Everyone tries to get to school on time. But when bad weather gives you trouble, can you still make it before the bell rings?
In northern China during spring, big sandstorms often make trouble for students and everyone else. When the sky is dark with sand, buses and cars all move much more slowly. Sometimes, people can’t even see for 20 metres.
Sandstorms usually happen in spring. This year, sandstorms started in late March. They have happened in more than 10 provinces (省)  in northern China this year. More than 70 million people have had problems in those places because of the sandstorms.
People in southern China don’t have to worry about this kind of bad weather. Most of the sand comes from Gansu and Inner Mongolia（内蒙古）. In northern China, lots of places have few trees and don’t get much rain. People there have been cutting down too many trees. When there aren’t many trees, the ground can’t keep enough water. Over the years, the ground dries up and turns to sand. When spring comes and the ice melts（融化）, the ground becomes looser（更松散的）. Strong winds take the loose sand into the sky.
Sandstorms are bad for people’s health. If people breathe（呼吸） too much sand, they could cough or have asthma（哮喘）.
Sandstorms also give farmers lots of problems. Sometimes their sheep get lost in the storms and never get back home. The winds also tear down farmers’ houses.
What can you do to stop sandstorms? Here’s an idea: Ask you parents to help you plant some trees this spring.
If you see people cutting down too many trees, tell them about the dangers of sandstorms, and ask your government to stop them from cutting.
【小题1】In which season do sandstorms usually happen?

A．In spring.

B．In summer.

C．In autumn.

D．In winter.

【小题2】Which of the following provinces in China is often hit by sandstorms?

A．Fujian Province.

B．Yunnan Province.

C．Jiangsu Province.

D．Gansu Province.

【小题3】The underlined phrase “tear down” in the sentence means “_________”.

A．使……哭泣

B．弄倒

C．摧残

D．加固

【小题4】 According to the passage, what cannot be caused by sandstorms?

A．Health problems.	B．Traffic problems.
C．The loss of farm animals.	D．Noise pollution.

【小题5】Which is not stated in the passage？_______________ .

A．Trees can help keep enough rain water

B．More trees need to be planted

C．Some people are doing harm to the environment

D．Sandstorms are the main cause of asthma

Think back to a time in your life when you tried something new.
When I was a teenager I volunteered to pass out water at a local race. I was so excited to see all the different runners who passed by and quickly took a cup of water. Some ran past，some walked past and a few wheeled past.
I saw so many types of people doing it. I thought maybe I could do it too! The next year I decided to run for the race，but I had little running practice. I just wanted to finish.
On the day of the race，it was terribly hot. After running for about 5 miles，I was thinking，“I must be crazy. Why did I do this? What was I thinking？” And at one moment，I said to myself，“I am never doing this again！”
That first 10 km race was quite an experience. I jogged (慢跑)，I walked，I jogged and walked. At times，I didn’t know if I could finish.
Near the end，a 70­year­old man ran past me，very fast，and I felt a little embarrassed (尴尬的) that I was more than 50 years younger than he and I couldn’t even keep up with him. But then I realized something. He was running his race and I was running mine. How often in life do we compare(比较) ourselves to others when we really shouldn’t? I decided that I would not give up on running races，and that one day I would be one of those 70­year­olds who were still running.
As I crossed the finishing line，I was proud of myself. I didn’t regret (后悔) having such an experience.
【小题1】What did the writer do at a local race as a volunteer?

A．He helped old runners.

B．He cheered up the runners.

C．He passed out water to the runners.

D．He took back the cups from the runners.

【小题2】Why did the writer join the race?

A．He just wanted to experience.	B．He was crazy about running.
C．He had practiced running very hard.	D．He wanted very much to win a prize.

【小题3】How did the writer’s feeling change after running about 5 miles?
①He regretted.
②He encouraged himself.
③He felt a little embarrassed.

A．①—②—③

B．②—①—③

C．①—③—②

D．②—③—①

【小题4】 What is the best title (标题) of the passage?

A．To be No.1.	B．Let’s compare.
C．A volunteering job.	D．Running your own race.

Michael Jordon is the greatest basketball player of all time. Once he was making a television advertisement, all he needed to do was to miss a shot.

For Michael, this was difficult. He had conditioned(定位) himself to succeed whenever he was throwing the ball. Every time he threw a basketball, it went in. Every time he tried to miss a shot, he couldn’t. In total, it took him over 20 attempts (尝试) before he missed a shot.

For Michael, success is a strong habit. It took him a lot of time to break it. Just like drinking, smoking and collecting things, success is also a habit. Once it is formed, it is difficult to break. Many people think that success is difficult to keep. They feel that it will be hard work and will need too much action and focus. The truth is that it is simply a habit, and as easy to keep as any other habit.

Spend some time making success a habit in your life. Once you have developed it, it is not something you want to change again.

1.In the advertisement Michael Jordon needed to ______________.

A．miss a shot        B．throw the basketball in                   C．keep his habit   D．develop his skills

2.The writer used the example of Michael Jordon to tell us ________.

A．he is the best basketball player of all time     B．he had worked very hard to be successful

C．success is a strong habit                  D．success is a habit that is not difficult to break

3.Which of the following is not the habit mentioned in the passage?

A．drinking          B．smoking           C．collecting things    D．working hard

4.If you want to succeed , you must____________.

A．miss the shot                           B．make success a habit

C．keep throwing                          D．make an advertisement

 

Because earthquakes happen without warning, it’s important to take steps now to prepare. Because you don’t know where you will be when an earthquake happens, prepare some supplies for your home, workplace, and car.

1. Water.

A person needs at least 1/2 gallon of water daily just for drinking. Store at least1 gallon of water per person per day and be prepared for a 72-hour period. It’s suggested that you buy bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Also, do check the “use by” date.

2. Food.

It’s always a practical idea to keep a supply of non-perishable(不易腐烂的) food on hand. Have an enough supply of canned food, dried milk, dried fruits, non-salted nuts and canned juices for at least 72 hours.

3. Flashlights and spare batteries.

Keep a flashlight beside your bed, at your place of work, and in your car. Do not use matches or candles after an earthquake until you are sure that no gas leaks.

Prepare a battery –powered radio and spare batteries. Most telephones will be out of order, so radios will be your best source of information.

4. Clothes.

If you live in a cold place, you must think about warmth. You might not have heat after an earthquake. Think about your clothing and bedding supplies.

1.You should prepare all of the following except _______________.

A．canned juices

B．dried fruits

C．fresh vegetables

D．dried milk

2.If you live in a cold place, you should prepare _______________ .

A．some warm clothes and bedding supplies

B．some hot water

C．some batteries

D．some flashlights

3.According to the article we know that _________________.

A．clothes are used to protect your head

B．a telephone is the most important prepared thing

C．flashlights but not matches are first used after earthquakes

D．we need to prepare some supplies only at home

 

In northern China during spring, big sandstorm often make trouble for people. Sandstorms usually happen in spring. They have happened in more than 10 provinces in northern China this year. People in southern China don't have to worry about this kind of bad weather. Most of the sand comes from the north of China. In northern China, lots of places have few trees and don't get much rain. When there aren't many trees, the ground can't keep enough water. Over the years, the ground dries up and turns to sand. When spring comes and the ice melts, the ground becomes loose. Strong winds take the loose sand into the sky. Besides, in northeast China, there lies some vast deserts.
Sandstorms are bad for people's health. If people breathe in too much sand, they will cough or have serious illnesses. Sandstorms also give farmers lots of problems. Sometimes their sheep get lost in the storms and never come back home. The winds also tear the farmers' houses down.
What can you do to stop sandstorms? Here's a piece of advice. Ask your parents to help you plant some trees this spring. If you see people cutting down too many trees, tell them about the dangers of sandstorms, and ask your government to stop them.
【小题1】When do sandstorms usually happen?

A．In summer.

B．In spring.

C．In winter.

D．In autumn

【小题2】What does the underlined word "loose" mean in China?
肥沃的           B.贫瘠的        C.疏松的        D.大量的
【小题3】The second paragraph tells us ______________.

A．why sandstorms happen in northern China

B．the dangers of sandstorms

C．sandstorms aren't terrible at all

D．how sandstorms happen

【小题4】Which of the following is NOT a way to stop sandstorms?

A．Plant more trees in spring.

B．Stop people to cut down too many trees

C．Don't stay outside when sandstorms happen.

D．Tell people about the dangers of sandstorms.

【小题5】Which is the best title for this passage?___________

A．Sandstorms

B．How we can stop sandstorms

C．Why sandstorms only happen in northern China.

D．Sandstorms can influence most of China.