Some people say, “Extreme(极限的) sports are so dangerous. Why would anyone want to do them?” But the danger is what makes them so excited. Keep reading to find out the most popular ones.

Bungee jumping: People on some South Pacific islands have been bungee jumping for hundreds of years. In 1979, some people bungee jumped off a bridge in England and made the sport popular around the world. Bungee jumping came to China in 1996.
Skateboarding: At first, this sport was called “sidewalk surfing”. Skateboarders often jump high into the air, go down steps or slide(滑行) down rails on their boards. They wear baggy trousers(宽松裤) so they can move more freely.
Skydiving: This is probably the scariest(最惊险的) extreme sport. Skydivers jump out of airplanes about four kilometers up in the sky. They usually free-fall for a while and then open a parachute to slow down for a safe landing.
Snowboarding: This became a winter Olympic sport in 1998. People tie their feet to the board with special shoes. They don’t use any ski sticks. Then, they ride down hills, jump high and do tricks.
【小题1】What made bungee jumping popular all over the world?

A woman repeated a bit of gossip (流言) about a neighbor. Within a few days the whole neighborhood knew the story. The neighbor was deeply hurt. Later the woman learned that it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old man to find out what she could do to repair the harm.
“Go to the market,” he said, “and buy a chicken, and have it killed, then on your way home, pick its feathers(毛) and drop them one by one along the road.” Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told.
The next day the wise man said, “Now, go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me.”
The woman followed the same road, but she was so discouraged when she found the wind had blown all the feathers away. After looking for hours, she returned with only three in her hand.
“You see,” said the old man, “it’s easy to drop them, but it’s impossible to get them back. So it is with gossip. It doesn’t take much to spread（散布） a gossip, but once you do, you can never completely undo（弥补） the wrong.”
【小题1】Why did the woman feel sorry?

The high school diploma (文凭) is losing its value quickly, as a growing number of students graduate (毕业) from school without the math and reading skills that colleges and companies require, according to a new report.
The high school graduation exams that most states (州) require students to pass before they graduate remain far too easy. Most of the exams generally test eighth-or ninth-grade level work.
Today, even high school graduates who are going to have blue-collar (蓝领) jobs need to study the math, research and writing courses. But in high school, only students who are going to college are now required to take these courses.
“If you want a good job with a good pay, it’s a high-skill job,” said Michael Cohen, a leading member of the America Diploma Project.
The project suggests that all graduates master a wide range (范围) of skills. “A high school diploma should mean something to a company and university,” said Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, who is Achieve’s co-chairman.
In Taft’s state, about 30% students who go directly to college from high school have to take remedial classes of English or math, he said. It’s easy to see that the present high-school graduating standards are not preparing students for college education.
And with high-skilled jobs increasingly headed overseas to places like India and Ireland, states need to act, he said.
To prove why math and reading skills matter, the report includes real-life examples of problems students meet in college and that workers must solve each day on the job. ?
Some states are taking actions to upgrade the high school diploma. In Texas, all high school students, starting with the 2008 graduating class, will have to take the college-prep curriculum (大学预备课程) - unless a parent agrees to an easier course load. Other states are planning similar moves.
The report includes examples of reading and math skills that high-school students should have. Project leaders say they hope parents will use those examples to judge (评定) the coursework at their kids’ high schools.
【小题1】Why is the high school diploma losing its value quickly?

Mike makes wonderful cakes for special occasions. You’ll be      36     by what he can do! Mike has been making cakes since he left high school. After working as a chef all around the US, he started his own      37     in 1995. Now his cake are      38     as far away as England and France.
It’s easy to see why Mike’s cakes      39    . They are all personal, and look more like works of art than food.
     40     someone asks Mike to make a cake, he works with him to find the perfect design. Once, some office workers wanted a good      41     for their boss’s 50^th birthday. They told Mike that their boss loved noodles. Can you imagine a cake that looks like a packet of noodles? That’s exactly what Mike did, and      42     thought it was funny as well as tasty.
Mike lets people visit his company, and says that speaking to others helps him think of new designs. Recently, he made a cake that looked just like a car and      43     it next to a real one. Guests at that party had to choose their desserts carefully.
Mike is very busy at Christmas, as many people want special presents for their friends and families. But who knows, he      44     even make a cake shaped as an airplane that can
     45     on your doorstep in China!
【小题1】A. surprised               B. pleased                     C. worried
【小题2】A. organization                  B. restaurant                 C. company
【小题3】A. magic                           B. famous                     C. delicious
【小题4】A. sell out                         B. hand out                   C. stand out
【小题5】A. Wherever                     B. Whatever                 C. Whenever
【小题6】A. strategy                        B. joke                         C. donation
【小题7】A. someone                B. anyone                     C. everyone
【小题8】A. drove                           B. put                          C. sold
【小题9】A. should                          B. would                      C. might
【小题10】A. land                      B. fly                           C. drop