[1]People visit other countries for many reasons．Some travel on business；others travel to visit interesting places that are only found in other countries，such as the Taj Mahal (泰姬陵)in India，or the temples of Thailand．
[2] Wherever you go, and for whatever reason，it is important to be safe．A tourist can attract a lot of attention from local people．While the majority of people you will meet when traveling are sure to be friendly and welcoming, there are dangers—theft being the most common．Just as in your home country, do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful．It is important to prepare for your trip in advance, and to take precautions while you are traveling．
[3] As you prepare for your trip, make sure you have the right paperwork．You don't want to get to your destination only to find you have the wrong visa，or worse，that your passport is about to expire．Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if _________________ during your travels，you will be able to get treatment．If you want to drive while you are abroad，make sure you have an international driver's license．
[4]Buy a guidebook and read about the local customs of the country you are going to．Also, try to learn a few basic words and phrases—don't assume that the local people will speak your language．
[5]When you get to your destination, use official transport．Always go to bus and taxi stands; don't accept rides from strangers who offer you a lift．If there is no meter in the taxi, agree on a price before you get in．If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while traveling，make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside．If you are traveling with valuables such as jewelry, or a lot of cash, you should ask about a safe for storing them in．Finally, remember to smile．Smiling is the friendliest and most sincere form of communication, and is sure to be understood in any part of the world!
1.Try to give the passage a proper title．（within 10 words）
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2.Please fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence．（within 10 words）
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3.Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?
Even at your local place，you shouldn't be upset if someone couldn't offer help when needed．
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4.What's the main idea of the last paragraph? （each within 15 words）
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5.What is the most important when you travel?
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To learn an instrument(乐器) such as the violin or accordion（手风琴）takes years. The job opportunities for musicians are scarce and competition is fierce. Then why are more people than ever before paying a lot of good cash to get their children the best music teaching they can afford?
The secret lies in the influence of music on the whole person. It has been found that learning a musical instrument actually increases a person’s IQ over time. Different instruments and different trypes of music have varying effect, with classical music and the string（弦乐） family coming out on top, potentially increasing you IQ by up to 12 points!
When is a good time to start learning music? Experts have found that even the fetus（胎儿）can benefit from listening to classical music. Surround yourself and your family with good music from the first. The Suzuki Piano Method teaches children from the age of 3 years piano, with two lessons per week. From preschool, children can learn to read music and play from sheet music. Progress in learning your instrument is directly proportional（成比例的）to the amount of practicing.
Is there such a thing as an unmusical child? Shinichi Suzuki proposes that music is the native home language of all human beings and therefore nobody can be “unmusical”. Of course there are exceptional talents, compared to which others may seem to be slower learners.
Is there any benefit for adults in starting an instrument? Apart from the purely relaxing aspect, yes. Learning an instrument can earn even adults additional IQ points, and as an added benefit in improves your health by reducing your stress levels. Your social life may benefit too, if you are prepared to come out of your box and join occasions such as Ceilidhs (musical get-togethers) or arrange house concerts. It has been established that people who play instruments tend to be more emotionally balanced and more patient with themselves, others and life in general.
So go ahead, sign up for that amateur orchestra, dust off your old trombone（长号）or take your first real six-string down from the attic（阁楼）; get out there and play!
1.Playing which of the following musical instruments can help increase a person’s IQ most?
A．The piano B．The violin C．The trombone D．The accordion
2.According to Shinichi Suzuki, .
A．The progress in learning an instrument depends on natural gifts
B．It is too late for an adult to start an instrument
C．Every child has a natural talent for music.
D．All people can understand and read music.
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A．Music can balance our life.
B．Music can improve our living conditions.
C．Playing instruments can make adults keep their IQ points.
D．Playing instruments can help us get along well with others.
4.By writing the text, the author mainly wants to .
A．persuade us to send our children to music schools
B．express his great interest in musical instruments
C．tell us the importance of Music in Development
D．invite us to attend Ceilidhs
5.There are many benefits for the adult to learn instruments, which of the following is NOT RIGHT?
A．Feeling relaxed. B．Earn additional IQ points.
C．Improve your health. D．Show your talents
Officials in the Midwestern U. S. town of Joplin, Missouri, say the death from Sundays’ big tornado reaches 116 and that search efforts continue for possible survivors trapped in rubble (碎石). Search and rescue teams are conducting their third sweep through the nearly 10 kilometer – long and one – kilometer wide area of destruction left by the tornado. They are working as quickly as possible while weather conditions remain relatively stable. More storms are forecast for the area.
Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles said there are areas with large piles of rubble that might hold survivors. “We are still finding individuals. We did rescue seven individuals from underneath rubble yesterday and, of course, we are also finding dead folks as well.” Said more folks and that is why we are doing these searches. We want to make every opportunity that we can to find everybody that is in the rubble and that has survived to this point.”
Randles said the current sweep involves a slower pace that previous searches and that he plans a fourth search, possibly on Wednesday, using specially trained dogs. “We are searching every structure that has been damaged or destroyed in a more in-depth manner, “he said.” I have dogs and dog handlers coming from all over the country do help us in that effort.”
Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations are helping people who were left homeless by the tornado and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is on hand to help. “Joplin is a great city. We have suffered a great loss, “said Rohr.” We will recover and we will recover strongly and we have a lot of help and a lot of volunteers to make that easier.”
The tornado that struck Joplin was classified by the Natioonal Weather Service as an F – 4, with winds of more than 300 kilometers per hour. It lasted only 20 minutes, but it killed more that 100 people, injured more than 400 others, and destroyed or heavily damaged some 2,000 homes, businesses, churches and a hospital. Authorities have registered more than 1,700 calls about missing people and they hope to resolvemost of those cases soon, as victims are identified and survivors come forth and reunite with loved ones.
This was the worst tornado to strike the United States in 60 years. It was the latest in a wave of violent storms that have swept Midwestern and southern states in recent weeks, leaving more than 300 people dead an causing more than $2 billion dollars in damage.
1.What kind of disaster (灾害)of this article is talking about?
A．tornado B．earthquake C．flood D．drought
2.The best headline for this newspaper article would be .
A．Difficulties in the Rescue
B．The Great Loss Brought by the Tornado
C．Search for Survivors After the Disaster
D．Worst Tornado in the USA
3.The word “resolve” in Para 5 probably means .
A．cover B．settle C．overcome D．challenge
4.The number of death caused by the tornado that struck Joplin reached more than .
A．100 B．300 C．400 D．1,700
5.From the text, it can be inferred that .
A．many victims might be under the ruins
B．it was impossible to find out survivors
C．the tornado lasted several weeks
D．the bad weather influenced the rescue greatly
Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden （雨水花园）is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak（浸入）slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the locals climate, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.
1.Which of the following is NOT RIGHT for the function(功能) of rain gardens?
A．They are good for living conditions.
B．They increase pollution.
C．They can beautify the community.
D．They improve the environment.
2.Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?
A．They can keep the rain and storm water.
B．They can help reduce the pollution problem.
C．They can be healthy for the people around.
D．They can make the environment more beautiful.
3.One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that .
A．they cost less and are much easier to get
B．they may attract local wildlife to come
C．they require little care from the local gardener
D．they are more used to the local growing conditions
4.What do we know about rain gardens?
A．They need little water after all the plants are planted.
B．They usually need at least an inch of rainwater a week.
C．They may attract local birds and change the locals climate.
D．They may reduce the water pollution problem by 70%.
5.Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A．Homeowners. B．Students. C．Engineers, D．Educators.
People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions using the word “mouth.”
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say “Do not bad mouth me.” Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person’s feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say: “I really put my foot in my mouth this time.” If this should happen, the speaker might feel down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something. The other person might protest: “I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth.”
Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person, “was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.” This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.
Parents might sometimes withhold sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.
But enough of all this talk. I have been running my mouth long enough.
1.People use their mouths for many things. Which is NOT RIGHT?
A．eat B．talk C．sing D．hear
2.In what kind of situation will a person say “Do not bad mouth me.”? _____________.
A．When he feels down . B．When he feels regretful.
C．When he is spoken ill of. D．When he feels innocent.
3.If a person feels sorry for what he has said, he might say “ .”
A．Do not bad mouth me B．I really put my foot in my mouth this time
C．Do not put words in my mouth D．Stop mouthing off
4.If a person lives from hand to mouth, it implies .
A．he is badly – off(家境贫寒) B．he is hard – working
C．he is well – off（家境好） D．he has enough to eat
5.By saying, “I have been running my mouth long enough”, the speaker means “ ”.
A．I have run a long way B．I have been a mouthy person
C．I have learned a lot D．I have talked too much
The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady(女房东) came in and asked, “You don’t 36 the house any more?” He kept silent and she 37 shook her head.
The landlady began 38 the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have 39 my house? The walls are full of nails(铁钉)! How could I rent it to others?”
She began looking around her 40 room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply 41 to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for 42 you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”
This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other 43 . At that time, she threw all her stuff(填充物)such as her bag and umbrella on the 44 once she entered the room, staring at the whole 45 and feeling terribly upset. Then he began 46 more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which 47 his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to 48 their wedding photo frame.
The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were 49 , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were 50 nonstop through these holes.
She 51 to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house 52 we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.
She 53 realized that marriage was like a wall and that all 54 and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall. 55 , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.
1. A．like B．clean C．rent D．keep
2. A．simply B．barely C．coldly D．proudly
3. A．observing B．examining C．watching D．spotting
4. A．shared B．ruined C．kept D．decorated
5. A．familiar B．dirty C．empty D．bright
6. A．devoted B．attached C．optimistic D．guilty
7. A．leaving B．having C．asking D．getting
8. A．clothes B．pictures C．umbrellas D．hats
9. A．floor B．wall C．ceiling D．door
10. A．trouble B．mess C．confusion D．order
11. A．putting B．striking C．driving D．beating
12. A．hung B．fastened C．dropped D．swung
13. A．connect B．fix C．hang D．put
14. A．replaced B．separated C．unfastened D．removed
15. A．crying B．aching C．bleeding D．disturbing
16. A．jumped B．held C．stuck D．got
17. A．if B．unless C．as D．until
18. A．especially B．eventually C．fortunately D．sadly
19. A．chaos(混乱) B．troubles C．quarrels D．challenges
20. A．Therefore B．Besides C．Thus D．However
