An old farmer lived with his little grandson. Every day the farmer got up early to read books.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I want to read books just like you, but I don’t understand them. What are the advantages of reading?” The grandfather said, “Take this little basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did so, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “ You’ll have to walk faster next time.”

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. The boy said, “ See Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“So you think it is useless?” the old man said. “ Look at the basket.”

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It was clean, inside and out.

“That’s what happens when you read books. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read them, you will be changed, inside and out.”

1.The underlined phrase “leaked out” means “______” in Chinese.

A．出现             B．保留             C．漏出             D．爆发

2.The passage might be written for ___________ to read.

A．children who like asking questions

B．children who like playing with water

C．children who dislike farming

D．children who dislike reading

3.The basket was ________ in the end.

A．light             B．clean             C．useless           D．dirty

4.What can we know from the passage?

A．The old farmer might be changed by reading.

B．The old farmer played tricks on his grandson.

C．The little boy got a full basket of water at last.

D．The old farmer was angry when he saw the empty basket.

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

任务型阅读
Pollution problems are becoming more and more serious. One of them is called “white pollutions” caused by plastic, such as shopping bags, boxes and cups. In China, about three billion plastic shopping bags are used every day, which results in a great waste of resources(资源) and heavy environment pollution. Luckily, the government has stopped us from using free plastic bags, telling all stores and supermarket not to provide customers(顾客) with free plastic bags since June 1,2008. From then on, people have been supposed to use cloth bags and shopping baskets instead of plastic bags in order to protect our environment.
Now, more and more people have realized the importance of using the cloth bags and shopping baskets. For one thing it can protect our environment, for another it can also save energy. Yet we have more things to do to solve the problem of “white pollution”!
【小题1】Is “white pollution” caused by plastic?
__________________________________________
【小题2】How many plastic shopping bags are used every day in China?
_____________________________________________
【小题3】What are the advantages of using cloth bags or shopping baskets？
————————————————————————

An old farmer lived with his little grandson. Every day the farmer got up early to read books.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I want to read books just like you, but I don’t understand them. What are the advantages of reading?” The grandfather said, “Take this litter basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” the boy did, but all the water leaked out（漏出）before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “ You’ll have to walk faster next time.”
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. The boy said, “ See, Grandpa, it’s useless（无用的）!”
“You think it is useless?” the old man said. “ Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he found that the basket was different. It was cleaner, inside and out.
“That’s what happens when you read books. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read them, you will be changed, inside and out.”
【小题1】Who did the old farmer live with?
____________________________________________________________________
【小题2】What did the old farmer do every morning?
____________________________________________________________________
【小题3】Did the grandson know the advantages of reading at first?
___________________________________________________________________
【小题4】What did the grandfather ask his grandson to do?
____________________________________________________________________
【小题5】How was the basket after the grandson took water with it?
______________________________________________________________________

The bicycle is really and important means of transportation in China.Bicyclese have become more and more popular in China.People ride bikes to their workplaces,to shopping centers,to schools,and so on.During the rush hour,you can often see a boiling sea of bicycles running in all directions.With the largest number of bike riders in the world,China is often referred to as the kingdom of bicycles.There are many advantages(优点) about the bicycle.For example,bicycles do not cause air or sound pollution(污染);compared with cars,bicycle cause no environmental(环境的) problems;bicycles save energy(能源) and parking place;riding bikes to travel can be a wonderful experience(经历);the bicycle allows us to go anywhere nearby easily;bikes are not very expensive,and almost every family can afford them;riding bikes regularly does good to people's health.

　　通读短文，然后根据短文内容回答问题。

1.Why is China called the kingdom of bicycles?

　　______________________________________________________________

2.Can we go anywhere easily by bicycles?

　　______________________________________________________________

3.Why can almost every family afford bicycles?

　　______________________________________________________________

4.What do you think the most popular means of transportation in China is?

　　______________________________________________________________

5.What are the advantages of the bicycles?You can give one or two examples.

　　______________________________________________________________