It is getting colder by the day. When I was putting out my autumn clothes, a brown woolen*  sweater caught my eye and reminded       of this time last year.
It was on a cold morning that my mother came into my bedroom with the sweater. She said it was rather cold outside and asked me to wear it to school. “I spent the whole       weaving* the sweater,” she told me.
The sweater was so unfashionable and       that I was not pleased with it. After mom went out to work, I        the ugly sweater to a corner. I would rather catch a cold than wear it. I thought my classmates would laugh at me. I       a thin uniform and went to school.
Before I walked into the classroom, I heard Lana’s voice: “Look at my overcoat. My father bought it in Hong Kong.” Connie said: “My scarf is      , too”
I looked through the window and was surprised to see all the girls in colorful winter clothes       me. They showed their clothes to each other and laughed    . Suddenly, I felt inferior* to them.     wasn’t my family as rich as theirs? I wanted to wear beautiful clothes, too.
A strong cold wind blew and I sneezed. During class I felt terrible. The      said I had caught a cold. “ You should wear thick clothes today, ” she said. I suddenly thought of my mom. She said the same thing to me      I didn’t listen.
As soon as I got home I fell asleep on the sofa. I    of a woman weaving. She was my mother! She spent the whole night making a sweater for me. But I neither thanked her nor wore it.
When I opened my _______, my mother was smiling at me. Her eyes were full of worry and care. I held her in my arms. “Sorry, mom, I should       have complained about that sweater. ”
Two days later, I wore the warm and comfortable woolen sweater to school. Some of my classmates laughed at me. But I didn’t      . I know mom’s love is more important than money.

Many people think that comics are for children, but Cai Zhizhong doesn't think so. He was born in 1948 and thinks comics can also show classical（古典的） culture and help people know some difficult old Chinese philosophies（哲学）. He shows these difficult ideas with simple and interesting cartoons. It makes people know them with fun.
Cai Zhizhong bagan drawing comics at the age of seventeen. In 1977, he had his own company and produced two cartoon films: Old Master Q and Shao Lin Temple. His early works make some difficult Chinese philosophies easy for people to understand. Lots of people especially kids and parents like them very much. His works have won a large number of readers in Taiwan. However, some people don't like him to make the classical works into cartoons.
Cai's works have been tranilated into lots of languages. Readers in 40 different countries have read cai's works and 40 million copies have been sold.
Cai has a special way of bringing up his daughter. His daughter even traveled to Japan alone at the age of 12. She lived there by herself for a week. Under the influence of he father, the daughter also likes cartoons.
【小题1】What does Cai Zhizhong show in his comics?
【小题2】In which year did Cai Zhizhong begin to draw comics?
 
【小题3】Who like Cai Zhizhong's comic works a lot?
【小题4】Who traveled to Japan with Cai Zhizhong's daughter when she was 12?
【小题5】What is the passage mainly about?
 

Australia is the greatest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is to the south of equator（赤道）. So when it is summer in our country, it is winter in Ausrtralia.
Australia is big, but the population there is thin. The population of Australia is the same as that of Shanghai.
Australia is famous sheep and kangqroos. After a short dreive from any town you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep are everywhere.
【小题1】China is      than Australia.
A. bigger       B. small        C. smaller
【小题2】It is      in Australia when it is summer in our country.
A. Autumn      B. winter       C. summer
【小题3】The population of Australia is the same as that of     in China.
A. Beijing          B. Nanjing       C. Shanghai
【小题4】Australia is famous for its        .
A. kangaroos        B. deer          C. birds
【小题5】Australia is to the south of the equator, so    .
A. It is the greatest island in the world.     B. It's hot summer in December.
C. It's population is thin.

As prices and building costs keep rising , the “do-it-yourself”(DIY) trend(趋势)in the USA continues to grow .
“We needed furniture for our living rooms ,” says John Ross , “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it . So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs .” John got married six months ago , and like many young people these days , they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high .The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school .Now they make all their furniture and repairs around the house .
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife has died .He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory .Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420 . “I was deeply upset about it .Now I’ve finished a car repair course .I should be able to fix the car by myself .”
John and Jim are not unusual people .Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes .And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell them how they can do things themselves.
【小题1】We can learn from the passage that many newly married people ______ .

The Internet, mobile phones and iPads are part of our lives now. Technology is greatly affecting all ways of our lives, from the ways we work to the ways we play. And it even causes a number of social problems such as cloning humans.
We have had lots of technology and it has changed our lives a lot. There is no doubt that humans will continue to use more and more technology. Here are some examples of modern technology that will change our ideas and will affect our lives greatly.
Global Positioning System (GPS) (全球定位系统)

It’s a system that uses radio signals from satellites to show exact (精确的) information. It tells you where the user is on the earth in all weather conditions. It’s made up of three parts: satellites, control equipments (设备) on land and receivers.
Space Technology

Russian and American scientists have worked together for the International Space Station (ISS) for a long time. They hope the ISS will provide a long-lasting lab. Such a lab will bring humans limitless (无限的) advantages. It’s even hoped that one day space technology will take humans to their new houses in space.

Underwater Robot
Hercules is a kind of underwater robot with some high technology equipments. It will be used to search for ancient ships which were destroyed into the deep sea during their journey long ago.
The world is changing so quickly that it’s hard for us to catch up with all the new inventions because they seem to come out every month. It’s important for us to learn about new technology and the role that it plays in our lives. So we should be willing to accept modern technology, or we will fall behind the times.
【小题1】                  can tell you where the user is on the earth exactly.

Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether (总共) over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “when we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.
【小题1】．How many homes altogether were damaged in the storm?

The population problem may be the greatest one of the world today. The world’s population is growing faster and faster. Two thousand years ago, there were only 250 million people on the earth. Four hundred years ago, the number was over 500 million. But at the beginning of the 20^th century, the world’s population was about 1,700 million. In 1970, the number was3,600 million. In 1990, the number was five billion. A UN report said that the world population had passed six billion by the end of the 20^th century. This was just ten years after it reached five billion. By October 31, 2011, with a new baby’s birth, the world’s population has reached 7 billion. But another billion is coming by 2025, and the total will reach 10 billion before the end of the century.
根据短文内容，完成下列各题。每空填一词。

Many years ago,there was a very popular sport in America. Who invented the sport more than 3,000 years ago? We don’t know . But everyone thinks it was the 01mecs(輿梅充人）made it popular.
People don’t have the same rules about the game all over the world . People in different parts of the world play the game in different places at different times. If we want to bring back the sport, we need to have two teams of players standing on each end of a court. When the game begins, the two teams need to pass a ball with their hands and feet. The players can’t touch the ball with their hands and feet.
But they can use their elbows(肘) and other parts of their bodies hit it. If a player does not pick up t he ball in time and lets it fall to the ground, that team loses a point. Or if a player makes the ball through a hoop(环),that team scores a point. The team with the most points wins the game.
【小题1】The sports has a history of_______.

A Play: Four Butterflies
Characters: Red Butterfly (RB), Green Butterfly (GB), Green Tree (GT), Rose (R), Grandpa Sun (GS)
Look! There are four butterflies in the garden. One is red, one is yellow, one is green, and the other one is white. They play games and dance together every day, and they are very happy. One day, it’s fine. Four butterflies are playing a game in the garden. Suddenly it is full of dark clouds and it begins to rain hard.
1. GB: Oh, it’s raining hard. Green Tree is over there. She can
help us.
GB: Green Tree, our wings are wet. Please let us stay under your leaves.
GT: Green Butterfly, I like you. We have the same color. You can come in, but the other three butterflies must go away.
GB: No, thank you. We are good friends. We love each other and must stay together.
RB: Rose is over there. She can help us.
2. RB: Rose, our wings are wet. Please let us stay under your leaves.
R: Red Butterfly, I like you. We have the same color. You can come in, but the other three butterflies must go away.
RB: No, thank you. We are good friends. We love each other and must stay together.
3. GS: What good friends they are! This is a real friendship. I must help them.
The sun drives the clouds away and asks the rain to stop. Soon the sun gives off bright light and dries up their wings.
4. Four butterflies: Oh, the sun comes out. Our wings are dry. Let’s play and dance again.

【小题1】How many butterflies are there in the garden?

Here are some of the fastest animals in the animal world. As you read about them, remember that top speed of human runners is 20 to 25 miles an hour. And the fastest human runners can only run at this speed for a few hundred yards(码)。

	Heavy people do not run very fast. But some heavy animals can run at amazing speed. Black rhinos can run at a speed of almost 30 miles an hour, Even though they may weigh over 3,500 pounds.
	Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals( 哺乳动物) over short distances(距离).They can run at a speed of over 70 miles an hour. But they get tired quickly and usually stop after a few hundred yards.
	Pronghorn antelopes are the fastest land mammals over long distances. They can run at a speed of 35 miles an hour for many miles. Their top speed is probably more than 50 miles an hour.
	Hummingbirds are the smallest birds. But they move their wings(翅膀) faster than other birds. Some of them beat their wings 4,500 times a minute
	Ostriches can’t fly, but they can run faster than other birds and most other animals as well. They can run at a top speed of 43 miles an hour for a short distance, But can keep up a speed of more than 30 miles an hour over long distances. They are also the largest of all birds, and they lay the largest eggs.