每年，国家科学技术奖励大会都会在北京人民大会堂隆重举行，届时党和国家领导人会为获...

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Long ago the Emperor decided to hold a swimming race between 13 different animals. The order in which they finished would decide the order of their 1. (appear) on the Chinese calendar.

All the animals lined up on the river bank and were given 2. task of getting to the opposite shore. The cat wondered how he would get there 3. he was afraid of water. The ox worried he couldn’t cross the river 4. his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that he and the cat 5. (jump) onto the ox’s back and guide him across. The ox, steady and hard­working, did not notice the two animals on his back. In the meanwhile, the rat ran behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed 6. into the water. As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off and finished the race first, 7. the rat got the first year 8. (name) after him and the ox got the second year. 9. the lazy pig reached the finishing line in the 12th place, the race was over and the pig was awarded the final place on the calendar.

From that day on, the cat, 10. never finished the race and lost his place on the calendar, became the enemy of the rat.

The summer holiday was over and for 7-year-old Ella, school was starting again. She was now in the second grade and felt very _______ . But she said to herself, “I TRUST IN ME.”

Many new kids came into her ________ , two of whom spoke with accents. One spoke with a Spanish accent and the ________ spoke Portuguese. Ella came home and told her dad and mom about the two girls. The ________asked if she shared something ________ herself. She said, “Yes, but it was hard to ________ them.” But, she said, “I TRUST IN ME, and I’ll get to ________ them better tomorrow.”

One noon Ella wanted to eat inside ________ it was cold outside. She went to the canteen to find a ________ when Kyle came over and ________ her off the bench (长 凳). Ella was so ________ , and started to cry. She ________ terrible, but said to herself, “I TRUST IN ME.”

On the same day, Ella’s friend Hannah told her Kyle was ________ to her too. Ella wanted to tell Kyle to be friendly to Hannah but was ________ . So she asked for her parents’ help. They gave her much ________ , saying, “I’m sure that, if you ________ to Kyle that she’s being rude, she would understand.” The next day when Ella saw Kyle, she ________ Kyle not to be rude to Hanna or anyone. Ella was very ________ because she said to herself, “I TRUST IN ME.”

Ella ________ a lot in the second grade and most importantly she learned to ________ herself because she knows she can do anything.

1.A. curious    B. excited    C. disappointed    D. uncomfortable

2.A. life    B. class    C. way    D. bedroom

3.A. former    B. another    C. other    D. next

4.A. parents    B. brothers    C. teachers    D. friends

5.A. by    B. for    C. with    D. about

6.A. invite    B. understand    C. approach    D. persuade

7.A. like    B. help    C. know    D. instruct

8.A. because    B. yet    C. and    D. if

9.A. chance    B. cook    C. partner    D. seat

10.A. set    B. pushed    C. saw    D. knocked

11.A. embarrassed    B. surprised    C. impressed    D. puzzled

12.A. remained    B. looked    C. became    D. felt

13.A. respectful    B. polite    C. mean    D. kind

14.A. afraid    B. cautious    C. nervous    D. shy

15.A. space    B. encouragement    C. blame    D. challenge

16.A. show    B. prove    C. promise    D. explain

17.A. warned    B. forbade    C. told    D. forced

18.A. brave    B. direct    C. determined    D. enthusiastic

19.A. thought    B. learned    C. worked    D. talked

20.A. look after    B. depend on    C. believe in    D. care about

Reading books is one of the best hobbies. It not only helps you pass your time but also helps you increase your knowledge in a meaningful manner. 1. Here we will give you a few tips that can help you.

● Fall into the habit of borrowing books to read.

This is a very old school practice but still it can be highly effective (有效的). When you borrow a book, there is obviously a deadline (期限) set. 2.

● Read everywhere.

Keep a book in your bag and read it anywhere you go. This will help you to pass your time in a very productive manner. 3. Anyway, you can read your book 24 hours a day.

●4.

This can easily be described as a new school technique. You can read out to your brother or sister and this will enable you to finish your book as well as increase the knowledge and understanding of your brother or sister.

● Choose your books very carefully.

5. Thus choose your books very carefully in order to enjoy your time and also finish your book effectively. If you choose a good book that can keep you interested for a longer period of time, there is no way that you are going to leave it incomplete.

A. Read out to someone else.

B. Realize the importance of reading books.

C. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the reading habit.

D. Find an excuse to read every day just by visiting book clubs.

E. Yes, life is too short to read a book that doesn’t impress you.

F. It doesn’t matter whether you are traveling or are about to sleep.

G. This can encourage you to read it often to finish the book on time.

The number of buses, taxis and other vehicles on Kenya’s roads is growing every day. Now, the country’s first electric-powered motorbikes are coming onto the market. The bike is designed to cut down on pollution and aimed at low-income communities. Most motorbikes used in Kenya depend on gasoline, but not this new motorbike.

Three university students developed the new ecotran bike. It catches the sun’s energy, stores it in batteries and uses it to charge (充电) the electric motor. Robert Achoge is one of the student inventors. “Our hope is that by the fifth year, we will be able to cover the whole of Kenya with the electric motorcycle so as to protect the environment and provide affordable transport.”

The students have set up a charging station for the motorbikes in Nairobi. The small battery can run for 70 kilometers when fully charged. Once the power is used up, the motorbike has to return to the station while another charged battery is connected to the bike. The U.S. African Development Foundation (ADF) is helping set up two solar-powered charging stations in the port of Kisumu.

Each ecotran bike costs about $700. One taxi operator says the new motorbike costs less to operate than that running on traditional gasoline. “When it comes to buying gasoline, there’s no need. It’s basically good for various things. As long as you won’t take quite a heavy load (装载), you can go with it anywhere. Otherwise, it may break down halfway. But now people still have a preference to the gas-powered bikes.”

A Nairobi businessman Kennedy Kusimba is selling the ecotran bikes. He hopes they will become popular. “We also know they are more reliable compared to the gas-powered bikes. They are more efficient (效率高的) and they will last longer.”

1.What has happened to the vehicles in Kenya?

A. Motorbikes are not allowed on the road.

B. A new kind of motorbike is hitting the road.

C. There are fewer buses and taxis in the street.

D. Traditional motorbikes don’t need gasoline any more.

2.What do we know about the ecotran bike?

A. It was developed by the ADF.

B. It can charge itself while running.

C. Its energy comes from the sunlight.

D. It does more harm to the environment.

3.What do people think of the ecotran bike?

A. It’s better not to use it to carry too much.

B. It is a good choice for the long-distance journey.

C. It will take the place of gas-powered bikes soon.

D. It is much more expensive than a traditional motorbike.

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A. A research plan.    B. An advertisement.

C. A business report.    D. A science magazine.

Megan McDonald is the writer of the popular Judy Moody and Stink books. McDonald, the youngest of five girls, grew up in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I talked with her for our magazine recently. Here are some questions I asked and her answers to them.

Q: What was the inspiration for your characters Judy Moody and Stink?

A: My original inspiration came from growing up with so many sisters.

We grew up in a family of readers and storytellers. I had all these funny stories about my sisters that I wanted to tell. The first Judy Moody book probably has the most stories that came from my childhood. After that, Judy and Stink really took on a life of their own. Everyone knows a “Judy Moody” in his/her life.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?

A: Beverly Cleary with the Ramona books. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh was also a really important book for me growing up. And now, I would say that one of my most favorite authors is Katherine Paterson. I love her book called The Great Gilly Hopkins. Gilly is so individual, strong-minded and willful. She’s not always perfect. Judy Moody was sort of inspired by that character. I love that book.

Q: What advice do you have for kids who want to write books?

A: It’s really simple. I think the best thing anybody — a kid or an adult — can do if he/she wants to write is to read. I feel really strongly about that because I think reading is not only what inspires us, but it’s a way that we learn languages, and it’s a way that we learn how stories work with beginnings, middles, and ends. For me, it all begins with reading.

1.According to Megan McDonald, growing up with so many sisters .

A. kept her from reading

B. wasn’t a very good experience

C. helped her write books in later life

D. made her different from other girls

2.The underlined sentence means Judy and Stink .

A. became popular with readers

B. wanted to become independent

C. were just ordinary people in our lives

D. developed no longer based on McDonald’s childhood

3.McDonald’s last answer mainly shows reading is .

A. simple    B. important

C. private    D. basic

4.Who talked with Megan McDonald in the text?

A. A teacher.    B. A TV reporter.

C. A fan.    D. A journalist