In China , more and more middle school students are getting shorter sleeping time than before. Most students sleep less than nine hours every night, because they have much homework to do. Some homework is given by their teachers, and some by their parents. Also, some students don't know how to save time. They are not careful enough while they do their homework, so it takes them a lot of time. Some students spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games. They stay up (熬夜) very late. Some students have to get up early every morning on weekdays to get to school n time by bus or by bike. It can be a long way from home to school.

　　Schools and parents should cut down some of the homework so that our children can enjoy more than nine hours of sleep every night for their health. For children, we should make best use of our time. When we have enough time for sleeping, we will find it much better for both our study and health.

1.What makes most students sleep less than nine hours every night?

2.Who else gives children some homework to do except their teachers?

3.How many hours of sleep is good for students' health?

4.What would happen to a student who often goes to bed late and gets up early?

5.Which of the following is NOT true?

For many American teenagers, having a part-time job is an important part of growing up. A part-time job can teach teenagers important skills like responsibility（责任）， independence（独立），teamwork and leadership.

Young people can expand(扩大) their social circles beyond their classmates by making friends with co-workers. And many teenagers find that earning their own money gives them a sense of pride and freedom.

The US Department of Labor allows teenagers to apply for jobs at the age of 14. Popular part-time jobs include working in ice cream stores, coffee shops, and clothing stores. During the school year, teenagers may go to work a few times a week after their classes get out, then work for longer on the weekends.

In the summer, top jobs for teens include working at camps, swimming pools and amusement parks. These jobs are great for young people who want to be active and have fun while making money.

A favorite job for many teens is babysitting(临时替人看小孩), and they can start before 14 if the parents agree. After the children are sleeping and before the parents come home, babysitters have lots of freedom.

As long as they stay in the house and make sure the kids are okay, babysitters can do their homework, enjoy a snack, watch TV, or talk on the phone with friends.

It can be stressful to balance school, homework, and a part-time job. Still, many American teenagers value their work experience and the skills they gain on the job.

1.The author thinks a part-time job can teach teenagers many skills except _____.

2.American teenagers can work when they are _____ years old by law.

3.Where do American teenagers like to work most in the summer?

4.American teenagers like to babysit because they _____.

5.We can infer that American teenagers _____ from the last paragraph.

In the middle of the first term of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things. His heart was not in school, but in the woods.

One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams. “Steve! Pay attention!” Steve turned to look at her, fixing his eyes on Miss White, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

“You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, her eyes searching his face. “...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!” She just stared at Steve. Steve dropped his eyes.

After that, it was war! Steve still wouldn’t do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.

“Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.

“You’re smart enough! You’ll see a change!” Nothing touched him.

“Give yourself a chance! Don’t give up on your life!” Nothing.

“Steve! Please! I care about you!”

Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it! Someone cared about him? Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, both parents were out. He, quickly, gathered up a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his schoolbooks.

?? The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all smiles! God, she was beautiful!

Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Miss White’s face was in total shock! The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it!

He discovered that he could understand knowledge and translate the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to go ahead!

1.Steve used to be bad at his lessons because _______.

A．the teacher blamed him from time to time?????

B．he was not a smart boy in his class

C．the test for the seventh grade challenged his confidence???

D．he hadn’t put his heart into his studies

2.The underlined word “stubborn” in the passage probably refers to “_______”.

A．completely unchanged????????? ????????????? B．severely punished

C．careless with the homework????????? D．lost in the test

3.It was the _______that made Steve begin to work hard at his lessons later.

A. his parents??????? ????????????? B．his classmates

C. the teacher????????? ????????????? D．failure in the test

4.Which of the following descriptions is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Steve often helped his parents work in the woods instead of going to school.

B．The teacher punished Steve for his failure in the test for the seventh grade.

C．Steve not only made progress but finally became a good student of the class.

D．Steve was actually a clever boy, but Miss White hadn’t realized it at first.

5.Which of the following words best describes Steve’s teacher?

A. Hardworking.????????????? ????????????? B. Caring.????????????? ????????????? C. Outstanding.????????????? ????????????? D. Strict.

Dear Abby,

I'm a helpless mother. My son Tom is 15 years old. I find that the older he grows, the less we talk. I feel very sad and I really need help.

My first problem is about his hobbies. He spends almost all his spare time on computer games. When he gets home, he always turns on the computer and closes the door. I'm getting worried about him, especially when his English teacher tells me he always gets low marks in the English exams.

Second, he likes new technology, but I don't have enough money and I can't afford all the things he wants.

Recently, I've found that he is always alone. I've never seen him talking to his friends on the phone or going out with anyone on weekends. That is the last problem I have.

What should I do to help him? Please give me some advice.

A helpless mother

1.The helpless mother has         problems.

2.Tom           for almost all his spare time at home.

3.From the passage we know that Tom's mother           .

4.The helpless mother asks Abby to             

5.Which of the following is TRUE about Tom？

At school many things happen to us. We may feel excited when we have success in a school play. We may feel sorry if we lose an important game. We want to remember all the important things in our lives.

How to keep the memory? Our English teacher, Miss Wang, taught us a good way of remembering things to make our own yearbook. What is a yearbook? A yearbook is a kind of book which is used to keep the memory of exciting moments. It’s usually made at the end of the year.

Last December, we began to make our yearbook. First we chose the persons who did something special, then some students interviewed (采访) them, some wrote down their stories, others took photos of them. Everyone in our class had something to do. Finally our teacher helped us to put the things together. We had our first yearbook.

All of us put a lot of love into making the yearbook. It is so wonderful that not only the students but also our parents and teachers will remember the special time for ever.

1.When we have success in a school play, we may feel ______.

A. sorry        B. angry        C. excited      D. interested

2.Miss Wang’s good way of remembering things is to ______.

A. buy a new book   B. write down stories  

C. take a lot of photos     D. make a yearbook

3.A yearbook is made to ______.

A. keep the memory B. take notes     

C. do our homework D. remember English words

4.Usually a yearbook is made in ______.

A. January B. February     C. May D. December

5.We made our first yearbook ______.

A. without any help            

B. without putting our love into it

C. with the help of our teacher    

D. with the help of our parents