Cars are lots of fun, but they could also be dangerous. We have to be careful when we drive them or ride in them.

It’s always a good idea to put on your seat belt (安全带) when you’re in a car. Why? Think about this example: You put an egg on a skateboard and give it a push. If the skateboard hits a stone, it will stop, but the egg won’t. It will fly through the air, hit the ground and break.

Now, think what would happen if you tied the egg to the skateboard. When the skateboard hits a stone, the egg won’t go flying; it will stay safely on the skateboard.

Volvo, a famous Swedish carmaker, was the first to use seat belts in 1849.

Air bags are also very important for car safety, because sometimes a seat belt isn’t enough. If the car is going really fast and runs into something, seat belts could even hurt the people who wear them. Most new cars have air bags in front of and next to the seats. When a car hits something, its air bags will come out quickly in less than one second to keep the people inside safe.

1.The passage mainly tells us ______.

A．two important ways to keep safe in cars

B．how air bags work to make cars safe

C．how seat belts work to make cars safe

D．why we must tie the egg to the skateboard

2. The writer gives the example of the egg to ______.

A．tell us that eggs are easy to break

B．show how to wear a seat belt

C．show why it’s important to wear a seat belt in a car

D．tell us what a skateboard is

3. Seat belts can make us safer because ______.

A．we are interested in them

B．they can stop us from hitting other cars

C．they can help us stay safely on the seats

D．they are made of strong materials

4. Air bags are important for cars because ______.

A．they are made of plastic

B．they can also help us to keep safe in a car

C．they can keep cars running slowly

D．they’re put in front of and next to the seats

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．When a car hits something, its air bags will come out a few minutes later.

B．It won’t be dangerous if there are seat belts or air bags in a car.

C．Now most of new cars still have only one air bag.

D．Volvo was the first to use seat belts.

One night I was sitting in my room half-listening as my 15-year-old brother Tommy fought with my 12-year-old brother Kevin. I didn’t pay attention when Kevin rushed up the stairs with the hurt on his face.

About 20 minutes later, as I was walking upstairs I heard Kevin crying inside the bathroom. I knocked on the door and asked, “Hey Kevin, do you want to talk?”

No answer.

I tried again, “Why don’t you come out of there?”

Again, no answer.

So, joking around, I grabbed a stack of （一摞）cards and a pencil and wrote, “If you don’t want to talk, we can write notes to each other.”

An hour later I was still sitting on the floor outside the bathroom with two stacks of cards in front of me. One was blank and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his yucky feelings into words for me. As I read one of Kevin’s notes, tears came to my eyes. It said, “Nobody in this family cares about me. I’m not the youngest, and I’m not the oldest. Tommy thinks I’m silly and Dad wishes he had the other Kevin as a kid because he’s better at basketball. And you’re never around to even notice me.”

Tears came to my eyes as I wrote back to him. “You know Kevin, I really do love you and I’m sorry I don’t always show it. I am here for you and you are loved in this family.”

There was no answer for a while, but then I heard a tearing sound coming from inside the bathroom. Kevin, who had run out of cards wrote on a torn paper cup. “Thanks.”

I wrote back “For what?” it returned to me with “Loving me” on it.

Since then, I try my best to never only half-notice my family members any more. Kevin and I have a closer relationship now. And sometimes when one of us notices that the other is upset, we’ll smile and say “Write it on a paper cup.”

1.The underlined word “yucky” most probably means ____.

     A. upset     B. exciting     C. terrible     D. amazing

2.What could be the reason that Kevin’s Dad doesn’t like him?

A.Kevin is not as clever as his brother.

B.He is neither the youngest nor the oldest.

C.Kevin doesn’t like to make friends with others.

D.Kevin is not good at playing basketball.

3.What do we know about the writer?

A.She has two children in her family.

B.She didn’t pay enough attention to Kevin before.

C.She used to show her love to Kevin.

D.She has a closer relationship with Tommy after that.

4.What does the writer want to tell us?

A.Everyone should show how they love their family members.

B.It’s hard to get on well with family members.

C.It’s important to keep peace in the family.

D.We should try our best to stop our children from fighting.

请先阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后根据短文内容从下面方框内的七个选项中，选择五个还原到文中，使短文意思通顺、结构完整。

You have been thinking about it all week. It kept you awake last night. Now, as you walk to the front of the class, your throat is dry and your stomach feels funny. 81. __________________________                      However, by making a few small preparations and rehearsing (预演) carefully, you too can be a public speaking star.

    82. __________________________ Being excited about your topic is necessary for all the good speeches, so it's important to choose carefully. If you enjoy your topic, your audience (观众) will, too. Even if you are given a topic, try to find something about it that is exciting or funny.

    Next, do some research. Don't just research your topic. 83. _________________________  If you can, study video of a great speaker to see how they move, speak, and pause (停顿). Copying their style will help you to write a great speech.

    After researching, it's time to write your speech. During this stage, think of your audience all the time. 84. __________________________ It helps you relax if you know that your audience is enjoying your speech.

   Finally, rehearse. You really need to rehearse a lot. Measure your speech with a watch, and practice in front of a mirror (镜子). 85. __________________________ If you have followed all these steps, you should be ready for your audience. Good luck!

The 2012 London Olympic Games will be held on July 28^th. Do you have time to go there? If you do, maybe you will meet some foreign friends. But do you know their characteristics(特征)?
The Germans are very quiet and they always keep calm. They don’t like to speak more words. They look very serious. They like different kinds of amusements. The Germans are very hard-working. They like tidiness, especially the women, who always keep their home clean.
In some ways, the Englishmen look the same as the Germans. They are very quiet and never talk too much with the strangers. They are really polite, so we often hear they say “Thank you.” or “Sorry”. The gentlemen are also the Englishmen.
The French’s holidays are very long. They like traveling and usually spend their long time staying in other countries. The Frenchmen are more outgoing than the Germans. It is very easy to make friends with them.
Compared to the Frenchmen, the Americans are more outgoing. And they are even opener than all of the Europeans. They don’t like to depend on others. So it is very common that the students do part-time jobs in their free time. And in Americans’ eyes, success is an important part in their life.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “tidiness” mean in Chinese?
A.整洁                 B.安静                     C.时尚        
【小题2】In the writer’s eyes, the gentlemen are__________.
A. the Americans       B. the Frenchmen           C. the Englishmen        
【小题3】You can find it easy to __________ the Frenchmen.
A. depend on           B. make friends with       C. do part-time job with
【小题4】According to the passage, __________ are very quiet.
A. only the Germans        B. only the Englishmen
C. Both the Germans and the Englishmen
【小题5】Which is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Characteristics of the foreigners are the same.
B. All of the Europeans are as outgoing as the Americans.
C. It’s important to be successful in Americans’ eyes.

根据对话内容从方框内所给的选项中选出最佳答案，使对话完整，符合逻辑，句义通顺。注意：有多余选项。
A: You must be really excited about leaving for America tomorrow, Li Ping!
B: Yeah. 【小题1】______
A: Nervous about what?
B: I don’t know many of the customs and manners in the USA. 【小题2】______
A: Sure.
B: 【小题3】_____
A: Well, it’ s important to be on time when you’re invited for dinner. 【小题4】_____ Americans expect their guests to be on time.
B: Then how long may I stay there?
A: 【小题5】_____ Or you seem to have come only for the meal. When your friends seem to be getting tired and running out of things, it’s time to leave. The next day, call or write a thank-you note to say how much you enjoyed the evening.