The high school years are a key period. The things we learn during this time really shape our lives. Liu Changming, principal of Beijing No. 4 High School made 18 suggestions for students just starting high school on how to get the best out of high school. Here are ten of them.
1) Read 50 books. But choose them from ten different fields.
2) Help a person. Look for a classmate, an elderly person, in fact anyone who could benefit（获益）from your help. You’ll find you benefit too!
3) Research. Research a particular area, such as science, history or art.
4) Make a foreign friend. Try to befriend someone from a foreign country. It’s an ideal way to learn about a foreign country.
5) Publish（出版）an article. Whether it appears in a newspaper, your school magazine or in your own blog, an article will be something to look back on in pride in later years.
6) Take up a new sport. Choose one you’ve never played before. If you find you like it, you’ll have a hobby for life
7) Join a club. Working hard in a club or other activities will give you a life outside of your studies.
8) Find a part-time job. Try and do the job for at least a month.
9) Find a person to learn from. Choose someone with unusual experience or special talent. Try to learn all you can from him or her.
10) Learn to cook four Chinese dishes. Learning how to cook is not only a practical skill but a way of building a bridge to other people.
【小题1】 According to the passage, by making a foreign friend you can ______.

A．learn about another culture	B．practice spoken English
C．discuss the international situation	D．share your happiness and sadness

【小题2】Beside learning a practical skill, another purpose of learning to cook is ______.

A．to help your parents with housework	B．to kill time
C．to have communication with others	D．to make friends

【小题3】Which of the following statements is True according to the passage?

A．You should read fifty books of the same field.

B．Do a part-time job for less than a month.

C．Try to publish an article to make you famous.

D．You can benefit a lot by helping others.

【小题4】The principal made the suggestions in order for the students to ______.

A．make contributions to society	B．achieve greet progress in high school
C．love high school life	D．finish high school

The expression “down to earth” means being open and honest. It is easy to get on with some one who is down to earth. A down-to-earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud.
Down-to-earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. A person who is filed with his own importance and pride is said to have his nose in the air.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality（现实）. He may have dreams, but he does not allow them to have influence on his understanding of what is real.
The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a day－dreamer.
When we have both our feet on the ground, and when we are down to earth, we do not have our noses in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us— solid(牢固的) and strong.
【小题1】A down-to-earth person could be_____________.

A．social and proud

B．good and opposite

C．real and important

D．strong and changeable

【小题2】The expression “has one’s nose in the air” means_____________.

A．眉飞色舞

B．目中无人

C．瞻前顾后

D．春风得意

【小题3】This passage mainly talks about_____________.

A．the use of some expressions	B．dreams and achievements
C．the lifestyle of honest people	D．honesty and understanding

【小题4】If you want to understand what is real in life, you have to_____________.

A．get along with other people easily	B．learn from those who are down to earth
C．be a good dreamer with quick mind	D．have both your feet on the ground

【小题5】If you only consider your own importance, __________.

A．you’ll think you are better than others

B．your life will be like the solid and strong ground

C．you’ll be hated by down-to-earth people

D．your life will be filed with love

A thousand years ago Hong Kong was covered by a thick forest. As more and more people came to 　1　 in Hong Kong, these trees were cut down and burnt. Now there is 　2　 forest left, though there are still some small areas covered with trees. We call these woods.
Elephants, tigers and many 　3　 animals were living in the thick forest. When people came to live in Hong Kong, the 　4　 began to die out. Early farmers grew rice and 　5　 pigs and chickens in the valleys. They cut down the trees and burnt them. They needed 　6　 to keep themselves warm in winter, to cook their food and to keep away the dangerous animals. Elephants quickly disappeared because there was not enough food for them. So did 　7　 of the wolves and tigers. Monkeys and many other animals soon 　8　 in the same way.
You might think that there are no longer any animals in Hong Kong 　9　 in the zoos. But there are still about 36 different animals 　10　 there. One of the most interesting of Hong Kong's animals is the barking deer. These are beautiful little animals 　11　 a rich brown coat and a white patch (补丁) under the tail. They look like deer but they are much smaller. They are less than two feet（英尺） 　12　. They make a noise rather like a dog 　13　. In Hong Kong the barking deer has only a real enemy--　14　. People hunt these little animals though it is illegal (违法的). There are now not many barking deer left. So it is important 　15　 people to protect wild animals.

【小题1】

A．work B．study C．live 　　 D．enjoy

【小题2】

A．many　　 B．a few C．no D．not

【小题3】

A．other 　 B．others　　 C．the other　 D．another

【小题4】

A．people　 B．animals　 C．plants 　 D．things

【小题5】

A．grew　　 B．made C．got D．kept

【小题6】

A．fire　　 B．hotness　 C．heat　　 D．stoves(炉子)

【小题7】

A．much　　 B．a little C．a lots　　 D．most

【小题8】

A．lived　 B．died　 C．came　　 D．left

【小题9】

A．besides B．except　　 C．and　　 D．or

【小题10】

A．live　 B．to live　 C．lived　 D．living

【小题11】

A．have B．without　 C．with　　 D．get

【小题12】

A．high 　 B．higher　　 C．short　　 D．shorter

【小题13】

A．shouting　 B．crying　 C．barking　 D．talking

【小题14】

A．tigers　 B．men　 C．wolves D．elephants

【小题15】

A．to 　 B．for　　 C．like 　　 D．of

A rich man loved his little boy very much. He wanted  1  him happy all the time. So he gave him everything that he could buy with   2  . But the little boy was still   3  .Where he went, he always wore a frown(皱眉). And he always wished for something he did not have. The rich man didn’t know   4   to make his son happy.
One day, a magician(魔术师) came and said to him, “I can make your son happy and   5  his frowns into smiles, but you must pay me a great price   6  telling him the secret.”
“All right,” said the man, “No matter what you ask for, I  7   you.” The magician took the boy into a secret room. He wrote something on a piece of paper, and then gave it to the boy. There were some words on the paper, “Do one   8   thing for someone every day.” The boy followed the   9   and became one of the happiest boys.
I think only those who are always thinking about   10  can be truly happy.

【小题1】

A．keep B．get C．to make D．to do

【小题2】

A．money B．food C．time D．toys

【小题3】

A．relaxed B．unhappy C．angry D．worried

【小题4】

A．why B．how C．what D．who

【小题5】

A．turn B．come C．put D．look

【小题6】

A．on B．for C．at D．with

【小题7】A will give     B have given    C. gave         D am giving

【小题8】

A．boring B．bad C．kind D．hard

【小题9】

A．advice B．medicine C．book D．umbrella

【小题10】A. another      B. the other    C other         D others