My work keeps me in Hong Kong most of the year，but I try to get away for a month in summer，usually in July．Now as you probably know，that’s the main　1　season in Europe．The favorite places for vacations and the famous cities are usually very　2　． But I’m not seeking(寻求) the sun—I can get lots of 　3　in Hong Kong—and I’m certainly not seeking the crowds！So　4　I go on vacation，I buy a Train Pass(a kind of train ticket) that allows me first-class travel on most of the railways of Western Europe．First-class compartments(车厢) are　5　crowded and they are very comfortable．If you’re going on　6　trip, you can take a sleeping train for an extra charge．There are usually dining cars(餐车) in the train．

I find that train travel is restful and　7　．There’s always　8　to see．I particularly(特别地) enjoy　9　through Switzerland and Italy．You can get a very good　10　of what a country is like from a train because you don’t go too fast and you stop quite often．Also train travel is very safe，and I am never sick on a train　11　I am on a ship. Then there are always people to　12　to if you feel like a chat.

The reason that I seldom(很少) travel by plane is quite　13　: because train stations are usually built in the centre．I don’t have to　14　transport(运输工具), transport can be a problem when arriving by　15　．

1.                A．vacation        B．visiting         C．cloudy   D．windy

 

2.                A．quiet          B．useful          C．exciting   D．crowded

 

3.                A．pleasure        B．daylight         C．sunshine  D．money

 

4.                A．when          B．where          C．what D．which

 

5.                A．always         B．hardly          C．certainly  D．nearly

 

6.                A．summer        B．overnight       C．day-time  D．vacation

 

7.                A．cheap          B．expensive       C．interesting D．lonely

 

8.                A．something      B．nothing         C．anything  D．everything

 

9.                A．running        B．walking         C．driving   D．travelling

 

10.               A．view           B．idea           C．seat  D．trip

 

11.               A．rather than      B．or             C．as    D．even though

 

12.               A．talk            B．speak          C．tell   D．say

 

13.               A．easy           B．wrong          C．right  D．simple

 

14.               A．find out        B．worry about     C．wait for   D．take away

 

15.               A．ship           B．train           C．air   D．car

 

 

 Mrs. Brown had a small garden behind her house and in the spring she planted some vegetables in it. She looked after them very carefully, and when the summer came, they looked very nice. One evening Mrs. Brown looked at her vegetables and said, “Tomorrow I am going to pick them and we can eat them.” But early the next morning, her son ran into the kitchen and shouted, “Mother, mother! Come quickly! Our neighbor’s ducks are in the garden and they are eating our vegetables!” Mrs. Brown ran out, but it was too late. All the vegetables are finished! Mrs. Brown cried, and her neighbor was very sorry, but that was the end of the vegetables. Then a few days before Christmas, the neighbor brought Mrs. Brown a beautiful fat duck. And on it was a piece of paper with the words, “ENJOY YOUR VEGETABLES!”

1.Mrs. Brown had a _________ behind her house.

A. shed   B. small garden    C. an apple orchard   D. small house

2.In _________ she planted some vegetables in the garden.

A. the summer    B. the winter   C. the autumn   D. the spring

3.When _________ came, the vegetables looked very nice.

A. the summer    B. the winter   C. the autumn   D. the spring

4.Early the next __________ her son ran into the kitchen and shouted.

A. morning    B. afternoon   C. evening   D. night

5.One morning __________ were eating vegetables in the garden.

A. monkeys    B. ducks    C. pigs    D. chickens

 

In northern China during spring, big sandstorm often make trouble for people. Sandstorms usually happen in spring. They have happened in more than 10 provinces in northern China this year. People in southern China don't have to worry about this kind of bad weather. Most of the sand comes from the north of China. In northern China, lots of places have few trees and don't get much rain. When there aren't many trees, the ground can't keep enough water. Over the years, the ground dries up and turns to sand. When spring comes and the ice melts, the ground becomes loose. Strong winds take the loose sand into the sky. Besides, in northeast China, there lies some vast deserts.

  Sandstorms are bad for people's health. If people breathe in too much sand, they will cough or have serious illnesses. Sandstorms also give farmers lots of problems. Sometimes their sheep get lost in the storms and never come back home. The winds also tear the farmers' houses down.

  What can you do to stop sandstorms? Here's a piece of advice. Ask your parents to help you plant some trees this spring. If you see people cutting down too many trees, tell them about the dangers of sandstorms, and ask your government to stop them.

1.When do sandstorms usually happen?

A.In summer.  B. In spring.   C. In winter.   D. In autumn

2.What does the underlined word "loose" mean in China?

肥沃的           B.贫瘠的        C.疏松的        D.大量的

3.The second paragraph tells us ______________.

A.why sandstorms happen in northern China

B.the dangers of sandstorms

C.sandstorms aren't terrible at all

D.how sandstorms happen

4.Which of the following is NOT a way to stop sandstorms?

A.Plant more trees in spring.

B.Stop people to cut down too many trees

C.Don't stay outside when sandstorms happen.

D.Tell people about the dangers of sandstorms.

5.Which is the best title for this passage?___________

A.Sandstorms    

B. How we can stop sandstorms

C. Why sandstorms only happen in northern China. 

D. Sandstorms can influence most of China.

 

 

 

 

Street Ping Pong— Ping!

Do you like table tennis? If you had travelled to cities in the UK like London or Birmingham last summer, you might have seen one of the dozens of free tables that were there as part of a project （项目） called Ping!.

What is Ping!?

Ping！is a three-year table tennis project. It has been running since 2010 and this year, 2012, is the final year. The idea is to put free table tennis tables in eight different towns in the UK for four weeks during the summer. Each table comes with its own bats and balls and is free to play. You can find the tables outdoors.

What does Ping! hope to achieve?

It would be great if Ping！helped find a new Olympic table tennis star but what Ping! really hopes. to achieve is just to get people playing and having fun together."Putting a ping pong table on the street gives people a chance to connect with other people," said Meera Sodha, Ping! Project Manager.

One of the towns that took part in the project was Hull, a city in England. Forty-five tables were put into the city. Jakob Adamski, an ESOL student learning. English, said, "I really enjoyed playing table tennis in the park. It was also a good way for me to practise my English and meet people."

1.When did the Ping! project start?

A. Last summer.                             B. Last winter.

C. In 2010.                                              D. In 2012.

2.What's the Ping!project?

A. Choosing table tennis stars.

B. Holding table tennis matches.

C. Teaching people how to .play table tennis.

D. Putting free table tennis tables in some towns.

3.The purpose of the Ping!project is

A. to help people practise English

B. to invite people to visit the UK cities

C. to get people to play and have fun together.

D. to encourage people to take part in the 2012 0lympics