The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago; but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. To pollute mean to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.

Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in a place, men moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.

Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad to all living things in the world, but it is not only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us become angry more easily.

Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop the people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from blowing dirty smoke into the air.

 The pollution of SO₂ is now the most dangerous problem of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.

The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must keep careful of the rise in pollution at the same time.

Our world is becoming much smaller ___________.

A. because the earth is being polluted day and night.      

B. thanks to science developing.       

C. because of the rise in pollution  

D. because the earth is blown away by the wind every year.

Pollution comes in many ways. We can even hear it. Here “it” means ___________.

A. water pollution      B. air pollution      C. noise pollution      D. rubbish

Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution because __________.

A. it’s bad to all living things in the world.  

B. it makes us become angry more easily.

C. it has made our rivers and lakes dirty.      

D. it makes much noise.

Which of the following is not true?

A. The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people.

B. From now on, maybe people try to go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike. It is helpful to fight against the pollution of SO₂.

C. The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world’s pollution does.

D. Many countries are making rules to fight pollution.

Passage two (Vicious and Dangerous Sports Should be Banned by Law)

When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor old Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on in their arenas. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the spectators who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remains as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungey lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long age; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hangings or bearbaiting.

It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is sheer hypocrisy. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they have been deprived of the exquisite pleasure of witnessing prolonged torture and violence.

Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally – admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings of any of the countless other barbaric practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the grim forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly and unaccountably improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is degrading and unworthy of human beings.

1.It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is

A.  not very high.     B.  high.      C.  contemptuous.       D.  critical.

2.The main idea of this passage is

A.  vicious and dangerous sports should be banned by law.

B.  people are willing to pay vast sums money to see violence.

C.  to compare two different attitudes towards dangerous sports.

D.  people are bloodthirsty in sports.

3.That the author mentions the old Romans is

A.  To compare the old Romans with today’s people.

B.  to give an example.

C.  to show human beings in the past know nothing better.

D.  to indicate human beings are used to bloodthirsty.

4.How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?

A.  Three.            B.  Five.         C.  Six.            D.  Seven.

5.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is

A.  that, by banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve our selves.

B.  that, by banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law.

C.  that we must take positive steps to improve social welfare system.

D.  to show law is the main instrument of social change.

Air pollution is getting more and more serious, so we must take action          it is too late.

Chinese people take their food and eat it extremely seriously .Eating is a communal (公共的),social, human experience in China .Sharing a meal is a sign of friendship，and trust , Eating plays a central role in friendship ,business ,medicine ,family and love. In short, food is life.

When eating, the rice is separated into your own personal bowl, but the dishes are placed in communal bowls in the center of the table and everybody help themselves with chopsticks .It's considered polite, and sign of respect and friendship, to encourage other people to eat plenty of the good bits, even to pick up food with your chopsticks and drop it into their rice bowls for them.

Food is an important component of weddings, funerals and almost all Chinese festivals. New Year is the time for dumplings, the Dragon Boat Festival is the time for sticky rice Zongzi wrapped in leaves, and Mid -Autumn Day is the time for Moon Cakes. The dinner table is the best for forum(公共讨论场所) to close business deals ,and it's the number one thing to do with friends.

Chinese women express their admiration for the opposite sex by cooking delicious meals of many courses, and these days it's the other way round too.

In short, if you want to get to know Chinese people, understand Chinese culture and thinking and get into Chinese life, you have to eat and appreciate Chinese food.

1. What is the best title of this passage?

A. Eating Food in China

B. How Do Chinese People Eat Food

C. The Importance of Chinese Food

D. Different Foods for Different Chinese Food

2.In the first paragraph, what does the author mean by saying "food is life"?

A. Without food, there will be no life

B. food is as important as life

C. we must take food seriously

D. we must eat food every day

3.What is the representative food for the Dragon Boat Festival in China?

A. Dumplings   B. Moon Cakes    C. Jiaozi     D. Zongzi

High school graduation is worth celebrating. It marks a big change in the lives of young adults. However, it ought to mean even more. It ought to mean that the graduate is ready for college or career.

In a report issued last year, we found that almost half of recent Illinois high school graduates required remedial courses(补习课) upon enrolling(注册) a community college. These courses require time and money to complete, yet offer no credits toward a degree. Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college.

Why is the remediation rate so high? A large part of the reason is that we have not set high enough standards for what our students need to learn from kindergarten to high school. They simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

The same is true for careers. In Illinois, good jobs continue to go vacant(空缺) even while we are trying hard to go through tough economic times. This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know.

The good news is that in Illinois we have a plan to help get our students ready for life in the real world. We have already taken an important first step by becoming one of the 45 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards and have begun introducing them to classrooms this year. The new standards provide fewer, clearer and higher benchmarks(标准) for academic progress. They focus on deeper knowledge required at each grade level, give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they’ve learned.

Research shows that when expectations are raised, students rise to meet them. Adapting to higher standards and raising expectations may prove challenging, but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers. Readiness is worth a celebration.

1.According to the passage, in most cases, students taking part in remedial courses ___.

A．come from wealthy families

B．leave college before finishing their courses

C．are offered credits toward a degree

D．are likely to develop their academic interest

2.The author uses the third and fourth paragraphs to __.

A．provide solutions to the rising remediation rate

B．show the present situation of unemployment in Illinois

C．suggest knowledge learned in school be put into practice

D．explain why students aren’t prepared for college and a career

3.Which of the following statements about the Common Core State Standards is TRUE?

A．They were first adopted in Illinois.

B．More benchmarks are required.

C．They benefit teachers as well as students.

D．They ensure students’ success in college.

4.Based on the last paragraph, what is the author’s attitude to raising expectations of students?

A．Supportive                            B．Critical

C．Doubtful                              D．Worried