It's the end of class. When the bell rings, students of Luohu Foreign Languages School in Shenzhen quickly take out their cell phones. They want to log on* to their micro blogs to check the interesting things that have happened in the last hour.

　　Since last year, the trend* of micro blogging has swept the country. Recent surveys shows that most students in middle schools have a micro blog and some even update* their blogs over five times per day.

　　"We learn many fresh and interesting things on micro blogs and they have become popular topics in class," said Andy Liang, 14. "If you do not know about them, you are out of the loop."

　　It is also a great place for students to let out stress. "My parents always ask me to study all the time, and encourage me before exams, but it really adds pressure," said Simon Zhang, 15. "When I share these feelings on my micro blog, I get many replies from friends in the same situation, which makes me feel better."

　　But parents are worried that micro blogging could be a waste of time. Some misleading messages may even cause danger to kids, they said.

　　Mr. Shen, a professor at the China Education Association, suggests parents not worry too much as long as kids are not crazy about micro blogging. Maybe it can become a window for parents to understand their children. "If parents can read their children's micro blogs, they'll know their thoughts, thus leading to better communication and solutions to problems," he said. He also gives some tips for kids.

　　---Don't micro blog for more than one hour a day.

　　---Never micro blog in class.

　　---Try to talk face to face with people from time to time.

　　---Be critical*. Don't trust all the messages on a micro blog.

1.The underlined part "out of the loop" in the passage probably means                 .

　　A. not popular    B. not excited    C. unhealthy        D. unlucky

2.Micro blog made Simon       when he shared his feelings and got replies on his micro biog.

　　A. feel sad       B. let out stress   C. add pressure      D. make friends

3.We can know from Mr. Shen that micro blogging can                  .

　　A. make kids crazy while logging on to it        

 B. bring a lot of misleading messages

　　C. become a window to understand young kids      

D.lead to worse communication

4.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

　　A. It's good for kids to micro blog for more than one hour a day.

　　B.Kids should trust all the messages on a micro blog because they are useful.

　　C.The trend of micro blogging has swept the country since five years ago.

　　D. Kids should try to talk face to face with people, not just micro blogging.

 

Our spiritual intelligence quotient, SQ (精神智商)helps us understand ourselves and live fuller, happier lives.

　　While we’re all born with SQ, most of us even don’t know that we have it.  Luckily, you don’t have to sign up for classes to learn how to enhance(加强) your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding:

　　Sit Quietly. The step of developing SQ begins in solitude （独处） and silence. To tune in to its whisper, you have to keep away from your busy, noisy, complicated life and make yourself do nothing at all. At home, for example, shut the door of your bedroom, take a few deep breaths and let them out very, very slowly.

　　Step Outside. For many people, nature makes their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. Follow the flight of a bird; watch clouds floating overhead.

　　Find An Activity You Enjoy. It’s important to find a hobby that helps you tune in to your spirit. Garden, walk or jog, arrange flowers, listen to music that touches your soul.

　　Ask Questions Of Yourself. Some people use their thoughtful time to focus on scriptures (经文). Others ask open-ended (无确定答案的) questions, such as “What am I feeling? What are my choices?” But don’t expect an answer to arrive through  some super-natural form of e-mail. Later that day you’ll suddenly find yourself thinking about a problem from a perspective (角度) you never considered before.

　　Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut feelings (直觉) to warn us of danger, SQ usually nudges （渐渐推动） us, not away from, but toward some action that will lead to a greater good.　　

 

1.To enhance your SQ, you should first _______________.

A. stand loneliness and silence

B. make your life simpler and less busy

C. give up the daily things in your life

D. listen more to your whisper

2.The underlined phrase “tune in to your spirit” in the fifth paragraph probably means ________________.

A. get your spirit relaxed                      B. keep up your spirit

C. listen to your spirit                         D. change your spirit

3. What will happen after people ask questions of themselves?

   A. People will lead to a greater good.        

 B. People will think about a problem in a different way. 

C. People will expect answers through e-mails.

D. People will keep away from their busy life.   

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Advantages and disadvantages of SQ

B. The relationship between your SQ and you

C. What SQ is and in what ways it can be improved

D. What SQ is and in what ways you can make your life easier

 

2.26-meter-tall Yao Ming made his NBA debut (初次登台) on October 23, 2002 and got 6 points for the Houston Rockets in the game. The next day, he got 13 points (得分)in another game.

　　Most people think that Yao Ming is a born basketball player. But Yao said, “When you watch it on TV, it looks very easy. But when you are playing in the NBA, it is really not so easy.” He said that joining the Houston Rockets was a new start and a new challenge. “I hope that through very hard work I can make everyone happy and help the Rockets win more games,” he said.

　　Yao Ming speaks some English. Both he and his teammates can undersand each other. They don't think there is a language problem. While Yao Ming faces this new challenge, the people of Houston have shown great interest in him and they hope Yan Ming faces this new challenge, the people of Houston have shown great interest in him and they hope Yan Ming will bring new energy (活力) to the Rockets. The team has started having lessons to learn more about China, and many people who work for the Rockets have learned to speak some Chinese.

1.Yao Ming got 13 points on October _____, 2002.

　　  

A．22

B．23

C．24

D．26

2.Yao Ming said that _____.

A．playing in the NBA was difficult

B．it was hard to watch NBA games on TV

C．he was an NBA star

D．it was boring to play basketball

3.The people of Houston hope Yao Ming will ______,

A．speak excellent English	B．bring new energy
C．make NBA games easy	D．face new challenge

4.From the passage we can know that Yao Ming ________.

A．will work hard for his team

B．made the highest score in his first NBA game

C．can't understand his teammates

D．teaches the Rockets workers Chinese himself

5.The passage is probably ______.

A．an advertisement	B．a notice
C．a news report	D．an instruction

 

Dear Reader,
Imagine an 11-year old girl whose days are often spent washing clothes, looking after a baby, working hard in the field.
Imagine a little girl who knows there will not be enough food for dinner, who can’t fill her stomach with water because it’s polluted, and who has watched life slip away from her father, little brother and sister because the family is too poor to see a doctor.
Is it hard to believe? For Maria Pastora, these are the real life.
Maria would gladly walk miles to school, but her mother, now alone, needs her badly at home. If Maria grows up without any schooling, what will be her future?
But for just 52 pennies a day, you can sponsor a child like Maria. Through “Save the Children”, you can help Maria’s mother get the tools and ways she needs to turn their poor food into a good dinner and the money she needs to buy clothes and school things for Maria.
To help Maria most, your money is put together with that of other sponsors, so hard-working people can help themselves. Build a school, a hospital…bring in clean water. This is what “Save the Children” has been about since 1932.
For you there are many rewards. Have the chance to write to or hear from your sponsored child. Receive photos or progress reports. Know you are reaching out to another person. Not with a handout(施舍物), but a “handup”. That’s how “Save the Children” works. But without you, it can’t work. Please take a moment now to fill in and post the form below to help a child like Maria and her village.
It can make such a difference in her life and yours.
【小题1】We can most probably read the letter in __________.

A．somebody’s diary	B．a newspaper
C．a progress report	D．a storybook

【小题2】From the passage, we can infer （推断）that _________

A．Maria is an 11-year-old girl.

B．Maria’s family is very poor.

C．Maria has to do a lot of hard work.

D．Maria is hoping to get schooling.

【小题3】What is “Save the Children”?

A．An organization to help poor children go to school.

B．An office of the government to collect money.

C．A program shown at theatres to help the poor.

D．A group who works for children in poor places.

【小题4】The underlined word “sponsor” means “__________” in Chinese.

A．回报

B．资助

C．感恩

D．抢救

【小题5】What does the last sentence in the letter mean?

A．If Maria goes to school, you will be rewarded.

B．What you give is more than what you take.

C．Both Maria’s life and yours will change a lot.

D．Marie and you can help each other at school.

Helping your children to read and write at home will improve their skills and confidence—it will also make them get ready for learning in the classroom environment.

　     　 are needed by every child in every subject in every year of their life in or outside school. Students who improve their reading and writing skills will increase their vocabulary and their ability（能力）to use the English language correctly. As parents, you can play an important role in improving your children’s literacy（读写能力）. You can make a difference by listening, asking questions, giving information, and reading with your children outside school hours.

Here are 8 tips on how to help your children to read and write:

²   having everyday conversations with your children

²   trying to ask more “wh-” questions instead of easy “yes” or “no” questions

²   encouraging your children to talk about events you don’t know

²   reading to your children each night

²   listening to your children read

²   teaching your children how to use dictionaries

²   talking about your children’s writings

²   practicing filling in forms, writing letters, sending cards or emails

You can also encourage your children to join the Reading Challenge Club and discuss the books they are reading together. In the club, children must read 15 books from the Challenge book list and 5 more books chosen by themselves. There are over 1,000 books on the list. The reading must be done in one year. What’s more, it is a wonderful way to help your children to write. For example, you can encourage them to write diaries or book reviews. Remember to make positive comments as much as possible.

1.This passage is mainly written for __________.

A. children      B. teachers     C. parents      D. doctors

2.__________ is the best for the missing part in Paragraph 2.

A. “Listening and speaking skills”         B. “Reading and writing skills”

C. “Listening and writing skills”      D. “Reading and listening skills”

3.__________ is NOT mentioned in the 8 tips above.

   A. “Listening to the radio every day    ” 

B. “Listening to your children read”

   C. “Reading to your children each night”          

D. “Talking about your children’s writings”

4.In the Reading Challenge Club, children have to read __________ in one year.

A. 5 books          B. 10 books  C. 15 books            D. 20 books

5.Parents can help children to write by encouraging them to__________.

A. draw pictures or take photos         B. listen to pop music 

C. write diaries or book reviews            D. play computer games