For hundreds of years, Japan has been hit, from time to time, by tsunamis（海啸）, which are caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanoes. The story of the boy Yuuki is the story of such a disaster.

Yuuki lived with his family in a seaside village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, Yuuki felt a small earthquake but it was not strong enough to frighten anybody. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide areas of beach that had never been seen before.

Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the new beach land.

But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand.

Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the harvested rice. Then he called out, “Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!”

When everyone reached the mountain top, a villager cried out, “Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire.” Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers screamed at him.

Just then, someone shouted, “Look!”

In the distance a huge dark wave of water was speeding towards the shore. When it hit the shore, it destroyed everything.

On the mountain everyone stared at the village ruins in terror.

“I'm sorry I burned the fields,” said Yuuki, his voice trembling.

“Yuuki,” the village chief answered. “You saved us all.”

The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. “We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight,” said one, “but now we’ll celebrate that we’re all still alive!”

1. Where was Yuuki when the earthquake struck?

2.In what order did the following events take place?

a.Yuuki ran to the rice fields.

b.The villagers paid no attention to Yuuki’s word.

c.Yuuki went to warn the villagers.

d.The village was in ruins.

e.The people were screaming at Yuuki.

3.How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster?

4.What were the people planning to do before the tsunami struck their village?

Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.

“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”

Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.

Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent—child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue int0 adulthood.

No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”

But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.” 

Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.

“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”

1.The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means _________.

2.Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?

3.The change in today’s parent-child relationship is _________.

4.The purpose of the passage is to _________.

With only fish and birds for company, Eric Erden has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean to Australia in his 23-foot-long boat since he left California on July 10, 2009.

This is the first part of Eric’s trip around the world using only his own energy. He will row, bike, and walk without help from any motors at all. His plan includes climbing the tallest mountain on each of the six continents he visits, to honour the memory of a fellow climber.

He says he is doing this to show kids that they can achieve any goal, but he also hopes to have some great adventures along the way.

Storms and huge waves regularly force him in the wrong direction and even threaten to overturn his boat. “Sometimes I really feel scared,” says a somewhat embarrassed Eric. “But that’s part of the journey. I knew this wouldn’t be easy when I started.”

Protein bars give him energy, and he boils water to heat freeze-dried meals on a one-burner stove. A sun-powered machine removes salt from ocean water so he can drink it, but when that fails he sometimes tries to collect rainwater in a bucket.

He’s not bothered by any of the hardships. Eric sees the world as a laboratory where there is much to learn. And when his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people — especially children. He has already visited several schools and shared his story.

1.Why is Eric making this trip?

2.What does Eric plan to do on each of the six continents he will visit?

3.How does Eric mainly get drinking water?

4.Which of the following words best describes Eric’s character?

“I had a test and didn’t want to do it, so I pretended to be ill”, says 13-year-old Mary. But Mary did not enjoy her day off. “It was boring. I wished I had gone to school.”

Mary’s story is not unusual in Britain. According to the latest government figures, pupil absences are rising, despite schools taking a hard line on truancy (逃学).

Dr Philip James from Cardiff University thinks she knows why: “As schools make more efforts to find and punish missing students, students find better ways to avoid being caught.”

For several years, James has researched teenager truancy and discovered that most truancy was “a response to factors within the school”. Students that skip school are not necessarily less advanced or less intelligent. They complained of teachers who failed to engage them, and of “boring” lessons. “Many of them really enjoy school and believe in education, but drop out when aspects of it are ineffective.” James says.

The views of students like Adam, who believes that skipping lessons has little impact on his schooling, are common. “I only take off for a lesson, or a couple of days. It doesn’t affect my education,” he told James.

James believes that schools need to address the question of why pupils want to leave in the first place. “Pupils need help from the start.” she says. “Schools need to look at the reasons for truancy rather than the number, so that instead of walking away from school, students have the skills and chances to talk through problems and make a change.”

1.What is one of the reasons that many students skip school according to James’ study?

2.The underlined phrase “taking a hard line” (Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to “________”.

3.The writer used Adam’s comments (Paragraph 5) to show that ________.

4.What does Dr James suggest schools do about truancy?

For travellers who want to experience some of the history and mystery of the ancient world, here is a list of cool destinations for your next holiday.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat (meaning “capital monastery”) was a temple in the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor. It is Cambodia’s best-known tourist attraction and is famed for its beautiful architecture and reliefs. You’ll need at least three days to fully discover the delights of this magnificent site.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu was built high in the Andes Mountains of South America by the Inca in the 15th century. Although well preserved its exact purpose is unknown. It is famous throughout the world not only for its incredible design but also for the natural beauty that surrounds it. Give yourself a week to explore this magnificent site.

Stonehenge, England

The entire Stonehenge site was constructed over thousands of years. But why and how it was built remains a mystery. As the weather can be pretty bleak in winter and the crowds huge in summer, we suggest autumn should be the best time to visit these monster rocks.

Pompeii, Italy

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., Pompeii was buried under many layers of ash, preserving the city exactly as it was when the volcano erupted. Because so many objects were preserved, scientists and visitors are able to better understand daily life in the ancient Roman Empire.

1.Why may people want to visit Machu Picchu?

2.When is the best time to visit Stonehenge according to the passage?

3.Which location offers the most direct view into daily life in the ancient world?

4.Where would you probably read such an article?

完成句子 (共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分)  请根据句子的意思和汉语提示完成下列句子，每空只填一个单词。

1.A ______________ (平衡) state of mind is very important for those who want to live a healthy life.

2.The government encourages everyone in the society to ______________ (贡献) aid for victims (灾民) in Sichuan. 

3.You can’ t leave the classroom without the teacher’s ____________________（许可）

4.He works in another city, so his parents are very ________________(关心；挂念) about him.

5. In my _________________( 意见，看法 ), it is of importance to read aloud in the morning.

6.We finally ___________________(成功) in finishing the work..

7.He has changed so much that I can hardly __________________ (认出) him.

8.The plane exploded and we could see the smoke even in the ______________(远处  ).

9.You will _________________ (有益于；受益) greatly if you regularly consult with your teacher.

10.We should be _________________ (乐观的) and always keep a positive attitude towards life.

句子翻译（共5小题，每小题3分，满分15分）请根据中文及括号内的提示翻译下列句子。

1.他很感激我为他做的一切并把我当最好的朋友对待。(be grateful to; treat)

__________________________________________________________________________

2. 实际上学好英语有很多简单的方法, 例如看英文电视或和外国朋友在线聊天。 (actually, a number of, such as)

__________________________________________________________________________

3.除非我们净化我们的环境，否则人类可能将无法生存。（clean up, survive）

__________________________________________________________________________

4.他谋求良好生活的能力受到了他缺乏教育的限制。(earn a good living, be limited by; lack of)

__________________________________________________________________________

5.杰克给了我一个坚定的眼神，这眼神表明他不会改变主意，也不会屈服。(determine, change one’s mind, give in，定语从句)

_________________________________________________________________________

We have known for a long time that flowers of different plants open and close at different times of day. This is so    1    that there seems to be no need to ask the reason for it. Yet no one    2    understands why flowers open and close like this at particular times. The process is not as    3    as we might think, as recent experiments have shown. In one study, flowers were kept in constant    4   . We might expect that the flowers, without any information about the time of day, did not open as they    5    do. As a matter of fact, they    6    to open at their usual time. This suggests that they have some mysterious(神秘的) way of knowing the    7   . Their sense of time does not    8    information from the outside world; it is, so to speak, inside them, a kind of “inner clock”.

This    9    may not seem to be very important. However, it was later found that not just plants but also    10   , including man, have this “inner clock” which    11    the working of their bodies and influences their activities. Men, then, are also influenced by this mysterious    12   . Whether we wish it or not, it affects such things in our life as our need for sleep, our need for food.

In the past, this did not really    13    because people lived in natural condition. In the    14    world, things are different; now there are spacemen, airplane pilots and, in ordinary life, a lot of people who have to work at night. It would be very   15  , then, to know more about the “inner clock”. Such things as flowers might help us understand more about ourselves.

1.A. familiar       B. strange      C. similar          D. special

2.A. partly     B. personally       C. really           D. willingly

3.A. complex        B. simple           C. mature           D. meaningful

4.A. quietness      B. darkness     C. loneliness       D. sadness

5.A. finally        B. completely       C. physically       D. normally

6. A. refused       B. decided      C. continued        D. failed

7.A. time           B. secret           C. process      D. study

8.A. deal with      B. add to           C. give away        D. depend on

9.A. discovery  B. activity     C. invention        D. method

10.A. beasts        B. animals      C. strangers        D. humans

11.A. controls      B. studies          C. measures     D. destroys

12. A. world        B. flower           C. power            D. experiment

13.A. happen        B. exist            C. matter           D. work

14.A. ancient       B. modern       C. wonderful        D. peaceful

15.A. hard      B. expensive        C. convenient       D. important

What do you look for when you go shopping for clothes? Do you choose something   1.   (fashion) or comfortable? Do you like to look different? Or do you wear the same clothes   2.   your friends? Do you go for this year’s colours? Is it the logo — the company symbol — that

3.   (catch) your attention? Or maybe film stars are wearing these clothes?   4.   helps you choose the clothes you like?

Everyone spends money on clothes, and everyone has their personal look. The best-known clothing companies sell their “designer” clothes all over the world.   5.   number of these big name companies is in fact very small, and the clothes they make are more expensive than the clothes made by some other companies less famous.   6.  , many people still prefer them to   ordinary but comfortable clothes. Why?

Many young people today care about the way they look. They often buy “designer” clothes   7.   they think they look cool. Then the less famous companies make clothes   8.   look the same. But they don’t sell as well because they don’t have the logo.

People also think “designer” clothes are better made. For example, many people think the right   9.  (run) shoes will make you run faster or play better. Of course, this is not   10.   true. It’s the training — not the trainers or the equipments — that improves your speed or your score.

“Everybody in this city wants a car, and I’m no exception. A car brings with it the freedom to travel”, said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree with him, but no doubt he was speaking for a rapidly growing number of middle-class Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd, and sweating, are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can arise when our lives rely too much on this invention.

First of all, in terms of polluting the environment, driving a car is the worst act an average person can commit. Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also shows that by 2010 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai have come from cars. These pollutions are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage the lungs, cause cancer, and damage the brain.

Apart from environmental problems, relying too much on cars also creates social problems such as traffic jams, road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly drive through the Hutongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often annoy me, and to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect cyclists.

Of course, we cannot forget the convenience that cars bring us when we need to travel far, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.

Since people travel further and more frequently than before, cars will certainly be important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that this invention brings us a more convenient lifestyle rather than trouble and disease. Let us make good use of cars.

1.What is this passage mainly about?

   A. Environmental problems.

   B. Traffic jams in Beijing.

   C. Problems brought about by cars.

   D. Benefits of using cars.

2. The underlined word commit in Paragraph 2 has the close meaning as ____ .

   A. do something right or legal

   B. do something wrong or illegal

   C. do something good and meaningful

   D. do something bad and meaningless

3.What do we know about the author?

   A. The author doesn’t want a car.

   B. The author agrees that a car offers freedom to travel.

   C. The author suggests that we should rely on bicycles.

   D. The author thinks that the invention of cars leads to many problems.

4.In Paragraph 3, what does the author mean by saying “The jeeps… often annoy me”?

   A. The author is troubled by the way jeeps are driven in the Hutongs of Beijing.

   B. The author thinks that Hutongs are too narrow for jeeps to drive through.

   C. The author thinks that the jeeps are too noisy.

   D. The author is worried that more accidents are caused by jeeps than any other cars.

5.What is the author’s idea in Paragraphs 4 and 5 ?

   A. Cars are only convenient for people traveling far.

   B. We should all give up cars and ride bicycles.

   C. Cars have brought us more convenience than troubles.

   D. We should choose between the car and the bicycle according to the situation.