The most talked about earthquake in the United States was in San Francisco in 1906. Over 700 people died in it. The strongest one in North America was in 1964. It happened in Alaska.

Strong earthquakes are not always the ones that kill the most people. In 1755, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded was felt in Portugal. Around 2,000 people died.

In 1923, a very strong earthquake hit Tokyo, Yokohama area of Japan. A hundred and forty thousand people died. Most of them died in fires which followed the earthquake.

One of the worst earthquakes ever was in China in 2008. It killed a large number of people. The worst earthquake ever reported was also in China, in which 400,000 people were killed or injured. This earthquake happened in 1556.

Earthquakes worry people a lot. The reason is that we often do not know when they are coming. People cannot prepare for earthquakes.

【1】Earthquakes happen _____.

A.in all the places in the world

B.only in the countries that have a lot of mountains

C.regularly in most places in the world

D.only in a few places along the coast

【2】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A.The stronger the earthquake is, the more people are killed.

B.Earthquakes often come unexpectedly.

C.Earthquakes can cause fires.

D.People still don't know how to tell when an earthquake will come.

【3】When and where was the worst earthquake ever reported?

A.In 1964 in Alaska.B.In 1556 in China.

C.In 1923 in Japan.D.In 2008 in China.

【4】What may be talked about in the seventh paragraph?

A.How do earthquakes worry people?

B.What will people do to prepare for earthquakes?

C.How can we save people when earthquakes happen?

D.How do earthquakes happen?

“When you die,God takes care of you like your mother did. When you were alive,only God doesn’t yell at you all the time.’’(Beth,9)

“When you die,they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven,but your body can’t go to heaven because it’s too crowded there already.” (Jimmy, 8)

“Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go where it’s hot all the time like in Florida. ” (Judy,9)

“Doctors help you so you won’t die until you pay their bills.”(Stephanie,9)

I've observed that the loss of a loved one can be one of the most difficult things we humans can face. I’ve known friends of sick and dying people to sit by a bedside or in a hospital room for hours,even days, at a time. I've seen food in homes of people who are dying overflow from kitchen to dining room—food brought by comforting friends from church and con cerned neighbours. And I've observed friends just listen for as long as it takes.

When U.S. Congressman Sam Rayburn (1882—1961) discovered that he was ill,he announced to the House of Representatives he was going home to Texas for medical tests. Some wondered why he did not stay in Washington where there were excellent medical facilities. His answer was a beautiful tribute (颂词) to friendship:"Bonham is a place where people know it when you’re sick,and where they care when you die. ”

No one wants to go through difficult times alone. So Rayburn traded the best of medical technology for the closeness of loving friends. He knew that good friends are good medicine. Often the best.

【1】According to the passage, the four children's answers show .

A. they have the same idea on death

B. they have different opinions on death

C. they have experienced death

D. they have the loss of their parents

【2】What’s the opinion of the author on friendship?

A. Caring friends is necessary in times of happiness.

B. Caring friends is necessary in time of trouble.

C. It’s easy for human to face the loss of a relative.

D. Everyone needs to face the loss of a friend.

【3】What was Sam Rayburn most concerned about when ill?

A. The closeness of loving friends.

B. The medical examination.

C. The excellent medical facilities.

D. The development of his home.

【4】What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Friendship Cannot Stand Always on One Side.

B. A Friend Is Easier Lost Than Found.

C. True Friendship Lasts Forever.

D. Good Friends Are Good Medicine.

【1】Where does the conversation probably take place?

A. At a phone store.

B. At the woman’s house.

C. In a coffee bar.

【2】Why does the woman look upset?

A. She is poor at singing songs.

B. She did not sleep well last night.

C. She has trouble in learning Chinese.

【3】How long has the woman been learning Chinese?

A. Several months.

B. One month.

C. Two weeks.

【4】What did the man do yesterday?

A. He discovered a new website.

B. He download a song.

C. He bought a new iPad.

www.activelife.co.uk

This site is perfect for those who like to combine (结合) living a healthy lifestyle with enjoying the countryside. You can get a list of locations that offer routes for cycling. There is also information on cycling competitions in Britain.

www.fitnet.co.uk

Steve Amos started this site for busy people wanting to keep fit. Fill in a quiz (测验) and Steve will create a fitness programme for you. Although Steve’s fee is high, you can email him for advice whenever you want. Besides, Steve has designed many fitness clothes, which anyone can order.

www.fitnessonline.co.uk

This is a free government website that encourages people to keep fit. It gives diet advice, and allows you to work through a fitness programme without leaving your house. It also offers advice on equipment to buy and has a chat room, where you can compare experiences with others.

www.sportsarena.co.uk

This website tells you how you can keep fit at this group of London sports centres. You don’t have to be a member — these centres run a pay-as-you-go system. They all have a pool and gym. The website includes information about locations, opening times and prices.

www.NAG.co.uk

The National Athletics Group is a site for people interested in athletics. It allows you to find out where your nearest athletics club is and provides information about races and other athletics events around the country. There is a popular chat room where athletes exchange (交流) suggestions and ideas.

【1】Which of the following websites has information on cycling competitions?

A.www.sportsarena.co.uk.B.www.activelife.co.uk.

C.www. fitnessonline.co.uk.D.www.fitnet.co.uk.

【2】What can we learn about Steve Amos?

A.He always helps people for free.

B.He started the site to sell fitness clothes.

C.He is unwilling to answer people’s emails.

D.He offers services to busy people who want to keep fit.

【3】What can people do on www.NAG.co.uk?

A.Search for the best gym.B.Buy sports equipment they need.

C.Communicate with other athletes.D.Find information about indoor sports.

The new study identifies the major sources of plastic trash and names the top 20 countries producing the greatest amount of ocean trash. The United States is 20th. The rest of the list includes l1 Asian countries, Turkey, five African countries, and Brazil.

The size of the difference is huge --- 20 to 2,000 times more than the amount of floating trash. To make the figure eight million tons understandable, Jenna Jambeck, who led the study, compares it to lining up five grocery bags of trash on every foot of coastline around the globe. "And by 2025, those five grocery bags of plastic are going to be ten bags," she says. That would be 155 million tons a year if present trash management practices remain the same."

Ocean plastic has turned up everywhere. It has been found in the deep sea and buried in Arctic ice with terrible consequences for some 700 species of wildlife in the ocean.

The study has also created a new mystery. Because what flows into the ocean is so large, scientists now have to figure out where else it collects and in what amounts. "But what we need to do now is close the gap." says Richard Thompson, a scientist from the U.K.

【1】What is the most serious problem concerning ocean trash?

A.There is no way to get rid of it,.

B.Eight million tons of trash goes into the ocean.

C.A lot more trash may be put into the ocean in the future.

D.The way to measure ocean trash hasn 't been found.

【2】Jenna Jambeck explains the seriousness of ocean trash mainly by ______.

A.showing the causesB.describing a process

C.making comparisonsD.making a classification

【3】The underlined part “the gap” in the last paragraph refers to the difference between ______.

A.what is harmless and what is dangerous

B.what is on the surface and what is in the deep sea

C.what is found and what can be recycled

D.what is from America and what is from other countries

【4】Which of the following can best describe the author 's tone in writing the text?

A.Doubtful.B.Hopeless.C.Critical.D.Concerned.

【1】（小题1）On what does the man agree with the woman?

A. Finding a nice roommate isn’t easy.

B. It isn’t necessary to have another roommate.

C. Their host doesn’t like meeting new people.

【2】（小题2）Why does the woman mention Wimbledon?

A. She met a really rude host there.

B. She lives with untidy persons there.

C. She rented a shabby apartment there.

【3】（小题3）What kind of person would the man like to have as a roommate?

A. A quiet man.

B. A clean person.

C. A foreign student.

【1】How long did Westlife last?

A. 14 years.

B. 19 years.

C. 21 years.

【2】Which of the following songs was Westlife’s first single?

A. Flying Without Wings. B. If I Let You Go. C. Swear It Again.

【3】Which country didn’t Westlife try to break into?

A. America. B. Australia. C. Britain.

【4】How many top-ten singles did Westlife achieve?

A. Ten. B. Twenty-four. C. Thirty-four.

【1】D___________ to her work, she rarely rests at weekends.

【2】Our new manager is very serious while our f___________ one is quite humorous.

【3】The city is considering setting up a nature r__________ to protect forest animals.

【4】The team lost the last two games, but they are still _____________ (相信) of winning the championship.

【5】A new witness will be called by the lawyer to speak in d____________ of his client.

【6】By c_____________, every man in the room was named Fred.

【7】Many overseas Chinese families still p______________ the tradition of having a dinner together on the eve of the Spring Festival.

【8】Are French wines really ______________ (更好) to British ones?

【9】When the a____________ of an office is pleasant, the people are happier and they work better.

【10】It took two years _________ (总共) to construct the bridge.

Please Touch Children’s Museum

This museum lies in Philadelphia. It offers Alice in Wonderland exhibits where young children can play with giant flowers and have tea parties. Kids can also play on musical instruments and babies can crawl on lily pads, which make musical sounds.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

This museum lies in Indiana. It holds a fair share of dinosaur fossils (化石). There are many fossils like the teenage T. Rex, Bucky and many others in an 8,000-square-foot area. Around 10,000 man-made objects, including a 55-ton steam engine and a 33-foot-tall water clock, are there in the 365,000-square-foot area. It also offers activities like dinosaur building, camps and classes featuring space themes and other educational programs.

Boston Children’s Museum

This museum lies in Massachusetts. The exhibits here are of health, art, science, culture and environment. In this museum, children also learn about Japanese culture. Activities like Play Lab, New Balance Climb and The Recycle Shop bring out the creativity in children.

National Museum of Play

This museum, which lies in Rochester area of New York, has a wide collection of dolls, games, toys and other home crafts dating back to the 19th century. Here, educational tours include stories of machines and other toys. Kids can walk in Sesame Street exhibit and cook food at play or TV studios.

Children’s Museum of Houston

This museum lies in Texas. Termed as the best playground for mind, this museum offers scores of activities for kids of every age. It even offers free family adventure events where families with their kids are encouraged to work on maths activities and games. Children also learn about broadcasting activities and preserving ecosystems.

【1】One who has interest in environmental protection can choose to visit _______ .

A.National Museum of Play or Children’s Museum of Houston

B.Please Touch Children’s Museum or Boston Children’s Museum

C.Boston Children’s Museum or Children’s Museum of Houston

D.The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis or National Museum of Play

【2】While visiting National Museum of Play, you can take part in _______.

A.dinosaur buildingB.cooking food at play or TV studios

C.playing with giant flowersD.New Balance Climb

【3】If a couple with kids of different ages want to do activities together, they should go to ______.

A.TexasB.IndianaC.New YorkD.Massachusetts

【4】Who might be most interested in this passage?

A.Researchers.B.Students.C.Teachers.D.Parents.