YOU may feel curious about students in other countries: Do they also have so much homework? What do they do in their spare time?
   On April 8, a report came out on the lives of high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the US. It surveyed around 6,200 students from the four countries last year. You will find the answers to many of your questions in this report.
Who studies hardest?
    Chinese students spend the most time studying. Nearly half of Chinese students spend more than two
hours on their homework every day. That's much more than students of the US (26.4%), Japan (8.2%)
and South Korea (5.2%).
Who sleeps most often in class?
    Japanese students fall asleep in class most often. About 45% of them said they sometimes doze off in
class. In South Korea, it's 32%; in the US, 21%; and 5% in China.
South Korean students don't like taking notes. About 70% said they write down what the teacher says in
class, many fewer than in Japan (93%), China (90%) and the US (89%).
Who is the most distracted (分心的)?
    American students are the most active in class, but also the most distracted: 64.2% said they chat with
friends in class; 46.9% said they eat snacks in class; and 38.9% said they send e-mails or read unrelated (无关的) books in class.
What do they do after school?
   In their spare time, most Chinese students study or surf the Internet. Most American students hang out
with their friends. Most Japanese students do physical exercises. Most Korean students watch TV.

1. The report is about ___________.

A. the countries    
B. the subjects    
C. the students' lives  
D. the high schools

2. What country isn't mentioned in the report?

A. The US      
B. South Korea    
C .Japan        
D. India

3. _______ of the Chinese students spend more than two hours on their homework.

A. 26.4 %        
B. 8.2 %          
C. 5.2 %        
D. 48.6 %

4. What of the following sentences is Not true?

A .The survey from the four countries was made last year.
B. Most Japanese students do physical exercises after school.
C .About half of the American students chat with freinds in class
D. The students in South Korean don't like taking notes in class.

     Having Fun "Growing" and "Stealing"?
     Recently, an Internet game has become a new fashion among young office workers and students.
People can "farm" on a piece of "land" and "grow'', "sell" or even "steal" "vegetables", "flowers" and
"fruits" on the Net. They can earn some e-money and buy more "seeds", "pets" and even "houses".
Joyce interviewed some young people. Here are their opinions.
     Harold: I don't quite understand why they are so mad about the childish game, Maybe they are just
not confident enough to face the real world.
     Allan: I enjoy putting some "bugs" in my friends' gardens and we've become closer because of the 
game. Having fun together is the most exciting thing about it.
     Laura: You know, people in the city are longing for (渴望) the life in the countryside. It reduces my 
work  pressure (压力); besides, it gives me the exciting experience of being a "thief".
     Ivy: Well. it's just a waste of time. Teenagers playing the game spend so many hours on it that they
can not focus on (专注于) their study.
1. Among the people Joyce interviewed, _______ likes the game while _______ dislikes the game.
A. Laura; Allan
B. Allan; Harold      
C. Harold; Ivy  
D. Ivy; Allan
2. Which is NOT the reason why people like the game?
A. They are longing for country life．          
B. They can have fun with friends．
C. The game can relax people and give them a new experience．
D. They are confident enough to face the real world.
3. Where can you find this passage?
A. In a car magazine．    
B. In an advertisement．
C. In a newspaper        
D. In a science book

     Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true.    
     Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to
communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge
the generation gap (消除代沟).    
     Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your
parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express
yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are
unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can
speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.    
     Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something.
You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Michael’s mother
did’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to
a compromise. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days.    Of course,
your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important
to show love and respect (尊敬) to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship(关系) strong.    
     Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those
of your own.Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values might help
them see your purposes in life.    A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and
happier person. It is worth having a try! 

1. The passage tells us_____ have a communication problem.  

A. parents and other people    
B. school kids and their parents  
C. teachers and their students    
D. parents and children of all ages

2. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you _____.  

A. don’t get to them often
B. write a letter to them  
C. don’t speak to them politely
D. express yourself well

3. The underlined phrase “cool off” in the passage means “_____”. 

A. to make yourself happy
B. to get you quiet and relaxed  
C. to have a good rest
D. to hide yourself quickly

4. If there’s really a generation gap between you and your parents, you’d better _____.  

A. have a talk with them often
B. keep away from them  
C. agree with them all the time
D. know about their values

5. From the passage we learn that _____.  

A. parents and children should not have a generation gap  
B. parents should show love and respect to their children  
C. there are some good ways to bridge the generation gap  
D. there are so many serious problems in families today

     Can you imagine a world without the Internet? It's surprising to think about it.
     Now, China has more than 162 million Internet users, according to the China Internet Network
Information Centre. This is the second highest number of user in the world after the United States.
Today, 66% of Chinese "netizens (网民)" are teenagers. "They spend about thirteen hours every week
online," said Qian Hulin, an Internet expert(专家). Doctor Song in Beijing Xuanwu Hospital said about
14% of Chinese netizens who are teens often lasted over ten hours to play online games.
     The main reasons why teenagers surf the Web are to search for information, to communicate with
others and to have fun. On the Internet, teenagers can find out almost anything. And surfing the Web can
help students with their homework and widen their knowledge.
     Li Dong, a teacher at No. 41 Middle School in Shijiazhuang, likes her students to use the Internet.
"When we talk in class, students who surf the Net usually know more background information than the
others," she said.
     In addition, people can use the Internet to write letters or stories and send emails. Many teens keep
in touch with their friends online. It is cheaper than phoning somebody far away and also much quicker.
1.   ________ has the most Internet users in the world according to the article.
A. China      
B. America    
C. Canada      
D. Russia
2. There are about ________ Chinese netizens to surf about 13 hours every week.
A. 107 million old              
B. 22.7 million old
C. 107 million young            
D. 22.7 million young
3. Li Dong in No. 41 Middle School likes her students to use the Internet because she ________.
A. thinks surfing the net can help students spend less time on homework
B. thinks her students can get more background information than the others
C. wants her students to talk to her about their hobbies and interests
D. wants to know what her students do and think about at home
4. Which way is the cheapest and quickest to learn something about friends far away?
A. Giving them a call.          
B. Going to see them.
C. Writing a letter to them.    
D. Sending e-mails to them.

     Do you know March 14th is International Police Day. The traffic police is just one group. No matter if
it is in  summer  o____1____ in winter, a holiday or a w___2____, we can see policemen w___3___ the
traffic at the crossroads on the main roads.
     There are over1.9 million policemen in our country. It is a day for us to s___4__ our respect for police, the people who keep m___5___ of families safe. Other police have different duties. Some are firefighters. Some watch out for bad guys and s___6___ crimes. Others keep the p___7___. Special police d___8___ with unexpected events. A good special policeman n___9_____ a strong body as w___10____ as rich
knowledge and many skills. He has to learn laws, science, shooting, driving and climbing.
     To keep people safe,  Chinese  police put their lives at risk. Since 1990 more than  15,000 policemen
have lost their lives. Another 20,000 were hurt in doing jobs.

      American school life is different(和…不同)from Chinese. American students usually get to school at around 8:30 in the morning. School starts at 9:00. They put their school bags in their lockers(柜子)and only take one book, one notebook and one pen to each class. In class, American students can sit in their seats(座位)when they answer their teachers’ questions. They often ask lots of questions in class.
      At around 12:00 students have lunch. American students don’t go home for lunch. They have it at school. Most students like chicken, hot dogs or hamburgers. At 13:00 in the afternoon, they begin to have classes. Their classes are usually over at 15:00. Then they join in school clubs or play sports.

1. American School starts at ______ in the morning.
A. eight thirty            
B. nine o’clock    
C. nine thirty
2. American students usually ______ in class.
A. eat lots of chicken      
B. read lots of books      
C. ask lots of questions
3. American students often ______ at 15:30 on weekdays(工作日).
A. play sports      
B. have classes      
C. eat lunch
4. The best title(标题)of this passage is “______”.
A. American School Clubs
B. American School Life
C. American School Dinner

     Usually, Chinese baby gets a surname (姓) from his or her parents' family name, most often the father's. Then the family chooses a given name for the newborn.
The given name will have one or two Chinese characters, though recently, people have begun to choose
some three-character given names. Chinese given names are meant to have special meanings and often
express the parents' wishes for the child, for example, Jiankang (health) and Xingfu (happiness). Some
refer to birthplace, birth time or a natural phenomenon (现象), such as Jing (Beijing), Chen (morning),
Dong (winter) and Xue (snow).
     Meanings in given names also show the culture of an era (时代). In the old days, given names such as Wangcai (making the family prosperous and rich) were popular. During the 1950s and 1960s, many boys had given names such as "building the country" (Jianguo) and "celebrating National Day" (Guoqing). A
study showed that there were 290,000 Jianguos in the late 1960s. At that time, girls were often named
for flowers like Guihua and Hehua.
     The reform and opening policies (改革开放政策) in the late 1970s gave more choices for given names, such as Bo (搏), and Yuhang (宇航). Parents wanted their children to learn more and have big dreams. In 2008, thousands of newborn babies were named Aoyun (Olympics) because of the Beijing Olympic
Games. The 2010 Shanghai World Expo made Shibo (世博) a popular given name. Over 6,200 newborn babies were named Shibo in the first nine months of 2010, according to Xinhua News Agency.

1. The given names in China can show the _____of an era.

A. life
B. culture
C. health
D. Interest

2. What does the name "Jianguo" mean?

A. Celebrating the National Day of China.
B. Celebrating the building of New China.
C. Wishing the family to make a lot of money.
D. Wishing the person to be as beautiful as a flower.

3. The parents may name their child _____if they hope he/she will be an astronaut.

A. Guihua
B. Aoyun
C. Shibo
D. Yuhang

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to name a newborn baby.
B. What makes a good Chinese name.
C. Chinese given names then and now.
D. The history of Chinese family names.

     Americans think that travel is good for you . Some even think it can help to solve one of the country’s worst problems—crime .
     Crime worries a lot of people . Every year , the number of crimes goes up and up . They often come
from sad homes , with only one parent at all . There are problems with alcohol(酒精) and drugs(毒品).
     There are many young criminals in prison . But prison doesn’t change them-60 to 70 percent will go
back to crime after they are out of prison .
     One man , Bob Burton , thought of a new idea . In the old days , young men had to live a hard life on
the road . They learnt to be strong and brave , and to help their friends in time of danger . This helped
them to grow into men . So Bob started "Vision Quest ".
     He takes young criminals on a long , long journey with horses and wagons(四轮马车) 3,000 miles
through 7 states . They are on the road for more than one year .
     The young people on "Vision Quest " all have bad problems . Most of them have already spent time in
prison . This is the last chance .
     It’s hard work on the road . The day starts before the sun comes up . The boys and girls have to feed
the horses . Some of them have never loved anyone before . But they can love their horses . That love can help them to a new life .
     Not all young people in “Vision Quest” will leave crime behind them , 30 or 40 percent will be in the
prison again . But that’s a lot better than 60 to 70 percent . Bob is right . Travel can be good for you .
Even today , Americans still say , " Go west , young men . "

1.According to the passage , travel is good for you because it can _______ .
A. change the way of life      
B. help to reduce criminals  
C. make your body strong      
D. get rid of crimes completely
2. Criminals’ characters include_______ .
a. A lot of them are young .  
b. They often don’t have a good family .  
c. They may often drink wine too much and take drugs .
A. a , b        
B. a , c      
C. b , c        
D. a , b , c
3. The young people on “Vision Quest ” have to _______ .
A. get up early and feed the horses      
B. sleep together with their horses  
C. love a comfortable life             
D. work all day and all night
4. The underlined sentence "Go west , young men . " in the last paragraph means _______ .
A. travel can help young men learn how to feed horses  
B. people can learn to be strong and brave on a long journey
C. people can learn how give up smoking on their journey
D. scenes in the west are very beautiful
5. Which of the following is true ?
A. Many young criminals are changed by Bob’s new idea .
B. Young criminals all live a happy life on “Vision Quest”
C. Young criminals are becoming fewer and fewer now
D. All criminals do better after they come out of prison

     If I had one million Yuan, I would buy  you  a  palace!  Do I have one million Yuan? No, I don't．So I
only can spend ten fens on this short message, sending you my best wishes!
    Today SMS-Short Message  Service is  popular,  and China Mobile  says that every second, there are
410 messages being sent．
    Look around  you! People are  watching their mobiles, smiling  or laughing．Thumbs(拇指) are moving
quickly on mobiles, bringing happiness to their friends．Through SMS, we know the weather report, share jokes and news, express love and friendship．
    SMS is  becoming more  and  more  popular．If  reported that 67％of young people like to send short
messages to greet each other．Internet SMS will be more helpful to people．I'm thankful for the progress because SMS saves me much money．Just on the top of the thumb, so much joy can be found．

1．SMS can help people do the followings except ________．

A．knowing the weather report      
B．sharing jokes and news
C．expressing love and friendship    
D．spending more time traveling

2．The writer thinks that ________．

A．SMS helps people a lot            
B．young people dislike SMS
C．he makes SMS more popular      
D．he will buy a palace for his friend

3．_______ of young people like to send short messages to greet each other．

A．40％      
B．50％      
C．60％      
D．67％

4．The passage is mainly about _________．

A．How to search Internet          
B．how to send short message
C．the joy (快乐) of SMS    
D．ways of saving money

5．Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?

A．The writer has one million Yuan．
B．The writer spends ten fens on this short message．
C．More than 400 people send messages every second．
D．Internet SMS will be more helpful to people．