What are American high schools like? Well, I’m happy to tell you what I know.
    When I started school here, it had already been a week since the school opened. At this school, freshmen usually go on a trip for about three days at the beginning of school. Unfortunately I missed that wonderful trip, which would have been the best time to get to know my classmates. I was really sad. I wished I’d known about it earlier.

Despite the disappointment, however, I gradually adapted to my new life and school.
    There is a space in the basement of the teaching building where students chat and meet each other. As we do not always have the same classrooms and classmates, the school wants us to get to know each other there. Students usually come to school early, sit in that space and have fun. Around the space, there are many lockers for students to leave their books in, so that students do not have to carry a heavy schoolbag everywhere.

It really surprises me that we have almost no textbooks. We only have textbooks for World History and Algebra 2 and they are big and heavy, like bricks. For other classes, we only need binders (活页夹) with paper in them. Without textbooks, students learn things freely and actively. For example, my humanities teacher just teaches us what is in her mind at the time. We never know what we will learn.

Another difference between American schools and Chinese schools is that American schools care about students’ morality more than their academic studies. For example, if you do not finish your homework, you will just be asked to do it later, but if you cheat or lie, you will get a warning or even be kicked out.

I think that most students here are good at schoolwork as well, but compared to Chinese students, they can make learning a more joyful experience. I think we should take the good points from our two different kinds of education to perfect our approach to studying.

21. What was the writer sad for?

A. He was late for school.    B. He missed the trip at the beginning of school.

C. He didn’t know anyone.   D. American students looked down upon him.

22. Why do students go to the basement of the teaching building?

  A. To attend class.     B. To share a classroom.  

C. To have fun.       D. To meet teachers.

23. How do teachers in the US teach the students?

   A. However they want to.                B. They use bricks.

   C. Some use textbooks; some teach freely.   D. They always teach as required.

24. According to the passage, in American high schools, ________.

  A. you are likely to be kicked out if you cheat

  B. you’ll be punished if you do not finish your homework

C. students are better at school work than Chinese students

D. students care much about the grades they get

Maggie was very glad that James was not a frequent visitor to the house. In the children’s opinion, they had something that they couldn’t explain or understand about him and that excited their imagination. He stirred(激起) Maggie’s anger, however, so that she often said to her husband. “It’s mercy that brother of yours doesn’t come oftener.”

In fact James came once a year, unexpectedly, around eight o’clock in the evening, and he stayed for six hours of close discussion with his brother. His arrival was a signal to the children that their bedtime would be delayed. Not that he ever spoke to them or played with them. He took no notice of them, as if he was unable to see children, at least until the time came for him to go. Indeed, after his first greeting and a careless kiss, James took no notice of Maggie either, except to add, “You’ll be getting on with the supper, Maggie”. Such was his regard for her.

Maggie paid him back in her own way. She kept the children up, the four of them, to keep her company, she said, but of course they sang and made a noise and broke the endless sound of James’ voice. Very late, they dropped off to sleep in their chairs. Then, when James was about to go, Maggie woke them up and so more or less forced him to part with four shillings before he left. That gave her some satisfaction, for James, though rich, was unwilling to give or share what he had. He always went home by the last train, just after two o’clock.

Maggie’s children secretly stared at their uncle. They could not forget that he had in their mother’s words, “lost two wives and taken a third”. They wondered about those two unfortunate, lost ladies. They asked each other what their fate(命运) had been, and if neither could ever be found again. James never brought his third wife with him nor ever mentioned her. The children decided that he must be so frightened of losing her that he never allowed her outside the door.

25. Maggie never prepared anything special for James because ________.

A. he was a man difficult to please

B. she never knew when he was coming

C. she was too busy looking after her children

D. he never stayed long enough for a meal

26. What do we know about Jame’s behavior?

A. He was a kind man, with love for the family.

B. He was unselfish, especially towards his brother.

C. He was anxious to please the family, especially the children.

D. He was rude to his sister-in-law.

27. Maggie felt pleased when ________.

A. she paid James the money that she owed him

B. James gave some money to the children

C. she had to wake James up to catch his train

D. James thanked her for the nice supper

An environmental group called the Food Commission is unhappy and disappointed because of the sales of bottled water from Japan. The water, it angrily argues in public, has traveled 10,000 “food miles” before it reached Western customers. Transporting water halfway across the world is surely the extremely stupid use of fuel when there is plenty of water in the UK. It is also worrying that we were wasting our fuel by buying prawns from Indonesia (7,000 food miles ) and carrots from South Africa (5,900 food miles).

   Counting the number of miles traveled done by a product is a strange way of trying to tell the true situation of the environmental damage due to industry. Most food is transported around the world on container ships that are extremely energy efficient. It should be noticed that a ton of butter transported 25 miles in a truck to a farmers’ market doesn’t necessarily use less fuel on its journey than a similar product transported hundreds of miles by sea. Besides, the idea of “food miles” ignores the amount of fuel used in the production. It is possible to cut down your food miles by buying tomatoes grown in Britain rather than those grown in Ghana. The difference is that the British ones will have been raised in heated greenhouse and the Ghanaian ones in the open sun.

What is the idea of “food miles” does provide, however, is the chance to cut out Third World countries from First World food markets. The number of miles traveled by our food should, as I see it, be regarded as a sign of the success of the global trade system, not a sign of damage to the environment.

28. The Food Commission is angry because it thinks that ________.

   A. UK wastes a lot of money importing food products

   B. some imported goods causes environmental damage

   C. growing certain vegetables causes environmental damage

   D. people wasted energy buying food from other countries

29. The phrase “food miles” in the passage refers to the distance ________.

   A. that a food product travels to a market

   B. that a food product travels from one market to another

   C. between UK and other food producing countries

   D. between a Third World country and a First World food market

30. By comparing tomatoes raised in Britain and in Ghana, the author tries to explain that _____.

   A. British tomatoes are healthier than Ghanaian ones

   B. Ghanaian tomatoes taste better than tomatoes ones

   C. cutting down food miles may not necessarily save fuel

   D. protecting the environment may cost a lot of money

31. From the passage we know that the author is most probably ________.

   A. a supporter of free global trade

   B. a member of a Food Commission

   C. a supporter of First World food markets

   D. a member of an energy development group

There is a lot of talk these days about how kids should be interested in science. Here’s an area of science for everyone, and these cool new books might inspire you to discover your inner scientist.

Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled by Catherine Thimmesh, 58 pages, ages 9-12

    Seeing a picture or a model of a dinosaur, do you wonder how anybody knows what they look like? After all, nobody has seen a living dinosaur. This book explains how scientists and artists work together to re-create dinosaurs. As scientific discoveries have been made, the models have changed. Scientific tests may one day expose what a dinosaur’s color1ing was, but now artists have to use their imagination to determine how these huge creatures looked.

Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson, 128 pages, ages 10-13

    This book takes readers back to the beginnings of space exploration—thousands of years ago, when people began star observation—and forward to today’s search for planets in distant parts of the Milky Way. Along with history lessons, readers get 21 activities, such as making a black hole and creating a model of Albert Einstein’s universe using a T-shirt. The activities are perfect for cold winter days.

Ultimate Bugopedia by Darlyne Murawski and Nancy Honovich, 272 pages, ages 7 and older

    If you’re always on the lookout for butterflies, this book is for you. Hundreds of color1 photos of common and unusual insects fill this hardcover. There are fascinating stories related to the photos. For example, do you know an insect feeds on the tears of Asian cattle? There’s a question-and-answer section with an insect scientist and advice on how to help preserve endangered insects.

Journey Into the Invisible by Christine Schlitt, 80 pages, ages 9-12

If you use a magnifying（放大的）glass, you know a leaf looks quite different. This book explains what microscopes do and then shows what happens to things around the house when watched with this amazing scientific tool. The bacteria in your mouth, when magnified 20,000 times, look a bit like swimming pool noodles. Fascinating photos are paired with suggestions about how to learn about the world around you, just by looking a little closer. 

32. Kids interested in pre-historical animals might read ______.

A. Ultimate Bugopedia

B. Beyond the Solar System

C. Journey Into the Invisible

D. Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled

33. Beyond the Solar System is mainly about ______.

A. space exploration                  B. the Milky Way

C. history lessons                    D. Albert Einstein’s universe

34. From the passage, we can learn that ______.

A. butterflies are fond of the tears of Asian cattle

B. scientists have discovered the dinosaur’s color1ing

C. microscopes can present you with an amazing world

D. man has explored the black hole for thousands of years

35. The main purpose of the passage is to ______.

A. compare features of different books

B. inspire people to become scientists

C. teach children some knowledge of science

D. recommend new science books to children

What makes one person more intelligent than another? What makes one person a genius, like the brilliant Albert Einstein, and another person a fool? Are people born intelligent or stupid, or is intelligence the result of where and how you live?  ___36____

We know, however, that just being born with a good mind is not enough. In some ways, the mind is like a leg or an arm muscle.  ____37___ Mental (done with the mind) exercise is particularly important for young children. Many child psychologists think that parents should play with their children more often and give them problems to think about. ___38____ If, on the other hand, children are left alone a great deal with nothing to do, they are more likely to become dull and unintelligent.

__39____  According to some psychologists, if parents are always telling a child that he or she is a fool or an idiot, then the child is more likely to keep doing silly and foolish things. So it is probably better for parents to say very positive (helpful) things to their children, such as “That was a very clever thing you did.” or “___40____”

A. A healthy body contributes to one’s intelligence.

B. Parents should also be careful with what they say to young children.

C. What people want to express is like this.

D. The children are then more likely to grow up bright and intelligent.

E. These are very old questions and the answers to them are still not clear.

F. It needs exercise.

G. You are such a smart child.

A couple of weeks ago, I made a trip to Toronto with my granddaughter who just turned three years old. The two of us were on our way to   41  her parents, and my wife—her   42  who had been gone for over a week. We were all anxious to   43  again and as I pulled out of Mamere and Papere’s driveway in Chelmsford, Hailee and I were both   44  about the trip and couldn’t wait to arrive at our   45  .

  When we completed the “SEVEN”-hour trip to Toronto later that day, the reunion was ly   46  and I can sincerely say I enjoyed every single minute of that   47  journey.

   Hailee is at that “I want to   48  it myself” stage of her life. And if you can just get over the “hurry-up syndrome” we acquire as   49  , it is wonderful to witness. Who knew that putting a straw into the   50  in a juice box for the very first time could be such an earth-shattering (惊天动地的) event? Or being   51  enough to actually open the fridge door for the first time? Or putting on your own   52  on the right feet would be so   53  ?

   I’ll never forget the look on her face the day she was able to   54  into my truck by herself. She finally   55  on my seat, holding onto the steering wheel (方向盘) and declared   56  , “I did it!” And when she could actually put her own seat belt on—what a(n)   57  !

   Have you ever watched a three-year-old   58  to sip a McDonald’s milkshake through a straw? It is hard enough for an adult, too. And   59  every time the icy solution (溶液) touched her lips, you could see the   60  in her eyes. I learned that you can’t hurry a child through a milkshake.

41. A. follow                                          B. help                                                        C. bless                                                        D. visit

42. A. mother                                          B. father                                                        C. grandma                                          D. aunt

43. A. get together                            B. turn up                                          C. pay off                                              D. settle down

44. A. concerned                            B. excited                                              C. hopeful                                          D. anxious

45. A. destination                            B. conference                                          C. city                                                        D. hometown

46. A. hard                                          B. wonderful                                          C. timely                                                        D. surprising

47. A. frequent                            B. final                                                        C. tough                                                        D. long

48. A. carry                                          B. prove                                                        C. do                                                        D. explain

49. A. doctors                                          B. parents                                          C. friends                                                        D. adults

50. A. bottle                                          B. ring                                                        C. hole                                                        D. corner

51. A. clever                                          B. strong                                                        C. friendly                                          D. early

52. A. shoes                                          B. socks                                                        C. sweater                                          D. trousers

53. A. difficult                                          B. satisfying                                          C. useful                                                        D. simple

54. A. hide                                          B. jump                                                        C. run                                                        D. climb

55. A. sat                                                        B. leaned                                                        C. stood up                                          D. looked up

56. A. carefully                            B. bravely                                              C. politely                                          D. proudly

57. A. truck                                          B. moment                                          C. example                                          D. goal

58. A. struggle                                          B. expect                                                        C. offer                                                        D. hope

59. A when                                          B. then                                              C. though                                              D. yet

60. A. delight                                B. anger                                              C. fear                                              D. sadness

    阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

    The way we cook is important. In many countries, the two choices are   56  (nature) gas or electric-powered stoves.

The World Health Organization warns that millions of people    57  (suffer) from indoor air pollution at present time, which results from the use of   58  (danger) fuels and cook-stoves in the home.

WHO officials say nearly three billion people are   59  (able) to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking ，heating and lighting. As a result, more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Most of the deaths are in   60   （develop） countries, such as lndia, China and Latin American countries.

WHO officials say opening a window or door   61  （let）out the harmful air will not correct the situation.   62  will only pollute the outdoors.

Nigel Bruce,  63 is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool, says researchers are developing good cook-stoves and other equipment to burn fuels   64  a more efficient way.

But, this is just a start. It is urging developing countries to use   65  (clean) fuels and increase access to cleaner and more modern cooking and heating appliances（用具）

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅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（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

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。

A survey basing on 1,000 students found that half of the pupils and 80% of the middle school students sleeps less than nine hours every night. Too many homework given by school teachers and parents is the main reasons. Other reason lies in students’ bad habits. Some students, for example, are absent-minded while doing his homework, and some waste their after-class time. The third reason is because some students have to get up early on weekdays to get school far away from home. Experts are calling at schools and parents to cut down on the amount of homework. And students should make a good use of their time. And it would be better if they could choose to study in a nearby school.

据报道，在我国仍有很多山区的孩子因为家庭贫穷而上不起学。你们班就如何帮助这些孩子上学进行了讨论。假如你是李华，请你把你们的建议写成一封信寄给Teens，希望他们能够呼吁更多的人参与这项活动。

内容要点：

1. 收集旧课本和衣服；

2. 呼吁更多人帮助他们；

3. 你的建议, 至少一条。

注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Editor,

I’m a senior high school student.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua