高中英语阅读理解

"You can use me as a last resort（选择）, and if nobody else volunteers, then I will do it." This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids lacrosse（长曲棍球）club.

I guess that there's probably some demanding work schedule, or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren't even on … At this point the unwilling parent speaks up, "Alright. Yes, I'll do it."

I'm secretly relieved because I know there's real power in sharing volunteer responsibilities among many. The unwilling parent organizes the meal schedule, sends out emails, and collects money for end-of-season gifts. Somewhere along the way, the same parent ends up becoming an invaluable member of the team. The coach is able to focus on the kids while the other parents are relieved to be off the hook for another season. Handing out sliced oranges to bloodthirsty kids can be as exciting as watching your own kid score a goal.

Still, most of us volunteers breathe a sigh of relief when the season comes to a close. That relief is coupled with a deep understanding of why the same people keep coming back for more: Connecting to the community（社区）as you freely give your time, money, skills, or services provides a real joy. Volunteering just feels so good.

In that sense, I'm pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I'd freely like to admit. However, if others benefit in the process, and I get some reward too, does it really matter where my motivation lies?

（1）What can we infer about the parent from her reply in paragraph 1?

A．	She knows little about the club.
B．	She isn't good at sports.
C．	She just doesn't want to volunteer.
D．	She's unable to meet her schedule.

（2）What does the underlined phrase "tug at the heartstrings" in paragraph 2 mean?

A．	Encourage team work .
B．	Appeal to feeling.
C．	Promote good deeds.
D．	Provide advice.

（3）What can we learn about the parent from paragraph 3?

A．	She gets interested in lacrosse.
B．	She is proud of her kids.
C．	She'll work for another season.
D．	She becomes a good helper.

（4）Why does the author like doing volunteer work?

A．	It gives her a sense of duty.
B．	It makes her very happy.
C．	It enables her to work hard.
D．	It brings her material rewards.

My Favourite Books

Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series（系列）of lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.

Matilda

Roald Dahl

I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl's writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful words. Matilda's battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they're also aspirational.

After Dark

Haruki Murakami

It's about two sisters-Eri, a model who either won't or can't stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister. Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse "night people" who are hiding secrets.

Gone Girl

Gillian Fynn

There was a bit of me that didn't want to love this when everyone else on the planet did but the horror story is brilliant. There's tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It's a real whodunit and the frustration when you realise what's going on is horribly enjoyable

The Stand

Stephen King

This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world's population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those let. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.

（1）Who does "I" refer to in the text?

A．	Stephen King.
B．	Gillian Flynn.
C．	Jo Usmar.
D．	Roald Dahl

（2）Which of the following tells about Mari and Eri?

A．	Cosmopolitan.
B．	Matilda.
C．	After Dark.
D．	The Stand.

（3）What kind of book is G one Girl?

A．	A folk tale.
B．	A biography.
C．	A love story.
D．	A horror story.

We may think we're a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices (装置) well after they go out of style. That's bad news for the environment - and our wallets - as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.

To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life - from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation. Desktop computers, basic mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players, smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.

As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn't throw out our old ones." The Living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kid's room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house," said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. We're not just keeping these old devices-we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt's team, old desktop monitors and box TV's with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions(排放) more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.

So what's the solution(解决方案)? The team's data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tables instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.

32.What does the author think of new devices?

A．	They are environment-friendly.
B．	They are no better than the old.
C．	They cost more to use at home.
D．	They go out of style quickly.

33.Why did Babbitt's team conduct the research?

A．	To reduce the cost of minerals.
B．	To test the life cycle of a product.
C．	To update consumers on new technology.
D．	To find out electricity consumption of the devices.

34.Which of the following uses the least energy?

A．	The box-set TV.
B．	The tablet.
C．	The LCD TV.
D．	The desktop computer.

35.What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices?

A．	Stop using them.
B．	Take them apart.
C．	Upgrade them.
D．	Recycle them.

Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit (联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.

Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalization and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominantlanguages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.

At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages, often spoken by many people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1,000; Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number （中位数）of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.

Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction (消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico (150), Lipan Apache in the United States (two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.

28.What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?

A．	They developed very fast.
B．	They were large in number.
C．	They had similar patterns.
D．	They were closely connected.

29.Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2?

A．	Complex.
B．	Advanced
C．	Powerful.
D．	Modern.

30.How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people at present?

A．	About 6,800.
B．	About 3,400.
C．	About 2,400.
D．	About 1,200.

31.What is the main idea of the text?

A．	New languages will be created.
B．	People's lifestyles are reflected in languages.
C．	Human development results in fewer languages.
D．	Geography determines language evolution.

Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid is used to grilling guests on the sofa every morning, but she is cooking up a storm in her latest role-showing families how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals on a tight budget.

In Save Money: Good Food, she visits a different home each week and with the help of chef Matt Tebbutt offers top tips on how to reduce food waste, while preparing recipes for under £5 per family a day. And the Good Morning Britain presenter says she's been able to put a lot of what she's learnt into practice in her own home, preparing meals for sons, Sam, 14, Finn, 13, and Jack, 11.

"We love Mexican churros, so I buy them on my phone from my local Mexican takeaway restaurant," she explains. "I pay £5 for a portion(一份),but Matt makes them for 26p a portion, because they are flour, water, sugar and oil. Everybody can buy takeaway food, but sometimes we're not aware how cheaply we can make this food ourselves."

The eight-part series(系列节目),Save Money: Good Food, follows in the footsteps of ITV's Save Money: Good Health, which gave viewers advice on how to get value from the vast range of health products on the market.

With food our biggest weekly household expense, Susanna and Matt spend time with a different family each week. In tonight's Easter special they come to the aid of a family in need of some delicious inspiration on a budget. The team transforms the family's long weekend of celebration with less expensive but still tasty recipes.

24.What do we know about Susanna Reid?

A．	She enjoys embarrassing her guests.
B．	She has started a new programme.
C．	She dislikes working early in the morning.
D．	She has had a tight budget for her family.

25.How does Matt Tebbutt help Susanna?

A．	He buys cooking materials for her.
B．	He prepares food for her kids.
C．	He assists her in cooking matters.
D．	He invites guest families for her.

26.What does the author intend to do in paragraph 4?

A．	Summarize the previous paragraphs.
B．	Provide some advice for the readers.
C．	Add some background information.
D．	Introduce a new topic for discussion.

27.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．	Keeping Fit by Eating Smart
B．	Balancing Our Daily Diet
C．	Making Yourself a Perfect Chef
D．	Cooking Well for Less

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的ABC和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Washington, D.C. Bicycle Tours

Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C

Duration: 3 hours

This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see the world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability - and the cherry blossoms - disappear!

Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour

Duration: 3 hours (4 miles)

Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique

facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.

Capital City Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.

Duration: 3 hours

Morning or Afternoon this bike tour is the perfect tour for D.C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C.in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledge guides will entertain you with the most interesting stories about Presidents. Congress, memories, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route（路线） make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.

Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour

Duration: 3 hours (7 miles)

Join a small group hike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All rides are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.

（1）Which tour do you need to book in advance?

A．	Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington,	B．	C .
C．	Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour.	D．
E．	Capital City Bike Tour in Washington,	F．	C .
G．	Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour.	H．

（2）What will you do on the Capital City Bike Tour?

A．	Meet famous people.
B．	Go to a national park.
C．	Visit well-known museums.
D．	Enjoy interesting stories.

（3）Which of the following does the bicycle tour at night provide?

A．	City maps.
B．	Cameras
C．	Meals.
D．	Safety lights.

Preparing Cities for Robot Cars

The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist's dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn't leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It's hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.

While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.

Do we want to copy - or even worsen - the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport - an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.

A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fieldedby ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.

Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn't extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.

（1）According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.

A．	help deal with transportation-related problems
B．	provide better services to customers
C．	cause damage to our environment
D．	make some people lose jobs

（2）As for driverless cars, what is the author's major concern?

A．	Safety.
B．	Side effects.
C．	Affordability.
D．	Management.

（3）What does the underlined word ＂fielded＂ in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．	Employed.
B．	Replaced.
C．	Shared.
D．	Reduced.

（4）What is the author's attitude to the future of self-driving cars?

A．	Doubtful.
B．	Positive.
C．	Disapproving.
D．	Sympathetic.

Plastic-Eating Worms

Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in landfills(垃圾填埋场), and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.

Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms' chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass - apparently broken down by enzymes (酶) from the worms' stomachs. Their findings were published in Current Biologyin 2017.

Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms' ability to break down their everyday food - beeswax - also allows them to break down plastic. ＂Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, ＂she explains, ＂The wax worm evolved a method or system to break this bond. ＂

Jennifer DeBruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?

Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team's findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process - not simply ＂millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic.＂

（1）What can we learn about the worms in the study?

A．	They take plastics as their everyday food.
B．	They are newly evolved creatures.
C．	They can consume plastics.
D．	They wind up in landfills.

（2）According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to .

A．	identify other means of the breakdown
B．	find out the source of the enzyme
C．	confirm the research findings
D．	increase the breakdown speed

（3）It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might .

A．	help to raise worms
B．	help make plastic bags
C．	be used to clean the oceans
D．	be produced in factories in future

（4）What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．	To explain a study method on worms.
B．	To introduce the diet of a special worm.
C．	To present a way to break down plastics.
D．	To propose new means to keep eco-balance.

Find Your Adventure at the Space and Aviation(航空) Center

If you're looking for a unique adventure, the Space and Aviation Center (SAC) is the place to be. The Center offers programs designed to challenge and inspire with hands-on tasks and lots of fun.

More than 750,000 have graduated from SAC, with many seeking employment in engineering, aviation, education, medicine and a wide variety of other professions. They come to camp, wanting to know what it is like to be an astronaut or a pilot, and they leave with real-world applications for what they're studying in the classroom.

For the trainees, the programs also offer a great way to earn merit badges(荣誉徽章). At Space Camp, trainees can earn their Space Exploration badge as they build and fire model rockets, learn about space tasks and try simulated(模拟) flying to space with the crew from all over the world. The Aviation Challenge program gives trainees the chance to earn their Aviation badge. They learn the principles of flight and test their operating skills in the cockpit(驾驶舱) of a variety of flight simulators. Trainees also get a good start on their Wilderness Survival badge as they learn about water- and land-survival through designed tasks and their search and rescue of ＂downed＂ pilot.

With all the programs, teamwork is key as trainees learn the importance of leadership and being part of a bigger task.

All this fun is available for ages 9 to 18. Families can enjoy the experience together, too, with Family Camp programs for families with children as young as 7.

Stay an hour or stay a week - there is something here for everyone!

For more details, please visit us online at www.oursac.com.

（1）Why do people come to SAC?

A．	To experience adventures.
B．	To look for jobs in aviation.
C．	To get a degree in engineering.
D．	To learn more about medicine.

（2）To earn a Space Exploration badge, a trainee needs to .

A．	fly to space
B．	get an Aviation badge first
C．	study the principles of flight
D．	build and fire model rockets

（3）What is the most important for trainees?

A．	Leadership.
B．	Team spirit.
C．	Task planning.
D．	Survival skills.

My First Marathon（马拉松）

A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.

The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂

By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

By mile 21, I was starving!

As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.

（1）A month before the marathon, the author ____________.

A．	was well trained
B．	felt scared
C．	made up his mind to run
D．	lost hope

（2）Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?

A．	To acknowledge the support of his teacher.
B．	To amuse the readers with a funny story.
C．	To show he was not talented in sports.
D．	To share a precious memory.

（3）How was the author's first marathon?

A．	He made it.
B．	He quit halfway.
C．	He got the first prize.
D．	He walked to the end.

（4）What does the story mainly tell us?

A．	A man owes his success to his family support.
B．	A winner is one with a great effort of will.
C．	Failure is the mother of success.
D．	One is never too old to learn.

We've all been there：in a lift，in line at the bank or on an airplane，surrounded by people who are，like us，deeply focused on their smartphones or，worse，struggling with the uncomfortable silence．

What's the problem？ It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence． It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging， or we think it's annoying and unnecessary． But the next time you find yourself among strangers， consider that small talk is worth the trouble． Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits．

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy， but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation． Small talk is the grease （润滑剂） for social communication， says Bernardo Carducci， director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast． "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk，" he explains． "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others， not just communicate with them．"

In a 2014 study， Elizabeth Dunn， associate professor of psychology at UBC， invited people on their way into a coffee shop． One group was asked to seek out an interaction（互动） with its waiter； the other， to speak only when necessary． The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience．"It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband，" says Dunn．"But interactions with peripheral（边缘的） members of our social network matter for our well﹣being also．"

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging， a bond with others． Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk．"Small talk is the basis of good manners，" he says．

（1）What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph？ 　 　

A．	Addiction to smartphones．
B．	Inappropriate behaviours in public places．
C．	Absence of communication between strangers．
D．	Impatience with slow service．

（2）What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci？ 　 　

A．	Showing good manners．
B．	Relating to other people．
C．	Focusing on a topic．
D．	Making business deals．

（3）What does the coffee﹣shop study suggest about small talk？ 　 　

A．	It improves family relationships．
B．	It raises people's confidence．
C．	It matters as much as a formal talk．
D．	It makes people feel good．

（4）What is the best title for the text？ 　 　

A．	Conversation Counts
B．	Ways of Making Small Talk
C．	Benefits of Small Talk
D．	Uncomfortable Silence

Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun， according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday．

While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers， some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children's lives，and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading．

According to the report's key findings， "the proportion （比例） who say they 'hardly ever' read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13﹣year﹣olds and 9 percent of 17﹣year﹣olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today．"

The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children，ages 2﹣8，remain largely the same．But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined，from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session．

When it comes to technology and reading，the report does little to counsel（建议）parents looking for data about the effect of e﹣readers and tablets on reading．It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading，mainly due to concerns about increased screen time．

The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading．Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently，compared to infrequent readers，have more books in the home，more books purchased for them，parents who read more often，and parents who set aside time for them to read．

As the end of school approaches，and school vacation reading lists loom（逼近）ahead，parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore．

（1）What is the Common Sense Media report probably about？ 　 　

A．	Children's reading habits．
B．	Quality of children's books．
C．	Children's after﹣class activities．
D．	Parent﹣child relationships．

（2）Where can you find the data that best supports "children are reading a lot less for fun"？ 　 　

A．	In paragraph 2．
B．	In paragraph 3．
C．	In paragraph 4．
D．	In paragraph 5．

（3）Why do many parents limit electronic reading？ 　 　

A．	E﹣books are of poor quality．
B．	It could be waste of time．
C．	It may harm children's health．
D．	E﹣readers are expensive．

（4）How should parents encourage their children to read more？ 　 　

A．	Act as role models for them．
B．	Ask them to write book reports．
C．	Set up reading groups for them．
D．	Talk with their reading class teachers．

Many of us love July because it's the month when nature's berries and stone fruits are in abundance．These colourful and sweet jewels from British Columbia's fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection．

Of the common berries， strawberries are highest in vitamin C， although， because of their seeds， raspberries contain a little more protein （蛋白质）， iron and zinc （not that fruits have much protein）． Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants （抗氧化物质）． The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants． As for cherries （樱桃）， they are so delicious who cares？ However，they are rich in vitamin C．

When combined with berries of slices of other fruits， frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick， cooling fruit shakes and low fat "ice cream"． For this purpose， select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter． Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze． If you like， a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown． Frozen bananas will last several weeks， depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer．

If you have a juicer ，you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit．Out comes a "soft﹣serve" creamy dessert，to be eaten right away． This makes a fun activity for a children's party；they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below．

（1）What does the author seem to like about cherries？ 　 　

A．	They contain protein．
B．	They are high in vitamin A．
C．	They have a pleasant taste．
D．	They are rich in antioxidants．

（2）Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas？ 　 　

A．	To make them smell better．
B．	To keep their colour．
C．	To speed up their ripening．
D．	To improve their nutrition．

（3）What is "a juicer" in the last paragraph？ 　 　

A．	A dessert．
B．	A drink．
C．	A container．
D．	A machine．

（4）From which is the text probably taken？ 　 　

A．	A biology textbook．
B．	A health magazine．
C．	A research paper．
D．	A travel brochure．

Summer Activities

Students should read the list with their parents/carers， and select two activities they would like to do． Forms will be available in school and online for them to indicate their choices and return to school． Before choices are finalised， parents/carers will be asked to sign to confirm their child's choices．

Activity	Description	Member of staff	Cost
Outdoor Adventure （OUT）	Take yourself out of your comfort zone for a week，discover new personal qualities，and learn new skills．You will be able to take in a number of activities from canoeing to wild camping on Dartmoor．Learn rock climbing and work as a team，and enjoy the great outdoor environment．	Mr．Clemens	£140
WWI Battlefields and Paris （WBP）	On Monday we travel to London． After staying overnight in London，we travel on Day 2 to northern France to visit the World War I battlefields．On Day 3 we cross into Belgium．Thursday sees us make the short journey to Paris where we will visit Disneyland Paris park，staying until late to see the parade and the fireworks．Our final day，Friday，sees us visit central Paris and tour the main sights．	Mrs．Wilson	£425
Crafty Foxes（CRF）	Four days of product design centred around textiles．Making lovely objects using recycled and made materials． Bags，cushions and decorations…Learn skills and leave with modern and unusual textiles．	Mrs．Goode	£30
Potty about Potter （POT）	Visit Warner Bros Studio，shop stop to buy picnic，stay overnight in an approved Youth Hostel in Streatley﹣on ﹣Thames，guided tour of Oxford to see the film locations，picnic lunch outside Oxford's Christchurch，boating on the River Cherwell through the University Parks，before heading back to Exeter．	Miss Drake	£150

（1）Which activity will you choose if you want to go camping？ 　 　

A．OUT．

B．WBP．

C．CRF．

D．POT．

（2）What will the students do on Tuesday with Mrs． Wilson？ 　 　

A．	Travel to London．
B．	See a parade and fireworks．
C．	Tour Central Paris．
D．	Visit the WWI battlefields．

（3）How long does Potty about Potter last？ 　 　

A．	Two days．
B．	Four days．
C．	Five days．
D．	One week．

阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Some people live to climb the highest mountains. Some people live only dreaming about it while others live to avoid ever climbing at all. But one thing is certain, all people encounter mountains in their life.

When I was a little girl, my family moved to a tiny town at the bottom of a big mountain. One day after school, while exploring the green woods of this magnificent mountain, I almost fell on a set of stairs. What could these steps lead to? Curiosity got the best of me as I knew it would be starting to get dark soon. I started climbing up those strangely mysterious steps.

I climbed and climbed. There was nothing but just green bushes and these steps. I had to reach the top! But it was now getting real dark. If I kept going I might not be able to see my way back. My mom would be worried sick if I didn't come home soon. So I ran back home almost in the dark while trying not to get too scared.

Anxiously I went to bed dreaming about what I would find at the top of this magical mountain. Could there be a castle up there? Maybe I would find a monster(怪物). Maybe I was taking the risk of never coming back home. Or, maybe all I would find was absolutely nothing! But something inside me was going to climb that mountain at all cost. I could hardly wait to try this adventure again.

Now we live in a world surrounded by the "can't do" attitudes. We all fall down.We all have doubts and regrets. Still we must climb and dream about what's at the top of our mountain. Monsters may appear or the night will fall. But never ever give up on your dream! Never let anyone tell you, "You can't." Dream big and climb high!

（1）What made the author start to climb up the stairs to the mountain top? (no more than 5 words)

（2）Why did the author hurry back home without reaching the top of the mountain? Give two reasons. (no more than 15 words)

（3）How would you describe the author in terms of personalities according to Paragraph 4? (no more than 10 words)

（4）How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph? (no more than 5 words)

（5）What's your attitude towards the "mountain" in your life? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)