The 2.26-metre-tall Yao Ming made his NBA start on October 23,2002 and got 6 points for Houston Rockets
in the game. The next day, he won 13 points in another game.
    Yao Ming said, "When you watch it on TV, it is very easy. But when you are playing in the NBA, it is really
difficult. I hope that through very hard work I can make everyone happy and help the Rockets win more
games," he said.
    Yao Ming speaks some English. Both he and his teammates can understand each other. They don't think there
is language problem. While Yao Ming tries to face the new challenge, Houston has showed great interest in him
and they hope Yao Ming will bring new energy to the Rockets. The team has started lessons about China. Many
people who work for the Rockets have learned to speak some Chinese.

1. On October 23,2002, Yao Ming played his ________ game in the NBA.

A. first
B. second
C. third
D. fourth

2. Yao Ming won _______ points in the first two games for Houston Rockets.

A. 6
B. 13
C. 19
D. 23

3. Yao Ming thinks that ________.

A. it is boring to play basketball
B. playing in the NBA is difficult
C. it is difficult to watch NBA games on TV
D. he is an NBA star

4. From the passage we can learn that ________.

A. Yao Ming will work hard for his team
B. Yao Ming often watches TV
C. Yao Ming is the best player in the team
D. the Rockets has lost several games

5. What do you think the passage probably is?

A. An advertisement (廣告).
B. A notice.
C. An instruction.
D. A news report.

     As many as one in five US teenagers have some degree of hearing loss (喪失), according to researchers.
They say the problem is growing.
     "Teenagers really don't pay attention to how much noise they are exposed to (接觸)," Josef Shargorodsky
of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston told Reuters."Often people won't notice it, but even very little
hearing loss may influence language development," said Shargorodsky, one of the researchers.
     The study compared surveys from the early 1990s and the mid-2000s. Each included a few thousand
teenagers. In the first survey, about 15 percent of teenagers had some degree of hearing loss. Some 15 years
later, that number had risen by a third, to nearly 20 percent.
     "This certainly is big news," said Alison Grimes, an ear doctor."Hearing loss is very common in old people,"
Grimes said, but she added that it was worrying to see it happen in the younger age group.
     In babies and young children, hearing problems are known to slow language development. The science is
less clear for teenagers, but it is easy to imagine how being hard of hearing could influence learning, said
Grimes.
     The reasons for the rise are still unclear. When researchers asked teenagers about noise exposure on the
job, at school or from activities, for example—the teenagers didn't report any change. But Shargorodsky said
that might not be true."We know from before that it is difficult to ask this age group about noise exposure—
they underestimate it." Few people would call it noise when they listen to music on their MP3 player, for
example. "There is a difference between what we think is loud and what is harmful to the ear," said Grimes.
     Although it's not clear that the MP3 players cause teenagers' hearing loss, Grimes said it was still a good
idea to turn down the sound and take short breaks from listening.

1. The writer advises teenagers _____.

A. to turn the sound down
B. to stop using MP3 players
C. to be clear about the problem
D. to report the change in hearing loss

2. The underlined sentence "they underestimate it" means _____.

A. their love for music prevent them realizing the harm
B. their hearing loss is happening without being noticed
C. they think music can be taken as noise to some degree
D. they think it's harmful sometimes although it's not loud

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

A. Hearing loss may lead to slow language development.
B. Hearing loss in old people is as common as in young people.
C. Researchers have already found some causes of hearing loss.
D. Teenagers know MP3 is harmful, but they can't stop listening to it.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. A word short and simple
B. A report by teenagers
C. A message loud and clear
D. A letter from MP3 users

     Recently, an Internet game has become popular among young office workers and students. On the
Internet people can "farm" on a piece of "land" and "grow", "sell" or even "steal" "vegetables","flowers" and
"fruits". They can make some e-money and buy more "seeds"," pets" and even "houses". Of course, all those
are not true, you know, they are on the net!
     I interviewed some young people. Here are their opinions.
     A parent says she doesn't quite understand why they are so mad about the childish games. Maybe they
are just not confident enough to face the real world.
     Many junior high school children say they enjoy putting some "bugs" in her friends "gardens" and they've
become closer because of the game. Having fun together is the most exciting thing.
     Most young office workers think their work is too much for them and wish to relax for a while. Besides,
it gives them the exciting experience of being a "thief".
     But almost all the teachers say it's just a waste of time. Teenagers playing the game spend so many hours
on it that they can not pay attention to their study.

1. Is it true that the Internet game has become popular?
    ___________________________________________________
2. Who enjoy the game better, young people or old people? 
    ___________________________________________________
3. Why do junior high school students like playing the game? 
    ___________________________________________________
4. Why do parents and teachers dislike the game? 
    ___________________________________________________
5. What is the writer's purpose of telling us that? 
    ___________________________________________________

     Sharks frighten most of us, but Daniel Weaver, a shark scientist, swims with them for a living! We
asked him some questions about this unusual job.
     So Daniel, what's it like to be a shark scientist?
     Well, it's a great job. I often travel to faraway places like South Africa and Fiji to study sharks. On the
other hand, a shark scientist sometimes does boring desk work, such as writing reports. Also, shark scientists
don't usually get paid a lot.
     What qualities (品質(zhì)) do you need to become a shark scientist?
     Shark scientists need to be wise and strong. They enjoy working outdoors and they have to be cool and
patient (耐心). They also have to be quite brave!
      So do you think it's a dangerous job?
      Well, sharks have up to 15 rows of sharp teeth. However, sharks hardly attack (攻擊) humans. There are
over 350 kinds of sharks in the world and only about 10 are dangerous to us. In fact, dogs kill more people
every year than sharks! Humans kill over 12 million sharks a year for food and sport!
      How do you become a shark scientist?
      A shark scientist usually studies Marine Science or Zoology at university. It's also good to get some work
experience in an aquarium (水族館). In my opinion, I have the best job in the world!

1. _______ questions were asked about Daniel's unusual job.

A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four

2. As a shark scientist, Daniel _______.

A. studies sharks in his neighbourhood
B. makes lots of money
C. swims with sharks for a living
D. only writes reports on sharks

3. In Daniel's opinion, one needs to be _______ to become a shark scientist.
①excited
②patient
③brave
④strong
⑤wise

A. ①②③④
B. ①③④⑤
C. ②③④⑤
D. ①②④⑤

3. The underlined "Marine Science" and "Zoology" must be two _______ at university.

A. subjects
B. books
C. scientists
D. prizes

4. From the passage we can know that _______.

A. sharks are likely to attack humans
B. dogs are as dangerous as sharks to humans
C. sharks are not dangerous to humans at all
D. humans do more harm to sharks than sharks do to humans

     Welcome to the Amazing kids Website! Here you can read about clever children all over the world.
     Gina, who is thirteen years old, got first prize in the "Young Cook of the Year" competition and is now
writing her own recipe (烹飪) book for kids. "I want it to be fun to read and easy enough for children to use,"
she says. Gina learned by observing (觀察) her father, who's also good at cooking, in the kitchen. She wants
to encourage other children to cook because"everyone needs to eat, so it's a skill that will always be useful!"
     Fourteen-year-old Bren used to love running until he had a serious car accident three years ago. He lost part
of one leg and didn't even expect to walk again. Now he's an athlete who has recently completed a marathon.
"After my accident I wanted to give up," he says. "But now I'm happy to be alive and able to continue running."
    Helga has always been good at science, but she thought it was too difficult to become an inventor. Then
she heard about an accident that had happened when a car hit a train in her town. "That gave me an idea,"
says the clever sixteen-year-old girl. It took her over a year to invent a special machine that tells car drivers
when a train is coming. One company is already interested in selling it, so it may be in the shops soon!

1. How is Gina trying to encourage other children to cook?

A. By observing her father.
B. By writing a recipe book for kids.
C. By giving them delicious food to eat.
D. By getting first prize in the competition.

2. Why is it surprising that Bren is an athlete?

A. Because he can' t walk.
B. Because he lost part of one leg.
C. Because he gave up running.
D. Because he used to love running.

3. Which of the following is true about Helga?

A. She saw a car hit a train in her town.
B. She sold special machines to car drivers.
C. She invented a special machine for car drivers.
D. It is impossible for her to become an inventor.

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Amazing Kids, Special Abilities
B. How to Be a Good Student
C. Different People, Different Ideas
D. How to Get Living Skills

                                                          Sailing
     Welcome to our TV show On the Go. Today we are going to talk about an exciting sport-sailing. First
let's talk to Sue, an 18-year-old girl who loves sailing.
Host: When did you start sailing, Sue?
Sue: I started sailing when I was 15 years old.
Host: Is it a difficult sport to learn?
Sue: Yes, it is more difficult than any other sport. For example,you need to learn about the wind
       directions (方向) and how to move the sails in the right way.
Host: How often do you go sailing?
Sue: I go sailing with my father every weekend.
Host: How far do you go sailing?
Sue: It depends on the wind.
Host: OK. Thank you,Sue. Good luck with your sailing.
     Are you interested in sailing after hearing the interview?
     If you want to learn sailing, here is a chance for you.The Water Sports Center will organize sailing
lessons. Each lesson will cost you ￥20 and there are 5 lessons altogether (總共).

1. What does Sue think of learning sailing?

A. Easy.
B. Boring.
C. Difficult.
D. Dangerous.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Sue always sails very far.
B. Sue goes sailing every weekend.
C. Sue goes sailing with her friends.
D. Sue started sailing at the age of 18.

3. If you want to learn sailing at the Water Sports Center,how much will you pay?

A. ￥15.
B. ￥20.
C. ￥50.
D. ￥100.