My mother loves flowers. As soon as warm weather comes around, you will find her planting, watering, and weeding over everything. For a number of years we lived next door to each other, and she spent as much time in my garden as she did her own. After the flowers became plentiful each summer, she would cut colorful bouquets(花束) to enjoy inside the house -- both hers and mine. I would often come home from work and find a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers on my coffee table.

Shortly before Christmas one year, a local flower shop offered a bouquet-a-month special. It seemed to be a made-to-order gift for Mom, a great way to thank her for all of the flowers she had given me through the years.

After the holidays, in early January, I drove her to the flower shop to pick up her first month's bouquet. The small fresh colorful bouquet would hardly fill a small vase.

I was so embarrassed. However, after we returned home, she began to arrange the flowers she had received. "Mom, I'm sorry," I told her. "I can't believe how skimpy that bouquet is." She looked at me and smiled. "It's okay," she said. "It allows me to better enjoy the beauty of each one."

Mom's words helped me to realize something bigger and more important --when we have too many good things, we often fail to enjoy the beauty of each one. 

Thanks, Mom, for helping me understand that less is sometimes more.

1.The author bought her mother flowers to ____.

A. celebrate the coming Christmas

B. express thanks for all her mother has done

C. bring more flowers to her mother's garden

D. arrange her mother's new house

2. What can you infer from the passage?

A. The author couldn't afford a big bouquet.

B. The mother was not happy when receiving the bouquet.

C. The author would pick up another bouquet the next month.

D. The mother would send back the bouquet to the flower shop.

3.The underlined word "skimpy" in Para. 4 means ____.

A. beautiful  B. colorful    C. cheap              D. small

4.What did the author learn from her mother?

A. How to grow flowers.                    B. How to arrange flowers.

C. Enjoying life if possible.         D. Considering things in other ways.

5.A. until                     B. when                C. before            D. as

Edinburgh Mela

Time: 25th – 31st August 2008

Tel / Fax: 0131 557 1400

E-mail: info@edinburgh-mela.co.uk

Website: www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk

Each year Edinburgh Mela is Scotland's biggest multicultural(多文化的) arts festival that celebrates in Scotland. Although Edinburgh Mela's roots are in South Asian cultures, this is a festival for everybody. Music, color, dance, art, fashion, food, children's activities, the Mela bazaar（集市）and much more!

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Time: 9th – 25th August 2008

Tel: 0131 718 5666

Fax: 0131 226 5335

E-mail: admin@edbookfest.co.uk

Website: www.edbookfest.co.uk

Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world's biggest book festival. We present different programs for both adults and children including discussions, lectures, debates and workshops, all in one of Edinburgh's most beautiful spaces, Charlotte Square Gardens.

Edinburgh International Festival

Time: 8th – 31st August 2008

Tel: + 44 (0) 131 473 2000

Fax: +44 (0) 131 473 2002

E-mail: eif@eif.co.uk

Website: www.eif@eif.co.uk

Each year the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the greatest celebrations of the arts, attracting audiences from around the world to the city's exciting atmosphere. The festivities offer a special opportunity to experience the excitement of live performance by internationally well-known artists as well as the joy of discovering new and unfamiliar works.

Edinburgh International Science Festival

Time: 25th March-5th April 2008

Tel: 0131 558 7666                                

Fax: 0131 557 9177

E-mail: esf@scifest.demon.co.uk

Website: www.sciencefestival.co.uk

The UK's largest Science Festival is back with one of the most exciting line-ups in the Festival's 16-year history. The Science Festival is an unbelievable place for everyone, with events at all levels, all ages and all purses. On offer are 10 days of non-stop shows, workshops, presentations, hands-on activities, exhibitions and tours designed to amuse and entertain. Call our ticket hotline on 0131 557 5588.

1.According to the passage, the four festivals         .

A. are all about arts                      B. all happen in 2008 only

C. are all celebrated in Edinburgh D. are all mainly for children

2. What do we know about Edinburgh Mela?

A. It is deeply rooted in Edinburgh.      

B. It is a place to buy and sell things.

C. It shows kinds of cultures in Scotland.    

D. It offers a chance for you to buy books.

3. How many ways are available for you to get the information about each festival?

A. Only one.   B. Two.   C. Three.       D. Four.

Children at a school in Italy have today begun an experiment to replace all their books with personal computers. The pupils involved will each be given a special laptop that contains their entire courses.

Until today, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school in central Turin was like any other. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, in what's being described as a unique experiment, 60 fifth-grade pupils and a number of third-graders, will start using computers only.

The mini-laptops, which run Windows software, all have a full curriculum programmed into them. The pupils will use the computers to do all their reading and writing. Security systems within the laptops mean the children's access to the Internet is strictly controlled. The machines weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and are waterproof.

Instead of spending 700 dollars a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than 400 dollars. One of the teachers involved in the scheme says that, for the first time, schools will be able to verify in a scientific way how a computer alone can improve the learning process. The experiment, which has the backing of parents, is due to last a year.

In other countries, such a programme is also being carried out. Venezuela is ordering one million low cost laptops for its school children. The machines will be based on the Intel Classmate laptop that has been designed for school children. Many see the deal as a blow for the One Laptop Per Child organization that has also been introducing its child- friendly machine to developing nations.

1. Which of the following is TRUE about the mini-laptop?

A. It is heavy for pupils to carry.         B. It can't be damaged by water.

C. It is one and a half meters high.              D. It is easily broken or damaged.

2. The pupils use the laptop to ____ in class.

A. learn their lessons as an aid

B. have a course named computer studies

C. surf the Internet mainly to find information

D. do what they used to do with books and pens

3. How much money can a pupil save by using the mini-laptop to replace all the books in a year?

A. Less than 400 dollars.                            B. More than 400 dollars.

C. More than 300 dollars.                   D. Less than 300 dollars.

4.Which of the following about the experiment is TRUE?

A. It has been carried out for over one year.

B. It has already turned out to be a success.

C. The pupils' parents are against it in fact.

D. The pupils' parents are supportive to it.

Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules... planning your next move... acting as a team member... these are all "game" ideas that you will come across throughout your life.

Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Some games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dreams that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating（合作）.

Many children's games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination（协调） needed in hunting.

    Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.

    Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it--some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.

Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.

1.The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can ____.

A. describe life in an exciting way

B. turn real-life experiences into a play

C. make learning life skills more interesting

D. change people's views of sporting events

2. According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?

A. It inspires people's deep love for the country.

B. It proves the exceptional skills of the winners.

C. It helps the country out of natural disasters.

D. It earns the winners fame and fortunes.

3.Iribarne's goal of forming the foundation is to ____.

A. bring fun to poor kids                                 

B. provide soccer balls for children

C. give poor kids a chance for a better life 

D. attract soccer players to help poor kids

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Games benefit people all their lives.    

B. Sports can get all athletes together.

C. People are advised to play games for fun.

D. Sports increase a country's competitiveness.

阅读短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

"No man is an island" is a well-known line from John Donne's Devotion, written more than three hundred years ago. Even now people still agree with him. Without other people, life became empty and sad. 1.

For some of us, though making friends is not difficult, we may not want to make the first move. It is also difficult at times to keep the friends we already have.

There are many books about friendship, but Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence(影响) People, written in 1936, is the most famous. 2. It was later put into 28 languages.

Here is the list of advice from his book:

 3.

Always greet with a smile. Begin with "excuse me" or "would you please", when you want to ask somebody. Remember to say "thank you" and try to be as helpful as you can.

Go out of your way to be nice.

4. Making some soup for a sick neighbour may seem like a little thing to you, but it will make your neighbour feel a lot better.

Remember names.

They say that the sweetest music to a person's ears is the sound of his or her own name.

5.

Try to understand other people's ways and ideas and learn something from them.

Listen patiently.

When someone is talking to you, look at him or her, listen carefully and say something when necessary.

A. This "How to" book about getting along with other people became a best seller.

B. It's also important to keep close friends in our daily life.

C. So we all need to have friends.

D. Be open-minded.

E. Be friendly and polite.

F. Try to help your friends get out of trouble.

G. Find some time to do special things for other people. 

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你的同桌写的以下作文。文中有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下写出应该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Jennifer considers me like a friend to talk, laugh, and do things with her. She believes that I am a friend she can depend in time of need. I was watering the flowers in the garden this morning when she drops in, telling me that she needed my help because I was in low spirits. When asking what made her so unhappy, Jennifer told me her friend Tina was reading her diary the other days when she entered the classroom. She was too angry at the time that she shouted at her, which, of course, ended their friend. Having heard what she said, I said, "We shall never have friends unless we expect to find them without faults."

根据下面的提示，写一篇100词左右的题为 "Travel" 的短文。

当工作累了时，你可以旅游。这样既可以领略大自然的美丽风光、呼吸新鲜空气，还可以交友；

旅游也会有烦恼，天气多变，有时可能被雨淋湿(be caught in the rain)。因此，你应该多了解天气情况，做好充分准备。

旅游最好有个旅伴，可以互相照应，同时也增添旅途的乐趣。

________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___book I read yesterday is so interesting that I want to read it___ second time.

---What are you doing ,Jack?

---I’m making a model car. I _______ it in the science class at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning.

----I think this novel is ________ worth _______.It’s so interesting.

----I couldn’t agree more.