrelevant, but they have officially become one of those bands that you will now say, “Remember when they were great?”

----- Posted by Ronald Harris

February 28^th, 2009 8:29 pm GMT

Total drivel, Mr Harris. The new album is great, far better than the safe, cynical HTDAAB and ATYCLB. U2 have become inventive again, like they were in the 1990s. thank goodness!

----- Posted by Dan

March 3^rd, 2009 12:09 pm GMT

Agree, Dan. The new album is the best since Actung Baby. Magnificent is an anthem in the waiting, Breathe is unbelievable, and Stand Up Comedy is absolutely outstanding----- to name just three! Loving the new sound, pure class as usual.

----- Posted by Martin

March 4^th, 2009 7:43 pm GMT

Totally agree with you guys. This album is unbelievable. Breathe is definitely a great song, same with Moment of Surrender. I bet their upcoming tour will be amazing. If you haven’t bought the CD yet, you should. I bought mine on Amozon.com for $3.99. I couldn’t believe it.

----- Posted by Josh Briggs

1.According to Ronald Harris, U2’s new album is _________.

2. whose comment is contrary to the others?

3.Martin and Josh Briggs both like the song _________.

4. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

5.The passage is most probably from ________.

PAINTER

Must have at least 3 years’ painting experience. Commercial and new construction work.

$ 10/hr. Immediate opening. Call 435-9201 with work history.

SECRETARY

Part-time position available in friendly, busy office. Good typing and general office skills.

Some weekends required. High pay. Various duties. Apply at East Side Management,

VETERINARIAN ASSISTANT（兽医助理）

Person needed for busy animal hospital. Some nights and weekends. Apply personally to Johnson-Marks Animal Hospital, 404 Snow Road, Syracuse, NY. 13224.

After 4 p. m. only please.

NURSES’ ASSISTANTS七彩教育网

Full-time and part-time positions available for modern nursing home. High pay. Call Mrs. Downes, R. N. at 534-7618.

COOK NEEDED

Immediately. Busy downtown restaurant. Must be good and dependable. Experience preferred. Weekends required. Call 324-9817.

SALESPERSON

Experienced. Must have some knowledge of men’s clothing industry. Available to work evenings and some Saturdays. Send resume（个人简历）to: Martin’s Apparel, 237 Rockledge St. Syracuse, NY. 13224.

TEACHER

Small private school needs English and math teachers. Must have BS degree and at least 4 years’ teaching experience. Send resume to: Wales Charter School 19 South 8^th St. NY. 13214.

HOTEL

Needs part-time FRONT DESK CLERK. No experience necessary. Excellent people and phone skills a must. Some computer skills helpful. $13/hr. Call: Mr. Jones 357-2897.

1.If you want to get a job as a maths teacher, send your resume to ______.

2.If you dislike working on Sundays, being a ______ should be your best choice.

3. If you want to get a job at ______, you must have office skills.

Memphis is the largest city in the southern State of Tennessee, USA. The Mississippi River flows along the west side of the city. Memphis is the chief center of business, industry and transportation in Tennessee.
650,000 people live in the city. More than one million people live in the area. Like many other American cities, Memphis has had racial problems. About forty-eight percent of the city’s population is African American. In 1968, city workers who collected waste went on strike. Most of the workers were black. The famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior went to Memphis to support the workers. On April 4^th, King was murdered in Memphis by James Earl Ray. After Mr. King’s death, the city worked to improve living conditions for black people. In 1991, voters elected W.E.Herenton the city’s first black mayor. The same year, Memphis opened the National Civil Rights Museum. It was built next to the place where Martin Luther King was killed. Many people visit the museum to learn about the history of the American civil rights movement. Today, people from across the United States and around the world visit Memphis,where tourism has become a major industry.
【小题1】.
There are about     African Americans living in Memphis.

A Plan For Exploring Mars

NASA is moving ahead with plans to put a long－armed lander on Mars' icy north pole to search for clues (线索) for water and possible signs of life.

The MYM386 million Phoenix Mars is planned to touch down in the Martian arctic in 2008.The stationary probe will use its robotic arm to dig into the icy land and pick up soil samples (标本，样品) to analyze. In 2002, the Mars Odyssey orbiter spotted evidence of ice－rich soil near the arctic surface.

Scientists hope the Phoenix mission will find clues to the geologic history of water on the Red Planet and determine whether microbes(微生物)existed in the ice.

Phoenix will be the first mission of the Mars Scout program, a renewed, low－cost effort to study the Red Planet. “The Phoenix mission explores new territory in the northern plains of Mars analogous to the permafrost regions on Earth，” Peter Smith said.

True to its name, Phoenix rose from the ashes of previous(先前的) missions. The lander for Phoenix was built to fly as part of the 2001 Mars Surveyor program. But the program broke down after the well－known disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999.The Polar Lander lost contact during a landing attempt near the planet's south pole after its rocket engine shut off prematurely,_causing the spacecraft to fall about 130 feet to almost certain destruction.

The Phoenix probe had been in storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver before it was reused for its present mission. It will carry science instruments that were designed for the Mars Surveyor program including an improved panoramic camera and a trench－digging robotic arm. Phoenix will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in August 2007 and land on the planet nine months later.

1．The passage mainly tells readers that ________.

 A．clues of water will be found in Phoenix

 B．Phoenix will be sent to find clues of water on Mars

 C．August 2007 will see Phoenix lift off

 D．the Mars Scout program will be carried out

2．The underlined word “prematurely” (Paragraph 5) means “________”．

A．on time            B．behind the time

C．out of work          D．ahead of time

3．According to the passage, we know Phoenix will land on Mars ________.

A．in May 2008        B．in August 2007   

C．in August 2008      D．in September 2008

4．According to the passage, the name “Phoenix” is after the meaning of ________.

 A．rebirth  B．death  C．energy  D．hope

5．After Phoenix lands on Mars, we can infer it will firstly ________.

A．find soil samples and send them to the earth

B．look for the icy land to dig for the soil samples

C．take photos and send them to the earth

D．find the remains of the Mars Polar Lander