"USA? Britain? Which country is better to study in?" We often hear such discussions. As China opens its
doors, studying abroad has become a dream for many Chinese students. They want to learn about the world.
     It's true that studying abroad can help students develop themselves. Language skills (技能) will improve
and it may be easier to find jobs.
     But there are problems that should be considered (考慮). Language is the first. Students must spend a lot
of time learning another language and getting used to a different culture.
     Students must also learn to live without parents' care and deal with all kinds of things they haven't had to
do before, like looking after themselves. There are reports about Chinese students abroad sinking into an ocean
of difficulties and giving up easily. When they have to take care of themselves, it is hard for students to study
well.
     Finally, studying abroad brings a heavy burden (負擔) to the family. For most Chinese parents, the cost
of studying abroad is very high. But is it worth it?
     We know that there are many famous people who succeed in great things through their hard work in
China. Liu Xiang is a good example. Once an American teacher invited him there but he refused. He kept
training hard with his Chinese teacher. He surprised the world when he won a gold medal (金牌) at the Athens
Olympics. So when you wonder which country is better to study in,consider whether studying abroad is the
right choice (選擇).

1. From the passage, we learn that many Chinese students dream about studying abroad to ______.

A. taste a new life
B. make a lot of money
C. learn about the world
D. learn to look after themselves

2. The writer thinks ______ should be considered first before students study abroad.

A. places
B. time
C. money
D. language

3. The writer mentions Liu Xiang in the passage in order to tell us that ______.

A. Chinese teachers are better than American ones
B. studying abroad is not the right choice
C. people can also be successful in China if they work hard
D. Liu Xiang was a gold medal winner

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Studying abroad will cost students' families a lot of money.
B. Studying abroad will make it easy for students to learn well.
C. Studying abroad will help students to improve language skills.
D. Studying abroad will bring students a lot of difficulties in their life.

5. This passage is mainly about ______.

A. the question of studying abroad
B. the dream of studying abroad
C. the choice of studying abroad
D. the story of studying abroad

     Today people can use the phone to talk with others almost anywhere on earth. But when you use the
phone, you don't see the person you are talking with. This may change in the near future.
     Today some people are using a kind of telephone called the picture phone or vision phone. With it, two
people who are talking can see each other.
     Picture phones can be useful when you have something to show to the person you're calling. They may
have other uses in the future. One day you may be able to ring up a library and ask to see a book. Then you'll
be able to read the book right over your picture phone. Or you may be able to go shopping through your
picture phone. If you see something in the newspaper that you think you want to buy, you'll go to your phone
and call the shop. People at the shop will show you the thing you're interested in right over the phone. You'll be
able to shop all over town and never even leave your room!

1. Today people can use the phone to talk with others _____.

A. in all the towns
B. in some places in the world
C. only in big cities
D. almost anywhere on earth

2. The underlined word "it" in the passage means _____.

A. the picture phone
B. any phone
C. the use
D. the change

3. We can _____ through the picture phone according to (根據(jù)) the text.

A. write a book
B. do shopping
C. play games
D. have classes

4. Picture phones can be used for _____.

A. ringing up a library to see a book
B. going shopping without leaving our homes
C. showing the person we're talking with something
D. All of the above

5. The title of the article can be "_____".

A. The telephones
B. Picture phones
C. Shopping on the phone
D. Talking on the phone

     You may feel curious (好奇的) about students in other countries: Do they also have so much homework?
What do they do in their free time?
     On April 8, a report came out on the life of high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the US.
It surveyed around 6,200 students from the four countries last year. You will find the answers to many of your
questions in this report.
     Who studies hardest?
     Chinese students spend the most time studying. Nearly half of Chinese students spend more than two hours
on their homework every day. That's much more than students of the US (26.4%), Japan (8.2%) and South
Korea (5.2%).
     Who sleeps most often in class?
     Japanese students fall asleep in class most often. About 45% of them said they sometimes doze off (打瞌
睡) in class. In South Korea is 32%; in the US, 21%; and 5% in China.
      South Korean students don't like taking notes. About 70% said they write down what the teacher says in
class, many fewer than in Japan (93%), China (90%) and the US (89%).
     Who is the most distracted (分心的)?
     American students are the most active in class, but also the most distracted: 64.2% said they talk with friends
in class; 46.9% said they eat snacks (點心) in class; and 38.9% said they send e-mails or read unrelated (無關(guān)
的) books in class.
     What do they do after school?
     In their free time, most Chinese students study or surf the Internet. Most American students go out with
their friends. Most Japanese students do physical exercises. Most South Korean students watch TV.

1. In the report, who studies hardest?

A. Japanese students.
B. Chinese students.
C. American students.
D. South Korean students.

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

A. 93% Japanese students like taking notes in class.
B. Most Chinese students do physical exercises after class.
C. 38.9% American students talk with friends in class.
D. South Korean students fall asleep in class most often.

3. In China, how many students fall asleep in class?

A. 45%.
B. 32%.
C. 21%.
D. 5%.

4. What do American students do in their free time?

A. Do physical exercises.
B. Study or surf the Internet.
C. Watch TV.
D. Go out with friends.

5. What is the article about?

A. It is a report about the students' lessons in four countries.
B. It is an article about the students' study and life in four countries.
C. It is a story about students' sports after class.
D. It tells us that American students don't like studying.

     Dogs like living with people. A dog can be a very good friend. He can do a lot of things for people. Some
dogs help people to look after sheep, other dogs help them to find lost children. And some of the dogs can
help the blind (盲人的,看不見的) do things.
     Many years ago there was a very good dog. His name was Seeing Eye dog. Now we can see this kind of
dogs all over the world. They are working for the blind.
     The Seeing Eye dog is strong, good and easy to train (訓練). He helps the blind to walk from place to place. 
     Before a dog becomes a Seeing Eye dog, he must go to a training school for about three months. First the
dog has to learn to sit or stay when he hears the trainer's call. In his next lesson the dog learns to make his
trainer across busy streets.
     The dog has many things to learn. And in every lesson he must learn to do one thing again and again for
many times.
     At the end of the training school he must take tests. When he passes the tests, the Seeing Eye dog will do
the things by himself.
     Now he can help blind people. The new master may be a man, a woman, or even a child. It takes the dog
and his blind master about a month to learn to work and live together.

1. We can see the Seeing Eye dog _____.

A. only in the country
B. only in small cities
C. all over the world
D. only on the busy street

2. What can the Seeing Eye dog do?

A. Look after sheep
B. Help blind people
C. Find lost children
D. Train blind people

3. If you want a dog to become a Seeing Eye dog, you must let him _____.

A. go to a training school
B. go to a middle school
C. go to an evening school
D. go to a children school

4. First the dog has to learn to sit or stay _____.

A. when he hears the telephone call
B. when he hears another dog's call
C. when he hears the master's call
D. when he hears the trainer's call

5. How long will it take the dog and his blind master to learn to work and live together?

A. one year
B. five years
C. about a month
D. one week

     Lichens (地衣) are difficult to see. They don't move. They often mix into the living place. You might not
even recognize one if you are looking right at it.
     Lichens live on rocks, branches, houses, even metal street signs. You can find these colourful organisms
(有機體) almost everywhere-from deserts to rainforests, from Antarctica to Africa. They've traveled in outer
space, and some scientists think there might even be lichens on Mars.
     What you probably don't realize is that a lichen is more than a single thing. It consists of two different types
of living organisms: a fungus (菌類) and an alga (藻類). Neither of these organisms is a plant, so the lichen isn't
a plant either.
     Through photosynthesis (光合作用), the alga absorbs the sun's energy to make food for the fungus, which
is a place for the alga to live. However, the alga cannot leave the fungus.
     Around the world, scientists have found tens of thousands of types of lichens. Many may not even have
been discovered yet. As scientists continue to find new kinds of lichens, they are also working to understand
how the lichens are connected to one another. By putting together a lichen family tree, they hope to understand
why so many different types of lichens have grown in so many places around the world.
     Many researchers are trying to understand the basic facts of the organisms and their connections.
Researchers are also using lichens to examine the health of the environment.

1. What do we know about lichens according to the passage?

A. They will die if they leave the earth.
B. There are more lichens than plants on the earth.
C. They are similar to the environment around them in colour.
D. They are too small to be easily seen by people.

2. What is the function of the alga in lichens?

A. It produces food for the fungus.
B. It offers a living place for the fungus.
C. It makes the lichen a plant.
D. It can protect the fungus.

3. We can know from the passage that _____.

A. lichens can be used to better examine the environment
B. lichens don't have any differences in colour or size
C. lichens don't use photosynthesis like a green plant
D. scientists have discovered every kind of lichen

     As we know, it is difficult for parents of every family to teach their children to be responsible (有責任的)
for housework.
     Shatian School in Shanghai is making its students do housework for their parents. Third graders must learn
how to cook and clean; sixth graders do the laundry, and seventh and eighth grader cook balanced meals with
15 yuan.
     Many parents think it's a good way for children to try housework, but they don't know how to do it at home.
With the following ideas, you can get your children to help at home.
     If you want to make your children think that they can do everything quite right, please give lots of praise
(鼓勵) at home. Talk more about what he did right, not about what he didn't do. If your child finishes some
difficult work, give him or her a Sunday trip or a ball game as a reward.

1. Who should cook balanced meals with 15 yuan according to the passage?

A. A third grader.
B. A fourth grader.
C. A sixth grader.
D. A seventh grader.

2. What should parents do when the children do housework?

A.tell them when they are wrong.
B. Give them a lot of praise.
C. Don't let them do it.
D. Tell them not to do difficult work.

3. What's the meaning of the word "reward"?

A. 感恩
B. 說明
C. 誘惑
D. 獎勵

4. From the passage we know that _____.

A. every student likes to do housework at home
B. there is no way to make children help do housework at home
C. doing housework is the students homework in Shatian School
D. No parents want their children to do homework

5. The title (題目) of the passage may be _____.

A. School and Housework
B. How to Teach Children
C. Housework
D. Make the Children Do Housework

Hello,
     Can you name some foods in the meat group?
     Can you tell where they come from?
     Your body is made up of millions of cells (細胞). Cells are very small.
     Your body has to make new cells in order to (為了) grow. It also has to make new cells to take the place
of the old cells that have been worn out.
     To grow, the cells need a thing called protein (蛋白質(zhì)). The protein you need most comes from foods in
the meat group.
     Fruit and vegetables are plant foods. Foods in this group give your body vitamins (維生素) and minerals
(礦物質(zhì)). Your body needs vitamins and minerals to grow and to stay well.
     The third food group is made up of bread. These foods come from grain. Your body gets heat and energy
(活動) from these foods. It needs a lot of energy to work and play.
     Mike is one of the best foods your body can get. It has protein, vitamins and minerals. Mike b good between
meals or with meals.
     Some foods are not listed (列入) in the four main groups. This is because you do not have to think about
eating these foods. You eat them if you eat foods from the four main foods.

1. In order to grow,your body _____.

A. some old cells are needed
B. has to make new cells
C. has to make more cells
D. needs more small protein

2. In order to grow, the cells need _____.

A. water
B. meat
C. protein
D. a cell

3. The protein comes mostly from _____.

A. food
B. vegetables
C. meat
D. milk

4. Vitamins come from _____.

A. meat
B. old cells
C. protein
D. fruit and vegetables

5. Mike has _____ in it.

A. body
B. bread
C. meals
D. minerals