A student newspaper reports that most students go to sleep at 1:30 am. Even if that’s an overstatement (夸张), it’s close to the truth. Scientists say teens should sleep nine hours each night. But that’s hard. Some are even “pulling all-nighters” (开夜车). These students must hand in their homework the next day but they haven’t done it. In the morning they don’t look healthy and you can tell who’s been doing it. One of my classmates did a survey on the topic. She found that most kids pull all-nighters to finish homework, but some do it for other reasons, such as playing computer games!
Maybe our lack(缺乏) of sleep is because of laziness — I think I’m a rather lazy student — or maybe it’s because we have too much to do in American high schools. I usually go to bed around midnight. If I stayed up past 1:30 am, I wouldn’t get any work done. I’d be falling asleep at my computer. My classes begin at 7:30 am. I’m partly awake in my first class. By the second, I’m a little sleepy. By my third class, I’m sleepy. By midday I’m finally fully awake. But by 3:00 pm, I’m slowing down again. Yet I get more sleep than usual students.
Most American high schools seem to have a similar(相似的) problem with sleepy students. High school classes start at 7:30 am, so students have to get up one and a half hours before that to get ready and catch the bus. It’s believed that lack of sleep can be bad for both grades and health. Some schools are paying attention. Classes in those schools start at 8:30 am.
【小题1】What does the underlined sentence “it’s close to the truth” mean?

A．It doesn’t tell the truth.	B．It is quite true.
C．It is impossible.	D．I don’t think it’s right.

【小题2】Why do most of the teens have to stay up late?

A．They play computer games.	B．They watch videos late.
C．They have to do a lot of housework.	D．They have to do a lot of homework.

【小题3】When do students in most American high schools have to get up?

A．At 7:30 am.

B．At 6:00 am.

C．At 9:00 am.

D．At about 7:00 am.

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the reading?

A．The writer usually stays up past 1:30 am.

B．The writer usually goes to bed around midnight.

C．The writer usually does a survey.

D．Many American students don’t get enough sleep, so they can have high grades.

【小题5】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Something has to be done to solve the problem of students’ lack of sleep.

B．Many American high school students are sleepy in class.

C．Many kids have too much homework to do.

D．Students can’t play computer games.

A Russian, a Cuban, an American businessman and an American lawyer were on a train traveling across England. The Russian took out a large bottle of vodka, gave each of the men a drink and then threw the rest half bottle of vodka out of the window. “Why did you do that?” asked the American businessman. “There’s too much vodka in my country,” said the Russian, “And really we have more than we will ever use.” A little later, the Cuban passed around fine Havana Cigars. Then he threw his out of the window. “I thought Cuba is not a rich country,” the businessman said. “But you threw that very good cigars out of the window!”“Cigars,” the Cuban answered, “are the cheapest in my country. We have more of them than we know what to do with.” The American businessman sat quietly for a moment. Then he got up, caught the lawyer by the arm and threw him of the window.
【小题1】The people in the story are from ______ countries.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．four

【小题2】The four people are traveling by _______.

A．bus

B．air

C．train

D．sea

【小题3】Vodka is a kind of _______.

A．treasure(珍宝)

B．wine

C．food

D．medicine

【小题4】The Russian and the Cuban both wanted to _______.

A．tell the businessman that their countries are rich

B．prove(证明) that they were rich

C．ask the two Americans to visit their countries

D．make the businessman happy

【小题5】What did the businessman want to say by throwing the lawyer out of the window?

A．I want to buy some vodka.

B．We have too many lawyers in my country.

C．I’ll go to Cuba and do some business of cigars.

D．If you need lawyers, come to America.

A. There will probably be no school on Mars.
B. It might take us two or three days to get to Mars.
C. There is a problem for us to live on Mars.
D. Food will not be the same.
E. First, people will have more space.
Many people believe that, by the year 2100, we will live on the planet Mars(火星). Here is what life could be like.
First of all, transport should be much better. By 2100, spaceship can travel at half the speed of light.  【小题1】 
Secondly, humans need food, water and air to live. Scientists should be able to find plants that can grow on Mars. These plants will provide us with food and air.
 【小题2】  We could easily jump too high and fly slowly away into space. To prevent this, humans on Mars have to wear special shoes to make themselves heavier.
Life on Mars will be better in many ways.  【小题3】  It is possible to live in a large building with many bedrooms. Then, robot will do most of the work, so we have more time for hobbies.
 【小题4】 Every student can study, do their homework on the computer and take exams in online schools. Each student will also have their own online teacher called “e-teacher”.
However, in some ways, life on Mars may not be better than that on the earth today.  【小题5】Meals will probably be in the shape of pills(药片) and will not be as delicious as they are today. Also, space travel will make many people feel ill.

A young girl sits at her desk, reviewing her homework for the evening. English: Read three chapters and write a report. Math: Complete 30 problems. Science: Do a worksheet, front and back. French: (A) Study new words for tomorrow’s test. It’s going to be a long night.
This happens to students in America. Now it’s time to start a homework revolution(变革).
Do students in the United States receive too much homework? According to the National Education Association, a student should be assigned (布置) no more than 10 minutes per grade level per night. For example, a first grader should only have 10 minutes of homework, a (B)  grader, 20 minutes, and so on. This means that a student in my grade—seventh—should have no more than 70 minutes of work (C) each night. Yet this is often doubled, sometimes even worse!
It’s no good giving students too much homework. According to research, kids are developing more illness at school, such as stomachaches, headaches and sleep problems than before.
Everybody (D)  that teachers are the ones who assign homework, but they are not the only ones to blame (受责备). “Many teachers are under greater pressure (压力) than ever before,” says Kylene Beers, President of the National Council for teachers of English, “Some of  (E) it comes from parents, some from the wish for high scores on tests.” Teachers who are under pressure feel the need to assign more homework.
Some people have different ideas, saying that homework prepares kids for doing better in high school, better in college, and (F) 今后找到更好的工作. But too much homework is sapping students’ strength, curiosity（削弱学生的个性和好奇心), and most importantly, their love of learning, is that really what teachers and parents want?
【小题1】写出文中划线部分（A）和（C）的同义词或近义词:                         
【小题2】在文中（B）和（D）的空白处分别填入适当单词:                         
【小题3】文中划线部分（E）指代的是:               
【小题4】将文中划线部分（F）译成汉语:             
【小题5】从文中找出能说明本文主旨大意的中心词:           

A kind of little cars may be seen in the streets in the future. People will like this kind of small cars better than the big ones. The car is as small as a bike. But it can carry two people in it. Everybody can drive it easily, just like riding a bike. Even children and old people can drive them to schools or parks.
If everyone drives such cars in the future, there will be less pollution in the air. There will be more space for all the cars in cities, and there will also be more space for people to walk in the streets.
The little cars of the future will cost less money to buy and to drive. These little cars can go only 65 kilometers an hour, so driving will be safer. The cars of the future will be fine for going around the city, but they will not be useful for a long trip.
This kind of cars can save a lot of gas. They will go 450 kilometers, then they have to stop for more gas.
They are nice cars, aren’t they?
【小题1】If you drive this kind of little cars for four hours, you can probably go      at most.  
?

A．260 kilometers	B．65 kilometers
C．450 kilometers	D．130 kilometers

【小题2】Why do these little cars have to stop after going 450 kilometers?
?

A．For more water.	B．For more gas.
C．To have a rest.	D．To charge (充电)

【小题3】 Which of the following statements is NOT true?
?

A．Driving big cars can make the air dirtier. ?

B．The little cars can make more space for other cars and people. ?

C．These little cars will be useful for a long trip. ?

D．This kind of cars can save much gas.