What on earth does happiness mean? I can’t give you its exact definition, but I’m sure if you love and help 16.        , you’ll get it.
I’ll never forget an old lady. She lives in 17.      small house alone. It is said that her husband and her son 18.    （die）in a road accident years ago. Her life is bitter, but she often helps others 19 .    a smile. Whenever it snows, she is always the first to clean the paths. She looks after several children living nearby. I am one of them. I often remember the stories she told us and her kind smile. Perhaps she is unlucky, but I think she is a happy person. Her life is full of 20.     （laugh）and love.
But I’m sad to see some people getting their happiness in bad ways. They talk 21.    （noisy）in cinemas and meeting rooms; they destroy trees to enjoy themselves and they laugh at others’ shortcomings. Perhaps they feel happy at that time, 22.       they will never get true happiness because they 23.      （lose）their personality already.
Now I know what happiness is. 24.     means kindness, love and unselfishness. Above all, I have come to understand that 25.      （bring）happiness to others is getting ourselves happiness.

What’s delicious to eat and comes in a variety of colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg．It can be steamed, fried, and baked．It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables．

Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century BC．Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia．Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe．At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today．Instead, it’s like a white egg．Due to this egg - like appearance, eggplant got its name．In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple.” This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one' s health．People actually thought eggplant could cause madness and cancer．

Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer．In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer．In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable．Since it's high in fiber, eggplant can improve digestion．

Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today．Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow - white．And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber．Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious．

Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival．The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes．There is plenty more to do and see, though．Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all “egg – cite” festival - goers．Most people at the festival would agree—eggplant is an “egg—cellent” vegetable．

1.Eggplant got its name because of its _____．

2.Which of the following does NOT belong to the qualities of eggplant?

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

4.Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to_____．

Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. "Houses" have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.

    Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.

    A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented（专利的）and have trade mark licenses（许可）. The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing（安装）the dirt drain（排水管）at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid（盖子）is closed.

    These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores（家务）and in a more useful manner.

1.The first paragraph is intended to _____________.

A. stress the importance of inventions

B. introduce the topic of the article

C. show the advantages of modern lifestyle

D. tell the differences between human beings and animals

2. According to the passage, people make house inventions to _____________.

A. earn more money and gain awards

B. accumulate their wealth

C. improve the present living conditions

D. meet the new demands of new science

3. It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to ___________.

A. prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured

B. keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation

C. help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains

D. cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike

4.Common people can also make good inventions because ___________.

A. wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life

B. some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by them

C. common people have a strong desire to do something for science research

D. success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people

5.The passage mainly talks about _______________.

A. the correct use of household facilities

B. different ideas about household inventions

C. the history of household inventions

D. household inventions and their influence

The Danish (丹麦) architect of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon, has died at the age of 90, after suffering a heart attack.

Mr. Utzon, an award-winning architect, put "Denmark on the world map with his great talent," said Danish Culture Minister Carina Christensen. Having won a competition in 1957 to design the building, he left the project before it opened in 1973. Mr. Utzon never visited the completed landmark, after disputes about costs. He had quarreled with the Australian client and the costs overran by 1,000%. Even decades later, he declined invitations to return to Australia, but did design, with his son, a new wing which opened in 2006. In 1998 he said, "It's part of education–I can't be bitter about anything in life."

Most of the interior（内部）of the opera house was not completed according to his plans after government-appointed architects took over the job.

The Sydney Opera House planned to dim the lights on the sail-shaped roof on Sunday to mark Mr. Utzon's death.

The chairman of Sydney Opera House Trust, Kim Williams, said, "Jorn Utzon was an architectural and creative genius who gave Australia and the world a great gift. Sydney Opera House is core to our national cultural identity and a source of great pride to all Australians. It has become the most globally recognized symbol of our country."

Mr. Utzon also designed the National Assembly of Kuwait and several prominent buildings in Denmark.

Danish Minister of Culture Carina Christensen paid tribute to him, saying, "Jorn Utzon will be remembered as one of the Danes who in the 20th century put Denmark on the world map with his great talent."

Mr. Utzon won several international awards, including the Alvar Aalto Medal for architecture and France's Legion of Honour.

In 2003 he won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize for his design of the opera house.

1. Which of the following is true about Mr. Jorn Utzon?

A．He was born in Demark and worked in Australia.

B．He left Australia before his design was completed.

C．He refused to go back to visit the Opera House all his life.

D．He disagreed with the government client on the building materials.

2.From the above passage we may NOT know ______.

A．what Mr. Utzon has contributed to the world

B．the exact time of Mr. Utzon’s birth and death

C．whether he had a family or not

D．when Opera House was completed

3. What did the Opera House plan to do to mark its designer’s death?

A．A memorial party would be held on Sunday.

B．Another award would be given out to Mr. Utzon’s son.

C．The lights on the roof of Opera House would become less bright.

D．Another wing would be designed to remember Mr. Utzon.

4. The most proper title of the above passage might be ______.

A．Sydney Opera House architect dies

B．Life of Mr. Utzon, a Great architect

C．Designer and builder of Opera House

D．Awards of the Opera House Architect

What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others.   71   A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career.   72   So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. __73   Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

  74  If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself.  75  Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

A. He may do well in his future work.

B. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist.

C. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.

D. These may show strengths that you can use in your work.

E. Your school must have taught you the skills.

F. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work.

G. If you have had a part-time job on Saturday or in the summer, think what you gained from it.