The computer makes doing schoolwork easier tor me than it was tor my mom and dad. For example,
when writing book reports and stories,I use Microsoft Word instead of a pen and paper. That way, after
my teacher edits my work, I can go back and make revisions without having to rewrite the whole thing.
And Microsoft Word has a spell check! I use it all the time.
     For English class, we're reading The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton. As a pre-reading assignment (作業(yè)), my
teacher asked us to research teenage groups on the Intemet. I tried Google, Encarta, and Yahoo first, and
finally found an article on Time. com.
     For a geography assignment on the United States, I used Encarta to learn about the Mississippi River. I
needed to find out how deep the river is, how its widths and depths are different,what states it runs through,
and what kinds of fish live in it. I used the information to show how the geography of a country influences its
economy (經(jīng)濟(jì)). For example,the river's trade paths,the number of fish caught in it,and the tourists it attracts
directly influence Southemers' jobs and incomes (收入).
     I never go to the library to do research. It takes too much time. Since I live in New York City and both my
parents work,getting to the library isn't always easy. For a big assignment or research project, I used to stay
at the library to read,or sign out whatever books or magazines I needed. Now being able to find the information
in my own living room makes everything a lot simpler. Online dictionaries and encyclopedias (百科全書) also
save time.
      Sometimes, I think the computer spoils young people because it's so easy-at least physically. But
computers are not like television, which does the thinking for you. You still have to use your mind. I prefer
using a computer. Easy, fun, and fast.

1. Does the computer make doing schoolwork harder for the writer?
    ______________________________________________________
2. What does the writer use when he wr tes book reports and stories? 
    ______________________________________________________
3. How does the wr ter complete a big assignment or research project? 
     ______________________________________________________
4. What does the underlined word "spoils" mean in English? 
    ______________________________________________________
5. What's the ran idea of this passage? 
    ______________________________________________________

     If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how "foolish" the Finnish
people are.
     Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare (車費(fèi)) of two
US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you
have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver will not show the
least sign of anxiety.
     The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside eaters. Hotel guests
have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining room to have their meals. The only thing they
need to do is to wave their room cards to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old
room card to take a couple of friends to eat dinner free of charge.
     The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed
with the boss on the payment. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will
be paid accordingly.
     With so many loopholes (漏洞) in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to
take "small advantages". But the strange thing is: all the taxi passengers will always come back to pay their
fare after they have dealt with their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining
room; and workers always give an honest answer of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on
good trust in everything they do, living in such a society has tumed everyone into a real "gentleman".

1. Are the Finns really foolish?
    ________________________________________________________
2. What is the taxi fare in Finland? 
    ________________________________________________________
3. Who should have free dinners in hotels? 
    ________________________________________________________
4. Will the Finnish workers get paid by the hour or by the day? 
   ________________________________________________________
5. What do you think of the people in Finland? 
    ________________________________________________________

     If you are a young lady and you go to work by bike, the following suggestions can help you keep clean
and tidy.
     1. Get your clothes ready. Clothes allow you to cool off or warm up as your body temperature changes.
You can always take off something at a traffic light.
     2. Don't give up skirts and dresses. Skirts and dresses are perfect for summer cycling. Choose something
soft and light. For a more fitted skirt, make sure you can move easily.
     3. Roll up your trouser legs. This can help you avoid dirty marks or torn (破損的) trousers. Wear sports
shoes and keep your high heels (腳跟) at work or in your bag for the day.
     4. Wear a cotton T-shirt close to your body. If you need to wear a jacket for work, try a cotton T-shirt
inside to take in perspiration (汗水). Once at work, you can take it off and put on a dry one.
     5. Wear something bright. Throw on a deep pink neck scarf or have bright rings or footwear on to make
yourselves seen easily.

1. Who is the passage written for?

A. Small children.
B. Old gentlemen.
C. Young ladies.
D. School pupils.

2. What are mentioned in the second suggestion?

A. Skirts and dresses.
B. Trousers and shoes.
C. Jackets and T-shirts.
D. Scarfs and rings.

3. Wearing a cotton T-shirt can help _______.

A. avoid dirty marks
B. take in perspiration
C. cool yourselves off
D. make yourselves seen

     Summer camps started from the US. They are programs for teenagers during the summer months in
some countries. Teenagers who take part in summer camps are known as campers. The traditional summer
camp usually means hiking, game-playing and campfires. Now modern summer camps can offer campers
a great many activities. Among them, the intemational summer camp is quite popular, especially with Chinese
campers. 
     First of all, the intemational summer camp can bring campers unusual life experience. As we all know,
the experience in high school plays a very important role in life. The international summer camp is a great
way to establish (確立) the right values for life. Campers will experience the cultural difference-something
they can't get at home from their families. During the international summer camp, children will become more
independent and see new things. They can also leam more through talking with students from all over the
world.
     Making friends is another point. The intemational summer camp mixes (混合) Chinese students with
students from other countries in the world. No matter whether they live with a local family or live with other
students in dormitories (宿舍), they will all share experiences and cultures with persons from different
countries and cultural backgrounds, learn cross-culture communication skills by listening to others and
expressing themselves, and improve friendship over several weeks. They often stay in touch with each
other by email,MSN or QQ after the program finishes.
     The most exciting thing in the intemational summer camp is that Chinese campers can get excellent
chances to speak and use English in a real English world. Language is not only knowledge; it is a skill which
needs to be improved by using it. Campers from English-speaking countries are very friendly, warm-hearted
and helpful.

1. Did summer camps start from the US? 
    _________________________________________________
2. What can children get from the summer camp but not from their families? 
    _________________________________________________
3. How do campers communicate with each other after the program?
    _________________________________________________
4. What are campers from English-speaking countries like?
    _________________________________________________
5. What advantages of the intemational summer camp are mentioned in the passage? 
    _________________________________________________

     Jason Crole studies in an American high school. As a native of London, the 16-year-old didn't know much
about America's colonial (殖民地的) past before this summer.
     But now Crole can talk a lot about the settlers (移民者), slavery (奴隸制) and the events that led up to the
American Revolution (美國獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)). He learned about these subjects at a summer program at the College of
William and Mary, Virginia.
     It is a 70-year-old program that gathers high school students from across the US to study early American
history.
     "It's been great and a lot of hard work," said Crole. "This is not a subject really  taught in England, so I'm
learning a lot of new things."
     The program meet from 8 am to 3 pm five days a week. It goes for three weeks. Students go to lectures
and read essays about the time period they are studying. They study history from the founding of Jamestown
through the American Revolution and the Civil War (美國內(nèi)戰(zhàn)).
     As well as leaming about history in the classroom, students also take field trips to historical sites. They visit
Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and other sites around Virginia. They learn what life was like during that
time.
     "We hope the students can really leam something about our early history," said Carolyn Sparks Whittenburg,
director of the program. " We offer the program to kids who love history. A total of 111 students were in the
program this summer, but we hope for more next year."

1. The summer program helps high school students to study _______.

A. the settlers
B. the Civil War
C. the American Revolution
D. American history

2. The summer program lasts for _______.

A. seven hours
B. five days
C. three weeks
D. one month

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. There were hundreds of students in the program this summer.
B. Some students are not quite clear about America's colonial past.
C. Students can take part in the summer program in their high schools.
D. The subject is taught outside the classroom rather than inside.

     Dereck Joubert and his wife, Beverly, have made many films about wild animals in Africa. Their films
and photographs are very popular and one of the photographs has been on the front cover of a National
Geographic magazine. 　　
     A working day foe Dereck and Beverly starts very early-at 4:30 in the morning! That's when they get up
and start filming. And it's a long day-they often work until 8:30 in the evening. In the winter it's very cold
and in the summer it can be 40℃. Dereck always does the filming-Beverly never does that, and she doesn't
write. But Dereck never takes photographs or records the sound. They work very well as a team, and they
both believe we should shoot animals with cameras-not with guns! 　　
     When they have finished filming and taking photographs for the day, they have dinner and Dereck usually
writes while Beverly looks at her photographs. At night, they usually sleep in a small tent, but they sometimes
sleep in the Land Cruiser-when you're very close to wild animals, it's sometimes safer to sleep in the car. 　　
     Dereck and Beverly have also traveled around the world and given talks about their work. Dereck says
that animals are not just something to look at-they play an important role. Beverly thinks the wild animals
can teach us a lot about ourselves.

1. Dereck and Beverly start working ______. 　　

A. at 4:30 in the morning
B. at 4:30 in the afternoon
C. at 8:30 in the morning
D. at 8:30 in the evening

2. Dereck and Beverly usually sleep ______ at night.

A. in a car
B. in a tent
C. in a house
D. in a hotel

3. Beverly thinks the wild animals ______. 　　

A. are something to look at
B. are very popular 　　
C. play an unimportant role
D. can teach us a lot

     What do you do if you're stranded (處于困境的) on a lonely island? Surely you need to find a way to
get in touch with the outside world. Your best chance of doing this is to draw the attention of a passing plane. 　　
     Body signals (信號(hào)) 　　
     Pilots from different countries understand body signals if they have the correct training. When you wave
your arms up and down in a straight line, it means "yes". When you point downwards and swing your arm
from side to side, it means "no". If you want the pilot to know that it's safe to land, push your hands out in
front of you and bend (彎曲) your knees. If you want to say that it's not safe to land, put your arms in the
air and move them to one side. 　　
     Smoke signals 　　
     The smoke from a fire can be seen from far away, so it's a good way to draw attention. If the weather
is dry, it isn't hard to start a fire. Remember, however, that fires can be very dangerous if they get out of
control. Never light a fire unless you're sure that it can't spread. If the ground is dark, light smoke can be
seen more easily. Green grass and leaves produce light smoke. 　　
      Ground-to-air signals 　　
       It's a good idea to build some signals, too. Use large pieces of wood to make the symbols (標(biāo)記). If
you can't find any wood, use earth. Some useful symbols are: 　　
      F"I need food and water." 　　
      II"I need medicine." 　
   　I"I am badly hurt." 　　
     X" I am unable to move from here." 　　
     Pilots' replies 　　
     If the pilot lowers the plane's wings from side to side, this means "message received and understood".
(At night, the pilot flashes the plane's green lights.)
     If the pilots flies the plane in a clockwise circle, this means "message received but not understood".
(At night, the pilot flashes the plane's red lights.) However, there is no signal which means "message not
received". Why not?

1. Which picture means "it's not safe to land"?

2. What can we learn from the passage? 　　

A. Swinging your arm from side to side means "yes". 　　
B. If the ground is dark, light smoke can't be seen. 　　
C. If you need some medicine, make a symbol "II". 　　
D. The pilots make replies with a blue light at night.

3. What is the passage mainly about? 　　

A. The explanation of building signals on an island. 　　
B. The importance of making signals on an island. 　　
C. Ways of sending out signals on a lonely island. 　　
D. Ways of receiving signals from a lonely island.