My dad, Greg Newman, had wanted to be a race  car driver, but things didn't work out for him.So
I guess having a son who could become a race car driver was the next best thing.Don't get me
wrong-Dad didn't push me into racing.In fact, when I was about 10 years old, my dad was afraid that
driving a car wasn't my dream.So he took the racing away from me.I wasn't very happy with that decision.It wasn't long before Dad realized that racing was what I loved.
     At four, Dad bought me my first Quarter Midget (袖珍赛车)  and that's really where it started for us.
Back then, Dad coached me.He would stick out (伸出) his footin the path of the race car, and then tell
me to exactly hit his foot.By repeating this again and again, Dad believed that I would be faster and
sharper on the race track.
     Dad worked really long hours at his car repair business to make money so that I could race each
weekend.I can remember that every night before he turned off the lights in the garage, Dad would tell
me:"Don't forget to kiss your race car good night." He was trying to teach me that if I show respect, it's
returned.He wanted me to show thankfulness and respect for my race car and for all the hard work that
we and many others had put into the dream.
     My dad, my mom and my sister gave up a lot of things to help me race.For us, there was no better
moment than winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008.That evening in February 2008, I
knew I had gotten a good push.I could hear the excitement.My father couldn't speak a word, and when
he got to  Victory Lane (车道), he nearly knocked me over and  gave me such a big hug.

1. Why did Greg Newman stop his son to race when his son was 10 years old?

A. Because he thought racing was dangerous.
B. Because he worried that his son didn't like racing.
C. Because he didn't want his son to fail like he did.
D. Because he couldn't afford the money.

2. Greg Newman did all the following things to support his son's dream EXCEPT________.

A. training his son to race
B. working hard to make money
C. buying his son a mini racing car
D. changing his job as a race car driver

3. Why did Greg Newman let his son hit his foot?

A. To improve his son's skill.  
B. To help his son to be braver.
C. To have fun with his son.      
D. To make his son more careful.

4. Greg Newman asked his son to kiss his race car good night to________.

A. get help from his family
B. treat the race car as a person
C. feel grateful that he could follow his dream
D. develop a close relationship with his race car

5. In the 50th running of the Daytona 500, Greg Newman couldn't say anything because he was______.

A. disappointed  
B. surprised  
C. sad    
D. excited

      To see the world is one thing；to have someone to share it with is another.Indeed, travel becomes
more interesting when you have a travel partner.A travel partner can be a close friend, a family member,
a pal you've met online, or a business friend.
    You can have someone to talk to
     Traveling alone is fun, but wouldn't you feel lonely?Having a travel partner can remove the feeling of
loneliness.This is especially true if you can get a travel companion who is very familiar with the place
you're traveling to.You don't have to ask any information from the locals, and you can increase the time
you spend in the country.
     ____________________
     One of the major headaches in traveling is the costs involved.You can't simply ignore the rising price
of hotels or plane tickets.You should also think about your daily needs, such as your food.Of course, you
can't simply go back without bringing any souvenirs (纪念品) to your friends and family.All these can ruin your budget.However, when you have a travel friend, you can have someone to share the expenses with.
     You can meet a good friend
     Having a travel mate is a good way of meeting a new friend or even a lifelong partner.You can never
count the number of couples who actually found their way into each other's heart while traveling together
in another country.
     You can have someone to watch out for you  
     When you're in a foreign land, you'll never be really safe.You don't know the rules as well as the
culture of the people.A travel mate will be perfect to remind you of your duties in the country and to
watch your back just in case you get lost.So why don't you find a travel companion now?
     Let's find out how ...

1. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A. To introduce a travel company.
B. To encourage us to have a travel partner.
C. To explain how to be a perfect travel partner.
D. To tell an interesting experience with a travel partner.

2. What's the best title for the 3rd paragraph?

A. You can have someone to share the expenses with.
B. You can know the local culture well.
C. You can enjoy food with your partner.
D. You can save money by bargaining together.

3. Which of the following statements agrees with the author's opinion?

A. Traveling alone is not fun.
B. Buying souvenirs isn't necessary.
C. Many people fall in love when traveling.
D. It's better to choose a stranger as a travel partner.

4. Which of the following things is NOT mentioned?

A. A travel partner can help you take care of your child.
B. A travel partner can help get rid of loneliness.
C. A travel partner can help you save money.
D. A travel partner can make you safer.

5. The following paragraph will probably talk about________.

A. how to get along with a travel partner
B. how travel can benefit people
C. what we can learn from travel
D. how to find a travel partner

     People who like travelling have their reasons.They believe that travelling can help them expand their
field of view, especially in the geographical and historical sense.They also think that touring will give them
more chances to enjoy different kinds of food and experience new things  that would never be  brought
by other activities.But those who dislike travelling also have some reasons.
     Travelling, in my opinion, does more good than  harm.Most importantly, it broadens (使扩大) our
mind.We can get in touch with other civilizations (文明), cultures, customs and ideas.
     Through history, most people travelled because of necessity (必要性)-not for pleasure.People
travelled just in order to remain alive.They searched for food to eat or places to live in.They sometimes
ran away from enemies.This is not to say that no one ever travelled just for the fun of it.In ancient times,
for  example, rich Romans travelled all the way to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games, and
festivals.Of course, some people decided to travel just out of curiosity (好奇心). They wanted to find
out what it looked like beyond the horizon  (地平线). Also business travel has been going on for
centuries.Traders could not only make money but also learn to speak several languages and be
introduced to different cultures.
     So, travelling does enrich our mind and draw new ideas to us.There is no doubt that we can get much
from it.

1. The underlined word "expand" in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by "________".

A. widen  
B. protect  
C. lose  
D. decide

2. According to the passage, in the past most people travelled________.

A. for fun  
B. for knowledge
C. to get experiences  
D. to make a living

3. How many reasons for travelling are mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A. Three.  
B. Four.  
C. Five.  
D. Six.

4. In the writer's opinion, travelling can be________.

A. expensive
B. funny      
C. helpful    
D. tiring

5. What's the main idea of this passage?

A. Different kinds of travelling.
B. Travelling enriches our mind.
C. Ways to enjoy yourself while travelling.
D. The advantages and disadvantages of travelling.

     Sometimes in our lives, we find ourselves in a place where we know no one.Those places are usually
lonely and cold.If you try to make some new friends there, your life will be more enjoyable.Don't worry if
you are a shy person as the steps below will help you do this.
     In every place that you visit, try to introduce yourself to  people.If you are on a bus, try to talk to the
other passengers.If you are in a school, introduce yourself to your classmates, and even if you are in a
bookstore and you happen to meet someone, introduce yourself.The_more_people_you_introduce
_yourself_to, the_more_chances_you_have_of_gaining_new_friends.
     It's good to hear your own name called by others.That's  the greatest sound a person could ever hear.
If you can call out their names when you meet them the second time, this will leave them a deep
impression.If you think you have a problem remembering names, here is a tip.When they have said their
names, use them immediately in a conversation.Say their names at least three times in your conversations.
You will remember their names that way.
     It's important that what you are talking about interest both of you.Talking about them will surely be a
great topic for your conversation.Everyone wants to be the subject of a conversation.
     Making eye contact with them will show that you are serious about them.If your eyes are drifting
throughout your conversation, they'll feel you are not interested in them.So____________with them from
time to time during the conversation.
     These steps are just the basic things that you can do.You can think of many other ways to gain new
friends and remember to have fun while doing it.
1. What's this passage mainly about?(Please answer within 10 words.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. List three things mentioned in the passage that you can do to gain new friends.(Please answer within 12 words.)
(1)________________________________________________________________________
(2)________________________________________________________________________
(3)________________________________________________________________________
3. Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?
They will be impressed if you remember their names the next time you meet them.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Fill in the blank in paragraph 5 with proper words.(Please answer within 5 words.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 into Chinese.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

     Technology helps people do everything from planning to meet for a movie to keeping in touch with
a friend who lives in a different country.
     When planning to get together with friends,Julian said,"If I want to go and see a movie with a few
friends,I usually send them text messages.By telephone,you have to call every single friend one by one.
But text messaging allows you to send the same message to as many people as you'd like,which saves
a lot of time."
    Email,IM,and other lowcost methods of communication also help people keep longdistance friendships
in ways they couldn't have even a few years ago.
    Mike told us,"I had this friend when I was 8 or 9,and then she moved away to the country.We
promised to stay friends and to send letters,and at the start we did.Then the letters got fewer and fewer
and we at last stopped writing to each other.I think if we had had email,we would still be in touch."
     James found out about cost the hard way.He said,"I called my friend in New Zealand,which is
halfway around the world,and it cost me over $200!So now I just stay up  late to see if I can catch him
on MSN or I write an email."
     Email,IM,and other lowcost ways of keeping in touch also allow people to develop brief
acquaintances (与人相识) into longlasting friendships.Andrea told us,"I met this really cool girl.We
sometimes email each other.We've been in touch over half a year and it's nice to talk to her."

1.What is this passage mainly about?

A. Technology has improved greatly.
B. Technology can help our social lives.
C. Technology keeps faraway friends close.
D. Text messages bring advantages to our life.

2. How does Julian usually get in touch with a group of friends?

A. By emailing them.
B. By chatting with them on MSN.
C. By sending them text messages.
D. By giving them a phone call.

3. In Mike's opinion,he lost touch with his friend mainly because________.

A. they lost interest in keeping in touch
B. their friendship was not strong enough
C. they were too busy to write to each other
D. they couldn't use email to keep in touch then

4. What does James most probably think of calling his friend in New Zealand?

A. Convenient. 
B. Costly.  
C. Difficult.  
D. Necessary.

5. The writer uses Andrea's story to show that________.

A. everyone can make good use of technology
B. longlasting friendships can be gained anywhere
C. there are many kinds of ways of keeping in touch
D. it is easier to make new friends than before due to technology  

     In 2016, athletes from around the world will compete (竞争) for gold medals in the Summer
Olympics.Even though the games are seven years away, Brazil's residents (居民) already feel like
winners.
     The nation was recently named to host this important sporting event.It will be the first Olympics
held in South America.
     The games will take place in Rio de Janeiro.The city beat out three other sites, Madrid, Tokyo
and Chicago, to host the event.When the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro,
cheering people flooded the city's streets."This is huge for Rio and for the whole country, " says
resident Sueli Ferreira.
     The Olympics are expected to attract tens of thousands of people.Brazilian officials have already
started to prepare for the crowds."We know what we need to do, " explains Brazil's president, Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva."The words from now on are work, work and work."
     Officials want to fix up local sports centers before Rio de Janeiro steps into the spotlight.They also
want to reduce the amount of crime (犯罪).
     They hope hosting the games will improve life in Brazil.About 30 percent of people there live in
poverty, or poor conditions.Tourism during the Olympics is expected to create more than 2 million jobs.
     "It's going to be good for the economy (经济), good for the people, " Ferreira says."This gives us
hope that things will be better here."

1. According to the passage, the 2016 Olympics will be held in________.

A. Europe  
B. Asia
C. North America  
D. South America

2. The feeling of Brazilians can be described as________.

A. proud  
B. surprised  
C. worried  
D. nervous

3. The underlined word "flooded" in Para.3 means________.

A. crossed  
B. filled  
C. visited  
D. cleaned

4. According to Brazil's president, we can know________.

A. the government needs help from the Brazilian public
B. the government will begin to prepare for the Olympics soon
C. Brazilian officials will try hard to prepare for the Olympics
D. Brazilian officials are now too busy to prepare for the Olympics

5. We can learn from the last two paragraphs that________.

A. Brazilians'life will be better because of the Olympics
B. not all Brazilians are interested in the Olympics
C. most Brazilians are now living in poor conditions
D. Brazilians worry about losing jobs during the Olympics

     Writing a long book seemed to be too much for me.So, for a long time, I just wrote short articles.
One day, inspiration (灵感) for an article hit me and, as I started writing, paragraphs began flowing out
fast.It turned out to be too long to be an article.I thought it would not hurt to try selfpublishing a booklet (小册子). The first printing of this 32page black and white booklet sold out within a week.Here is
something that I have learned through my experience.
    1. Start small.
    Don't try to have a 400page work as your first publication (出版物). I suggest you publish a booklet
under 50 pages to launch your career as an author.
    2. Ask for advice.
    If you know some people who have published something, ask them for advice and help.You will gain
useful information from them and save yourself many problems.
   3. ____________________
    When you put your heart into something only to hear "We're not interested", you may get hurt.But you
must remind yourself that this is quite common.Every "yes" you receive comes after at least five "noes",
especially at the beginning.You need to revise (校订) your book many times to reduce the chances of
being turned down.
   4. The more you market, the more you sell.
    You can publish an excellent book.But if no people know about it, you cannot expect many buyers.
Send out an email to friends, family and business partners, telling them your book's publication date.Ask
them to help sell your book.Do not be afraid to try novel ideas.

1. We learn that before selfpublishing his first booklet, the writer most probably________.

A. hoped that he would write some famous long stories
B. had nothing published in newspapers
C. was not happy with what he had written
D. thought it difficult to finish a long book

2. What does the underlined word "launch" in Point 1 here mean?

A. Begin.  
B. Develop.  
C. Lead.  
D. Describe.

3. What's the best title for Point 3?

A. No one will like what you wrote at first.
B. You will get hurt by what you wrote at first.
C. Prepare for a "yes" rather than a "no".
D. Be prepared to deal with "noes"

4. According to the passage, if you want to have more copies of your book sold, you should________.

A. advertise your book in newspapers
B. try to make more people know your book
C. ask your business partners to buy your book
D. write something that people are interested in

5. About selfpublishing a book, the writer would most probably agree that________.

A. one usually makes no money out of selfpublishing a book
B. one should never selfpublish a book longer than 400 pages
C. selfpublishing a book is impossible for most people
D. asking advice from people who have published a book is helpful

     The most important thing you can do for your child is to read to him or her every day for 20 minutes.
Make it a set time so that you do not miss it.This is how you start to teach your child to read.Find books
with sentences of three to four words,books with recurrent (反复出现的) words,as well as books on
topics that your child finds interesting and read these together.
     Once you feel your child is ready to learn how to read,do not give in to social pressure.You should go on no matter what.
     I have found no better book to teach reading than Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann,Phyllis Haddox,and Elaine Bruner.It is a very popular book,so it is easy to find online.Each day you follow the lesson until you reach the end of the book.I usually go over each lesson a few times.Once your child reaches the 65th lesson or so,you can bring in other easy readers for your child to try.It
is important to continue to read to your child and go over the lesson as many times as you need to.
     Each lesson takes about 15 minutes,but some parents find it is difficult____________.If you find
yourself feeling so,do not feel like a failure because it was not the warm and fuzzy experience I have
described.You can even hire someone like a teenager who is good with children to work with your child.
If_your_child_does_not_read_at_a_level_you_would_like_them_to_be_at,do_not_feel_like_a_failure,
and_do_not_make_your_child_feel_like_a_failure.

1. What's the best title for this passage?(Please answer within 8 words answer.)
________________________________________________________________________

2. For how many minutes does the writer suggest parents read to their child every day?(Please answer
within 3 words answer.)
________________________________________________________________________

3. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words.(Please answer within 8 words answer.)
________________________________________________________________________

4. Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?
Keeping reading to your child and repeating lessons as often as possible are important.
________________________________________________________________________

5. Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese.
________________________________________________________________________

     When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant
smells of kabob(烤肉串)hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
     Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many
restaurants lack.
     The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly
charming.
    Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those
experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.
    A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics,
watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian
newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.
     The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large.Most of the
meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.
    The food especially appeals to healthconscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with
limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill (烤肉架).
     The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different styles of grilled meat.
    One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces
served with either rice or bread.Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, a kabob consisting of grilled
beef.
    Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious.It is a place that should not
be overlooked.

1. When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it________.

A. is splendidly decorated
B. has pleasant smells of kabobs
C. is crowded with dining tables
D. looks like a common restaurant

2. What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?

A. Watching news events on TV.
B. Drinking a kind of black coffee.
C. Reading local English newspapers.
D. Discussing world topics in low voices.

3. The food of the restaurant ________.

A. is served in small amounts
B. is rather expensive
C. is rich in variety
D. is very healthy

4. What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?

A. Rice.    
B. Chicken.
C. Bread.    
D. Beef.

5. It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant _______.

A. occupies a large space
B. owns a favorable location
C. is popular for its special food
D. has a quiet environment inside