My dream ended when I was born. Although I never knew it then, I just held on to something that would never come to pass. Dreams really do exist. But in the morning when you wake up, they are remembered just as a dream. That is what happened to me.

I always had the dream to dance like a beautiful ballerina（芭蕾舞女演员）turning around and around and hearing people applaud for me. When I was young, I would turn around and around in the fields of wildflowers that grew in my backyard. 

Reality woke me up when I heard someone saying, "I don't know why you bother trying to dance. Ballerinas are pretty and slender(苗条) www..comgirls. Besides, you don't have the talent to even be a ballerina." I remember how those words hurt every feeling in my body. I fell to the ground and wept for hours. 

I enjoyed hanging out by the water. I would sit there for hours and stare at my reflection(倒影). There I was, looking nothing like a pretty ballerina dancer. Reflections don't lie. Once the waves would come, my reflection was washed away just like my dream to dance.

As I grew older, I began to realize that the reason my dream was even born was because it was something that was inside of me. The dream I had was never nurtured(培育) and cared for, so it slowly died. It's not that I wanted it to die, but I allowed it to die the day I started listening to the words, "You can't do it." When I finally woke up from many years of dreaming, I realized that you can't only settle for dancing in the wildflowers, you have to move on to the platform.

Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage？

A. Care for your dream

B. Dream and reality

C. Nothing is impossible

D. Efforts to be a ballerina will pay  

The author didn’t realize her dream of being a ballerina mainly because_______.

A. she was bored of dancing and performing  

B. she had lack of self-respect  

C. her health conditions allowed her dream to die

D. she was deeply affected by others easily

From the passage, it can be inferred that _________.

A. the author was once a pretty and slender girl with wonderful dream.

B. we should dare to give up our dream facing much pressure and difficulty

C. if you stick to your dream and never say die, you will enjoy a bright life

D. You should necer give up.

What is the main purpose of writing the passage?

A. to complain    B. to praise     C. to warn    D. to criticize

The underlined expression “settle for” in the last paragraph means_________.

A. turn down     B. take up    C. give up   D. settle down   

A new study finds that the animal known as man’s best friend can also be a good friend to the heart. Researchers in California say they have found that even just a short visit with a dog helped ease the worries of heart patients.               

The study divided the patients into three groups. In Group A, a dog and a person visited each patient for twelve minutes. Patients in Group B received just a human visitor for twelve minutes. And members of Group C received no visitor, human or canine(犬的).

The dogs would lie on the hospital bed so the heart patients could touch them. The researchers say some patients immediately smiled and talked to the dog and the human visitor. Dogs, in her words, “make people happier, calmer and feel more loved.”

The researchers examined the patients before, during and after the visits. They measured stress levels based on blood flow and heart activity. They say they found a twenty-four percent decrease in the group visited by both a dog and a person. They reported a ten percent decrease in the group visited by a person only. There was no change in the patients without any visit. These patients, however, did have an increase in their production of the hormone epinephrine (epinephrine肾上腺素). The body produces epinephrine during times of stress.

The increase was an average of seven percent. But the study found that patients who spent time with a dog had a seventeen percent drop in their levels of epinephrine. Patients visited by a human but not a dog also had a decrease, but only two percent.

The author believes that _______.  

   A. the dog can take the place of most medicines

   B. the dog is the most popular pet for man

   C. the findings of the research cannot be trusted

   D. visits by a human work better than visits by a dog

Which of the following best shows the stress level changes in the groups of patients? BACC

From the research findings we may conclude that _______.

A. the less the body produces epinephrine, the better

B. the longer a visit lasts, the happier the patient should be

C. the patients enjoyed the dogs’ company more than the human visitors’

D. it’s impossible for heart patients to recover without dogs’ visits

Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

  A. Worried Heart Patients               B. Epinephrine and Stress

  C. Good Friend to the Heart             D. Three Groups of Patients

Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road

-- Reported by Sheila Carrick

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.

Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.

"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.

Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.

The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!

The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.

A．wild animals have become more dangerous

B．the driving conditions have improved greatly

C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work

D．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents

From the news story, we know an ecopassage is_________.

A．an underground path for cars        B．a fence built for the safety of the area

C．a bridge for animals to get over a river D．a pass for animals to cross the road

When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means_________.

A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road

B．animals begin to learn to use ecopassages     

C．animals are crossing the road in groups

D．animals are increasing in number

The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.

A．wild animals may attack cars B．wild animals may jam the road

C．they may see wild animals in the park    D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages

The year 2006 was a busy one for space and technology workers. A planet lost its status and space flights caught the imagination of people around the world.

The following is a short list of the major events of the year:____________

IBM has built a chip that runs about 100 times faster than the ones we have now. The development could lead to faster computers. The chip was first made in June. It can run at a speed of 500 gigahertz (千兆赫).

Pluto loses face  

The International Astronomical Union created the first scientific definition (定义) of the word "planet" in August. Under the new rules, Pluto is no longer called a planet but a "dwarf planet" (矮行星).

Pluto had been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. For now, there are only the eight "classical" planets in the solar system (太阳系): They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Woman space tourist

The first woman space tourist was launched on a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan on September 18. The flight carried a businesswoman, named Anousheh Ansari, along with a fresh crew for the International Space Station (ISS). Ansari is a 40-year-old American. She has paid at least US$20 million for the trip. She returned on September 28 after her eight-day stay at the International Space Station.

Discovery sent up

The US space shuttle Discovery took seven astronauts on a 12-day repair mission (任务) to the International Space Station on December 9. It was the first night launch by NASA in four years. The last one ended in the failure of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.

The sub-title of the second paragraph probably would be _______.

A. IBM

B. The development of computers

C. The first chip born

D. Faster computer chip

The US space shuttle Discovery was sent up mainly to ________.

A. do some research  

B. do some repairs

C. be in memory to Columbia shuttle.

D. build a space station.

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A. Pluto is no longer a real planet according to the new theory.

B. People have been dreaming about space flight.

C. Anousheh Ansari was the first women space tourist. 

D. The US space shuttle Discovery is the first one launched by NASA at night.

The passage is written mainly to tell us_______.

A. exciting new science of the year of 2006.

B. space flight full of wonders.

C. the major events of the year of 2006.

D. science and technology is the first productive.

— Of the two apples, which one do you prefer?

        — ______ bigger one. It’s ______ most delicious one, I think.

 A. The; a                  B. The; the                 C. A; /                          D. A; the

"Melts Away Bodyfat Like Magic"

Okuma's Wu-Long Is the World's #1 Weight-Loss Solution...

How would you like to drink away pounds of stubborn bodyfat and inches from your waistline（腰围）within 30 short days?

Yes, that's right. Drink away pounds of good-for-nothing bodyfat and inches from your waistline within one month!

Sound too good to be true? Well, hard as it may be to believe, it absolutely is true! And we'd like to prove it to you at our risk, not yours.  

Here's the deal. Legitimate(合法的)scientific research, published in the world's leading academic journals, is now showing that an extraordinarily rare Wu-Long tea produced at Mt. Wu Yi Shan in China's Fujian Province may carry remarkable slimming（减肥的）and health benefits... so much so that Chinese scientists are calling it, "The world's most powerful fat burner."

Our brand of this, rich tea is called Okuma's Wu-Long (TM), and 37 scientific studies published within the last several months alone show it helps melt away bodyfat; increase energy; and even clarify skin, giving your face a clear, shining glow. More about these scientific benefits in a moment. But first, to express to you just how certain we are Wu-Long will help you, we're giving you a special limited-time offer.

We are so confident Okuma's Wu-Long will help give you the leaner, healthier, body you desire that we're putting our money where our mouth is. We're giving you a zero-risk "test drive" to judge for yourself just how powerful Okuma's Wu-Long really is.

If after using Okuma's Wu-Long you haven't melted away pounds of bodyfat and achieved a more slender（苗条的）waistline, simply return your order within 30 days from the date Wu-Long was delivered to your address to receive a full refund（退款） of your product buy price...no trouble, no hard feelings.

The passage is aimed to ____________.

A. telling people some information about Wu-Long tea.

B. proving to people that Okuma's Wu-Long Is the World's #1 Weight-Loss Solution.

C. persuading fat people to buy Wu-Long tea.

D. informing people that Wu-Long tea is on sale.

The underlined sentence “we're putting our money where our mouth is” probably means______.

A. We put our money inside the pocket.

B. We’ll give your money back if you are not satisfied

C. You can order anytime.

D. If you send us small money, we’ll give you another

Which of the following is not the function of Okuma's Wu-Long?

A. curing skin illnesses  

B. increasing energy and intellidence

C. melting away needless bodyfat.

D. making your waistline slender and attractive.

The passage is probably taken from________.

 A. a newspaper   B. a magazine   C. a journal   D. a biology book

If you want to get 4 boxes of Wu-Long tea, you should pay______.

A.185$  B.222$  C.148$   D.111$

Typing Success in 20 Minutes a Day

— Teaching Your K-12 Students to Type in 20 Minutes a Day

Typing is fast becoming an important skill in our world. Making this skill available to your students is very important. Just 20 minutes of the following activities per day will give your students the finger strength and keyboard knowledge they need to be ready to include typing in their learning programs.

Step 1 Knitting (编织): You can try various styles until you find the one that best suits your students’ abilities. Finger knitting is a great way to start! It helps students focus on finger strength. Knitting with needles is a little more challenging but will suit some older    students. The more practice the fingers get the stronger they will become.

Step 2 Key board games: It helps your students become familiar with the keyboard. Students as young as four years old can practice finger placement, letter sounds and names using the keyboard of computers.

Step 3 Clay modeling: Many children develop the ability to be quick and skilful with their hands through creating clay models. The creative nature of this activity keeps children engaged for long periods of time. It helps keep fingers strong and supple.

Step 4 Lego (拼装玩具) building: Little fingers become strong when children pull apart little Lego time and time again. Because of the fun nature of this activity it helps build and does a lot to reinforce the ability to arrange things into an order — another important aspect in typing.

Choose an age-appropriate, interactive and engaging typing program. All students are different and with firm finger skills typing can be easily learned in 20 minutes a day with the use of a mixture of these different approaches.

All the following steps can make one’s fingers stronger EXCEPT ____.

A. Step4    B. Step3     C. Step2    D. Step1

The underlined word “it” in Step 4 refers to ____.

A. little Lego

B. the fun nature

C. the strength of fingers

D. Lego building

What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Activities listed in the text suit students of all ages.

B. Different students have different results after following the activities listed.

C. Only one activity can be used in a typing program for specific students.

D. Firm finger skills are important for learning to type.

Phillip Island Penguins(企鹅)

The Little Penguin has called Phillip Island home for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island in plenty of time to watch s summer sunset at Summerland Beach – the stage is attractively set to see the little Penguin leave water and step onto land.

·Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm for a direct journey to Phillip Island

·See the Gippsland area – Guinness Book of Records place for the world’s longest earthworm(蚯蚓)

·Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance

·Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island – natural home for Little Penguins and many animals

·Take your place in special viewing stands(看台) to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little Penguins

Ultimate Penguins (+U)

Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Penguins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.

Adult(成人) $60.00         Child $30.00

Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)

More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.

Adult $25.00         Child $12.50

Penguin Skybox (+S)

Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of Summerland Beach.

Adult 16years +$50.00

1. What kind of people is the text mainly written for?

A. Scientists.      B. Students        C. Tourists.         D. Artists.

2. We can learn from the text that Little Penguins__________.

A. have been on Phillip Island for years

B. keep a Guinness record for their size

C. are trained to practice diving for visitors

D. live in large groups to protect themselves

3. How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour?

A. $37.50.   B. $62.50. C. $180.00.   D. $150.00.

Together. 35 years.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

They make you sway. With a dance form all their own. Originating as an intimate, innovative dance company, it has evolved into an international force. Taking the spirit of African—American culture and translating it into dance and community programs for more than 35 years. A heritage of bringing together a repertoire of Ailey classics and great dance masterpieces along with exciting new works by emerging artists. Modern Vibrant. Athletic. Colorful. Involving. Because it is dance in step with the people. Part of the neighborhood, their pulse beats—beats—beats of life. Lifting spirits. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Pirouetting the globe. Soaring, moving as one, moving dance into the future. Join Philip Morris in its 12th year of supporting Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. And celebrate the achievement of the Ailey past as they boldly step forward.

9. What does the advertisement ask people to do?

A. To see a play.                   B. To watch a match.

C. To ball there.                   D. To see Philip Morris.

10. How is the company?

A. Modern and involving.    B. Intimate and innovative.

C. Athletic and colorful.        D. Vibrant and innovative.

11. What does Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater hold this activity for?

A. To develop the spirit of African—American culture.

B. To leap tall buildings in a single bound.

C. To pirouette the globe.

D. To celebrate the achievement of the Ailey past.

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.

He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and — WHUMP! — it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH...!!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. " That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?" "Please, mister, please....I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled of the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. "Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman," Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.

Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE — a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.

1. The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because ________.

A. the businessman drove at a high speed  B. he envied the brand-new car very much

C. he wanted to ask for some money      D. he wanted to get help from the driver

2. Which of the following is the right order of the story?

a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.

b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.

c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.

d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.

e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.

A. b, a, e, c, d         B. a, c, d, b, e        C. b, a, c, e, d    D. a, c, b, e, d

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Josh would accept the money from the kids.  B. The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.

C. Josh was a kind-hearted man.              D. Josh’s new car broke down easily.

4. According to the passage, the last sentence means ________.

A. trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life

B. driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous

C. trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble

D. protecting oneself from being hurt