The Mayan（玛雅的）Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. The Mayan achievements were many. They had farms, beautiful palaces, and cities with many buildings. The Mayan people knew a lot about nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most people of that time, because they could use it to make their lives more comfortable and rewarding（值得的）. Knowledge about tools and farming, for example, made their work easier and more productive.
The Maya believed in many gods, including rain gods, sun gods, and corn gods. The people built large temples to honor the Mayan gods. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was difficult for them to build these cities, because they had no horses to carry the heavy stone they used to build with. Workers had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today, many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the cities that the Maya built were beautiful, and the people worked hard to build them, very few of the people lived in them. Usually, only the priests（牧师）lived in the cities.
The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler than the elaborate buildings in the cities. They lived in small huts（小屋）with no windows. The walls were made of poles covered with dried mud, and the roof was made of grass or leaves. Most Maya lived a simple life close to nature.
The Mayan priests studied the Sun, the Moon, stars, and planets. They made a calendar from what they learned. The year was divided into 18 months of 20 days each with five days left over. The Mayan calendar was far more exact than the European calendars of the time.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one knows why this happened. They may have died from some disease. They may have left because the soil could no longer grow crops. Archaeologists（考古学家）are still trying to find the lost secrets of the Maya.
小题1:What does the underlined word “elaborate’’ mean?

A．easily built

B．carefully made

C．slowly fixed

D．quickly designed

小题2:From the passage we can infer（推理）that   .

A．most Maya lived in beautiful cities

B．many Mayan cities and temples are still standing

C．the Maya were intelligent and culturally rich people

D．the Mayan calendar was the same as European calendars

小题3:Why it is said that the Mayan people lived a better life than most people of that time?

A．They had better building skills and housing conditions.

B．They believed in many gods, and honored the Mayan gods.

C．They had knowledge about tools and faming.

D．They studied about nature and the world around them.

小题4:What can be the best title for this article?

A．Mayan Gods	B．Mayan Buildings
C．Productive Maya	D．Mysterious（神秘的）Maya

In ancient China, the State of Wu made an attack on the State of Yue. The king of Wu was badly hurt and soon died. His son Fu Chai became the new king. Fu was very sad and angry and he decided to fight back for his father’s death. He trained his army strictly until it was very strong. Three years later, he led his army against the State of Yue and caught its king Gou Jian, who was taken to the State of Wu.
Gou Jian was put into a small black stone house which was full of terrible smell and was made to raise(饲养) horses. Gou worked hard and tried to keep himself quiet, but he never forgot his pain. Many years later, he was set free. Gou secretly trained his army after he went back to his own state. In order to make himself strong-minded he slept on firewood and ate a gall bladder before having dinner and going to bed every night. After a few years, his country became strong once more. Then Gou took hold of a golden chance to fight against Wu and won the war in the end.
If one voluntarily(自愿) works very hard and voluntarily stands up to pains and difficulties in order to succeed, we might call him a“Gou Jian”, and his story, a“Gou Jian’s story”.
小题1: Three years later _______ was caught and taken to the state of Wu.

A．Gou Jian

B．Fu Chai

C．Gou Jian’s father

D．Fu Chai’s father

小题2:Gou Jian ________ when he was in the state of Wu.

A．ate gall bladders	B．raised horses
C．trained his army	D．forgot his pain

小题3:Which of the following is TRUE ?

A．The gall bladders tasted good.

B．Gou Jian loved horse-raising.

C．Finally Gou Jian was set free.

D．Finally Fu Chai was set free.

小题4:The story mainly tells us that________

A．a country without a strong army is easy to defeat

B．if someone attacks you , you should just fight back

C．if you fail in doing something, it’s better for you to forget the pain

D．if you face difficulties bravely without giving up , you’ll finally succeed

The centerpiece of curling(冰壶)is the curling stone. Kays of Scotland has been making curling stones since 1851, when William Kay and his sons Andrew and Thomas set up a workshop in Mauchline, Ayrshire, in southwest Scotland. Kays is still owned by the relatives of the founder, and today it is the only curling stone maker left in Scotland.
Used in a highly competitive sport, the curling stones are made to exact standards. First, stones are sliced and then into round “cheeses”. Finally, the cheeses are shaped and polished into curling stones in a series of steps.
Each stone must weigh 44 pounds. Each must have a maximum diameter (直径) of 36 inches. Polishing is done by hand on a wheel using water, diamond-talcum power, and felt. Finishing the stone’s “running edge” is done entirely by hand with a special kind of paper and a digital measure and magnifying glass (放大镜). Lastly, a handle(把手) is fitted into holes on the top of the stone. Stones are computer-matched into pairs. Sixteen stones----8 pairs----are needed for a game, and since curling game field usually have 6 lanes, each game field needs 96 matched stones!
Kays is a small company, employing less than ten skilled workers. Master craftsman and co-owner James Wyllie is skilled at all phases of curling stone making and is also an enthusiastic curler, as well as active member of Mauchline’s Burns Club, which meets regularly to honor well-known Mauchline residents.
小题1:What is true about Kays?

A．It is a family business.

B．It’s a brand(牌子) of curling stones.

C．It’s a place in Scotland.

D．It’s the name of a curling stone dealer(业者).

小题2:How many curling stones are needed for two games happening at the same time?

A．8

B．16

C．32

D．96

小题3:What does the underlined word “sliced” mean in Chinese in the second paragraph?

A．切割

B．镶嵌

C．移开

D．固定

小题4:Which of the following statements is NOT RIGHT according to the passage?

A．Kays of Scotland has been curling stone maker for more than 150 years.

B．The weight of each curling stone must be 44 pounds.

C．We use a special machine to polish the curling stone.

D．The workers in Kays are all experienced.

小题5:What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The history of curling.

B．How to make a curling stone.

C．The rules of curling.

D．How to become a curling stone maker.

.Chris is not a traditional explorer(探险家)—he usually works in an office for a large organization. However, Chris’ job can be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.
Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Border(国界). Since 1971, MFS has sent trained doctors all over the world to help people who have suffered from disasters, such as wars and illnesses. Chris is a doctor from France who has traveled to many places to organize programs that help people.
At the moment, over 27,000 trained doctors have taken part in MSF projects. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be ready to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should face difficulties. Most of MSF’s work is in Africa. When MSF chooses a doctor for a task, they have to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency(紧急的) task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.
But why would doctors leave a comfortable life and a good pay to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience they have is a great help in their life. What’s more, just like the explorers of the past, they need to keep an open mind and learn to get on well with the people they meet. One thing that they can say at the end of any task is that they have made a real difference to people’s lives.
小题1:What may MSF’s work be like?

A．Tiring and boring	B．Exciting and dangerous
C．Relaxing and colorful	D．Peaceful and comfortable

小题2:As a volunteer doctor for MSF, he or she should ________.

A．have worked in Africa for six months

B．have been sent on an emergency task

C．be ready to work for a task for at least half a year

D．have suffered from wars, illnesses or other disasters

小题3:             Why would doctors like to join MSF?

A．Because they can get a good pay.

B．Because they can have a comfortable life.

C．Because they can help others and get experience.

D．Because they can travel abroad with their families.

小题4: What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Chris is a doctor who has organized programs to help people.

B．MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping poor countries.

C．Volunteer doctors make a real difference to their own lives in MSF.

D．MSF offers medical help to people who have suffered from disasters.

根据短文内容，判断正(T)误(F)。
Do you live in a city? Do you know how cities began? Long long ago, the world had only a few thousand people. These people moved from one place to another. They moved over the land, hunting animals for food.
No one knows how or when these people learned about growing food. But when they did, their life changed. They did not have to look for food any longer. They could stay in one place and grow it.
People began to live near one another, so the first village was established (建立). Many people came to live in the villages, and these villages became even larger.
When machines appeared, life in the villages changed again. People built factories. More and more people lived near the factories. The cities began.
Today, it’s strange that some people are moving back to small villages. Can you tell me why?
小题1:People moved from place to place to hunt animals.
小题2:The story says,“No one knows how or when these people learned about growing food. But when they did, their life changed.” In this sentence, the word “they” means people.
小题3:When machines appeared, life in the villages changed again.
小题4:All people like to live only in big cities.
小题5:People built factories after the cities grew big.

Dinner customs are different around the world. If you are a guest in Ghana( 加纳), this information will help you a lot.
In Ghana, dinner is usually from four in the afternoon to six in the evening. But there are no strict rules about time. Whenever a guest arrives, a family offers food. When you go to a home, the person who receives guests takes you to the living room first. At this time everyone welcomes you. Then you go to the dinning room. There you wash your hands in a bowl of water. All the food is on the table.
In Ghana you usually eat with your fingers. You eat from the same dish as everyone else .But you eat from one side of the dish only. It is not polite to get food from the other side of the dish. After dinner, you wash your hands again in a bowl of water.
Most meals in Ghana have a dish called fufu. People in Ghana make fufu from the powder(粉末) of some plants. Sometimes they cut the fufu with a saw(锯子) because it is very hard. You must chew(咀嚼) fufu well, or you may get sick. You eat fufu with the fingers of your right hand only.
小题1:From the passage we know that in Ghana ______________.

A．the rules for dinner time are not strict

B．dinner is always at six in the evening

C．a family offers food only at four in the afternoon

D．people usually invite their guests to dinner late in the evening

小题2:People in Ghana usually eat ________.

A．from one side of a dish to the other

B．from the other side of the dish

C．with their fingers

D．with their spoons

小题3:In fact, most dishes in Ghana _______.

A．are cooked with the powder of some plants

B．have fufu in them

C．are too hard to eat

D．are not very hard

小题4:When you eat fufu, you’d better _________.

A．cut it with a saw

B．use your right hand only

C．chew it well

D．all of the above

小题1:If Mr. Smith goes to visit Stokesay Castle with his 4-year-old daughter, how much     should he pay for the tickets?

A．￡5.00.

B．￡7.50.

C．￡12.50.

D．￡16.50.

小题2:On what day can we visit Stokesay Castle in November?

A．Every day.	B．From Tuesday to Sunday,
C．From Wednesday to Sunday.	D．From Thursday to Sunday.

小题3:What can we do in Stokesay Castle?

A．Take a walk with a pet dog.	B．Do some shopping.
C．Enjoy tea in the tearoom anytime.	D．Get free souvenirs.

There are many clubs in our school. Let me tell you what they are.
Do you like playing tennis? It’s OK if you can’t play tennis. Mr. Qing can teach you. Come and join the tennis club!
Do you like acting? Do you like to work with other young people? Do you want to be in the school play? Come and join the acting club.
Can you dance? Do you like Latin (拉丁) dance or Chinese traditional (传统的) dance? Join the dance club and dance for the Christmas (圣诞节) show.
Do you like French food? Can you speak French? Do you want to learn French? Join the French club now.
根据上面内容判断正误，正确的写（T），错误的写（F）.
小题1:Mr. Qing can teach you French.
小题2:If you join the acting club, you can act in the school play.
小题3:Christmas Day is coming.
小题4:You can learn French in the French club.
小题5:There are three clubs in the school.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon in China. It began on January 23 but not on January 1st. The dragon is a symbol* of power and wealth in Chinese culture. And it is also the sign of the Emperor of China. People born in the Year of the Dragon are active-minded. They show a strong interest in the world around them, and will try their best to make their dreams come true all their lives.
Dragon people are talented while these people enjoy being the center of attention. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. Dragon people are very friendly and if their friends face a problem, they will be there to offer help at once. There are some famous people who were born in the Year of the Dragon, such as the premier* of the Russian Putin and the famous Argentine soccer player Messi. In China, the CEO of Alibaba Group Mayun and movie star Zhouxun are dragon, too.
There are some big events in the Year of the Dragon. In China, the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) * will be held in Beijing in March. The 9th National University Games in Tianjin will happen in September. And soccer fans, they can meet at the 2012 European Cup in June in Poland. And In Britain, the 30th Olympic Games is being held in London on July 27.
小题1:What does “Dragon” stand for in Chinese culture?

A．power

B．wealth

C．the emperor

D．all of the above

小题2:When does the Year of Dragon begin?

A．January 1st.

B．January 23rd

C．January 2nd.

D．January 22nd.

小题3:What will happen in July in London?

A．National People's Congress	B．National University Games
C．2012 European Cup	D．the Olympic Games

小题4:Which of the following is NOT TRUE acorrding to the passage?

A．People born in the Year of the Dragon are active-minded.

B．People born in the Year of the Dragon enjoy being the center of attention.

C．If they face a problem, People born in the Year of the Dragon will give up.

D．If their friends face a problem, people born in the Year of the Dragon will offer help at once.

Did you ever wonder how some of your favorite foods, products or toys came about? Believe it or not, they may have been an accident, or a failure of some other intention. Below, we found three mistakes we’re thankful for turned out to be what they are.

1. Most historians hold that the Chinese invented fireworks in the 9^th century when they discovered how to make gunpowder. Story has it that a Chinese cook accidentally mixed together what were then considered common kitchen items and noticed they burnt. When put tightly in a bamboo tube and lit, it blew up.

2. In May of 1886, a law led John Pemberton, a pharmacist(药剂师), to rewrite the formula(配方) for “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca”, his popular headache treatment. Containing sugar instead of wine as a sweetener, the outcome became something for Coke, which was later mixed with carbonated(碳酸) water. His bookkeeper suggested the name Coca-Cola because he thought the two C’s would look good together, which is how what we call Coca-Cola, a world-wide drink came into being.

3. During World WarⅡ, scientists at the University of Birmingham invented the magnetron(磁控管)—an important heat-producing part of the microwave oven. While working for Raytheon Corporation after the war, the American engineer Percy Spencer was testing the magnetron when a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. He went on to test other foods including popcorn kernels(仁), and found it to be a much more efficient way to cook. In 1947 Raytheon came out with the first restaurant microwave oven, which was six feet tall and weighed 750 lbs.
小题1:The right time order of the three inventions should be ________.

A．fireworks, the microwave and Coca-Cola

B．fireworks, Coca-Cola and the microwave

C．Coca-Cola, fireworks and the microwave

D．the microwave, Coca-Cola and fireworks

小题2:Percy Spencer found the microwave efficient in cooking when he was ________.

A．looking for a way to melt his chocolate

B．trying to know how a magnetron could cook

C．working to know how the magnetron works

D．asked to invent a restaurant microwave oven

小题3:The underlined phrase “ blew up” might mean _______ in Chinese.

A．爆炸

B．膨胀

C．升华

D．蒸发

小题4:What can we learn from the above invention stories?

A．Experiments make great inventors of our time.

B．Nothing is impossible if one tries each day.

C．Inventors come out of hard work at any time.

D．A small incident may lead to a great invention.