“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this， I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
【小题1】What happened to the author in 2001?

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this， I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1.What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane              B. She entered a competition

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride   D. She moved into a retirement community

2.The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. build up her own reputation        B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition      D. make her argument persuasive

3.How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited           B. Scared      C. Nervous        D. Regretful

4.What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds     B. The wonderful view

C. The company of Jay     D. The one-minute free fall

5.Which word could be used to replace the word “instructor,” in Paragraph 3?

     A. doctor             B. conductor       C. pilot        D. trainer

Kenya is losing an average of 100 of its 2,000 lions each year because of growing human settlements, increasing farming, climate change and diseases, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“Lions have a special place in Kenyans’ life,” said Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the organization.  “Other than being the symbol of national strength, they are among the Big Five, a main attraction for visitors to Kenya.”
There were 2,749 lions in Kenya in 2002 and their population dropped to 2,280 by 2004 and to about 2,000 today, according to KWS figures.
“The fall of the lion population is worrying and every effort needs to be made to make sure that Kenya either protects its population of 2,000 lions at present or increases the numbers to an ecologically (生态上地) acceptable level,” said Mr. Udoto.
“There is no doubt that the numbers are in free fall. I’d be surprised if they even last as long as 20 years,” said Laurence Frank, project director of Living With Lions, a Kenya-based animal protection organization. “When I first came here 30 years ago, I would always hear lions roaring across the land at night and see their tracks in the morning. Now that is very rare.”
“The reason is simple. As the numbers of people grow and the numbers of cows increase, they take up much of the lion’s space. Alongside that there are other ways, including poisoning, to kill lions.”
Animal lovers are making a new strategy to save the animals. Part of the measures will include tracking lions fitted with radio collars (无线电项圈) in the Amboseli area in southern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania.
Wildlife officials in Tanzania face similar challenges in protecting their lions, but there is far less human encroachment（侵犯) on the animals’ homeland there than in Kenya.
【小题1】The lion population is falling in Kenya for the following reasons EXCEPT __________.

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

 Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1.What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane.

B. She entered a competition.

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.

2.The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. make her argument persuasive

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition

D. build up her own reputation

3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited.         B. Regretful.           C. Nervous.         D. Scared.

4.What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds.                    B. The wonderful view.

C. The company of Jay.                      D. The one-minute free fall.

5.What is the best title of the passage?

    A. Impossible is nothing.                   B. A dream made come true.

    C. An unforgettable skydiving.              D. I Went Skydiving at 84!

阅读下面课文段落，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文的连贯要求，空格处各填入一个适当的单词，使短文通顺完整。请将答案写在二卷答题纸上。
◣ A ◢
(Book 4 Unit 2  Working the land)
Although he is one of China’s most famous scientists, Yuan Longping considers himself a farmer, for he works the land to do his research. Indeed, his sunburnt face and   【小题1】 and his slim, strong body are just like those of millions of Chinese farmers, for whom he has   【小题2】  for the past five decades. Dr Yuan Longping grows what is called super hybrid rice.   【小题3】  1974, he became the first agricultural pioneer in the world to grow rice that has a high   【小题4】. This special strain of rice makes it possible to produce one-third more of the   【小题5】  in the same fields. Now more than 60% of the rice produced in China each year is from this hybrid strain.
◣ B ◢
(Book 4 Unit 5  Theme parks)
The theme park you are probably most familiar with is Disneyland. It can be found in several   【小题6】  of the world. It will bring you into a magical world and make your dreams come   【小题7】 , whether traveling through space, visiting a pirate ship or meeting your favourite fairy tale or Disney cartoon character. As you   【小题8】 around the fantasy amusement park, you may see Snow White or Mickey Mouse in a parade or on the street. Of course Disneyland also has many exciting rides, from giant   【小题9】 ships to terrifying free-fall drops. With all these attractions, no wonder tourism is increasing wherever there is a Disneyland. If you want to have   【小题10】 and more than fun, come to Disneyland!