The bicycle is one of the simplest and most useful inventions in the world. What is the most surprising is that it was not invented earlier, although the great inventor Leonardo da Vinci had drawn pictures for bicycles and also for flying machines and some other things. Those things were not produced until long after he died.

A person riding a bicycle uses very little energy to make the bicycle move, and there is no pollution at all when you are riding. In Chengdu, a lot of people rode bicycles to work twenty years ago. But cars instead of them now. Even so in developed countries, most people do not travel to work by bicycle. It is not because the bicycles are expensive or people feel tired if they ride to work. It is because the number of cars on the roads is becoming larger. It certainly becomes more dangerous to ride a bicycle. As a result, more people put their bicycles away and go to work in their cars. And in this way, the traffic is very crowded when people go to work by car in the morning and go home after work, the situation is becoming worse and worse.

Perhaps the best way to make riding safer and more popular is to create paths only for bicycles, and to make it so difficult and expensive for drivers to take their cars into the city that they will go back to use their bicycles. There has been a special way for bicycles on the road in Chengdu now. I think more and more people will return to ride bicycles to go to work. The air of cities will be much fresher. The sky will be a lot bluer. The people will live much happier lives.

54. Who invented the bicycle?

A. Gergy Bush.      B. Mark.      C. Leonardo da Vinci.    D. Harry Borty.

55. The traffic is very crowded ,it is because  ____________________.

A. the roads are becoming larger         B. a number of cars are on the roads 

C. there are many bicycles on the roads    D. lots of people are walking on the roads

56. Why don’t people today go to work by bicycle?

A. Because the bicycle is too expensive.   B. Because it’s very tiring to ride a bicycle.

C. Because the people dislike bicycles.    D. Because it’s very dangerous to ride a bicycle.

57. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

① The bicycles were not produced until long before he died.

② A lot of people in Chengdu rode bicycles to work 20 years ago.

③ It’s not polluted for people to ride bicycles.

④ The people in Chengdu can’t go to work with a special way by bicycle now. 

A. ① ②           B. ② ③          C. ①② ③         D. ② ③ ④

Our new foreign students are going to arrive very soon, and here are some ways to communicate with them politely.
How close do you stand when you talk to a friend? You can stand close to people in the Middle East but don’t stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.
Do you know How to touch people correctly? Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can’t move away! But in Britain many people don’t like other people to touch them at all.
Do you look at people when you talk? In some places, it isn’t polite to look at people when you talk, but in other countries it isn’t polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the US, people usually look at each other when they talk.
And how do you say goodbye? That’s easy, wave（挥手） to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it’s not at all polite! In fact, it’s very rude!
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。（5分）
【小题1】From the passage, we should give           more personal space.

Most children like watching TV. It’s very    1   . By watching TV they can see and learn a lot and know many things about     2    country and the world. Of course, they can also   3  over the radio. But they can learn better and more    4    on TV.     5   ? Because they can hear and watch at the same time. But they can’t see    6    over the radio. TV helps to open children’s    7   . It helps to open their minds, too. They learn newer and        8    ways of doing things. Many children watch TV only on Saturday or Sunday evening. They are always busy    9   their lessons. But a few children watch TV every night. They go to bed very     10   . They can’ t have a good rest. How about you, my young friend?

单词填空（每小题1分，共10分）

请根据所给首字母或中文提示，写出单词在句中的正确形式。每空只能填一词，将单词完整地写在答题卡上。

1. My brother’s schoolbag is small, but Jim’s is b       .

2. Look! That is my lovely c       . It’s running after a mouse.

3. Please o        the door and come in.

4. Miss Qin is a good t       . She teaches English well.

5.Don’t ride your bike too f        in the street. It’s very dangerous.

6. Boys and girls, please take out your         (钢笔) and write down the new words.

7.--- How about this         (红色的) skirt?  --- It’s vey nice. I will take it.

8. A girl from a primary school in Guilin was very         (幸运的) to get a free ticket to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

9. When you         (接受) a present, you must use both hands. It’s a traditional custom in China.

10.The villagers         (庆祝）the Dragon Boat Festival by having a dragon boat race last Wednesday.