If you look for a book as a present for a child, you will be spoiled for choice even in a year when there is no new Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling’s wizard is not alone: the past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books, which has set off a large quantity of films and in turn led to increased sales of classics such as The Lord of the Rings.

Yet despite that, reading is increasingly unpopular among children. According to statistics, in 1997 23% said they didn’t like reading at all. In 2003, 35% did. And around 6% of children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.

Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability（可利用性）of computer games. Maybe the books boom（繁荣）has affected only the top of the educational pile. Either way, Chancellor Gordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class. In his pre-budget（预算） report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.

Reading Recovery is aimed at six-year-olds, who receive four months of individual daily half- hour classes with a specially trained teacher. An evaluation earlier this year reported that children on the scheme made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress, and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.

International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school they read well, but read less – often for fun than those elsewhere. Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on（热衷） reading can expect lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator（指示物）of future educational success. According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage.

1.Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?

A. Many children’s books have been adapted from films.

B. Many high-quality children’s books have been published.

C. The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films.

D. The sales of presents for children have increased.

2.Statistics suggested that ___.

A. the number of top students increased with the use of computers.

B. a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading.

C. a minority of primary school children read properly.

D. a large percentage of children read regularly.

3.What do we know about Reading Recovery?

A. An education of it will be made sometime this year.

B. Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking.

C. It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading.

D. Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading.

4.Reading for fun is important because book-loving children ____.

A. takes greater advantage of the project.

B. shows the potential to enjoy a long life.

C. is likely to succeed in their education.

D. would make excellent future researchers.

5.The aim of this text would probably be ____.

A.to overcome primary school pupils’ reading difficulty.

B.to encourage the publication of more children’s books.

C.to remind children of the importance of reading for fun.

D.to introduce a way to improve early childhood reading.

Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.

After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.

    Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."

Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.

    These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.

    Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."

1.Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?

A. He needs to go to the doctor every day.

B. He studies the leading cause of diabetes

C. He has a positive attitude to this disease.

D. He encourages diabetics by writing articles.

2.Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.

A. diabetics to communicate          B. volunteers to find jobs

C. children to amuse themselves       D. rock stars to share resources.

3.According to the text, Kody ______.

A. feel lonely because of his illness

B. benefits from diabeticrockstar.com

C. helps create the online kid’s forums

D. writes children’s stories online

4.What can we learn about Fight It?

A. It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties.

B. It organizes parties for volunteer once a year.

C. It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics.

D. It owns a well-known medical website.

5.The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.

A. works full-time in a diabetes charity      

B. employs 22 people for his website

C. helps diabetics in his own way          

D. ties to find a cure for diabetes

Winners Club

You choose to be a winner!

The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account (交易账户) where you receive a key – card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:

●No account keeping fees!

You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!

●Excellent interest rates!

You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits (储蓄) without taking them out in a month.

●Convenient

Teenagers are busy – we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet … You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part – time job!

●Mega magazine included

Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.

The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key – card) but it is easy. We can’t want to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!

1.The Winners Club is a bank account intended for         .

A. parents                  B. teenagers                C. winners                  D. adults

2.Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?

A. Special gifts are ready for parents.

B. The bank opens only on work days.

C. Services are convenient for its members.

D. Fees are necessary for the account keeping.

3.The Winners Club provides magazines which        .

A. encourage spending                                  

B. are free to all teenagers

C. are full of adventure stories                        

D. help to make more of your money

4.If you want to be a member of the Club, you must          .

A. be an Internet user                                     

B. be permitted by your parent

C. have a big sum of money                            

D. be in your twenties 

5. What is the purpose of this text?

A. To set up a club.                                      

B. To provided part – time jobs.

C. To organize key – cards.                            

D. To introduce a new banking service.

阅读下面的短文，请根据短文后的要求答题（请注意问题后的字数要求）

When Dan Shaw gets up from the sofa in his home, Cuddles is never far away. When he wants to go outside, he doesn’t take Cuddles out for walk—Cuddles takes him for a walk. Cuddles is clearly no ordinary family pet. It is a two-foot-high miniature horse and serves as the guiding eyes of Shaw, who is blind.

When Shaw lost his sight, his wife suggested he apply for a guide dog. Shaw, an animal lover, said he couldn’t bear to part with a dog (which usually lives about eight to ten years) and get used to a new one, perhaps several times in his life.

Then Shaw heard of a program about the tiny guide horses. He learned that the horse possess many qualities that that make them an excellent choice for guiding people. They are clean, friendly, smart and have great memories. They can be trained to remain calm in noisy and crowded places. Best of all, they live for 25-25years, which would enable Shaw to have the same guide companion for most or all of his life.

Shaw immediately applied and was accepted as the first person to receive a guide horse. The instant he met Cuddles, he knew he was making the right choice. Then he began his training.

Through training, Shaw and Cuddles learned to find way on busy streets, step over curbs（便道沿儿）and find elevator buttons. Cuddles even demonstrated（显示）its ability to step in front of Shaw and block him, to prevent him from walking into a dangerous situation. The little horse also expertly led Shaw through busy shopping malls. They got along without any difficulties. Now Shaw is confident that Cuddles will change his life for the better.

1.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “miniature” in Paragraph 1?(No more than 2 words)

2. Why didn’t Shaw want to choose a dog as his guide? (No more than 15 words)

3.What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us? (No more than 10 words)

4.How does Shaw feel about his future life with the help of Cuddles? (No more than 10 words)

5.In your opinion, what is the ideal relationship between man and animals? (No more than 20 words).

假定你是李华，亚洲冬季运动会将在你居住的地方举办，现在正在招募志愿者，你希望成为其中一员。请按要求用英文给组委会写一封申请信，内容应包括：

个人情况：年龄、性别、学历

个人条件：英语好、爱好体育、善于交往、乐于助人、熟悉本地情况

承诺：提供最佳服务

注意：

词数120-150左右，开头语已为你写好；可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

生词：申请–apply (v.), application (n.)；志愿者–volunteer

Dear Sir/Madam,

    My name is Li Hua. I would like to work as a volunteer for the Winter Asian Games. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Baines is a self-made millionaire, but his beginnings were very lowly. He was the youngest of eight children. His father had a  16  in a cotton mill (纱厂), but he was often  17__  to work because of poor health. The family couldn’t afford to pay the rent or bills, and the children often went hungry. After leaving school at the age of 14, Jack was   18    what to do when Mr. Walker, his old teacher, offered to lend him ￡100 to start his own __19__ .

It was just after the war. Raw materials were not enough, and Jack saw a  20    in scrap metal(废弃金属). He bought bits of metal and stored it in an old garage. When he had built up a large amount, he sold it and  21     plenty of money.

Jack  22      working hard. After one year he succeeded in repaying the ￡100.

By the time Jack was 30 years old he had  23      his first million, and he wanted to  24 this achievement by doing something “grand”.  25 _   all his money it was possible to build a beautiful home for himself and his parents. In 1959, “Baines Castle” was built in the heart of the Lancashire countryside. It was one of the finest buildings in the country.

Jack has recently sold “Baines Castle” for ￡500 million,  26     Jack still can’t get used to  27 the good life. He can often _28_ drinking with the locals at the local pub.

“I remember being very  29  as a child, but never  30  as a child,” says Jack, “and I will never forget where I came from and who I am.”

1.A. job          B. work                C. company                 D. house

2. A. able            B. glad                C. unable              D. eager

3.A. seeing       B. wondering       C. doubting            D. preparing

4.A. school           B. farm            C. business            D. store

5.A. problem         B. purpose             C. future                  D. principle

6.A. spent        B. borrowed            C. wasted               D. earned

7.A. enjoyed         B. preferred           C. promised                D. hated

8. A. given           B. made                C. taken               D. lost

9.A. remember     B. honor               C. celebrate               D. recognize

10. A. Use        B. To             C. On                 D. With

11.A. so              B. and            C. or                  D. but

12.A. using           B. doing           C. living              D. keeping

13.A. be found   B. find                C. look for                D. be looked for

14.A. rich            B. poor                C. healthy             D. well

15.A. proud       B. satisfied           C. unhappy             D. happy

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31--40的相应位置上。

As we know, birthdays mean only cakes, presents, and a sweet song--Happy Birthday to You when we think of it.   1   , there are different birthday celebrations.

  2   the west, many birthday traditions come from an old belief that bad spirits showed up on a person's birthday. Today, people still get together for birthday parties. But around the world, birthdays      3       (celebrate) in many different ways.

   In North America, children get their noses   4  (cover) with butter on their birthdays.  5       butter is supposed to make children too slippery for bad    6  （lucky） to stick to them. Irish people lift birthday children upside down and hit them     7     (light) on the floor for every year of their age. Mexico also has a unique birthday tradition. A paper-made animal is filled    8    candy and toys and hung from the ceiling. The birthday child with his eyes covered then   9   (try) to hit the animal with a stick_____10___ it bursts open.

A very strict officer was talking to some new soldiers whom he had to train. He had never seen them before, so he began, “My name is Stone, and I’m even harder than stone, so do what I tell you or there’ll be trouble. Don’t try any tricks (诡计) with me, and then we’ll get on well together.”

    Then he went to each soldier one after the other and asked him his name, “Speak loudly so that everyone can hear you clearly,” he said, “and don’t forget to call me ‘sir’.”

    Each soldier told him name, until he came to the last one. This man remained silent, and so Captain Stone shouted at him, “When I ask you a question, answer it! I’ll ask you again： What’s your name, soldier?”

    The soldier was very unhappy, but at last he replied, “My name’s Stonebreaker, sir,” he said nervously.

1.The officer was strict______.

   A. because the soldiers were new.     B. with any of his soldiers, new or old.

   C. because he was named Stone.      D. only when he was before soldiers.

2. According to what the officer said,_______.

   A. obeying his orders would sometimes bring no trouble.

   B. trouble would come if anybody made tricks.

   C. he always got on well with his soldiers.[来源:ZXXK]

   D. he often had trouble with his soldiers.

3.The last soldier remained silent because_______

   A. he didn’t like the way the officer spoke to them.

   B. he wanted to see what would happen if he disobeyed his order.

   C. the question was difficult for him to answer.

   D. he was afraid the officer would be angry when he heard his name.

4.According to the officer, how to answer the question, “How old are you ?”

   A. (sadly)Twenty, sir.               B. (clearly)Twenty.

   C. (loudly)Twenty, sir               D. (quickly)Ten years younger than you, sir

5.Which is the best title for the passage?

   A. A Clever Answer      B. A Terrible Answer

   C. A Sorry Answer       D. A Strange Answer

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.

    I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not.

    The clock struck twelve.” Oh, !” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.

    The clock struck one. I was quite desperate(绝望的) now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.

1.When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were____.    

   A. asleep          B. outside         C. working in bed      D. quietly laughing at him

2.The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means____.

   A. very happy      B. disappointed     C. very unhappy       D. hopeful

3.Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because______.

   A. it was too late at night

   B. he was very tired

   C. his eyes lids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open

   D. he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

4. What do you suppose happened to the author?

   A. He went to a church to pray again.       B. He passed the exam by luck.

   C. He failed in the exam.                 D. He was punished by his teacher.

5.The best title for the passage would be____.

   A. The Night Before the Examination           B. Working Far into the Night

   C. A Slow Student                          D. Going Over My Lessons

There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at its announcement board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.

    Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking workers.

    Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.

    Another useful way to find a job is through a college or university. For example, students at the University of Texas in Austin can go to the Career Exploration Center to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute ?” by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career since it was first published in nineteen seventy.

    Some experts also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources to help them find the right job.

1.What is the passage mainly about?                                           

A. Finding a job.        

B. College students’part-time jobs.

C. Craigslist Web site.    

D. The relation between study and work.

2.By logging on the Craigslist Web site, you can ______.

A. sell your old things

B. do some shopping online

C. create your own announcement board

D. get useful information about 450 cities

3. “What Color is Your Parachute?” is a book which gives tips to those who want to _____.

A. work on the airplane      B. buy a parachute

C. publish a book            D. find a suitable job

4. It can be learned from the passage that ______.

A. companies often put job information in local shops

B. the Internet is the most popular tool for job hunters in the USA

C. Susan W. Miller’s company is helping people choose careers

D. California Career Services mainly serves university students

5.How many ways of finding a job are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.      B. Four.        C. Five.         D. Six.