Antarctica (南极洲) is the continent which is the most southern area of land on the Earth and is mostly
(1)c___________ with ice. This is one of the driest and coldest places in the world. But people from all over
the world come to (2)w___________ there. Near the South Pole (南极), three thousand people live together in
a place (3)c____________ Amundsen-Scott Station.
     The station has libraries, cinemas, shops, sports rooms and laboratories. There is electricity, and they have
telephones-the system (系统) that they use to have a conversation (4)w____________ someone in other place.
And they have (5)c____________-electronic or machines that stores information and uses programs to help
them find, organize or change the information.
     But the people here don't (6)t____________ by car, or train, or bus, because there aren't any roads or
railways near the station. They travel by ship, plane, or snow tractor, or with dogs.
     There aren't any trees or flowers there, but there are (7)h___________ of different birds and other animals. 
     Most of the people here are scientists They study plant and animal (8)l___________ and how ice moves.
The ice can tell us about changes in climate. Ray Kingman is an expert at Amundsen-Scott Station,
(9)t__________ us on the phone, "This is my second year here. It's a very interesting and beautiful place, but
life is very hard in the winter. In the summer we can go swimming in hot pools of water. We welcome
newcomers here for further (10)s___________of the continent!"

     When some plates of the earth move suddenly, an earthquake happens. Many earthquakes begin under the
sea. Earthquakes may happen anywhere on the earth. They often happen near the mountains.
     During an earthquake, the shakings make rocks rise suddenly and even crack (断裂) open. Houses fall,
people are killed or hurt, and sometimes the whole villages or cities are destroyed.
     Can we do something to keep ourselves safe from earthquakes? Scientists have studied earthquakes and
make maps that show the "earthquake belts". In areas (地区) in these belts, it's possible for earthquakes to
happen. In these areas we should build strong houses to fight against earthquakes.
     In the future, scientists will be able to tell when and where an earthquake will be before they happen. They
can also tell people what to do and how to do it.

1. A large number of earthquakes often happens ______.

A. in the area
B. on land
C. at night
D. next to mountains

2. The reason for an earthquake is ______.

A. the result of rock plate sudden movement
B. that there are so many plates on the earth
C. that the sea is too deep
D. rocks' cracking open

3. A map showing the earthquake belts will tell people ______.

A. what kind of houses to build
B. what kind of houses can stay up in an earthquake
C. where earthquake may happen
D. how to keep themselves safe during an earthquake

4. In the future we'll be no longer so afraid of earthquakes ______.

A. with the help of scientists' exact prediction (预报)
B. because of a map showing the "earthquake belts"
C. because we can guess the date and place of earthquakes
D. as scientists know what to do and how to do it

5. The best title of this article is ______.

A. An Earthquake
B. A Scientist and an Earthquake
C. How to Fight Against Earthquake
D. Earthquakes Today and Tomorrow

     Are you able to send a letter with pictures and sounds to someone anywhere in the world without putting
a stamp on it? W______(1) e-mail you can just do that. Using a c______(2) you can send e-mail quickly and
easily. The post is much s______(3) than e-mail. E-mail can send i______(4) message to the other side of the
world in seconds.
     E-mail is easy to use and it s______(5) time and money. The differences in time in different parts of the
world, do not matter w_______(6) sending e-mail. It is twenty-four-hour service that you can send e-mail at
any time of the day or n_______(7). No one has to be t_______(8) to receive e-mail. It d_______(9) matter
if your friends are in bed when you send e-mail to them, or you are seeing a f_______(10) at the cinema when
they send e-mail back.

     Entering a university is an important part of a person's life. Today, many people go to study and train for
a future job in subjects like law, medicine or education. But the university is not a modem invention. It has a
history that is over a thousand years.
     The world's oldest university, AL-Azhar, is in Cario, Egypt. It was first built as a mosque for religion
(宗院) in A.D.972. A few years later, learners and teachers began meeting in the mosque. They read and
talked about the subject of law. Around 988, leaders in the city of Cario decided to open up a school for higher
learning and the University of AL-Azhar was founded.
     At AL-Azhar, there were many university 'firsts'. Different subjects were set up. The earliest ones taught
at AL-Azhar were in law and religion. In a course, students read and studied with the teacher, but there was,
also free discussion. Often, students and teachers talked about a topic, and there was no 'right' answer. Finally,
famous teachers from around the world came to AL-Azhar to teach and do deep studies on the subjects they
were interested in. At the university, people studied the past, but it was also a place for exchanging new ideas.
     Over a thousand years later, AL-Azhar is still an important university in the world. Its library keeps more
than 250,000 of the world's oldest and most valuable books.Today, many of the world's most important
universities such as Oxford and Harvard still follow the traditions started at AL-Azhar.

1. From the first paragraph we know that ______.

A. universities are important to the city life
B. the university is a quite new invention
C. university education may help a person find a job
D. the university has a history of a thousand years

2. AL-Azhar was first built for ______.

A. education
B. religion
C. a meeting
D. law

3. Which of the following are the earliest subjects taught in the University of AL-Azhar?

A. Education and medicine.
B. Religion and law.
C. Free discussion.
D. History and' tradition.

4. Choose the right order according to the passage.
    ①Then the heads of the city thought it the idea for a school for higher learning.
    ②One of the earliest subjects taught there was law.
    ③A mosque was built in Cario in A.D. 972.
    ④Teachers from around the world came to the university to study and teach.
    ⑤The mosque was used as a meeting place for teachers and learners.

A. ③④①②⑤
B. ④⑤①③②
C. ②③①④⑤
D. ③⑤①②④

5. Which of the following is not true about the University of AL-Azhar?

A. AL-Azhar was built in the city of Cario in Egypt.
B. AL-Azhar didn't become a university until the years around 988.
C. The University of AL-Azhar was a place to change ideas.
D. Now AL-Azhar is still one of the famous universities in the world.

    Asia is home to more than half of the world's population and three of the four most crowded countries are in
Asia. China, India, and Indonesia alone have more than 2.5 billion people.
    Until recently, most Asian nations fell behind the western countries in many fields. Government reform(改革),
however, has led to important progress in each of these Asian countries. Across the area, education systems
have been improved and economies (经济) have been growing. Most Asian countries now have a system of
compulsory (义务的) education. Many countries have recently allowed private universities to be built, which
was not allowed before. There are more chances for students to go to university now.
    However, in Asia, there are still not enough chances for students to get higher education and many people
prefer to go abroad for further study. As a result, India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries
send thousands of students to study in the United States and Europe each year.
    Part of the people in Asian countries can speak English, and English has become the most important language
for business across the area. The percentage (百分比) is the largest in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines,
SriLanka and South Korea. Many people in China, India and Malaysia can also speak English. Some countries
have made English part of the primary and secondary education programme. In some countries, children begin
to study English even at the age of 4 or 5.

1. The population of Asia is about            .

A. 2.5 billion
B. half of the world's population
C. 1.3 billion
D. 6 billion

2. Most Asian countries              the western countries in many fields.

A. are better than
B. are more powerful than
C. get greater progress than
D. are not as good as

3. In the past,              was not allowed in many Asian countries.

A. speaking English
B. moving to other countries
C. building private universities
D. building middle schools

4. Why do so many students in Asia go to study in the USA and Europe?

A. Because they are rich.
B. Because there are not enough chances for students to get higher education in Asia.
C. Because they don't want to work hard.
D. Because they can speak English very well.

5. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. There're more than 2.5 billion people in China, India and Indonesia.
B. The economies in Asian countries are becoming worse.
C. Education in Asia has had great changes.
D. In some Asian countries, English has become very important for business

    If you watch the sky for about an hour after the sun goes down, you may see some "moving stars".  But they're not really stars. They're man-made satellites. And the biggest of all is the
International Space Station (ISS). From May to July is the best season to watch the ISS flying over the earth.
And people can see it with their eyes.
    The ISS is the biggest satellite (人造卫星) and scientists want to live on it. They think that the best way to
learn more about space is to live there.
    When the space station is finished, it will be like a city in space. People will stay and study there with many of
the things they have at home. Laboratories, living rooms and power stations are being built. The ISS is the most
expensive space program. Billions of dollars are being spent on it every year. 　　
    Scientists hope that the ISS will be a stepping stone for future space exploration (探测). "The ISS will help us
understand the human body better, explore space and study the earth. It can help us make life on the earth
better," said Kathryn Clark, an ISS scientist. 　　
    Sixteen countries are part of the program: the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, Brazil and 11 European countries.
China isn't an ISS country, but it has helped with some of the experiments. In 2003, China sent some rice up to
the ISS to find out what space would do to it. 　　

1. The International Space Station             .

A. is really a big city in space
B. is the biggest man-made satellite
C. can only help us explore space
D. is mainly built by the USA and Russia

2. From the passage we know that             .

A. building the ISS is only for scientists to live there
B. scientists can do anything they like there
C. people can see the Space Station at any time
D. sixteen countries are members of the space program

3. The phrase "a stepping stone" probably means             .

A. 滑梯
B. 巅峰
C. 垫脚石
D. 走廊

4. China sent some rice up to the ISS is probably to ______.

A. be used as astronauts' food
B. sell it to aliens
C. do some science experiments
D. make it grow better in space

5. Which of the following isn't mentioned in this passage?

A. China will join the ISS in the future.
B. The scientists are building living rooms for them in the ISS.
C. The ISS will be more useful in the future.
D. The ISS costs the members of 16 countries plenty of money every year.

    Earthquakes can be very scary. But you need to keep your mind stable (坚定的) in order to make sure you
are safe. Be calm and try not to run here and there.
    If you manage to come out of your house, go to an open space like a garden or a park where you will be a lot
safer. If you live quite some floors above in your building, try to find a place near a bulky object such as a bed.
Curl up (蜷缩) and sit on the floor and make sure you are not near a window, fireplace, gas stove and so on.
Remember don't use lifts or escalators.
    Some people say you should on a doorway. That is not true. If the doorway jambs (侧壁) are weak, they
might fall on you. Also if people want to pass through that door, you may stop them. Leave all doorways free.
    Another important thing to keep in mind is that you mustn't climb down the stairs during an Earthquake. If
the tremors (震动) stop, after a few seconds, just climb down the stairs as quickly as you can and move out of
the building, but don't run.
    Earthquakes usually destroy gas pipes and electrical wires. Turn off the main gas. And don't light candles or
lighters and create an even bigger disaster.
    If you're driving and feel a shake, stop your car at the side of the road and get out. Make sure you are not on
a bridges and overhead roads (高架路) have the biggest danger of falling.

1. The best title for the passage should be             .

A. Dos and Don'ts Before an Earthquake.
B. What to Do in Case of Earthquake
C. Tips for Earthquake Preventions
D. Tips for Children in Earthquake.

2. The underlined word "bulky" in Paragragh 2 probably means              .

A. soft
B. large
C. small
D. tall

3. When an earthquake suddenly happens, you should             .
   a. remain standing near a window     b. turn off the main gas
   c. stay in an open space                   d. stand on a doorway
   e. keep off overhead roads

A. a, b, c
B. c, d, e
C. b, c, e
D. b, d, e

4. Which of the following is NOT true, when an earthquake suddenly happens?

A. We can't use the lift.
B. Curling up may be very dangerous.
C. We must turn off the gas.
D. We must get out of the car when the earthquake comes

5. It can be learned from the passage that             .

A. keeping calm in time of earthquake is very important.
B. measures should be taken to make buildings stronger.
C. Knowledge of first aid is must be done in an earthquake.
D. lots of things must be done to survive an earthquake.

                                                    Edison-style light bulb and CFLs
1. About 130 years ago, Thomas Edison of the USA invented the light bulb. Edison's bulb has turned night
    into day ever since. But today, many want to turn the light off.
2. The European Union recently decided that by 2009, people should stop using the Edison-style light bulb.
     Instead, they should use compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs节能灯).
3. "CFLs save energy and last longer. They can save money in the long run," said a British official. CFLs
     use 67 percent less electricity than the older bulbs. They last up to times longer. Scientists say that if
     everyone used CFLs, electrify use would be cut 18 percent. There would also be much smaller amounts
     of greenhouse gases given off.
4. But it's difficult to make people change their lighting habits. First the CFLs are more expensive. They cost
    eight times the price of the older bulbs. Many people don't like the CFL bulbs. They find it too bright. You
    cannot change the light of a CFL, either.
5. CFLs have been around for several years. However, the older lights still make up about two-thirds of total
    light bulb sales.
A. When to stop to use CFLs
B. Edison made the world bright
C. The older style lights are still used widely
D. The advantages of using CFLs
E. The disadvantages of using CFLs.