Reading comprehensionA. Choose the best answer. (12分)

Letter A

To the Editor:          Why do our children have 11 weeks of summer vacation? Many years ago, 85 percent of Americans worked on farms. Children needed summer vacation because they helped with the farm work. Today only 3 percent of Americans work on farms. But our children still have long summer vacations.          American students lose one or two months of learning during their summer vacations. Away from school for so many weeks students forget what they learned. Experts say that students lose maths skills and reading skills. At the beginning of school in September, teachers have to review last year’s studies for the first four to six weeks of school.          Summer vacations are not great opportunities for learning. Most parents work outside of the home. They can’t be with their kids during the long summer months. Some families can pay for summer camps, but many can’t. Most children stay home and watch TV. They are bored. Most children do not learn new skills during the summer. James, Teacher

         Letter B

To the Editor:          I am against a longer school year. I believe people learn everywhere, not just in school. I believe children gain experience in the world. Summer vacation is a great opportunity. Kids can discover the world outside of school. They can learn to do things they can’t learn in a classroom. They can learn to swim and ride bikes. They can travel or go to summer camps. They can take time to do things like cooking and art. Some can get summer jobs. They can get work experience or help people in the community. They can spend time with people of other ages. Basically, they can get more experience in the world.          Long summer vacations give families time together. During the school year, everyone is busy. During summer vacations, we take time to do things together. Vacations are good for families. Linda, Parent

 

1.According to the chart, which two countries have the same number of school days?

A. England and Australia    .                           B. Singapore and Thailand.

C. Japan and the United States.                   D. South Korea and China.

2.James says that, many years ago, most children used their vacation time to _______________.

A. study in school                                           B. go to summer camps

C. have new experiences                    D. help on the farm

3.James says most parents _______________ during the summer months.

A. travel abroad                                              B. are with their children

C. are busy with their work                           D. go to summer camps

4.Linda says children can get _______________ during the summer months.

A. no time to watch TV                                   B. more work experience

C. more classroom time                                 D. better reading skills

5.According to Linda, children do a lot of activities except that _______________.

A. they learn to swim and ride bikes B. they go to summer camps

C. they do cooking                                          D. they improve maths skills

6.What is best title of the Letter B?

A. Yes to a Longer School Year            B. Vacations Are a Way of Experiencing

C. Adults Need More Vacation Time  D. Vacations Are Boring to Families

 

One day I happened to meet an Englishman in the street and soon we began to talk. As I  was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be very surprised, gently shaking his head and saying “You don’t say!” I was puzzled, and I thought , “Perhaps this is not a right thing to talk about.” So I said to him,“Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? Have you ever been there?”
“Certainly! Everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave here without seeing it. The Great Wall is wonderful!”“Yes, it is one of the wonders in the world. And people of many countries have come to visit it.” As I went on telling him more about it, he stopped me again, “You don’t say!”
I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it? ”
“Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised.
“Did you say ‘You don’t say!’?” I asked again.
Hearing this, the foreigner laughed loudly. He began to explain, “‘You don’t say!’ means ‘Really’. Perhaps you know little about English idioms(惯用语).”
Wow! How foolish I was! Since then I have been careful with English idioms.
【小题1】The writer was puzzled because                  .

A．the foreigner has some difficulty in understanding him.

B．the writer himself didn’t understand the meaning of “You don’t say!”

C．the foreigner was not polite.

D．the writer was very clever

【小题2】What made the foreigner laugh?

A．The English idioms	B．The writer’s talking about the Great Wall
C．The writer’s explanation	D．The writer’s question

【小题3】The story probably happened in                  .

A．China

B．America

C．England

D．Canada

【小题4】The writer was puzzled                  in the passage.

A．once

B．twice

C．three times

D．four times

【小题5】The English idiom “You don’t say!” means “               ”

A．Thank you

B．OK

C．Really

D． Sorry

One day I happened to meet an Englishman in the street and soon we began to talk. As I  was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be very surprised, gently shaking his head and saying “You don’t say!” I was puzzled, and I thought , “Perhaps this is not a right thing to talk about.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? Have you ever been there?”
“Certainly! Everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave here without seeing it. The Great Wall is wonderful!” “Yes, it is one of the wonders in the world. And people of many countries have come to visit it.” As I went on telling him more about it, he stopped me again, “You don’t say!”
I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it? ”
“Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised.
“Did you say ‘You don’t say!’?” I asked again.
Hearing this, the foreigner laughed loudly. He began to explain, “‘You don’t say!’ means ‘Really’. Perhaps you know little about English idioms(惯用语).”
Wow! How foolish I was! Since then I have been careful with English idioms.
【小题1】The writer was puzzled because                  .

A．the foreigner has some difficulty in understanding him.

B．the writer himself didn’t understand the meaning of “You don’t say!”

C．the foreigner was not polite.

D．the writer was very clever

【小题2】What made the foreigner laugh?

A．The English idioms	B．The writer’s talking about the Great Wall
C．The writer’s explanation	D．The writer’s question

【小题3】The story probably happened in                  .

A．China

B．America

C．England

D．Canada

【小题4】The writer was puzzled                  in the passage.

A．once

B．twice

C．three times

D．four times

【小题5】The English idiom “You don’t say!” means “                ”

A．Thank you

B．OK

C．Really

D． Sorry

The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.

◆Try to use new information immediately. For example, if you meet someone who says “Hi! I'm Carlos,” don't just say “Hello.” Repeat the person's name. Say“__________”.

◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.

◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.

◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.

◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what’s right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.

◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.

All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.

1.Which should be put in the blank (空格) in Paragraph 2？

A. Hello, Carlos.                                                    B. How do you do?  

C. Hello, I am Sophia.                                              D. Glad to meet you!

2.How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.         B. Four.             C. Five.             D. Six.

3.What can help memorize a big number more easily according to the passage?

A. To store it in a computer.               B. To break it into stunner parts.

C. To discuss it with a friend.             D. To review it before you sleep.

4.What does the sentence “Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory” mean?

A. You should tell others about your bad memory.

B. You should believe in other people all the time.

C. You should ask others to improve their memory.

D. You should be confident in your memory ability.

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

A. Discussing with friends can help you remember things.

B. Always reviewing information can help you fall asleep.

C. Formulas and facts can help you learn about your brain.

D. Human beings can improve their memory by computer.

 

上星期，学校要求各班召开家长会，讨论学生的作业量问题。以下是你班家长的观点：多数家长认为作业多有好处，而部分家长则认为作业过多对孩子的成长不利。请你根据下表中的提示，用英语写一篇短文，简要介绍家长会的讨论情况，并表明你自己的观点。

Most parents	A few parents
◇  review what students have learned	◇  take a lot of time
◇ develop students’ minds	◇  cannot have a good rest
◇  stop students from playing computer games	◇  cannot do the things students like
◇  …	◇ …

写作要求：1．要点齐全，可适当发挥。
2．词数80 左右，开头已给出（不计入总词数）。
3．条理清晰，语意连贯通顺，字迹工整。
Last week our class had a parents’ meeting. At the meeting, all the parents talked about whether doing a lot of homework was useful or not.
Many parents thought__________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
But a few parents thought______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In my opinion_______________________________________________________________