In parts of Africa, the sky is filled with a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.

And in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if www..comthey can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. The radio station is in one of Senegal’s worst affected regions.

This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move, they breed, and increase their number and will soon threaten Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.

Experts say the great damage to crops in areas already suffering from food shortages and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the region are not well equipped to fight the pest.

Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares per day with pesticide, but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.

Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the crisis, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.

1. The purpose of offering people rice for catching locusts in Senegal is ________.

A. to get more people to eat rice so as to leave less for locusts

B. to get more people involved in the war on the locusts

C. to prevent more people from starvation

D. to get more people to listen to the radio report on locusts

2. Which of the following is not the reason for West Africans going hungry?

A. Locust disaster causes the great damage to crops.

B. Food supply is far from the need of the people.

C. These regions are affected by the war.

D. Governments are unwilling to fight the pest.

3. It can be concluded that, in order to end the locust disaster, ________.

A. leaders of 12 countries in West Africa should call on their people to take action

B. insects experts should be sent to these regions

C. other countries outside Africa should keep close watch on their own lands

D. Help from all over the world is in urgent demand

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. Food shortage in Africa.              B. International aid to Africa.

C. The insects attack on Africa.          D. Terrible storm in Africa.

In recent years advances in medical technology have made it possible for people to live longer than in the past. New medicines and machines are being developed every day to extend life. However, some people, including some doctors, are not in favor of these life extending measures, and they argue that people should have the right to die when they want. They say that the quality of life is as important as life itself and that people should not be forced to go on living when conditions of life have become unbearable. They say thatpeople should be allowed to die with dignity (尊严) and to decide when they want to die. Others argue that life under any conditions is better than death and that the duty of doctors is always to extend life as long as possible. And so the battle goes on and on without a definite answer.

The best title for this passage is _____.

A. The Right to Live    B. The Right to Die

C. The Doctor’s Duty   D. Life Is Better Than Death

In recent years, people can live longer than in the past. It’s because of _____ .

A. the development of medical technology 

B. big hospitals

C. good doctors  

D. both B and C    

According to some people whether a dying patient has the right to die or not is up to _____ .

. A. the doctors            B. the surroundings

 C. his or her family      D. the patient himself or herself

In the writer’s opinion _____ .

A.death is better than life

B. life is better that death

C. neither death nor life is good

D. none of the above

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. Most of the medical workers join in the argument.

B. The argument has ended in favor of the patient.

C. The argument hasn’t ended yet.

D. The quality of life is not as important as life itself, so it is generally thought that people should not be allowed to die under any conditions.

In recent years advances in medical technology have made it possible for people to live longer than in the past. New medicines and machines are being developed every day to extend life. However, some people, including some doctors, are not in favor of these life extending measures, and they argue that people should have the right to die when they want. They say that the quality of life is as important as life itself and that people should not be forced to go on living when conditions of life have become unbearable. They saw that people should be allowed to die with dignity (尊严) and to decide when they want to die. Others argue that life under any conditions is better than death and that the duty of doctors is always to extend life as long as possible. And so the battle goes on and on without a definite answer.

The best title for this passage is _____.

A. The Right to Live        B. The Right to Die        

  C. The Doctor’s Duty       D. Life Is Better Than Death

In recent years, people can live longer than in the past. It’s because of _____ .

A. the development of medical technology      B. big hospitals 

C. good doctors                            D. both B and C

According to some people whether a dying patient has the right to die or not is up to _____ .              

A. the doctors                      B. the surroundings        

  C. his or her family                 D. the patient himself or herself

In the writer’s opinion _____ .

A. death is better than life            B. life is better that death  

C. neither death nor life is good       D. none of the above

In many homes, divorce is caused by the “battle between the sexes.” To understand the problem, one must remember that the modern American woman is freed. During childhood and adolescence(青少年期), the American girl is given freedom and education which is equal to a boy's. After completing school, she is able to get a job and support herself. She doesn't have to marry for financial security. She considers herself an independent, self-sufficient person. She wants a husband whom she can respect, but she doesn't want to be dominated(控制) by him. She wants a democratic household in which she has a voice in making decisions. When a husband and wife are able to share decisionmaking, their marriage is probably closer, stronger, and more satisfying. Otherwise, the couple is likely to wind up in the divorce court.

When a couple gets divorced, the court usually requires the man to pay his former wife a monthly sum of money. If the couple has children, they usually remain with the mother, and the father is expected to pay for their support.

Although divorce is quite common in the United States, 80 percent of those who get divorced remarry. The remarriages allow thousands of people, especially children, to enjoy family life again, but at the same time many troubles have arisen. A well-known American joke tells of a wife calling to her second husband, “Quick, John! Come here and help me! Your children are beating up our chidlren!”

What causes most of the divorce cases in the U.S.A.?

A.Financial trouble in the family.

B.Women's liberation movement.

C.Different attitudes towards children's education.

D.Lack of democratic atmosphere in the household.

What do you know of modern American women, according to the passage?

A.They are overbearing and hardworking.

B.They are more independent than ever.

C.They do not have much say in the household.

D.They respect their husbands, but do not rely on them.

What kind of marriage can be successful?

A.Both the man and woman are financially secure.

B.Husband and wife share housework.

C.Both the man and woman are well-educated.

D.Decisions are made by the man and woman together.

What happens when a couple is divorced, according to the passage?

A.The children become homeless.

B.The man is still responsible for the welfare of his children.

C.Life becomes difficult for the woman and her children.

D.The man, rather than the woman, remarries soon.

Battle of the Books
Each year in April, the “Battle of the Books” teams from each school meet for the Semi-Battle competition. The top three teams from each division go on to the Final Battle to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. The gold medal winners go on to compete in the Regional Championship.
Battle of the Books Rules and Goals
Goals:
Students: Have fun reading good books from a wide variety of authors and genres(体裁).
Educators: Encourage reading, foster friendly competition, and nurture the love of books in young people.
Rules:
One team of six students from grades 7 or 8 will represent each school.
1. Each team will have a spokesperson. While the team is encouraged to discuss possible answers, team answers will only be accepted from the spokesperson.
2. The Semi-Finals will consist of three rounds of play, and the Finals will have one round. Each round features a Regular Battle and a Lightning Battle.
3. Regular Battle questions will be addressed to teams alternately(轮流地), regardless of the last correct answer. There will be 12 Regular Battle questions per round. When asked a question, teams will have 20 seconds to provide the book’s title and author.
4. Five points will be given if the team correctly identifies the exact title, and three points will be awarded for correctly identifying the author’s surname. The author’s first name does not need to be identified.
5. The Lightning Battles will be featured at the end of each round. Lightning Battles consist of a 2 minutes, 30 seconds time period during which each team is asked up to 12 questions. These questions concern details of the books and will not require teams to identify titles or authors. Each correctly answered Lightning Battle question will be worth three points.
PLEASE NOTE:
A warm-up practice question will be given to each team at the beginning of its first Semi-Battle and at the beginning of the Final and Regional Final Battles.
There may be no assistance from the coordinators and audience members.
Teams will not be punished for incorrect answers.
Any team demonstrating poor sportsmanship will not be invited back.
【小题1】According to the text, “Battle of the Books” is an activity ______.

A．where students are inspired to write books

B．where books are used as arms in the battle

C．where friends compete with each other

D．where readers are motivated to love books

【小题2】How many questions will be asked in the Semi-Finals?

A．72

B．24

C．36

D．12

【小题3】What information can we get from the text?

A．Teams are given 20 minutes to answer a question.

B．A competitor gets 18 points for 6 correct titles.

C．Each round ends with the Lightning Battles.

D．A correct first name will be given 5 points.

【小题4】If a team doesn’t compete fairly, it ______.

A．won’t be given a warm-up practice	B．won’t get help from audience members
C．will be reduced in its points	D．won’t be allowed to compete next time