It’s not easy to find a person with the qualities it takes to be a hero. I didn’t really understand the meaning of the word “hero” until my third year in the college.

    If you saw her, you wouldn’t think she really looks the part, but she is stronger than Superman could ever be. Her name is Sandra Keierleber. I first met her at volleyball tryouts(选拔赛), but didn’t notice anything special at first. As the week passed, however, she showed she had more heart than anyone. She stood out because she never gave up, no matter what.  

    Sandra isn’t the tallest or the fastest---in fact, this was her first time playing volleyball and it showed---but that didn’t stop her. She was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. By the end of tryouts she had found a place in everyone’s heart. When the name list for new members was put up, we all waited nervously as she checked. When she stood at the door and smiled happily, all we could do was cheer.

    After Sandra made the team, she worked even harder to improve her game. When she asked for help, we gladly taught her. She also became our fan, attending almost every school game and even joining us in the city games. We all like her, because she never thinks about doing things the easy way, or loses that smile. Because of her great efforts, she makes herself a true hero----and my hero, too.

1. What did the writer think of Sandra at the beginning?

   A. Common             B. Honest            C. Pretty          D. Strong

2. Which of the following is true about Sandra?

   A. She was born a volleyball player

B. She isn’t the tallest but the fastest  

   C. She does things in an easy way

D. She is popular with her teammates  

3. The writer is most probably_____________.

   A. a news reporter      B. a college student    C. a story teller    D. a college teacher   

4. Why does the writer think of Sandra Keierleber as a true hero?  

   A. She did very well at the tryouts.

B. She took part in the city matches 

   C. She worked hard and never gave up 

D. She asked for help from her teammates. 

The Legend of Kung Fu

Time: 7:30 pm, daily

The Red Theatre

44 Xingfu Dajie, Dongcheng District

Ticket price: RMB 680 (VIP), 380, 280, 200 (30% discount for students)

Tel: 67103671 /67142473 /67140497

Fax: 67140497

Website: www. heaven-creation. com

Chaoyang Theatre Acrobatics(杂技) Macrocosm

Widely known for its immaculate and spellbinding acrobatic performances, Chaoyang Theatre is a must-go destination for tourists who visit Beijing.

   Time: 5:15--6:15 pm, 7:15--8:30 pm, daily

   Prices: 180, 280, 380, 580, 680, 880 yuan

   Venue: Chanyang Theatre, No.36, Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing

   Website: www. Bjcyjc.com

   Holiday Inn Resort Beijing Yanqing

   Opening soon…

   Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, join green life; enjoy the bright modern decoration design with attractive garden landscape. Taste intoxicating coffee; let you all enjoy international Western food.

   Patio All Day Restaurant

   Number of seats: 160 people

   Rooms: 10 people ﹡2

   No.66 Gulong Road, Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing, Beijing, China

   Tel: +86 10 69198899

   Fax: +86 10 69198989

Ganges Indian Restaurant

   Free food!

   Cut off this advertisement and bring it in to any of our restaurants for a free round of samosas or pakoras with your order.

   Get together at Ganges!

   Get a group of friends together and enjoy delicious Indian food at a great price. Prices start at 100 yuan for groups of 10 or more. Contact us to choose your special set menu or buffet meal.

   Lunch Buffet – just 55 ! From 11:30 -1:30 pm. Mon-Fri

   Call for free delivery.

   Find more information at www. Ganges-restaurant.com.

5. A student has to pay at least ______ yuan to see the film “The Legend of Kung Fu”.

   A. 200               B. 140            C. 216            D. 280

6. Which is thought of as a must-go destination for visitors to Beijing?

   A. The Red Theatre                     

B. Holiday Inn Resort Beijing Yanqing

   C. Ganges Indian Restaurant              

D. Chaoyang Theatre

7. If you would like to enjoy some Indian food, you can ______ for information.

   A. visit www. ganges-restaurant. com      

B. fax 67140497

C. call 65060838                     

D. go to No. 66 Gulong Road, Zhangshanying Town

8. You can usually find such information in the ______ section of a newspaper.

   A. news report        B. business        C. advertisement        D. sports

    If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?         

According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. 

The study also found the younger people learn a second language, the better the effect is. 

A team led by Dr. Andrea Michelle, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.  

Scans showed that grey matter density(密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference was. 

“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales has reached the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”       

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between 2 and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.     

9. The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.

   A. science on learning a second language    

B. findings that language learning can help brain power

 C. man’s ability of learning a second language

D. language learning and maths study

10. The last sentence of the second paragraph is intended to ______.  

 A. say language learning is also a kind of physical labor         

   B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language  

   C. show the importance of using it when you learn a language 

   D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well          

11. We may know from the scientific findings that ______.  

   A. the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is 

   B. there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language  

   C. the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain 

   D. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time  

12. The underlined word “bilinguals” probably means _______.  

   A. researchers on language learning    

B. people who are good at learning foreign languages 

   C. people who can speak two languages 

D. active language learners    

The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.

In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.

The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological(气象的) and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.

13. What would be the best title for this passage?

A. The Difficulties of Learning English

B. English as a World Language

C. The Standard Varieties of English

D. International Communications

14. According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?

A. It was popular during Shakespeare’s time.     

B. It is used in former British colonies.

C. It serves the needs of its native speakers.

D. It is a world language that is used for international communication.

15. What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?

A. Those geographically close to the United States.

B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.

C. Former colonies of Great Britain.

D. Countries where international conferences are held.

Tips on how to save money

It’s important for you teenagers to know how to save money. You know that the money you save can be for rainy days and be used to pay through your college education. If you think it’s a difficult task and don’t know how to do it, please do as the following.

__16__

My dad always tells me that if one doesn’t respect money, it will never respect you. Hence, it’s important that you keep a record of your daily expenses. Make it a habit to write down all that you have spent. And when you find out the total expenses at the end of the month, you will realize what you have spent more money in doing. ___17___

Open a savings account.

Opening a savings account is a better way to save money. You can set a goal; say, for example, the money is for a new notebook or for college, and then save, until you have enough money to buy a notebook or until you go to college. ___18___

Do not carry much cash.

Do you have the habit of not leaving a store without buying anything? The only way to stop that is carrying less money around with you. Go to the store with the minimum amount of money, which will not even help you buy a drink. ____19____

Save the changes.

Save the changes that you get back. If you have gone to a shop to buy something and get back some changes, then do not spend them. __20___ And you’ll be surprised at the huge amount of money after days.

Follow these tips above, and thus you can save a lot of money. And surely, they’ll help you to be more responsible in your life.

A.      Keep a record of your daily expenses.

B.      After a few days, you’ll get rid of this habit.

C.      Instead, you can save them in your piggy bank.

D.     By that time, you will realize the importance of saving money.

E.      Saving money builds your financial power and personal freedom.

F.      Next month, you will automatically try and save more in that part.

G.     Nowadays in the developed and developing countries, people are all working for the sake of earning money.