"I've changed my mind．I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my daddy back．" Lucien Lawrence's letter to Father Christmas, written after his schoolteacher father had been knifed to death outside his school gale, must have touched every heart．Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn't see the stars in the sky．When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stare for a while．
But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again．And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father is there too, in your mind and in your heart．I find that my parents, long dead now, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than 1 ever did when they were alive．I still live to please them and I'm still surprised by their reactions．I remember that when I became a professor,! was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself, that I couldn't wait to call my parents．The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all Mother said was "I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!" I haven't forgotten．The values of my parents still live on．
It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care．Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors （挑衅者）, and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas'' It's a serious thought, one to give me pause．
I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet " Deliver my soul from the sword（剑）, and my darling from the power of the dog．" Yet I know the death comes to us all,
and sometimes comes suddenly．We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die
tomorrow．We live on, I'm sure, in the lives of those we loved．and therefore we ought to have a care
for what they will remember and what they will treasure．If more parents knew this in their hearts to
be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today．
【小题1】According to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ______．

A．puts forward the subject of the text

B．shows the author's pity on the kid

C．acts as an introduction to the discussion

D．makes a clear statement of the author's views

【小题2】In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us ______．

A．how much he misses his parents now

B．why his parents often appear in his dream

C．when Lucien will get over all his sadness

D．how proud he was when he succeeded in life

【小题3】What feeling did the author's mother express in her reply?

A．Proud．

B．Happy．

C．Disappointed．

D．Worried

【小题4】In the author's opinion, the value of a person's life is ______．

A．to leave behind a precious memory to the people related

B．to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

C．to care what others will remember and treasure

D．to share happiness and sadness with his family

【小题5】What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?

A．Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns．

B．Advise parents stay with their children safely at home．

C．Spend every day meaningfully in memory of the death．

D．Try to keep violence and murder far away from society．

Michael Fish may soon be replaced as a weather forecaster by something truly fishier---the shark(鲨鱼).
Research by a British biology student suggests that sharks could be used to predict storms.
Lauren Smith, 24, is close to completing her study on shark’s ability to sense pressure. If her studies prove the theory, scientists may be able to monitor the behavior of sharks to predict bad weather.
Miss Smith had previously studied the behaviour of lemon sharks in the Bahamas.
She then used their close relatives, lesser spotted dogfish, for further research at Aberdeen University. Her work---thought to be the first of its kind to test the pressure theory ---- resulted from the observation that juvenile blacktip sharks off Florida moved into deeper water ahead of a violent storm in 2001.
Miss Smith said: “I’ve always been crazy about traveling and diving and this led me to an interest in sharks.”
“I was delighted to have been able to research in the area for my degree. I know there’s so much more we need to understand ---- but it certainly opens the way to more research.”
It has been discovered that a shark senses pressure using hair cells in its balance system.
At the Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas, Miss Smith fixed hi-tech sensors to sharks to record pressure and temperature, while also tracking them using GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.
In Aberdeen, she was able to study the effects of tidal(潮汐的) and temperature changes on dogfish----none of which were harmed. She also used a special lab which can mimic(模拟) oceanic pressure changes caused by weather fronts.
She is due to complete her study and graduate later this year. She says she will be looking for a job which will give her the chance to enrich her experience of shark research.
【小题1】The passage is most probably taken from _____.

A．a short-story collection	B．a popular science magazine
C．a research paper	D．a personal diary

【小题2】What do we learn from the first four paragraph of the passage?

A．Sharks may be used to predict bad weather .

B．Sharks’ behaviour can be controlled.

C．Michael Fish is not qualified for his job.

D．Lauren Smith will become a weather forecaster.

【小题3】 Lauren Smith conducted her research by _______.

A．removing hair cells from a shark’s balance system

B．measuring the air pressure of weather fronts

C．recording sharks’ body temperature

D．monitoring sharks’ reaction to weather changes

【小题4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．A popular way of forecasting weather.

B．A new research effort in predicting storms.

C．Biologists’ interest in the secrets of sharks.

D．Lauren Smith’s devotion to scientific research.

EVENTS(赛事)
Bicycle tour and race
　  A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27(Sat. & Sun. ). At 5:30am, the riders will leave Tian'anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55 kilometers leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive part of the tour. The riders and their bikes will then be taken from Jixian to Changli.
　　The second racing leg of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside of Nandaibe, covering a distance of 20 kilometers. Saturday night includes the stay at Nandaihe and supper. Sunday morning is free for play at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.
　　Cost: 200 Yuan   Telephone: 4675027
Brazilian footballers
　　The Brazilian Football Club will play Beijing Guo'an Team at the Workers Stadium on August 26. The club has four national team players. Also coming is 1994 US World Cup star　Romario ho has promised to play for at least 45 minutes.
　　Ticket prices: 60,100,150 Yuan
　　Time/Date: 4:30 pm, August 26(Sat.)   Telephone:  5012372
Rock climbing
The Third National Rock Climbing Competition will be held on August 26-27 at the Huairou Mountain-climbing Training Base. More than 10 teams from Beijing, Wuhan, Dalian, Jilin and other places will take part in it. A Japanese team will give an exhibition climbing. Free for spectators(观众).
　　Take a long-distance bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou.
　　Time/Dates: 9-12 am, August 26 and 27
　　Telephone: 7143177, 7144850, Wang Zhenghua
【小题1】 If you take part in the bike tour, you will ride for _________.

A．35 kilometers

B．55 kilometers

C．75 kilometers

D．110 kilometers

【小题2】 The underlined word "leg" in "Bicycle tour and race" probably means ________.

A．race

B．practice

C．part of the training

D．part of the tour

【小题3】 What is special about the Rock climbing competition?

A．A foreign team takes part in it.

B．You can watch it without paying.

C．You don't have to be a sportsman to take part.

D．The bus trip to the place of the competition is free.

【小题4】 If you want to find something to do for Saturday afternoon, which telephone number will you call?

A．4675027

B．7143177

C．5012372

D．7144850

Let’s say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, the nail is a mean rumor (谣言) about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you’re obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there’s still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.
There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying (欺悔). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it’s usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It’s the same thing as teasing, only it’s done behind someone’s back instead of to his or her face.
When you spread a rumor about someone, you’re sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You’re making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it’s okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.
We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.
Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let’s say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard (暴风雪) is coming. Expecting a day off, you don’t do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle（毛毛雨）, and school isn’t off after all. You get zeroes on your work.
【小题1】The purpose of the first paragraph is to        .

A．help readers know what a rumor is	B．attract readers to read the following paragraphs
C．emphasize the damaging effects of rumors	D．explain how a rumor spreads

【小题2】To tell a rumor and a tease apart, you depend on        .

A．whether it is done behind someone	B．whether it is painful or not
C．whether it is a kind if bullying	D．whether it is spread fast

【小题3】 If a rumor is spread about someone, others may        .

A．point out his or her advantages	B．keep away from him or her
C．not feel he or she is an outsider	D．be hurt if getting close to him or her again

【小题4】From the last paragraph, we can infer that        .

A．it is hard to keep rumors a secret	B．rumors can destroy your interest in learning
C．believing rumors can lead to bad choices	D．rumors can control your whole life

【小题5】The purpose of this passage is to         .

A．advise on how to deal with rumors	B．teach us how to judge a rumor
C．find out why rumors spread fast	D．explain why rumors hurt

Experts do not really know when people began keeping fish as pets. But they say that people have been interested in fish for thousands of years. Some say the ancient Sumerians were the first civilization to keep fish in ponds more than four thousand years ago. The Chinese kept and studied carp and goldfish more than one thousand years ago. The ancient Romans kept eels as pets. And the Greek philosopher Aristotle made what is believed to be the first known study of sea life, including sharks and dolphins.
Keeping fish at home in small water tanks called aquariums is extremely popular today. And everyone seems to enjoy visiting huge public aquariums that have opened around the world.
By the middle of the eighteen hundreds, science had shown that plants, fish and other sea creatures could survive together under water. So it was no longer necessary to change the water in a tank for the fish to live there. This led to the building of the first public aquariums.
The first aquariums opened in London, England in 1853. in the next fifteen years, other aquariums opened in Europe and the United States. By 1928, there were about forty-five public aquariums.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been recognized as the first aquarium in the United States and it shows visitors the underwater life in the bay. The Georgia Aquarium opening in 2005 says it is the largest in the world. It has more than one hundred thousand sea animals in thirty million liters of water including two whale sharks---the world’s largest fish.
Another aquarium re-opened in 2005 in Camden, New Jersey. The Adventure Aquarium first opened in 1992. It spent about fifty million dollars expanding its building and improving its exhibits.
Aquariums provide the public with many chances to experience life under the sea. They can be found in most areas of the world. People might even want to start an aquarium at home and join the millions of people around the world who keep fish as pets.
【小题1】Which aquarium opened again after its rebuilding ?

A．The Monterey Bay Aquarium.	B．The Adventure Aquarium.
C．The Georgia Aquarium.	D．The first aquarium in London.

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT mentioned to have kept fish as pets?

A．The ancient Sumerians.

B．The ancient Romans.

C．The Chinese.

D．The ancient Indians.

【小题3】Which of the following is correct?

A．People were not interested in fish until the middle of the eighteen hundreds.

B．The Moneterey Bay Aquarium is regarded as the best aquarium in America.

C．Plants, fish and other sea creatures could not survive together under sea.

D．People have to change the water in a tank frequently for the fish to live there.

【小题4】 The passage is written mainly       .

A．to tell people the importance of keeping fish as pets

B．to explain why people want to visit aquariums

C．to let people know the development of the aquariums

D．to describe different aquariums

【小题5】What does the underlined word “aquariums” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Exhibition centres where people can watch and enjoy different species of fish.

B．Small boxes made of glass, where people keep fish in, usually at home.

C．Places which shows visitors the underwater life in the bay.

D．Places which provides the public with many chances to experience life under the sea.

Many Chinese have been greatly shocked by the traffic accident caused by the drunk driver Sun Weiming, who has killed five and injured some others in Chengdu, Sichuan. However, such a case is not rare.
Today, the traffic accidents may have been regarded as a social problem. The car has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows actually from rude behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral(道德的) rights of others. In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless but just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one's actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even far beyond carelessness that can be imagined.
Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to(归属于) the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can change drivers' reactions incorrectly, slow their judgment, and make them blind to the dangers that might otherwise be obvious. The experts warn that it is important for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep his/her emotions under control.
Yet the irresponsibility that accounts for much of the problem isn't only put upon drivers. Street walkers regularly ignore or break traffic regulations. They are blamed in most vehicle walker accidents, and many cyclists even believe that they are not subject（受…支配） to the basic rules of the road.
Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicles have been raised both at the point of manufacture and through regular road inspections. In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to make people believe that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road.
【小题1】Traffic accidents may be regarded as a social problem because          .

A．auto driving has become dangerous and harmful in today's society

B．people usually pay no attention to law and morality when driving

C．they have caused serious psychological problems among drivers

D．the car has killed and disabled more people than any weapon in history

【小题2】Who are NOT mentioned as being responsible for the road accidents?

A．Careless bicycle-riders.	B．Careless people walking in the street.
C．Irresponsible auto drivers.	D．Irresponsible auto manufacturers.

【小题3】Discussing solutions to traffic accidents, the author seems to be          .

A．doubtful and hopeless

B．angry and disappointed

C．objective (客观的) and concerned

D．anxious and annoyed

New York State has passed the USA’s first state law banning motorists talking on hand-held cell phones. The ban will begin November 1, although drivers caught using hand-held cell phones will be given only warnings during the first month.
First-time violators(违法者) will face a ＄100 fine. A second time call for a ＄200 fine and every violation after that will cost＄500．
At least a dozen localities(地方) have established bans, starting in 1999; and 40 states have had bans proposed but not passed．At least 23 countries, including the Great Britain, Italy, Israel and Japan, ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones.
There are about 115 million cell phones in use in the United States and more than 6 million in New York State.
“To think that I’m not going to use cell phone when at the same time I can still use my laptop, I still can read a paper, I can still change my pants(裤子) while driving 65 mph. I think there’s just something wrong,” an official said．
Other critics noted that other things like eating, drinking coffee and applying make-up while driving posed(造成) at least as much of a concern. They suggested that the ban include a broader range of things.
【小题1】How much fine will a hand-held cell phone user receive if he has been caught using it four times while driving after November?

A．$500．

B．$1000．

C．$1200．

D．$1300．

【小题2】The official mentioned in this passage _______. 

A．does not agree with this ban

B．doesn’t believe using hand-held cell phones while driving will cause any danger

C．doesn’t understand why hand-held cell phones alone should be banned among many others

D．believes changing pants while driving will cause greater danger

【小题3】The writer intends to tell us in the last paragraph that _______.

A．it is not fair to have this ban passed

B．the ban will never be passed in the whole country

C．more activities of the same kind should also be banned

D．the ban will meet with more criticism

【小题4】This article is most probably taken from _______.

A．a newspaper article	B．an advertisement
C．a personal diary	D．a letter

Soon Tommy’s parents, who had recently separated, would arrive for a conference on his failing schoolwork and bad behavior. Neither parent knew that I had called the other.
Tommy, an only child, had always been happy, cooperative and an excellent student. How could I convince his father and mother that his recent failing grades represented a broken-hearted child’s reaction to his parents’ separation and pending (即将发生的) divorce?
Tommy’s mother entered and took one of the chairs. Soon the father arrived. Good! At least they were concerned enough to be here in time. They ignored each other.
As I gave a detailed account of Tommy’s behavior and schoolwork, I prayed for the right words to bring these two together to help them see what they were doing to their son. But somehow the words wouldn’t come. Perhaps if they saw one of his dirty, carelessly done papers?
I found a sheet in the back of his desk. Writing covered both sides: not the assignment, but a single sentence scribbled (潦草地写) over and over.
Silently I gave it to Tommy’s mother. She read it and then handed it to her husband. Then his face softened.
At last he folded the paper carefully, placed it in his pocket, and reached for his wife’s hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled up at him. He helped her with her coat and they left together.
In his own way God had given me the words to reunite that family. He had guided me to the sheet of yellow copy paper covered with the pain out pouring of a small boy’s troubled heart.
The words are “Dear Mom…Dear Daddy… I love you…”
【小题1】The author called Tommy’s parents in order to ________.

A．solve the couple’s problem

B．scold them for their divorce

C．help them realize their influence on Tommy

D．blame Tommy for his failing grades

【小题2】This passage is most probably written by _________.

A．a teacher

B．a journalist

C．a lawyer

D．a doctor

【小题3】How did Tommy’s parents feel after seeing the words?

A．Satisfied.

B．Troubled.

C．Depressed

D．Moved

【小题4】 We can learn from the passage that _______.

A．the author knew Tommy often wrote to his parents

B．the author said a lot to make Tommy’s parents reunite

C．Tommy hated his parents divorcing

D．Tommy was greatly influenced by his parents

【小题5】 What would be the best title for this passage?

A．A separate family	B．Tommy’s essay
C．Never divorce	D．A good teacher

Having one of those days—or weeks—when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood(心情) will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster—often within a day or two.
Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad­mood buster. A person who's in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten­minute walk, or doing some quick  exercises can do wonders towards changing the bad mood.
Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts connection with past positive experiences we've had.
Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what's on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, the pessimistic(悲观的) messages you've been giving yourself, and then give optimistic answers. (“I still don't have a job.” vs “I have two interviews next week.”)
Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood­lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated(复杂的) but aren't. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to distress is to make a to­do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas,  you realize you're not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
Avoid things that won't improve your mood
TV may not help much: you need to increase your energy level and stimulate(刺激) your mind—something that the TV show “Neighbors” won't do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta(面食), produce calming effects in people who have a desire for them.
【小题1】Which of the following may help us stop a bad mood?

A．Doing nothing about it.

B．Exercising and enjoying music.

C．Writing down negative thoughts.

D．Talking about it with neighbors.

【小题2】Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?

A．It helps remove bad mood.

B．It brings us a new technique.

C．It is not complicated to do so.

D．It is an area to be easily controlled.

【小题3】TV may not improve your mood because it ________.

A．shows what happens around you

B．does not energize you

C．reminds you of eating and drinking

D．produces a calming effect

【小题4】Which would be the best title for this passage?

A．Energy Level and Stress

B．How to Beat a Bad Mood

C．Bad Mood and Our Life

D．How to Control Your Feeling

Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people and a destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attracts the tourists. Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must have other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Business can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads, and other support facilities (配套设施) needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, job and money are lost.
【小题1】Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection?

A．Planning is of great importance to tourism.

B．It is very necessary to develop tourism.

C．Why is proper planning needed to develop tourism.

D．How to develop successful tourism.

【小题2】 The underlined word “inhabitants” in Para.1 probably mean _____

A．tourists

B．natives

C．foreigners

D．customers

【小题3】It is certain that ______

A．tourism industry is the most important industry in a country.

B．tourism developing is do no good to the inhabitants.

C．the inhabitants must benefit a lot from the tourism industry if it is properly planned.

D．facilities building is a waste of money.

【小题4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Too much tourism can cause a bad effect on other industries.

B．Too much tourism can cause heavy pressure on traffic.

C．Too much tourism can change the people’s value system in the destination country.

D．Too much tourism can sometimes annoy the local people.