2.(　 ) How many people had died from the bird flu by last mid-December?

　　　　 A. Less than 52 people.　　 B. 87,000 people or so.

　　　　 C. More than 35 people.　 D. Nearly 1,300 people.

1.(　 ) How long did China’s second manned spaceship stay in space?

　　　　 A. Two days.　　 B. Three days.　　 C. Four days.　　 D. Five days.

5.(　 ) According to the passage, the hottest place is ________ .

　　　　 A. Soll　　 B. Bangkok　　 C. Kauai　　 D. Austria

　　　　　　　　　　　　 C

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Shenzhou VI safely returns to Earth

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 神舟6号顺利返回

　　　 China’s second manned spaceship returned safely to Earth early Monday, Oct.17, 2005 after a successful five-day flight. The flight was China’s second-ever manned space mission(任务) following the historic Shenzhou V, which in October, 2003 made China the third nation after the former Soviet Union and the United States to put a man into space.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Global bird flu　 禽流感在全球蔓延

　　　 Health officials tried their best to fight global bird flu. As of mid-December, more than 35 people had died in 2005 because of the bird flu. So far there have been no confirmed(证实的) human cases of the bird flu, H5NI, outside of Asia.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Harry Potter hit　 “哈利波特”热

　　　 Harry Potter kept attracting readers and moviegoers(常看电影的人) around the world. The sixth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, set a new record for book sales when nearly nine million copies flew off the shelves in the United States and England for the first day they were put in bookshops. The movie Harry Potter and the Goblet Fire has gained(获得) more than $ 600 million worldwide.

　 Earthquake in South Asia　 南亚地震

　　　 In early October, 2005, an earthquake shook some parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and northern India, killing about 87, 000 people, and leaving more than 3 million homeless. Rescue(援救) efforts were nearly impossible for many faraway villages.

　　　　　　　　　　　　 Hurricanes hit Central and North America

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 飓风袭击中北美洲

　　　 Hurricane(飓风) Katrina hit coastlines(海岸线) in Central and North America. New Orleans, America is one of the worst-hit areas. The official death toll(死亡人数) tops 1,300, and thousands remain(依然)homeless. A month later, Hurricane Rita hit Central and North America again-another mark of the most active hurricane season ever recorded.

Read the top news in 2005 and choose the best answer.

4.(　 ) There are ________ in the north of Kauai Island.

　　　　 A. sandy beaches　　 B. heavy rains 　C. mosquitoes　　　 D. forests and mountains

3.(　 ) You’d better wear ________ when you are at the Floating Market.

　　　　　 A. a hat and sunglasses　　 B. a raincoat and a swimming suit

　　　　　 C. a hat and a T-shirt　　　　 D. a shirt and an umbrella

2.(　 ) You can buy things ________ at the Floating Market in Bangkok.

　　　　　 A. in the boats　　　 B. in the streets　　　 C. in big stores　　　 D. in small shops

1.(　 ) You can have a view of ________ at the Post Hotel.

　　　　　 A. the whole country　　　 B. the whole village

　　　　　 C. the forest and the mountains　　 D. both B and C

5.(　 ) Why did they see all the animals standing in front of the door? Because ________.

A. the animals didn’t like the musician

B. the musician drove them out of the barn

C. the animals didn’t like the smell, either

D. the animals wanted to look for the artist and the lawyer

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B

Come to Austria!

　　　 Soll is a village in the mountains in western Austria. The Post Hotel, opened by a local family, is clean and not expensive. From the hotel you can see the whole village, the forest and the mountains. Temperatures in summer are usually 20℃ to 25℃ in the daytime, but much cooler at night.

Enjoy Thailand!

　　　 When you visit Bangkok(曼谷) in Thailand, do not miss the early morning river boat trip to the Floating(漂浮的) Market just outside the city. There you will find many kinds of fruits and vegetables. There you can pay for them when you sit in your boat. Don’t forget your hat and sunglasses: the sun can be strong and it may be as hot as 40℃ at noon!

Visit Hawaii!

　　　 Maybe the most beautiful place in Hawaii is Kauai. You can visit its long, sandy beaches in the south and west of the island, and mountains and forests in the north, but be careful: there are many mosquitoes(蚊子) , and don’t be surprised if it rains in the center of the land. Daytime temperatures there are usually around 24℃ to 26℃ by the sea, and only a little cooler in late evening.

Choose the best answer according to the passage.

4.(　 ) What do you think of the musician? He was ________.

A. stupid　　　 B. foolish　　　 C. clever　　　 D. helpful

3.( 　) Why did the artist want to sleep in the barn?

A. Because he liked to sleep alone.

B. Because he wanted to leave the room to the other two.

C. Because he didn’t think that the smell was so terrible.

D. The passage didn’t tell us.