"My kids really understand solar and earth-heat energy," says a second-grade teacher in Saugus,
California. "Some of them are building solar collectors for their energy course." These young scientists
are part of City Building Educational Program (CBEP), a particular program for kindergarten through
twelfth grade that uses the stages of city planning to teach basic reading, writing and math skills, and
more.
     The children don't just plan any city. They map and analyze (分析) the housing, energy, and
transportation requirements of their own district and foretell its needs in 100 years. With the aid of an
architect (建筑师) who visits the classroom once a week, they invent new ways to meet these needs
and build models of their creations. " Designing building of the future gives children a lot of freedom,"
says the teacher who developed this program."They are able to use their own rich imagination and
inventions without fear of blame, because there are no wrong answers in a future context. In fact, as
the class enters the final model-building stage of the program, an elected 'official' and 'planning group'
make all the design decisions for the model city, and the teacher steps back and becomes an adviser."
     CBEP is a test of activities, games and imitations that teach the basic steps necessary for
problem-solving: observing, analyzing, working out possible answers, and judging them based on the
children's own standards.

1. The Program is designed _______. 

A. to direct kids to build solar collectors
B. to train young scientists for city planning
C. to develop children's problem-solving abilities
D. to help young architects know more about designing

2. An architect pays a weekly visit to the classroom _______.

A. to find out kids' creative ideas
B. to discuss with the teacher
C. to give children lectures
D. to help kids with their program

3. Who is the designer of the program?

A. An official
B. An architect
C. A teacher
D. A scientist

4. The children feel free in the program because _______.

A. they can design future buildings themselves
B. they have new ideas and rich imagination
C. they are given enough time to design models
D. they need not worry about making mistakes

     We experience different forms of the Sun's energy every day. We can see its light and feel its warmth.
The Sun is the major source of evaporation (蒸发) of water from the oceans and lakes. Sunlight also provides
the energy used by green plants to make their own food. These green plants then provide food for all
organisms (生物) on the Earth.
     Much of the energy that comes from the Sun never reaches the Earth's surface. It is either reflected or
absorbed by the gases in the upper atmosphere. Of the energy that reaches the lower atmosphere, 30% is
reflected by clouds or the Earth's surface. The remaining 70% warms the surface of the planet, causes water
to evaporate, and provides energy for the water cycle and weather. Only a tiny part, approximately 0.023%,
is actually used by green plants to produce food.
     Many gases found in the atmosphere actually reflect heat energy escaping from the Earth's surface back
to the Earth. These gases act like the glass of a greenhouse in that they allow energy from the Sun to enter
but prevent energy from leaving. They are therefore called greenhouse gases.
     When sunlight strikes an object, some of the energy is absorbed and some is reflected. The amount reflected
depends on the surface. For example, you've probably noticed how bright snow is when sunlight falls on it.
Snow reflects most of the energy from the Sun, so it contributes to the low temperatures of winter. Dark-
coloured surfaces, such as dark soil or forest, absorb more energy and help warm the surrounding air.

1. According to the passage, the root cause for weather changes on the Earth is ______.

A. the atmosphere surrounding the Earth
B. water from oceans and lakes
C. energy from the Sun
D. greenhouse gases in the sky

2. Only a small part of the Sun's energy reaches the Earth's surface because most of it ______.

A. absorbed by the clouds in the lower atmosphere
B. reflected by the gases in the upper atmosphere
C. lost in the upper and lower atmosphere
D. used to evaporate water from the oceans and lakes

3. We learn from the passage that ______.

A. all living things on the Earth depend on the Sun for their food
B. a forest looks dark in winter because it absorbs solar energy
C. only 0.023% of the energy from the Sun is made use of on the Earth
D. greenhouse gases allow heat energy to escape from the Earth's surface

     An epidemic (流行病) of the use of street-culture language broke out in some English exams, according
to examiners.
     A report said there were "a surprising number of small mistakes" in standard (标准) English. It asked
teachers that they should prevent pupils from using "street language and text style", adding, "Most answers
require formal expression of language."
     "Many concerns were expressed by examiners about basic errors, often appearing in the work of clearly
able students," the report continued.
     It added that the use of street and text language "appeared with surprisingly regularity in the work of
students who clearly desired a higher grade".
     "Most answers require formal expression but even when an informal style is appropriate--students should
know the examination context and, in particular, should not use street language and text style." it said.
     There is rising concern about pupils' writing skills, especially among boys. National test results for 11-year-
old boys' writing standards had fallen this year. Only 55 percent reached the level expected of an 1l-year-old
by the time they left primary school, the results showed.
     Many educationalists are now arguing that teachers should also think of ways of improving writing
standards.
     The report said spelling was "in general inconsistent (不一致)" and "variety of vocabulary and of sentence
structure is often limited". It went on, "Punctuation (标点符号) errors continue to be widespread."
     However, it added, "Some examiners felt that this year they had met an improvement in the whole structure
of students' writing."

1. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. The street-culture language is being examined in English exams.
B. Street language is appearing in the standard English exams.
C. The English say no to the street-culture language in daily life.
D. What the street-culture language is in England.

2. The underlined word "appropriate" (in Paragraph 5) means " _____".

A. comfortable
B. possible
C. acceptable
D. valuable

3. What problems concerned examiners?

A. Small mistakes in spelling and punctuation.
B. Limited vocabulary of boy pupils.
C. Teachers teaching writing skills.
D. Poor sentence structure, and errors in spelling and standard English.

4. How does the author feel in writing this passage?

A. worried but positive
B. worried and negative
C. concerned and sad
D. warm and excited

5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. In English exams, most answers require informal expression of language.
B. When an informal style is correct, the students are allowed to use it.
C. Boys' writing skills are worse than those of girls in England.
D. There is no improvement in the whole structure of students' writing.

     A teacher is a person who plays the most important role in the develoment of human beings. The future
of any student depends on the qualities (品质) and dedication (贡献) of a teacher. It is a famous saying that
"A teacher is like a light-house which shows the right path to people in darkess". So to be a teacher is in fact
a great responsibility and it's not easy.
     A good teacher, first of all, must like working with people. He or she must have a great enthusiasm for
the subject being taught-even if you aren't a great expert in a special subject, you can still teach it well if you
enjoy teaching knowledge and are good at communicating with other people.
     As far as nature is involved, the one quality a good teacher must have is patience. You must never be angry
with students because they don't understand something or _____. You must have a sense of humor and create
an atmosphere where everyone knows they can ask questions, try out new ideas and maybe make mistakes.
     Finally, a good teacher must be in charge of the class. It's very good if the students decide some aspects of
how learning takes place, what they learn etc., but the classroom is a much happier and more interesting place
if everyone knows that the teacher is a professional (专业人才), who knows what he is doing and can be
trusted (信赖) to run the lesson effectively. It's the teacher's responsibility to keep the class going. So a good
teacher should be good at dealing with all kinds of situations in class.

1. What is the best title for the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.)
    _______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
    A teacher must be patient with his students, which is the first imprtant quality of a good teacher.
    _______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please fill in the blank in the third paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please
    answer within 10 words.)
    _______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Accoding to the passage,what qualities should a good teacher have? (Please answer within 30 words.)
    _______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the second paragraph into Chinese.
    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize
your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam? 　　
    Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen's work.    1    What they look for is your patience-
to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen
to express her worries and fears, but don't let them focus on those fears. 　　
    Help them get organized.    2   Together, you and your teen can work out a timetable in which she can
study for what she knows will be on the test. 　　
    Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect her privacy. Give them a
nutritious diet. It is important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do
her best.    3    If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. 　　　
       4    Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and/or do something active when she needs a real break
from studying. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying
to spend time with friends or rest. 　　
    Show a positive attitude.    5    Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen's pressure. Make
your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all
right, no matter what the results are.

A. A parent's attitude will dictate their teen's emotions.
B. Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.
C. They will only make the situation worse.
D. Encourage your teen to relax.
E. The best thing is simply to listen.
F. Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly.
G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

     We all know that teenagers like to sleep late. But more and more research is showing that this is not
just a preference - or even the result of late-night studying or instant messaging - but is rooted in their
biological rhythms (节律). All of this would be little more than an interesting observation except that most
high schools start so early, and so many teenagers are having a hard time staying awake.
     A recent article in The Times cited a National Sleep Foundation survey in which more than a quarter
of the students reported that they fell asleep in class at least once a week. Researchers say this is true
because youngsters - beginning around age 12 until they reach their mid-20s-only start producing
melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone (荷尔蒙), around 11:00 pm and that production lasts until about 7:00 am. In adults, melatonin lasts to around 4:00 am. Trying to wake up a teenager before 7:00 am is
like trying to awake an adult before 4:00 am.
     The obvious remedy (补救) would be for high schools to start later-well, after 8:00 am. A handful of
schools that have switched have reported beneficial results. School officials in Minneapolis say that
attendance improved and students' grades rose slightly after they changed to start at 8:40 am several
years ago. In Wilton, Conn., where the high school start time was pushed back to 8:20 am from 7:35 am,
teachers and parents reported better student behavior and greater alertness (活泼). Surveys of students
in both districts indicated that they did not use the later starts as an excuse to go to bed later.
     Numerous districts have considered the idea of later high school hours, only to drop it because of
fierce adult opposition. Coaches complain that the later classroom hours in the afternoon would take time
from their training programs and teams' success. School bus companies would be forced to change their
schedules. And many parents complained that they would have to adjust their own schedules.
     Many schools officials say more research is needed. We're all for that and for remembering that the
goal is to educate youngsters-and for that they need to be awake.

1. According to the new research, teenagers like to sleep late because _________ .

A. their biological systems make them do so
B. they waste too much rest time sending instant messages
C. they prefer to stay in bed rather than get up early  
D. they have to study till late at night

2. We can learn from the second paragraph that melatonin makes ________ .

A. youngsters awake after 7:00 am
B. youngsters sleepy before 7:00 am
C. adults sleepy after 4:00 am        
D. adults awake after 4:00 am

3. The third paragraph is written to show that _________ .

A. many high schools start after 8:00 am
B. later high school start time made students go to bed late
C. students don't go to bed late even though they have later high school hours
D. later high school start time is a very effective measure

4. According to the passage, who are fiercely against later high school hours?
① School team coaches.  
② Many parents.  
③ School teachers.
④ School bus companies.

A. ①②③    
B. ①②④    
C. ①③④  
D. ②③④

5. We can infer from the passage that the author's attitude towards later high school hours is ______ .

A. unclear  
B. negative      
C. uninterested    
D. positive  

     The great Snipe is a little shore bird-not one that would be considered a great athlete. However, a
recent study has shown that these slightly fat birds not only fly nonstop for long periods of time during
their annual migration, but do so at record speeds.
     The brown migratory birds (候鸟) that are about the size of a pigeon (鸽子) spend their summers in
Eastern Europe and winters in Central Africa, a distance of about 2,800 to 4,000 miles. In May 2009, a
team of researchers led by Dr. Raymond Klaasen from Sweden's Lund University fitted ten Great Snipes with tiny geo-locating devices (装置) that allow scientists to figure out when and where the birds travel,
and let them loose. The following year they found three of the birds and took back the devices. What
they discovered was quite stunning.
     All three birds had flown nonstop to Central Africa in August of 2009-one had flown 4,225 miles in
just 3.5 days. The second one had covered a distance of 3,833 miles in three days, while the third had
managed to fly 2,870 miles in a mere 48 hours or two days. Even more surprising was that these birds
had traveled at speeds that averaged about 50 miles per hour-making it the fastest known migration ever.
     While many birds migrate longer distances, they do so over a period of a few months, resting and
feeding in between. However, despite the fact the Great Snipe has plenty of opportunities, it does not
stop. And they do the entire flight with their own power, with no assistance from the wind. The tiny bird
is able to make this unbelievable direct flight because of all the fat it gradually gathers in its body, which it
then uses as fuel.
     Native no North Eastern Europe, Great Snipes live in marshlands and wet meadows (沼泽地和湿草地). But they are also on the list of endangered animals because of loss of habitat.

1.What is the text mainly about?

A. A new device used to follow birds
B. A recent research on endangered birds
C. A unique migration route of birds
D. An unusual species of migratory bird

2. The underlined word"stunning"in Paragraph 2 can best be replaced by "______".

A. amazing
B. worrying
C. disappointing
D. fascinating

3. What do we know about the three birds scientists found?

A. The second spent the least time flying
B. They could fly about 1,200 miles a day
C. The third flew the slowest among the three.
D. They started their journey from Central Africa

4. During their migration, Great Snipes _____.

A. frequently pause to feed
B. fly with the help of the wind
C. use the fat in their body as fuel
D. sometimes take the opportunity to rest

5. This text can be classified as _____.

A. humorous
B. explanatory
C. novelistic
D. poetic