January 16, 2014 – We know the saying “The early bird gets the worm”, but today you’re going to  learn about the interesting saying “The early fish gets the bird.”
An African tigerfish(老虎鱼) was seen jumping out of the air and catching a flying bird. The African tigerfish has bright red fins and very sharp teeth. There have been rumors(传闻) this kind of fish preys on(捕食) birds since the 1940s, but no one was able to catch one.
"The whole action of jumping and catching happens so quickly that after we saw it, it took all of us a moment to really understand what we had just seen," said Nico Smit from Environmental Sciences and Management at North-West University.
Smit and his research team saw it at a lake in the Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa during summer. They found about 20 fish feeding on birds in the morning. Those birds may be out early to look for food, but we will never know for sure!
小题1:The tigherfish ___________.

A．is from the USA	B．has bright black fins
C．has very sharp teeth	D．was seen in a forest

小题2:The underlined word “one” in Paragraph 2 means _______.

A． a tiger

B．a fish

C．a bird

D．a person

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

A．Nobody has heard of the rumors about the tigerfish before.

B．It took Smit a moment to understand what he had seen about the fish.

C．The interesting findings happened in a lake in the afternoon.

D．The birds were caught by the tigerfish because they were out too early for food.

小题4:Where is the passage likely to be read?

A．In a poster.

B．In a tour guide.

C．In a newspaper.

D．In a story book.

小题5:Which is the best title for the passage?

A．The early fish gets the bird.

B．Nico Smit and an African tigerfish.

C．Nico Smit and his research team.

D．The Mapungubwe National Park

Have you ever wondered?
Why do airplanes take longer to fly west than east?
It can take five hours to go west-east from New York (NY) to London but seven hours to travel east-west from London to NY. The reason for the difference is an atmospheric phenomenon (大气现象) known as the jet stream (气流). The jet stream is a very high altitude (=" above" sea level) wind which always blows from the west to the east across the Atlantic. So the planes moving at a constant air speed go faster from the west to the east when they are moving with the wind than in the opposite.
What would happen if the gravity on Earth was suddenly turned off?
Supposing we could magically turn off gravity. Would buildings and other buildings float away? What happened would depend on (依靠) how strongly the things were attached (吸附) to the earth. The earth is moving at quite a speed, moving at over a thousand miles per hour. If you turn something around your head on a string, it goes around in a circle until you let go of the string. Then it flies off in a straight line. ‘Turning off’ gravity would be like letting go of the string. Things not attached to the earth would fly off in a straight line. People in buildings would suddenly shoot upwards at a great speed until they hit the ceiling (=" top" surface of a room). Most things outside would fly off into space.
小题1:What information can we get from the first passage?

A．It is the jet stream that affects how fast airplanes fly.

B．Planes go slower when they are moving with the wind.

C．It takes more time to fly from NY to London than from London to NY.

D．The jet stream always blows from the east to the west across the Atlantic.

小题2:The underlined word “shoot” in the 2nd paragraph means “_________”.

A．send for

B．move quickly

C．come out

D．grow quickly

小题3:It can be known that without gravity _________.

A．buildings and other structures would float away

B．trees and buildings would not so easily fly off

C．something around your head would not float away

D．everything outside buildings would fly off into space

小题4:Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

A．It takes seven hours to travel from London to New York.

B．The earth is moving at a high speed.

C．Things on the earth will float away if there’s no gravity.

D．Things not attached to the earth would fly off in a straight line.

小题5:Where can we read this passage?

A．In a research paper.	B．In a short story.
C．In a travel magazine.	D．In a student’s book

An old man called Xie Liang, 80, has given free help to people who ask for directions for 8 years.

Every day, Mr Xie goes to Dongzhimen Bus Stop, and gives help to at least 1,200 people asking for directions. During holidays, the number may be even 3,500. There are more than 50 roads and streets meeting at Dongzhimen, and at least 100 thousand people pass by there daily.
The reporter of Beijing Youth Daily had an interview with Xie. At that time, he arrived at the bus stop and placed his little table with maps and guidebooks written by himself on it.
"Is it really free to ask you for the way?" said a person from southeast China
"Of course," answered Xie with a smile. "Quite a number of people have asked me the same question. I am a volunteer."
The reporter found that at least 5 people came to ask him for the way in a minute, and Xie told them the way patiently and gave every one of them a note with his words on it.Xie has a husky voice. People think that it's because of the result of the things he is doing.
Now Xie has encouraged several other volunteers to join him. Many people hope to do volunteering like Xie, but it's hard to do as well as he does.
小题1:Xie Lang directs the ways for people at the bus stop as         .

A．a driver

B．a reporter

C．a guide

D．a volunteer

小题2:During holidays, there may be ________ people a day asking Xie for ways.

A．5

B．1,200

C．3,500

D．100,000

小题3:The old man helps others by       .

A．calling a taxi for them

B．driving them to the right place

C．giving them maps or guidebooks to read by themselves.

D．telling them the right way or writing the way on a note.

小题4:Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．No other volunteers help Xie Liang now.

B．Xie Liang has written some guidebooks on his own.

C．People don’t need to pay Xie Liang for asking for directions.

D．Xie Liang’s voice is bad because he has to talk with so many people every day.

Germs（细菌） are everywhere. You can’t see them, but they are on your desk, on your computer, and even in the air! Like people, germs move around the world. They fly with us on planes. When food, clothes, and other things travel around the world, germs travel, too. Some germs are safe, but some are dangerous. Germs cause illnesses like colds and the flu.

Warmer Weather Brings Germs
The world’s weather is changing. Cooler countries are getting warmer, so insects from hot countries can move there. Some of these insects, like mosquitoes, carry dangerous germs. These germs cause headaches,  fever, and can even kill people.
Under Your Skin
Your skin protects you from germs. It stops some germs, but not all. They can enter your body when you eat, or when you have a cut. Germs are on your hands, too. They enter your body when you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Fighting Germs
Your immune system protects you, too. When germs get inside your body, your immune system finds and kills them. Special cells(细胞) move around your body and fight germs. They help you stay healthy. Other cells make antibodies. Antibodies help your body find and stop germs. What can you do to fight germs? You should wash your hands with soap and water. Soap kills many germs, and water washes them away.
小题1:According to the passage, insects      .

A．kill germs

B．carry germs

C．protect germs

D．love germs

小题2:The underlined word “there” refers to        .

A．cooler countries

B．hot countries

C．everywhere

D．the world

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

A．All germs are dangerous	B．There are more germs in cold places
C．Soup can kill all germs	D．Germs can get into your body

小题4:What does the word “immune” mean in Chinese in the last paregraph?

A．消化

B．神经

C．免疫

D．分泌

小题5:What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Germ are everywhere	B．Weather in Changing
C．Skin stops germs	D．Germs are developed

The planets aren’t the only wanderers(漫游者) of the sky. There’re some things even farther and longer. Long after people were no longer afraid of planets, they still thought the comets(彗星) were bad objects that traveled in the sky. They were afraid that the comets would suddenly land on the earth and hurt them.
But, in fact, even if a comet did hit the earth, nothing much happened. A comet is really a harmless （无害的）thing.
Comets have round heads and long tails , and they are very bright. Sometimes they look like heads with long hair flying with them. That’s why they’re called comets. Comet means long-haired.
Like the stars and planets, comets are far away. But we can know its size. The head of a small comet is as wide as the Pacific Ocean. And a big comet’s head is ten times as big as the earth. Its tail is millions of kilometers long. Then why wouldn’t the great big thing hurt us if it hit the earth? Because it isn’t solid. It’s thin like cloud. Its tail is nothing but bright gas. And its head is made of small pieces and they could not hurt the earth.
Some comets can be seen for a few months. Then they go away. Some of them come back in a certain number of years. Some are never seen again.
Perhaps these comets that never return have broken into pieces. For some astronomers  think that shooting stars(流星) are pieces of broken comets.
小题1:People were afraid ________.

A．comets are different from planets

B．comets travel in the sky

C．comets are much bigger than the earth

D．comets could hit the earth

小题2:Comets have long tail like ________, so we call them comets.

A．long hair

B．round heads

C．round dishes

D．wide wings

小题3:From the passage we know the tails of comets are made of  ________.

A．water

B．solid

C．gas

D．small stones

小题4:The underlined word “astronomers” may mean ________ in Chinese.

A．心理学家

B．艺术家

C．天文学家

D．考古专家

小题5:Which of the following is TRUE ?

A．A comet is a kind of planets.

B．Comets are all ten times as big as the earth.

C．People can hardly see comets.

D．Shooting stars may come from the broken comets.

下面是一些网友发表的帖子。请认真阅读，完成下面的信息表。请将答案填写在答卷相应的位置上。

Recent years , with the development of the computer and the Internet, many students often use computers to surf the Internet . Should students be allowed to surf the Internet? Here are some people’s opinions .
Tracy	I study in a junior high school . I think students shouldn’t be allowed to surf the Internet . Surfing the Internet wastes a lot of time , so the students spend less time doing their homework . Also many students lose themselves in playing the computer games . In their minds , games are everything and they keep on playing the games for hours . That’s too bad for their study and their health .
Jimmy	I don’t agree with Tracy . In my opinion , surfing the Internet can help us a lot . For example , I often get help from the Internet . I’m weak in learning English . When I have trouble in learning English, I can get on line to ask for help . Always I can get the answers soon . In this way , I have made great progress .Thanks to the Internet .
Jeff	Yes , I have the same opinion as Jimmy . My son , Bob studies very hard . After hours of working hard , he usually feels tired . If he goes on with his study , he will feel stressed out . So I often ask him to surf the Internet to listen to some light music . It can help him relax and he will study better later on .
What’s your opinion ? Do you agree with them ? Welcome to share your ideas with us ?

Information Card

How many opinions can we see in the form ?	小题1:
Where does Tracy study ?	小题2:
What do many students lose themselves in ?	小题3:
What is Jimmy weak in ?	小题4:
What does Bob often do on the Internet ?	小题5:

 

If you are writing or studying, it makes much difference where the light comes from. People use        and pens every day. They have to be very careful about the way of the light because the light shines on their work.
Every        gets its light either from daylight        the window        from the lamps or electricity,        no matter what kind of light it is, the way it shines towards our books or work is very important to the eyes.
Take a book and sit with your        toward the window, and try to read. Your shadow(影子) falls all over the page and makes it        for your eyes as if you were in a        room.
Now turn around and face the window. The page is        shadow again, while the bright light is in your eyes.
Try sitting with your        side toward the window. This is very good for        , but if you were writing, the shadow        fall across the page and bother you        .
There is another way – sit        your left side to the window. Now everything is perfect for writing as well.
Whatever kind of light is in the room, the rule about the right way to sit is        the same.

小题1:	A．eyes B．heads C．books D．hands

小题2:	A．man B．woman C．house D．animals

小题3:	A．from B．through C．into D．inside

小题4:	A．and B．then C．as D．or

小题5:	A．but B．until C．if D．when

小题6:	A．side B．back C．body D．front

小题7:	A．good B．bad C．useful D．clear

小题8:	A．bright B．clean C．dirty D．dark

小题9:	A．in B．into C．on D．to

小题10:

A．front B．back C．left D．right

小题11:

A．speaking B．reading C．writing D．studying

小题12:

A．can B．may C．would D．will

小题13:

A．few B．a few C．little D．a little

小题14:

A．by B．with C．against D．near

小题15:

A．only B．never C．not often D．always

For a long time, humans have used technology (科技) to study the world around us, and Mars is the latest place we’re using machines to explore. Besides the earth, the “red planet” is seen, as the one place in our solar system most likely to have life.
Early last month, the first American robot, Spirit, landed on Mars without any problem. Opportunity, the second robot, landed on the planet more than a week ago. Scientists are very excited about these machines’ safe landing on Mars. It means that now we have an excellent chance to look for water and other signs of life. So far, the robots have found some stones that could show Mars was once a wet and warm planet.
But the trips made by Spirit and Opportunity were dangerous. Mars is often called the “death planet”, because in the past its environment has been unfriendly to the robot explorers. Before Spirit and Opportunity, nearly forty spaceships had been sent to Mars since the 1960s. Two-thirds of them failed. The first spaceship, Korabl, sent in 1962 by Russia was among them. It broke apart (分裂) near the earth.
小题1:For a long time humans think ________.

A．they can surely find life on Mars

B．there may be life on Mars

C．it’s too late for them to explore Mars now

D．Mars is the only planet that has life on it

小题2:The two robots ________.

A．have found out that it is warm and wet on Mars

B．were sent to Mars to find some stones

C．were the first two American robots that landed on Mars

D．are the only machines that have landed on Mars so far

小题3:The third paragraph mainly tell us ________.

A．it’s a very hard and dangerous trip for spaceships to Mars

B．two-thirds of the spaceships sent to Mars have failed

C．Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars successful

D．Mars is called the “death planet”

小题4:From this passage we learn that ________.

A．the two robots have found water on Mars

B．Opportunity touched on Mars a week later than Spirit

C．it’s exciting to have the chance to look for signs of life on Mars

D．Korabl was the first Russian machine to land on Mars

阅读下列短文，根据短文中的信息完成文后表格。（每空一词)
In the past, man did not have to think about the protection of his environment. There were not many people on earth, and natural resources seemed to be unlimited.
Today, things are different. The world has become too crowded. We are using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are polluting our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue like this, human life on earth will not survive.
Everyone realizes today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing methods, more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, forests will disappear and nothing will grow on the land. Yet, we continue to use bigger and more powerful machines to cut down more and more trees.
We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die. However, in most countries waste products are still put into rivers or into the sea, and there are few laws to stop this.
We know, too, that if the population of the world continues to rise at the present rate, in a few years, there will not be enough food.
What can we do to solve these problems?
If we eat more vegetables and less meat, we will easily get more food. Land that is used to grow crops can feed five times more people than land where animals are kept.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
Finally, if we educate people to think about the problems, we shall have a better and cleaner living place in the future.

The importance of    小题1:   the environment
Problems	◆ More fish being caught. ◆ More   小题2:   being cut down. ◆ More waste products being    小题3:    into rivers. ◆ More     小题4:   being born.
Causes	◆ The world is becoming too    小题5:   . ◆ Modern methods make the situation  小题6:   .
小题7:	We human beings will not survive on the earth.
Solutions	◆ Eat more vegetables and less meat so that more food will be   小题8:   for everyone. ◆ Use modern methods of    小题9:   control so that the population will not grow too fast. ◆ Educate people so that the    小题10:   will be better and cleaner.

The first bicycles were made of wood. After that, manufacturers used steel tubes. But the steel ones cost too much. The people in poorer countries want to have cheaper ones.

Izhar Gafni had an idea to make a cardboard bicycle able to support the weight of a human being. After three years hard work, he succeeded in creating this special bike. It is made of cardboard and 100% recycled materials. It costs less than $12.
The cardboard bike can hold a rider weighing up to 485 pounds. And if you don’t want to have it any more, you could just throw it into dustbin. And this will do no damage to the environment because it is easy to recycle.
When talking about his design, Izhar says, “It’s strong. It’s durable. It is cheap. What I like about it the most is: it’s made out of recycled cardboard.
小题1:What was the first bicycle made of ?

A．wood

B．steel

C．cardboard

D．iron

小题2:How much may a cardboard bicycle cost?

A．$9

B．$13

C．$15

D．$16

小题3:What are the main features of the cardboard bicycle according to the passage?

A．strong, expensive, durable and recycled

B．strong, heavy, expensive and durable

C．strong, cheap, durable and recycled

D．strong, heavy, cheap and durable

小题4:What is Izhar’s attitude(态度) towards the cardboard bicycle?

A．negative

B．unconcerned

C．favorable

D．indifferent

小题5:The passage may probably be taken from 　　　　.

A．a novel

B．a fairy tale

C．a newspaper

D．a comic book