If parents bring up child with the aim of turning the child into a genius(天才),they will cause great damage to him. According to several leading educational psychologists(心理学家),this is one of the biggest mistakes which some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parent expects, and will fail. Unrealistic(不现实的) parental expectations can cause great damage to children.

However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are hopeful in a sensible(有理智的) way, the child may succeed in doing very well-especially if the parents are very supportive of their child.

Michael Li is very lucky. He is very fond of music, and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and arranging private piano and violin lessons for him. They even drive him 50 kilometers twice a week for violin lessons. Although Michael’s mother knows very little about music. Michael’s father plays the trumpet(小号) in a large orchestra(管弦乐队). However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling.

Michael’s friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Although both his parents are successful musicians, they set too high a standard for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win. “When I was your age, I used to win every competition I entered. ”Winston’s father tells him. Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always seems quiet and unhappy.

1. The main idea of the passage is __________.

A. how parents should make a child a musician

B. how parents should bring up a child

C. what differences there are between two kinds of parents

D. what aim of a child can be much easier to reach

2. Michael is lucky because __________.

A. his parents help him in a sensible way

B. his family is rich enough to have a car

C. his father is a musician in a orchestra

D. he is free to do anything that he likes best

3. Winston’s parents set so high a standard for him that__________.

A. he has to do his best to do everything

B. he has made greater progress in music

C. he is afraid he may disappoint them

D. he often wants to kill himself some day

4. It is one of parents’ worst mistakes if __________.

A. they want their child to be a musician

B. they help their child to win music competitions

C. they don’t care for their child’s education much

D. they make their child try to achieve too much

5. According to the author’s opinion,__________.

A. it is unimportant to let the children develop in the way they want

B. parents should be supportive of their children

C. all sensible parents can train their children to succeed in everything

D. unrealistic parents should arrange private lessons for their children

Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.

Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the streets.

Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of the American people. Most of the radio broadcast is music.

Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.

There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.

Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music(管弦乐)，such as the symphonies(交响乐)of Beethoven. There is opera(歌剧) for singers. There is ballet(芭蕾舞剧)for dancers like the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China.

1.　　   In what sense can music be regarded as an international language?

A. Popular music is what everyone enjoys.

B. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are so beautiful and understandable that everyone can enjoy them.

C. When music is played, it seems as if it were speaking to us.

D. Music is so popular throughout the world that everyone can play it.

2． What can we know about music and people in America?

A. Student drivers carry small radios with earphones when they drive on the streets.

B. Students always listen to music before class, in class and after class.

C. Adult drivers listen to news as well as music when they drive to work.

D. Adult drivers never listen to music when they drive to work.

3．How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?

A. Six.　　　　  B. Eight.

C. Five.　　　　 D. Seven.

4．Country music　　　　 .

A. is a kind of music that is popular in America

B. has nothing to do with folk music

C. is only sung by cowboys

D. is not played in the concert halls

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

A. All people in America like popular music.

B. Pop singers can get all the money from the tapes.

C. Now, western or country music is a little different from its beginning.

D. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is a kind of pop music. 

Millions of years ago dinosaurs(恐龙) lived on the earth. In the days of dinosaurs the whole earth was warm and wet. There were green forests and they could find enough to eat. Later, parts of the earth became cold and dry, and the forests there died. Then dinosaurs could not find enough to eat. This must be one reason why dinosaurs died out.

We can guess another reason. New kinds of animals came on the earth. Some had big brains and were fast and strong. They could kill dinosaurs.

There may be other reasons that we don’t know about yet. Scientists are trying to make more discoveries about dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs were of many sizes and shapes(形状). Some were as small as chickens, while some were about 90 feet long.

There were also terrible fights between dinosaurs. They might have happened more than 100 million years ago. Though there was no man to see any of the fights, we can be told by the animal’s footprints(足迹) that fight did take place.

1. According to the passage, dinosaurs did exist(存在) only ________ on the earth.

A. for millions of years

B. millions of years ago

C. more than 100 million years ago

D. when it was warm and wet somewhere

2. One reason why dinosaurs died out is that ________.

A. there were too many dinosaurs

B. parts of the earth became cold and dry

C. the dead forests there could not supply them with enough food

D. they couldn’t find enough to eat

3. One more reason may be that ________.

A. new kinds of animals came on the earth

B. some fast and strong animals with big brains could kill them

C. some dinosaurs were as small as chickens

D. some big dinosaurs died in the fights

4. We can see from this passage ________.

A. scientists are trying to make some dinosaurs

B. dinosaurs are dangerous enough

C. dinosaurs are worth studying

D. scientists know nothing about dinosaurs

5. That terrible fights can be explained by ________.

A. footprints of the animals

B. imagination(想像)

C. rocks and forests

D. dinosaurs eggs

John James Audubon was born in 1785 and died in 1851，but his name is still talked about every day．Audubon was a scientist who loved nature．He wanted to show people the importance of nature in their lives．He was especially interested in birds，and painted many beautiful pictures of them．

    In 1950，the National Audubon Society was formed by people who were also  interested in birds and wanted to continue Audubon’s nature studies．Even now，when people think of the Audubon Society，they usually think of birds．But the  Society does other things besides watching birds．

    The members of the Society try to improve the environment as much as they can．They let the public know about laws that are needed．They have helped to pass many laws that protect birds and animals，and  people，too．They teach young people how to protect their environment．They try to make their own communities(社区) clearer，better places to live in．

    John James Audubon knew that nature was important．He did not know how important his work would become．

    1. “His name is still talked about every day．”means “　　    ”

    A．People seldom speak of his name．

    B．He is still remembered by people．

    C．His name is very important．

    D．Pay attention to his name，please．

2. The National Audubon society was founded by　　    .

    A．Audubon’s supporters

    B．Audubon himself

    C．the scientists

    D．the painters of birds

3. People often think of birds when the Audubon Society is told about because　　    ．

    A．the Society did a lot in protecting birds

    B．some birds had joined the Society

    C．the Society had no interest in birds

    D．all the members of the Society were painters of birds

4. Which of the following is NOT done by the members of the National Audubon Society?

    A．Watching birds．

    B．Teaching people how to protect environment．

    C．Improving the environment．

    D．Passing laws that protect birds，animals and people．

5. what do you think is the best title for the article?

    A．Audubon and the National Audubon Society

    B．How to Protect Birds

    C．How to Keep our Environment Clean

    D．The Greatest Society

Beijing leading schools say “No”to students’ mobile phones

　　  Three reasons make some leading schools in Beijing discourage middle school students from bringing mobile phones to campus.

　　  First, it is dangerous for children to bring valuable mobile phones along to school for it is possible for them to be lost during physical exercise and other activities and may cause unnecessary trouble to teachers.

　　  Second, mobile phones are bad for students’ studies. Many teachers complain(抱怨) that some students have phone calls in class, disturbing themselves and others.

　　  Third, mobile phones serve as a hotbed for students’ vanity(虚荣). A new Grade One senior high school student in a leading school asked his parents to buy a 4000 yuan colored-screen mobile phone, which turned out to be his fifth one ever since he entered the middle school.

　　  Most presidents and teachers in leading schools of Beijing thought that IC telephones on campus have made it very easy for students to get in touch with others, so middle school students should not bring mobile phones to school at present.

1. What does the underlined word “discourage” mean?

　　 A. Take away one’s hope.

　　 B. Try to prevent.

　　 C. Stop.

　　 D. Forbid.

2. According to the passage, without mobile phones, how can the students get in touch with others?

    A. By writing letters to each other.

    B. By sending emails.

    C. By using IC telephones.

    D. By no means.

3. Which is NOT the reason that makes the schools say “ No” to students’ mobile phones?

    A. It is not safe for children to bring mobile phones to school.

    B. It may give students a feeling of vanity.

    C. It is bad for students’ studies.

D. Most presidents and teachers m leading schools of Beijing don’t want students’ to bring mobile phones to campus.

4. Why did the new Grade One student ask to buy him the fifth mobile phone since he entered the school?

A. His family had a lot of money.

B. He wanted to show that his family was very rich.

C. His parents loved him too much.

D. The first four mobile phones were all lost.

Computers have many uses today. Computers can solve difficult problems and control other machines. Many people use small computers called calculators(计算器) to solve simple math problems quickly. Scientists use large computers to solve many problems. At the same time, you can play games with computers, and some computers can help you learn languages. The Kurzweil Reading Machine is a special kind of computer. It can read books for blind people.

To use the Kurzweil machine, a blind person can simply open the book and put it down on the scanner(扫描器). The machine “reads” the words on the page. When one page is finished, the blind person turns the page and puts the book on the scanner again. The Kurzweil machine can read in a normal voice or in a special fast voice. It can read words with small letters and large letters.

　　 Blind people like the Kurzweil machine because they can “read” anything with it: newspapers, magazines, books, even typed letters. Many libraries now have Kurzweil machine for blind people to use. The Kurzweil machine can also help shortsighted children learn to read.

1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

　　   A. Uses of computers.

　　   B. Calculators.

　　   C. Computer languages.

　　   D. The Kurzweil Reading Machine.

2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph？

　　   A. How computers work.

　　   B. How to use a Kurzweil machine.

　　   C. How to use the scanner.

　　   D. The Kurzweil machine can read in two voices.

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

　　   A. Computers can solve all the problems people can’t do.

　　   B. Large computers can only solve one problem at a time.

　　   C. When using the Kurzweil machine, a blind man needn’t do anything.

　　   D. The Kurzweil machine can help not only the blind people but also the shortsighted children.

4. The underlined word “it” (in Paragraph 2) refers to　　   .

　　   A. the book

　　   B. the scanner

　　   C. the Kurzweil machine

　　   D. the blind

5. Why do blind people like the Kurzweil machine?

　　   A. It can help them learn languages.

　　   B. It can help them read books, newspapers, etc.

　　   C. It can read in a normal voice.

　　   D. It can read words with small letters and large letters.

Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for its stadium (运动场) and theatres, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. They do not see them because Pompeii has no people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2 000 years.

Once, Pompeii was a busy city of 22 000 people. It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano(火山).Mount Vesuvius had not erupted(喷发)for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not.

In August of AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii. When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.

For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stone and ash. Then, in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city looked almost the same as it had looked in AD 79.There were streets and fountains, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20 000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue co lour in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine. They liked bread too, metal bread pans were in every bakery. In one bakery there were 81 round, flat loaves of bread—a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today. Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny power tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup.

Ginseppe has died, but his work continues. One-fourth has not been uncovered yet. Scientists are still digging, still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii.

1. Why do large numbers of people come to Pompeii each year?

A. To visit the volcano.

B. To shop and eat there.

C. To watch sports and plays.

D.T o see how Pompeiians lived.

2. Why had so many people remained by volcanic Mount Vesuvius?

A. The city nearly offered all kinds of fun.

B. The area produced the finest wine in Italy.

C. Few people expected the volcano to erupt again.

D. The mountain was beautiful and covered with grass.

3. Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in AD 79?

A. Because Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully.

B. Because the city was buried alive and remained untouched.

C. Because scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects.

D. Because nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted.

4. What do we know about the Pompeiians who lived 2 000 years ago?

A. They lived more or less the same as Italians now do.

B. They liked women wearing all kinds of makeup.

C. They enjoyed a lazy life with drinking and eating.

D. They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in AD 79.

GREENBURGH, N. Y., Oct. 3-When Antonio McDyess appeared, his fans all cheered. But he just watched his teammates training on the court(训练场). He wanted to join them but didn't.

    “When I stepped back, I just didn't realize how much I really  missed  basketball,” said McDyess, who sat out all of the last season and played just 10 games with the Denver Nuggets (丹佛掘金队) the previous ( 之前的) season because of injuries to his left knee. “Watching them has made me want to get on the court so badly, but I know I can’t.”

　　 McDyess said that team doctors had told him that in a week he might be able to join the training. But no one, including McDyess, is ready to offer a timetable for his return to playing.

　　 After he had surgery last October to repair an injured kneecap, McDyess expected he would return in March. He was destroyed when he needed surgery again in April, this time for a bone graft (移植)to help the healing of his kneecap.

1. What is Antonio McDyess?

A. A runner.

B. A basketballer.

C. A basketball fan.

D. A football player.

2. Why didn’t McDyess join his teammates in training?

A. He didn't want to.

B. He sat out all of the last season.

C. His knees were badly hurt.

D. There was something wrong with his left knee.

3.“But no one, including McDyess, is ready to offer a timetable for his return to playing” means“　　　　 ”.

A. No one except McDyess is sure when he can come back to the court

B. Everyone besides McDyess is sure about the time when he can come back to the court

C. Only McDyess does not know when he can be well enough to play games again

D. No one knows when McDyess will be all right to come back to the court, nor does he himself

4. How many times has McDyess’ knee been operated on?

A. Only once.　　　　  B. Twice.

C. Three times.　　　　 D. No one knows.

Every country has its heroes. The heroes are the people the nation and especially the young people admire. If you get a list of the heroes of a nation, it will tell you the potential(潜力)of that nation.

Today in America, if you ask the high school students to list their heroes, their choice would probably fall into three groups. The first group of heroes would be the rock stars—the people connected with rock music. There is no doubt that such people do have talent(天才）but one wonders if one should hold up rock stars as a model. The rock stars too often are mixed with drugs and their personal life is not all that good. The rock stars are rich and wear the latest fashion styles. However, one should seek more in a hero than such things as money and good clothes.

A second type of hero for the American youth is the sports star. Again you have a person who has a great ability in one area-sports. However, too often the personal life of the sports star is a bit of a disorder. Too frequently drugs and drinking are a part of life of the sports star.

A third type of hero is the TV or movie star. This person may have lots of acting talent and is quite handsome. However, the personal life of too many actors is quite sad and they should not be held up as a model of young people. Today, the rock star, the athlete, and the actor all have become the models of the youth in America. Really, do you hear a young person say that his hero is a doctor, a teacher, or a scientist? These people are not rich and do not wear fashionable clothes. However, they are talented people who work hard to make the world a better place for everyone.

What is really sad is that the young try to imitate(模仿) their heroes. They like to wear the same clothes and follow their styles. If the heroes of today for the American young people are limited only to rock stars, athletes and actors, the future does not look too bright.

1. The last sentence of the first paragraph implies that__________.

A. if a nation has a lot of heroes, it will be strong

B. heroes of a nation will make the nation itself

C. what the people admire will make the future of the nation

D. if you want to be a hero, you must admire the hero

2. From the passage, we know that the heroes the American youth admire are those __________. 

A. who are not bright but are good-looking

B. who are rich but are strict with themselves

C. who are talented for some area but lead an improper life

D. who are perfect in all areas

3. It can be inferred that the American young people will not admire__________.

A. a university professor　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. a popular singer

C. a football player　　　?　　　　　　　　　　  D. a film actress

4. According to the writer, people should admire those__________.

A. who are rich and wear the latest fashion clothes

B. who can express people’s feelings

C. whose personal life is good

D. who work for the interests of the people

5.What is the writer’s attitude(态度）towards American youth’s admiration?

A. He understands it.

B. He criticizes it.

C. He is angry about it.

D. He is uninterested in it.

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson worked in the same workplace. The man was skillful and could make all kinds of parts and repair the machines. The boss liked him and paid him more than his workmates. But he had to give all his money to his wife and she bought the food, clothes and drinks for him. He was angry with her but couldn’t say anything. All the men in the workplace were afraid of their wives and they felt sorry for each other.

It was March 8 and all the women had a day off. The men could say all they wanted. They said they had to do all the housework at home but the women always spent much money on their clothes. And they didn’t think it was fair that women had their own festival but they didn’t. The more they said, the angrier they became. They decided to write a letter to the UN and advised them to rescind（取消）the“Women’s Day”. And they asked Mr. Jackson to do it. The man agreed and began to write it at a table.

Just at that moment when Mr. Jackson finished it, his wife came in. She had left her key in the workplace and came to look for it. The man hurried to hide the letter. But it was too late. She made him hand it to her. Having read it, the woman returned the letter to him and said with a smile,“How can you post it to the UN if AI don’t supply you the money for buying a stamp?”

1. Mr. Jackson had to give all his money to his wife because_______.

A. he was afraid of her

B. she bought all for him

C. she needed much money

D. he loved her very much

2. _______, so Mr. Jackson and his friends could discuss the festival“Women’s Day”.

A. The men had enough time

B. No women were in the workplace

C. The men were no longer afraid of their wives

D. The boss thought the men were right

3. Mr. Jackson and his friends hoped________.

A. to buy everything they wanted

B. their wives could be friendly to them

C. to stop their wives maltreating（虐待）them

D. the UN could rescind the Women’s Day

4. Mr. Jackson was afraid that_________, so he hurried to hide the letter.

A. his wife would take him to the police station

B. his wife would find out what he was writing

C. his wife would report him to the boss

D. his wife would discover the letter

5. Mrs. Jackson returned the letter to Mr. Jackson because______.

A. she thought he was having a joke with her

B. she thought he didn’t know where the UN was

C. she thought he couldn’t post it without any stamps

D. she didn’t think the UN would believe him