This teacher makes        visits to each house of her students in order to know more about them．

A．ordinary             B．general           C．regular         D．normal

We must organize our ideas        so that we can write a good essay．

A．logically             B．personally             C．briefly          D．hopefully

Nancy closed the door and turned off her cell phone in order to do her work       ．

A．in return             B．in relief         C．in danger        D．in peace

I’m dreaming of owning a studio — modern, comfortable, and        suitable for making records．

A．after all        B．above all           C．in all        D．first of all

Years ago, if a teenager had some problems in her life, she might go home and write in her diary．Now, a teenager with   1   problems might go onto the Internet and write about his problems in a blog．In many ways a diary and a blog are very   2   ．So, what makes blogging different from writing in   3   diary?

The biggest difference is that blogging is much more   4   than a diary．Usually, a teenager treats his diary like a book full of   5   that she does not want to   6  ．

It’s interesting that someone who writes in a blog   7   a diary will probably write nearly the same information．

I have a little sister, and sometimes I go online to read her   8   ．She writes about things like waking up early for swimming practice and not studying enough for her chemistry test．   9   I was her age, I wrote about the same things, but   10   in my diary．Then, after I had finished writing, I would hide my diary in a secret place because I was   11   that my sister might read it!

The biggest   12   with blogging is that anyone can read what you write．If I was angry with a friend during high school and wrote something   13   about her in my diary, she would never know!  14  , if my sister ever wrote something bad about a friend, that friend   15   read her blog and get a “cry”．

There are also   16   to blogging, of course．If I felt sad one day and wrote in my diary:  “Nobody cares about me．”  17   would know about it．However, if my sister wrote the same sentence in her blog, her best friends would   18   respond and tell her how much they   19   her．Blogs help people   20   in touch with their friends and know what the people around them are doing．

1．A．the same                  B．troublesome          C．difficult            D．daily

2．A．familiar                     B．special                    C．similar             D．different

3．A．a personal                 B．an ordinary              C．a common              D．a traditional

4．A．attractive                  B．public                     C．convenient       D．quick

5．A．thoughts                   B．puzzles                   C．mysteries         D．secrets

6．A．tell                           B．share                      C．publish            D．solve

7．A．instead of                 B．as well as                C．in favor of              D．in spite of

8．A．blog                         B．diary                       C．report              D．web

9．A．Although                  B．Since                      C．When             D．Because

10．A．only                       B．already                    C．still                  D．never

11．A．angry                      B．concerned               C．glad                 D．worried

12．A．problem                  B．doubt                      C．trouble             D．mistake

13．A．pleasant                  B．wrong                    C．mean               D．funny

14．A．Beside                    B．However                 C．Therefore        D．Then

15．A．should                    B．will                         C．must               D．might

16．A．reasons                   B．disadvantages          C．shortcomings   D．advantages

17．A．everyone                B．no one                    C．anyone            D．someone

18．A．happily                   B．especially                C．quickly            D．immediately

19．A．like                        B．miss                       C．need                D．help

20．A．lose                        B．stay                        C．get                  D．find

From Daban, we move to another ancient small town, Loulan．Daban town is famous for girls and windmills, while Loulan is a myth （神话） in the desert．

Two thousand years ago, beside the beautiful and rich Luobu Lake, there lay Loulan ancient city of the Silk Road．Businessmen from every country gathered here and there were dancing parties．Everything showed that people in Loulan lived a rich life then．

However, two thousand years later, this rich land suddenly disappeared from the map of China．Then it became an area covered with sand and dead tree trunks．

Loulan was first “discovered” by Swedish man Sven Hedin in 1900．People from America, Britain, Japan and Sweden, all set foot here．Then in the 1930s, a Chinese named Huang Wenbi came to Loulan for the first time．He visited and studied this area and found many relics that were beautifully and carefully made．

It is recorded that the ancient city of Loulan was the capital of Loulan Kingdom during the Han and Jin Dynasties （朝代）, and covered an area of some 100,000 sq metres．Inside the city, there are the ruins of government offices, temples and other old buildings．Outside the city, there are some dried rivers and much farmland． In the past century many things have been dug out there including Han Dynasty coins, mirrors and many things from Greek and Roman．All these things show that a lot of business between East and West once took place there．

Lying on the northwest of the Lop Nur area, the Loulan Kingdom is now a lifeless area with endless “forests” of mounds （小丘） which aren’t easily seen in other parts of the world．Its mystery （神秘） has been attracting so many people from so many countries．

1．The first person who set foot in Loulan in the 20th century is         ．

A．a European                               B．an American

C．an Englishman                             D．a Japanese

2．Before Loulan disappeared,         ．

A．a lot of business between East and West had taken place there

B．people from America and Japan had set foot there

C．a lifeless area with lots of mounds could easily be seen there

D．No Europeans had visited the ancient country

3．We can infer from the passage that         ．

A．Loulan was destroyed by the terrible weather there

B．wars made Loulan disappear

C．foreigners came to Loulan and destroyed it

D．how Loulan disappeared is still unknown to us

4．A good title for this passage might be         ．

A．Famous Town, Daban

B．Business in Ancient Loulan

C．Ancient City in the desert

D．Cities in Old Times of China

By VOA Sports Editor, Parke Brewer, Beijing, 8 August 2008 －－ The Beijing Olympics are officially under way after the colorful opening ceremony at the National Stadium, known as   “The Bird’s Nest”．

China is known for its fireworks．Throughout the ceremony were 29 so-called  “footprints” rising into the sky, to represent the 29 times the Olympic Games have been held．

The ceremony took place on a hot and muggy night．The program mixed China’s ancient history and culture with elements showing the modern face of the country．The two parts of the ceremony were titled “Brilliant Civilization” and “Glorious Era”．

Performers were dressed in some 15 thousand costumes in 47 styles．More than 25 hundred special lights were used, and the special effects were dreamlike and almost magical．

The traditional Parade of Athletes followed the 70-minute show．Each country’s athletes entered the stadium in the order set by the number of strokes in the simplified Chinese characters that spell out the names of the 205 national Olympic committees．By tradition, however, the Greek team was the first and host China entered last． Basketball superstar Yao Ming carried the Chinese flag．

Team USA was the 140th team to enter．President Bush and his wife Laura were among the capacity crowd of 91 thousand in the stadium．He is the first sitting US president to attend an Olympics outside the United States．

International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge said he knew how much hosting these games meant to China．“For a long time, China has dreamed of opening its doors and inviting the

world’s athletes to Beijing for the Olympic Games．Tonight that dream comes true．Congratulations, Beijing,” he said．

Chinese president Hu Jintao then officially declared the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, saying in Mandarin: “I now declare the 29th Summer Olympics in Beijing open．”

Chinese gymnast Li Ning, who won three gold medals in Los Angeles Olympic Games, lit the Olympic cauldron．

With the Parade of Athletes taking some two hours, the entire ceremony lasted more than four hours and did not end until after midnight．

1．Where does the writer of this passage come from?

A．USA．      B．Japan．       C．Britain．        D．France．

2．What is the author’s attitude towards the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games?

A．He wanted to desalt （淡化）the opening ceremony, but it is really wonderful．

B．He wanted to criticize the Chinese government because the Beijing Summer Olympic Games cost too much money．

C．He only wanted to describe the facts．

D．He thought highly of the opening ceremony．

3．What does the underlined word “muggy” in the third paragraph mean?

A．多雨的                                   B．潮湿而闷热的

C．乏味的                                  D．凉爽的

4．What is the best title for this passage?

A．Fireworks lit up the opening of Beijing Olympics．

B．The opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games was titled “Brilliant Civilization” and  “Glorious Era”．

C．205 national Olympic committees attended Beijing Olympic Games．

D．Chinese president Hu Jintao officially declared the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games．

On the surface, the Hudson River is looking good．The sun on a spring morning shines on the water, off bridges and boats．The blue crabs are big, and the striped bass （条纹鲈） are bigger．On the surface, all these would probably make you think the Hudson was about as healthy as it has been since Indian times．

Sadly, it isn’t．A study by the environmental group Riverkeeper examined an important indicator of life of any river－fish－and found discouraging news．Ten of 13 species it examined are reducing, and one－the great and delicious shad （西鲱）－is at a historic low．

The report blames the usual suspects （嫌疑物） and a few new ones．The river is getting warmer, and the heat helps starve the water of oxygen．Power plants kill untold millions of fish when they suck up river water to cool their machinery．Invasive species, dirty water and fertilizer runoff and over-fishing in the ocean, where species like shad spend much of their lives, all take their toll．

Not all fish are struggling．Striped bass are on the increase, as are bluefish and spot-tail shiners．But with other species moving slowly downwards, signs point to a sicker, less stable Hudson ecosystem than many had imagined．

Riverkeeper’s report shows how little we understand the biology of one of the country’s most historic and important estuaries （河口，江口）．It is a reminder that even the hardest-fought conservation （对自然环境的保护）victories may look like the easy ones, and that self-satisfaction can be the death of environmental progress．

1．What’s the best title for the text?

A．The Hudson River．

B．Fishes in the Hudson River．

C．Trouble in the Hudson River．

D．Stable Hudson ecosystem．

2．The news found through a study by the environmental group Riverkeeper is      ．

A．exciting                                     B．surprising

C．encouraging                                     D．disappointing

3．What causes the lack of oxygen in the Hudson River?

A．Growing warmth of the water． 

B．Power plants along the river．

C．Invasive species．

D．Fertilizer runoff and over-fishing．

4．It’s concluded from the passage that        ．

A．all fish are on the increase

B．Hudson ecosystem is ill-balanced

C．it’s not so difficult to gain conservation victories

D．people have realized the importance of the Hudson River

This may be music to your ears．

Researchers P．Jason Rentfrow and Samuel Gosling gave 3,500 people a personality quiz．Then they asked them to name their favorite kind of music．“We found that the musical style people like are closely linked to their personalities,” Gosling says．

RAP/HIP-HOP

Known for their quick speech, some rappers can say more than 700 syllables （音节） a minute!

If you like rap/hip-hop, you are energetic （精力充沛的） and have a way with words．You put a fresh spin on things, whether it’s new moves on the dance floor or your hip style．

CLASSLCAL

In the 18^th century, classical musicians were like rock stars．Beethoven and Mozart, for example, played in packed concert halls．

If you like classical, you are open to new ideas and like debating with friends．Creative and imaginative, you can easily spend many hours scrapbooking, writing or painting．

COUNTRY

Country music came from the folk songs of English, Scottish, and Irish settlers of the southeastern United States．

If you like country, you express your opinions well, which makes you the ideal class president or team captain．Traditional and loyal, you enjoy spending time with your family．

POP

Pop music is designed to appeal to （吸引） almost everyone, and it does．Each year, the industry bring in about 30 billion dollars!

If you like pop , you are attractive to your friends．You can make big things happen, like planning for a huge party or inspiring your team to victory．

ROCK/ALTERNATIVE

In the 1950s, rock music created a brand-new culture．Teenagers, for the first time, had an identity （身份） separate from adults and children．

If you like rock/alternative, you are a risk-taker who never accepts no for an answer．You rise to any challenge, like doing very well in a big exam or landing the lead in the school play．

If these personality profiles don’t match you, that’s OK．These are just for fun．

1．What does the underlined part “You put a fresh spin on things” mean in the passage?

A．You can express your idea in a clever way that makes it seem better than it really is．

B．You have the ability to attract others’ attention．

C．You are always willing to communicate with others．

D．You are willing to express your thoughts to others all the time．

2．If you like pop music,           ．

A．you are traditional and prefer to stay with your family

B．you are easy to accept new ideas

C．you are welcome and your friends all like to be with you

D．you have a quick speech and can say 30 words in a minute

3．We can know from this passage that           ．

A．in the 18^th century, classical musicians were like pop stars

B．country music came from the old songs of the Native Americans

C．pop music is liked by the largest number of people in the world

D．everyone can find his personality in this passage

4．What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．When music came into being．

B．What your favorite music says about you．

C．Some basic information about music．

D．How to like music．

Nine-year-old Barack Obama was looking through a magazine．But the African-American boy was shocked by a series of photos．The pictures were of a black man who destroyed his skin with chemicals that promised to make him white．

For the first time, the boy began to doubt who he was．

However, now the boy who used to struggle with his identity doesn’t see it as a problem any more, but an advantage for his successful career．Last week Obama made history by being elected as the first black president of the United States．He defeated John McCain in a landslide victory．

Obama’s story starts in opposite corners of the world． His white mother was born in the heartland of the US．His black father grew up in a tiny village in Kenya．They met during college in Hawaii, but his father left the family when Obama was just two years old and his mother moved to Indonesia．

At 10, Obama moved back to live with his white grandparents in Hawaii．At his class, a white boy asked Obama if his father ate people．Out of embarrassment, Obama lied to his classmates that his father was a prince．“I kept asking who I am and I ended up trying drugs and drinking”, Obama recalled．

Things came to change after the young man made friends with those with a similar background at college．Their experiences back in Africa helped Obama to finally face up to his African origin．He worked hard to become a star at Harvard Law School and the third black senator in US history．

At the beginning of his campaign for the White House, few people viewed Obama favorably．Many doubted his unusual background, which left him neither “black” enough nor  “white” enough．

But Obama turned his pain of growing up into a tool to make Americans believe: “There is not a black America and a white America, a Latino America, an Asian America．There’s the United States of America． ”

Barack Obama’s victory is “a historic victory that promised change and overcame centuries of prejudice．His success fulfilled Martin Luther King’s dream that a man be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character”, wrote ABC news．

1．The black man destroyed his skin because            ．

A．he wanted to become handsome

B．he expected to know who he was

C．he suffered a serious disease

D．he wanted to change its color

2．We can learn from the passage that            ．

A．Obama’s parents come from the same country

B．the black man who destroyed his skin was Obama himself

C．Obama was once troubled by his identity

D．Africa is where Obama was born

3．Which is the correct order?

a．being elected the first black president of the US

b．returning to live with his grandparents

c．becoming the third black senator in US history

d．going to college

e．going to Africa for his origin

f．joining in the campaign for the White House

A．b, e, d, c, f, a                                  B．f, a, b, e, d, c

C．a, b, e, f, c, d                           D．c, f, d, b, e, a

4．The best title of the passage would be            ．

A．The First President of the US  

B．Martin Luther King’s Dream

C．A Historic Victory  

D．The History of African Americans