A new school term begins, Is anything new at your school? Sichuan students are getting an extra (额外的)hour to sleep in the morning.
This year, Sichuan schools decided that students should start classes later. This should help them feel less tired, For Junior high schools, the first classes will begin no earlier than 8:30 am.
The changes have made students happy.
Liu Xian, 15, said his class was excited by the news on the first day of school. “It’s so good we can get up later!” said Liu.
Liu studies in Chengdu No.4 Middle School. He used to get up at 6:40 am. Now he can get up at 7:40 am because class doesn’t start until 8:40 am.
Wu Hongli, 15, said the new timetable is good for her health. “I used to drink coffee every night or I would feel to sleepy to finish my homework, ”said Wu. “Now I can finish it without coffee.”She used to get up at 6:30 am. Now she can get up at 7:30 am.
Wu Hongli’s mother was happy, too. She thought more sleep would help her daughter grow taller.
But some parents worried that more sleep would mean less learning. There used to be five classes in the morning. Now there are only four.
Many teachers, though, say the changes will help students learn better.
“Students used to doze(瞌睡)for the first two classes in the morning,”said Wu Zongping, an English teacher at Chendu No.12 Middle School. “But now they look fine and they learn much better than before.”
【小题1】What made the Sichuan middle school students happy?

A clam (蚌) decided to take a rest on the bank of the River Yi. When the clouds passed, he felt cool in their shadow. When the sun returned, he felt warm. It was a good time to daydream, and so he did..

From above, a bird saw the clam and flew down and gave it a good peck (啄). The clam was frightened and closed his shell tight, catching the bird’s beak.

“Remove your beak at once,” ordered the clam. But the bird was stubborn, though she was able to pull out her beak, she refused.

“I will not remove my beak until you open your shell,” the bird mumbled. Like the clam, she found it was difficult to speak clearly under the situation. Of course, the clam was not about to listen to the bird and open his shell. But the bird threatened, (威胁)“Open your shell or you’ll be a dead clam.” “Remove your beak at once,” returned the clam.

“Open it!”

“ Remove it!”

“Open it!”

The two went back and forth like this for several hours. But neither of them would follow the other’s orders first, they stayed in such a state until a young man who happened to come here and carried two of them off for dinner!

71. Why the clam choose the bank to have a rest?

A. Because it was a place where he felt cool when the clouds passed and warm when the sun returned.　　　　　

B. Because he likes daydreaming.

C. Because it wanted to meet the bird on the bank..　　　　　

D. Because it could find some food for dinner.

72. In the fourth paragraph, the word “mumble” means 　　　　　　__.

A．慢条斯理地说 B．含糊地说　 C．狠狠地说　 D．快速的说

73. Which of the following can be true according to the passage?

A. The clam opened his shell first.　　　 B. The bird removed his beak first

C. The clam and the bird didn’t agree with each other until the young man came

D. The clam and the bird were cooked as a good dinner by the young man

74.Which of the following sayings can explain the story well?

A. Two dogs fight for a bone, and a third runs away with it.

B. Two heads are better than one.

C. Think twice before you do

D. Saying is one thing and doing another

75. The best title of the passage is 　　　　　　　__.

A. Remove it first 　　B. A daydream

C. A stubborn bird　 　 D. The bird and the clam　　

With a determined(坚定的) look on his face, Chicago’s Michael McCarthy held on to the banister(扶手) and climbed to the top of the Willis Tower not long ago. The Tower stands 1,451 feet(442 meters) tall,the21 building in the US.

As he got to the last step, McCarthy 22 fell down, but that didn’t stop him. The 14-year-old boy finally finished climbing the 2,109 steps and arrived at the top, where he 23 cheers from many people.

“I just want to show people that 24 a kid with no legs can do it, anyone can do it,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy, who was born without legs, has to wear prosthetic legs(假肢) and use a stick to walk. But McCarthy has a strong 25 . He believes having a disability(残疾) shouldn’t stop anyone 26 achieving his or her success.

He has been in a special school 27 he was four. When he decided to climb the Willis Tower, his teacher, Jeff Kohn, was 　28 by his determination(决心) and offered to help train him. They 　29 more than ten hours practicing climbing stairs and keeping balance with the prosthetics and sticks on the steps every day. “ 30 seems that he never knows how difficult it is. 31 I was so tired that I asked him to rest for a day,”said Kohn. “But he said he was still full of energy and wanted more 32 .”

Kohn always walked with McCarthy for the climb. “I 　33 the last 10 floors, he went faster,” said Kohn. “He’s the most craven sportsman I’ve ever trained.”

McCarthy said he was 　34 of himself and that the tower now holds special meaning. “When I’m older, I’ll 　35 to the building and say ‘Look at this building I climbed’,” he said.

21. A. largest　　　　 B. highest　　　 C. earliest　　 D. latest

22. A. seldom　　　　 B. hardly　　　 C. always　　 D. almost

23. A. enjoyed　　　　 B. needed　　　 C. made 　　 D. kept

24. A. while　　　　　 B. after　　　　 C. if　　　　 D. though

25. A. heart　　　　　 B. hope　　　　 C. body　　　 D. love

26. A. by　　　　　　 B. for　　　　 C. in　　　　 D. from

27. A. as　　　　　　 B. since　　　　 C. until　　　 D. before

28. A. pleased　　　　 B. beaten　　　 C. moved　　　 D. asked

29. A. used　　　　　 B. spent　　　 C. took　　　　 D. wasted

30. A. Here　　　　　 B. There　　　 C. He　　　　 D. It

31. A. However　　　 B. Sometimes　 C. Again　　　 D. Then

32. A. friends　　　　 B. helpers　　　 C. time　　　　 D. exercise

33. A. tried　　　　　 B. saw　　　　 C. did　　　　 D. met

34. A. thinking　　　　 B. talking　　 C. worried　　 D. proud

35. A. point　　　　　 B. go　　　　 C. turn　　　　 D. hurry