We humans live in different parts of the world, but we have the same “mother”. She gives us everything we need in our daily life. She is our Mother Earth. Everybody wants to live in a green city. A green city is a healthy and pleasant place for people to live in. It can get its energy from something like solar and wind power. Also, it is connected by clean public transportation.

The Hyperloop (超级高铁) The Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation. It works by having capsules (舱) with passengers in. The capsules run on the air. The Hyperloop plans to run from Los Angeles to San Francisco. With an average speed of 962 km per hour, it is only 35 minutes between the two cities. The solar panels (板) provide power to the Hyperloop.

Smart Wheel Smart Wheel is a bicycle wheel with a motor. This invention can easily fit onto almost any bike. And the motor allows bikes to travel up to 50km once. Smart Wheel is different from other electric bikes. It can be controlled through your smartphone’s Bluetooth. The smartphone can show your speed, distance and travel time.

Solar Sidewalk (太阳能步道) George Washington University made a special path in 2013. The path is about 9 square meters. It is covered with solar panels that can provide energy to power 450 LED lights. These lights can light the walkway after dark. The solar panel is also strong enough for people to walk on.

小题1:A green city is ________.

A．clean and tidy	B．full of plants
C．healthy and pleasant	D．rich for energy

小题2:It is ________ from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

A．About 962 km.	B．About 560 km.
C．About 700 km.	D．About 450 km.

小题3:About Smart Wheel, which is Not right?

A．It can travel 50km once.

B．It can fit onto almost any bike.

C．It’s a motorbike with a bicycle wheel.

D．The smartphone’s Bluetooth can control it.

小题4:What can solar panels do?

A．They can run on the air.	B．They can provide energy.
C．They can carry passengers.	D．They can show your travel time.

小题5:What do you think of the public transportation?

A．Modern and clean.	B．Green and dangerous.
C．Exciting and crazy.	D．Expensive and impossible.

A tsunami(海啸) is a series of(一系列) huge waves that can cause great destruction(毁灭) when they hit a beach. Most tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes, but not all underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis. About 90 percent of all tsunamis take place in the Pacific Ocean, most of them are in Japan. A strong earthquake in the ocean near Japan caused a deadly tsunami on March 11,2011. As of April 25, the number of death had been raised to 14,133, and more than 13,346 people were listed as missing. The word “tsunami” comes from the Japanese word.

Many tsunamis could be found before they hit land with the use of modern technology. If you see the water drawback (后退) quickly and unexpectedly from a beach, run toward higher ground or inland -- there may be a tsunami coming. Also, if you are on the beach and there is an earthquake, it may have caused a tsunami, so run toward higher ground or inland. The first wave in a tsunami is often not the largest; if you experience one unusually-huge wave, go inland quickly -- even bigger waves could be coming soon. 
Do you know the story of the "angel(天使) of the beach"? Tilly, A 10-year-old English schoolgirl who saved the lives of hundreds of people in Phuket,Thailand in the Asian Tsunami of 2004 , by warning them a wall of water was about to strike(袭击), after learning about tsunamis in geography class. “Last term geography teacher Andrew Kearney taught us about earthquakes and how they can cause tsunamis,” Tilly said to the reporter.“I was on the beach and the water started to go funny. There were bubbles and the water went out all of a sudden. I recognised what was happening and had a feeling there was going to be a tsunami. I told mummy.”
小题1:An earthquake          may cause a tsunami.
A. in the city                  B. in the country             C. under the water
小题2:When the tsunami is coming, we should          .
A. run towards the higher place or inland   
B. run to the playground  
C.run into a house
小题3:Tilly saved hundreds of people’s life in        .
A. Japan                      B. Tailand                   C. the United Kingdom
小题4:Tilly recognised there would be a tsunami because          .
A. her geography teacher told her.    
B. she found the water drawback unusually quickly
C. she had a feeling about the earthquake
小题5:Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The word “tsunami” is from Japanese because most recorded tsunamis in the world took place in Japan
B. Tsunami can only be found by modern technology before it hit the land.
C. Tsunami only happens in the Pacific Ocean

Have you ever rubbed your hands together when they get cold? Why do we do that? We do that for friction. Friction happens when two things that aren’t very smooth (光滑的) rub together to make heat energy. The faster you rub two things together, the more friction you can make. Let’s discover friction!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
★Soap                ★Water           ★Your hands
WHAT TO DO:
★Make sure your hands are dry.
★Rub your hands together until you feel the heat of your hands.
★Now, use soap and water to get your hands very slippery (滑的).
★Try to make friction happen while your hands are slippery.
★Please write down what has happened.
LET’S TALK!
Friction is an energy that happens when two things rub together. When friction happens, it makes heat! When your hands are slippery, they won’t make very much friction and your hands won’t get so hot.
DID YOU KNOW?
★Friction happens when you stop your fast running bike.
★Ancient people made fires by rubbing two pieces of wood together. Friction happened though they didn’t know it. ___  __?         Friction is everywhere. Have you ever noticed situations where friction is happening? If not, ask your parents to take you out in a car. If it is not hot, touch the tires (轮胎) of the car before and after a short drive to see how much warmer they get from friction.
小题1:You’d better make your hands ______ to get heat when you rub them.
A. slippery                 B. dry                  C. wet    
小题2:The word “friction” in the first paragraph means “______”.
A. 摩擦                     B. 震动                 C. 膨胀 
小题3:We can know from the passage that it’s a ______ experiment.
A. physics                  B. chemistry                C. biology
小题4:The topic of the last column (栏目) is ______
A. THINK IT OVER!           B. WHAT HAPPENED?       C. WORK WITH PARENTS.
小题5:The main idea of the passage is ______.
A. how to discover friction     B. how to rub your hands       C. how to make fires by rubbing   

Canada 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Canada is a big country with six time zones. In the west, it is four a.m., and everyone is asleep, but in Halifax on the east coast it is eight o'clock and people are having breakfast. It is a cold Friday morning in November, and the temperature is ten degrees below zero Centigrade(度).
Argentina 9:00 a.m.
In Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, it is nine a.m. on a warm summer morning, and people are starting work or school. November is a summer month in Argentina because it is in the southern hemisphere(半球).
Scotland 12:00 noon
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, and the capital of the UK is London. It is twelve noon, or midday, in Edinburgh. Children are having lessons, but they are looking forward to the weekend because there is no school on Saturday and Sunday.
Egypt 2:00 p.m.
Friday is already the weekend in Egypt. Friday is a special day for Muslims, so schools, offices and shops are closed in all Arab countries. So now, at two p.m., most people in Egypt are having lunch with their families.
Japan 9:00 p.m.
Japan is seven hours ahead of Egypt, so it is already Friday evening there. The weekend is beginning. Most people are out with friends or watching television or playing computer games.
New Zealand 12:00 midnight
It is late on Friday night, so most people are asleep. Now Saturday morning is arriving. It is morning in Canada too, but that is Friday morning!
小题1:In eastern Canada, the time is ______ than that in western Canada.
A. four and a half hours later        B. four hours earlier         C. three hours earlier    
小题2:While Canadian children in Halifax are having breakfast, Argentinean children are ______.
A. sleeping                        B. going home                C. having classes   
小题3:It’s midday in the capital of ______ when it’s 9:00 a.m. in the capital of Argentina.
A. Japan                        B. Scotland                      C. New Zealand         
小题4:Now it’s 2:00 p.m. and you are in Egypt. It’s ______ for you to call a friend in New Zealand.
A. impolite                     B. polite                   C. normal
小题5:If it’s 11:15 p.m. in Japan, it’s ______ in New Zealand.
A. 2:15 a.m.                    B. 2:15 p.m.                   C. 1:15 p.m.

Computers can injure you. Most other injuries happen suddenly. For example, if you fall off a bike and break your arms, it happens very quickly. But computer injuries happen slowly.
You probably know how to ride a bike safely. Now learn to use a computer safely.
Your eyes
Too much light can injure your eyes, so never sit too close to a computer screen. Your eyes should be at least 50cm from the screen. Remember to look away from it sometimes. This gives your eyes a rest.
When you use a computer, the window should be on your left or your right. If it is behind you, the light will reflect(反射) on the screen. If the window is in front of you, the sun and the screen will both shine into your eyes.
Your hands and wrists(手腕)
Hand and wrist injuries can happen because the hands and wrists are moved in the same way hundreds of times. If you use a keyboard for a long time, follow these rules: ①Rest your wrists on something. ②Keep your elbows at the same height as the keyboard. ③Stop sometimes and exercise your hands, wrists and fingers in a different way.
Your back
Some people sit for many hours in front of a computer. If you sit in the wrong way, you can injure your back or your neck. So you should sit with your back straight. The top part of the screen should be in front of your eyes. Your forearms, wrists, hands and the upper part of your legs should all the parallel (平行) to the floor. If you are sitting for a long time, get up every 30 minutes and exercise your arms, legs and neck.
小题1:A computer screen may injure your eyes if __________.
A. you sit 60cm away           
B. your eyes are too close to it
C. the window is on your left or right
小题2:Hand and wrist injuries are caused when you __________.
A. move in the same way again and again
B. rest your wrists on something
C. keep your elbows as high as the keyboard
小题3:When using a computer, your eyes and hands will be safe if you __________.
A. work near a window      
B. work for a long time    
C. take rests at times
小题4:It is good for your back and neck if you sit __________.
A. for many hours          
B. in the right way        
C. with the screen below your eyes
小题5:What would be the best title for the text?
A. How to Use a Computer Safely    
B. How to Keep your Hands and Wrists Safe
C. How to Protect your Eyes and your Back

As we know, it is not easy to build a satellite(卫星). Building a traditional satellite usually takes years. The costs can be as high as $250 million or more. Most members of the design teams have worked in the field for a long time. They hold advanced degrees(学历) in math, science, or engineering.

But things are changing. High costs, unusual educational needs and long start-up times are no longer an obstacle(障碍) to space exploration. The scientists have developed a new type of tiny, inexpensive earth-orbiting(轨道) satellite.
So far, college students have built and launched(发射) several cube-shaped satellites, or CubeSats. At least 15 more are ready to go. Those already in orbit take pictures, collect information and send it back to the earth, just as regular satellites do.
But you might not even have to wait until you get to college to start designing and building your own satellite. A new program called KatySat aims to get teenagers to take part in. When kids understand what satellites can do, the kinds of ideas they’ll come up with may be countless.
Education isn’t the only aim of CubeSats because these tiny, technology-filled boxes are  inexpensive to build and can be put together quickly, they’re perfect for testing new technologies that might one day be used on major space tasks.
The biggest challenge now is to find ways to bring the satellites back to the earth after a year or two. Or space junk could gradually increase because CubeSats become more popular.
Nowadays, college and high school students are getting a chance to learn what it takes to explore in space. Someday—perhaps a lot sooner that you imaging—you might get to design, build and launch your own satellite. If you do, you’re sure to have fun. And you might also get crazy about science for life.
小题1:Building a traditional satellite __________.
A. costs $250,000          
B. needs college students      
C. takes quite a long time
小题2:Compared with the traditional ones, the new satellites __________.
A. need long start-up times    
B. are cheap and small-sized   
C. collect more junk in orbit
小题3:The underlined word “countless” in Paragraph 4 probably means “__________”.
A. 无用的                   B. 无价值的             C. 无数的
小题4:According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. CubeSats could possibly cause pollution in space.
B. Scientists designed CubeSats for kids to play with.
C. Students can’t design satellites without college education.
小题5:The purpose of the author writing the passage is __________.
A. to tell us that satellite technology can also be learned by kids
B. to show that high technology brings a big change in kids’ life
C. to tell us that kids must study hard to learn satellite technology

China is the home of tea,  has more than 4,000 years of history. People in China drink tea daily.    the three major drinks ––tea, coffee and cocoa, tea is    by the largest number of people in the world. Tea from China, along    silk and porcelain, began to be known by the world over a thousand years ago and has been an important Chinese export   .
Tea    mainly in the area south of the Yangtze River, in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian, because of the good    and rich soil there. Longjing, Wulong, Pu’er and Tieguanyin are all      kinds of tea.
Over the past centuries, Chinese people have      their unique tea culture, which includes tea planting, tea-leaf picking, tea making, and tea drinking and so on. Tea as well as coffee    a popular topic which is often mentioned in dances, songs, poems and novels.

小题1:	A．who B．which C．where D．when

小题2:	A．In B．For C．Of D．By

小题3:	A．eaten B．played C．bought D．drunk

小题4:	A．between B．with C．except D．besides

小题5:	A．at that time B．from now on C．since then D．since now

小题6:	A．produces B．grows C．makes D．lives

小题7:	A．climate B．weather C．water D．river

小题8:	A．famous B．important C．interesting D．delicious

小题9:	A．liked B．got C．become D．developed

小题10:

A．are B．be C．were D．is

In the most southern part of our planet, there’s a place that’s covered with snow and ice all year round. But it has the clearest and cleanest air. Amazingly, in this place, the sun sometimes hangs even in the midnight sky. This place is Antarctica (南极洲): the coldest, windiest and harshest (恶劣的) place on the Earth.

As the world’s least-known place, Antarctica is of great interest to scientists around the world. In 1983, China joined the Antarctic Treaty (《南极条约》). The treaty made Antarctica a peaceful place for member countries to do scientific research. During 30 years, China has sent many scientists to Antarctica. They mostly look at the resources under the icy land and do research about climate change and marine (海洋的) biology.
Antarctica is a place with fantastic views. However, life there is very hard. Food is one of the biggest problems. Frozen (速冻) food which can be heated easily is people’s daily food. Fresh vegetables are hard to grow in the cold weather. Therefore, scientists often eat dried or canned vegetables.
Sleep is also troublesome. In Antarctica, summer lasts from November to March. During this period, Antarctica points to the sun and receives sunlight 24 hours a day. In order to get some sleep, scientists cover the windows with black plastic cloth to create “night”.
Working in Antarctica is dangerous, especially when meeting gale-force (七级以上的) winds. Sometimes the wind is even stronger than a typhoon. It can easily blow people away. So there are ropes that connect buildings of some research stations. People can hold these ropes to keep their balance in forceful winds.
What’s more, communicating with others is difficult. Without cables and Internet in some research stations, two-way radios are the only tools to communicate. If people want to say hello to friends and relatives, they can use satellite phones.
Although it is challenging to work in Antarctica, scientists’ passion to learn about this mysterious land will never end. It is hopeful that one day they will step every corner of this icy land.
小题1:From Paragraph 1, we learn that the Antarctica ______.

A．is covered with snow and ice

B．rains heavily from time to time

C．has little wind most of the time

D．has sunshine during every night

小题2:Scientists from China go to Antarctica to _____.

A．find out ways to control water pollution

B．research climate change and marine biology

C．grow plants and vegetables in special condition

D．stop the hunters from killing the marine biology

小题3:In order to sleep well in Antarctica, the scientists have to _____.

A．wear more clothes to keep warm

B．cover the windows with black cloth

C．connect research stations with ropes

D．eat more fried and canned vegetables

小题4:We can replace (替换) the underlined word passion in the last paragraph with       .

A．strong love

B．full preparation

C．pleasant introduction

D．amazing imagination

小题5:The passage is mainly about       .

A．view of the Antarctica

B．exploring the Antarctica

C．how to survive in the Antarctica

D．climate changes of the Antarctica

This dictionary tells you about English words and how to use them in reading, writing and speaking English. It not only gives the meaning of words, it can also help you with spelling, word building, grammar and pronunciation.
To use your dictionary correctly, you need to understand how the dictionary works. At the front of the book, you will find some exercises to help you make the most use of your dictionary.
If you look up the word “colour”, you will find two spellings for this word. “Colour” is used in British English, while “color” is used in American English. When such a thing happens, the dictionary shows it with the word “BrE” for British English and “AmE” for American English.
The dictionary also helps you pronounce words correctly. It uses a special alphabet (特殊字母表) to show pronunciation. If you turn to the inside back face, you will see all the phonetic letters (音标) with some words to show you how they are pronounced. Just have a look at this page when you’re not sure how to say a word.
The most important reason for using a dictionary is to find out the meaning of a word—its DEFINITION.
In this dictionary, the definitions have been written using only 2000 words. This means that the definitions of even the most difficult words are simply explained and easy to understand.
小题1:According to the passage, “neighbor” is used in ______ English.

A．Australian

B．Canadian

C．American

D．British

小题2:In Paragraph 5, what does the underlined word “definition” mean? 

A．词性

B．词条

C．词库

D．词义

小题3:The dictionary explains ______. 

A．some of the difficult words	B．all the words in a simple way
C．all the easy words	D．the words of two meanings

The father’s role in the family is important. One researcher says babies who are cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive (认知的) development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers. Another researcher reports that by spending time with their pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children’s language ability. Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one bridge with the outside world.
Fathers who value (重视) education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don’t value education. What’s more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime.
While each father is a unique person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common.
Good fathers attend their children’s school activities. They also involve the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc.
Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals (个体) that their children are becoming.
Good fathers prefer explanations and reasoning to force.
Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment (投资) in them.
Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers. Both children and fathers have the chance for growth and development. Today’s lifestyles are changing. More and more fathers are keeping a balance between their personal life, work, and family time.   
小题1:According to the passage, we can find that          .

A．fathers have an important influence on their children from babyhood through adulthood

B．fathers’ involvement (介入) is the most important in children’s development

C．all fathers have the same way of educating their children

D．fathers are more important than mothers in the family

小题2:A unique person in the third paragraph means “a person who            ”.

A．has the same ideas as others

B．is the only one of his type

C．does everything without considering others’ ideas

D．tries to do everything well

小题3:Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the passage?   

A．Good fathers attend their children’s school activities but never take them to their workplace.

B．Good fathers expect a great deal from their children and force them to work hard.

C．Good fathers try to make it clear to their children that staying with their fathers is an investment.

D．Good fathers improve themselves when they spend time with their children.

小题4:The passage is mainly about __________ .

A．how to be a qualified father

B．the growth and development of both fathers and children

C．the father’s role in the growth and development of children

D．the change of the father’s role in modern society