There has been a lot of rain in California recently. Villagers and leaders there begin to be worried because they have found two birds died from a disease, West Nile Virus(病毒).

  West Nile Virus is carried by mosquitoes(蚊子).The symptoms(症状) are just like the flu. However, it can cause dangerous brain problems. When it rains a lot, it will leave a lot of water in ponds and trees. These places are good for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in the water. Warm weather will help the mosquito eggs to develop and then the number is increasing. Birds eat the mosquitoes and get sick. People can get the disease if they are bitten(叮咬) by mosquitoes with West Nile Virus.

  The government is trying its best go stop the spread of West Nile Virus. People are asked to wear long sleeves(长袖)and pants, close their windows and shut the doors. At the same time, workers have been sent out to check the wet areas. If they find mosquitoes they will use some special medicine to kill them.

1.Why did the two birds die?

  A. They died from West Nile Virus.

  B. They could not get enough food.

  C. The villagers killed them.

2.From the passage we know West Nile Virus is carried by ______.

A. flu                    B. mosquitoes                  C. water

3.People will get the disease if ______.

  A. they get wet in rainy days

  B. they are bitten by any mosquito

  C. they are bitten by mosquitoes with West Nile Virus

4. People are asked to wear long sleeves and pants in order to ­­______.

  A. keep warm

  B. check the wet areas

  C. avoid being bitten by mosquitoes

阅读下列短文，回答问题。（共5小题；每小题1分，计5分）

Li Yundi is a classical pianist and called “Prince of the Piano” in China. He is also well-known for being the youngest pianist who won the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000, at the age of 18.

Although he comes from a family of non-musicians, Li took to music early. When he was three years old, his parents bought him an accordion (手风琴) because he was so attracted by an accordion player in a shopping mall that he refused to leave. Only one year later, he won the top prize at the Chongqing Children’s Accordion Competition. Li began studying the piano at the age of seven. Two years later, his teacher introduced him to Dan Zhaoyi, one of the most famous piano teachers in China. Dan taught Li for nine years. Li’s dream was to become a professional (职业的) pianist.

Li has got top awards (奖) at many competitions. In October 2000, Li took part in the 14th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. He set not only one record. He was the first participant (参与者) to get the first prize in 15 years. And he was the youngest winner and the first Chinese in the history of the competition.

1.Why did Li Yundi’s parents buy him an accordion?

2.When did Li Yundi win the top prize at the Chongqing Children’s Accordion Competition?

3.What was Li Yundi’s dream when he was young?

4.How many records did Li Yundi set in October 2000?

5.Are Li Yundi’s parents musicians?

Saturday morning was bright and fresh. There was a song in every heart, cheer on every face, and a spring in every step.

Tom appeared with a bucket（桶）of white paint in one hand and a brush in the other. His Aunt Polly told him to paint the fence（篱笆）around the garden. It was ninety feet long and nine feet high. He felt very blue.

Then he had a wonderful idea. He picked up his brush and started to work.

Soon Ben came along the road. He was happily eating an apple. He stopped to look at Tom. Tom went on painting and pretended（假装）not to see Ben.

“I’m going swimming,” said Ben. “Do you want to go swimming, Tom? But I guess you can’t. You have to stay and work, don’t you?”       

“Work?” Tom said. “This isn’t work. I’m enjoying myself. Does a boy get a chance to paint a fence like this every day?”

Ben thought about this. Tom continued painting carefully. Sometimes he stopped, stood back to look at the fence like an artist, and then added（增加）a bit more paint in just the right place. Ben was watching Tom paint with great interest. He was getting more and more eager（渴望的）to have a try himself.

After a while, Ben asked Tom if he would let him paint a little. Tom thought about it, and said, “No, Ben, I can’t. You see. Aunt Polly wants it to be done well. Aunt Polly said that I must paint it with great care.”

“Oh, please, Tom,” begged Ben. “I can do it. I’ll be really careful. Just let me try. I’ll give you half of my apple. Well, I’ll give you all of it!”

“Well, all right, Ben,” said Tom. “You must be very careful.”

He gave Ben his brush with worry on his face but joy in his heart. He sat down under the tree, and started to eat Ben’s apple. All day, boys came to make fun of Tom, but they ended up staying to paint. When Ben got tired, Billy was waiting. He gave Tom a kite for a chance to paint. Then Johnny offered him a basketball, and so on.

By late afternoon Tom had got all kinds of toys, and the fence had got three coats of paint. Later Aunt Polly came to look at the painted fence. She was so pleased with Tom’s work that she gave Tom a large cake!

1.Why did Tom pretend not to see Ben when he came and watched him painting?

    A. He saw Ben eating an apple happily.

    B. He tried to make Ben interested in it.

    C. He didn’t want to go swimming with Ben at all.

    D. He didn’t want Ben to share the chance to paint the fence.

2.What does the underlined word “spring” probably mean in Chinese?

    A. 春天             B. 弹簧           C. 泉                 D. 活力

3.What do you think of Tom?

    A. Honest.          B. Smart.         C. Shy.               D. Stubborn.

Steven Park and his wife Susan were having financial(财政) problems. One day, they each decided, without telling the other, to buy lotto ticket(彩票). Before buying these tickets, they had never spent money on the lotto. They both used numbers that were their anniversary(周年纪念) date and address. That night, they were watching the news on TV, and the winning numbers were drawn. Soon after hearing the numbers, they started jumping up and down. They were shocked(震惊) to find out that they each held a winning ticket! The ticket won ＄450,000.

1.Why did the parks buy a lotto ticket?

2.What number did the Parks use?

3. Where did the Parks get the news that they won?

4. When did the Parks start jumping up and down?

5.How much did the Parks win?

1 

When I was ten, my mother worked all day so I had to take care of my younger brother. At that time my little brother was about four years old and he missed mum all the time.

One day, after I had given him his dinner, he started crying for mum. He was so young and really needed mum. So I dressed him, put on his shoes, carried him on my back and walked out. Soon he fell asleep. About half an hour later, I found that he had lost a shoe while sleeping. I took him off my back and put him down. I knew we needed to find that shoe, for our mother couldn’t afford new shoes. We had to go back to find it, so I told my brother to wait right there. A man heard it and stopped me just before I walked off. He asked me, “You are leaving your brother here to find the shoe? What would you do if he is not here when you return?” I did not know how to answer that question. He continued, “It’s OK if you can’t find the shoe, but it is not OK to lose your brother.” Then he sent us to mum’s workplace by taxi.

My whole life I have depended on the kindness of many strangers, I feel regretful that I cannot find them and say thank you. I do not even remember what the man’s face looked like, but he taught me a lesson—people are more important than things.

1.Why did the younger brother cry for his mother?

A. Because he was hungry.

B. Because he missed his mother. 

C. Because he wanted to sleep.

D. Because he wanted to play outside.

2.What does the underlined word “regretful” in the last paragraph mean?

A. Sorry.           B. Happy.           C. Excited.             D. Angry.

3.What did the man mean by saying “It’s OK if you can’t find the shoe, but it is not OK to lose your brother.”?

A. People are more important than things.

B. Things are more important than people.

C. Both the shoe and your brother are important.

D. The shoe is more important than your brother.

4.According to the passage, which word can best describe the man?

A. Rude.            B. Funny.           C. Silly.               D. Kind.