We don’t know how different our future will be in the future. We can only try to imagine it.

At first we think about human relationship. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day. We will be making new friends through the Internet----even our husbands or wives will be met in this way. It will be much faster and easier for us. On the other hand, our relationships with people won’t be as important as they are today----we will feel a little lonely.

Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050. For example, they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier. In addition, there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers, like robots which will do the housework for us.

Spending holidays will also be completely different. Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will be using solar-powered cars, which will be much more environmentally friendly.

We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more pollution environment. But it isn't true. We will pay more attention to protecting the environment. And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as our health will be in a better condition.

Although we can’t predict the exact changes which will be made in the world, we often think about them. We worry about our and our children’s future; we have expectations, hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather sanguine about our future. We should be happy and believe good things will happen.

1. Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050?

A. Because the number of people will become much smaller.

B. Because there will be less face-to-face communication.

C. Because people won’t like making friends with each other.

D. Because people won’t communicate with each other much often.

2. According to the passage, which of the following will happen in 2050?

A. The relationship between people will be more important than today.

B. The way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today.

C. It won’t be difficult for people to travel to other planets.

D. Our environment will be much more polluted with a growing number of cars.

3. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. How people will communicate in the year 2050 

B. What our life will be like in the year 2050

C. How people will travel and spend their holiday in the year 2050

D. What high technology will appear in the year 2050

Sixth-grader Ivory Kelly finished up an English assignment at the blackboard. Then ... Ping! Ping! He felt something hitting his head. The 12-year-old knew just who was dissing him. He turned around and shouted at DeAngela Byrd. DeAngela claimed she was innocent. Then she called Ivory a “guinea pig.” “Hosemouth!” he shouted back. Their teacher, Linda Mann, didn’t send them to the principal. She didn’t even make them stand in the hall. Instead, she sent them to work things out in a small storage room. The room is Glengarry Elementary’s mediation center （调解中心）.

Mediation in school is a way to solve conflicts without having teachers punish students. Kids called mediators are trained to listen to classmates accused of misbehaving or fighting. Without taking sides, the mediators help troubled kids come up with their own solutions. It usually takes no more than 15 minutes.

At Glengarry, 30 students from third through sixth grades are trained to settle fights. After calmly discussing the attack and name calling with sixth-grade mediators, Michael Reese and Tracie Thacker, Ivory and DeAngela signed a promise “not to mess with each other.”

Many U.S. elementary schools are starting to give kids more responsibility for discipline. In the past 10 years, one-tenth of the nation’s 86,000 public schools have started programs to resolve conflicts, mostly in middle or high schools. But educators want to begin more mediation programs sooner. They say elementary-age kids are even better at talking about their feelings and deciding on a fair solution than older kids are! When a teacher or principal is not involved, “kids talk more freely,” says Glengarry Principal Loraine Johnson.

So far, mediation seems to work well. In one survey of 115 Ohio elementary schools with mediation programs, two out of three noted a decrease in fights, and more than half said fewer kids were being sent to the principal’s office. In New Mexico, reports of bad behavior in elementary schools have dropped 85% since mediation programs began.

4.    The underlined word “dissing” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

A. attempting        B. insulting     C. laughing at         D. helping

5.    Students trained in the mediation ______.

A. are neutral, never taking sides

B. provide a solution for the troubled kids

C. accuse students of misbehaving or fighting

D. decide on the punishment for misbehaving students

6.    Which of the following statements is false?

       A. Teachers are not mediators and won’t give judgments.

B. Mediation programs in schools seem to reduce misbehavior.

       C. Elementary-age children are able to solve conflicts among schoolmates.

       D. Mediation programs encourage students to work with teachers to solve conflicts.

7.    What’s the best title for the passage?

       A. Don’t Mess with Each Other        B. A Drop in Misbehavior

C. Keep the Grownups Out of It              D. Stricter Discipline Promotes Behavior

At middle school level, there are many academic clubs in which the students can participate. Students can choose clubs that focus on an area of interest.

Mathcounts Club

Mathcounts tries to increase excitement about mathematic achievement. It hopes to provide students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematic careers. Schools select individuals and teams to participate in competitions. Mathcounts works to challenge student math skills, develop self-confidence and give rewards for their achievements.

Envirothon

The Envirothon program focuses on natural resources knowledge and exposes students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography (地形学). The ecology field competition for five-member middle school teams offers competitions in wildlife, soils, forestry, current environmental issues and aquatics (水上运动). Students work and learn in middle school clubs ·and can compete at local and state level.

Future Problem Solvers

Future Problem Solvers is an academic club that uses a six-step process to solve problems that may happen in the future. Students who like to “think outside the box” may like this club. Teams made up of four students read future scenes and write up solutions in a booklet using the six-step process. Teams that score high enough can go to the state competition and then to the international competition.

Builders Club

Builders Club is open to any middle school student who wishes to perform community service. The members learn by doing, and they learn organization, teamwork, and leadership. Builders Clubs can sponsor a “Teacher of the Year” program, provide a recycling collection point, organize canned food and clothing to support local shelters, adopt a resident at a local senior citizens home, adopt highway, tutor, etc.

8. The students who are not interested in competition would probably choose _____.

A. Mathcounts Club      B. Builders Club

C. Future Problem Solvers    D. Envirothon

9. Why do some of the students choose Mathcounts club?

A. To be successful in science careers. B. To enjoy solving future problems.

C. To perform community service.     D. To study wildlife and soils.

10. What is the common feature of the four clubs?

A. Competition.      B. Sponsorship.    C. Scientific research.   D. Teamwork.

11. The passage mainly talks about _____.

A. the state academic competitions      

B. middle school clubs

C. extra-curricular activities   

D. the gifted students

Liu Huan is a professor at the University of International Business and Economics. He is also a noted musician and popular singer in the Chinese mainland.

Born on Aug. 26, 1963 in to a teacher’s family in Tianjin, Liu enrolled at the University of International Relations in Beijing in 1981, majoring in French literature. He was retained at the university as a faculty member(教职工)after graduation in 1985. He won two first prizes in Beijing’s first-ever university English and French singing contests in 1985. To help promote local education by teaching music, he lived in Shizuishan, a remote area in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in 1985~1986. He was appointed a professor at the University of International Business and Economics to teach the history of Western music in 1991, and has been working at the university for more than 20 years.[

As a professor, Liu is invited every year to colleges and universities in Beijing to teach music courses. As a famous musician, when asked if his classes differ from other teachers’, Liu simply said, “Nothing different. While standing on the platform, I am just a teacher. Everything outside has nothing to do with me at that moment. ”

Since becoming a professional singer in 1985, Liu’s singing has been widely welcomed across the country. He won many national awards, including the Top 10 Film and TV Singers in the Country in 1988, in 1990 and in 1992. On Aug. 8, 2008, Liu sang a duet “You and Me” with Sarah Brightman at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, reaching the top of his singing career. In addition to singing, Liu Huan also creates original scores for film and TV. His works have been well received by both audiences and his peers in the industry.

Therefore, Liu is chosen to act as one of the four judges on “The Voice of China” , a surprisingly popular singing talent show which has been aired on Zhejiang Satellite TV since July 13, 2012. At the same time, his fellow judges are Na Ying, Yang Kun, and Harlem Yu.

12．What does the underlined word “noted” in the first paragraph mean?

A. Famous.  B. Skilled.  C. Gifted.  D. Important.

13．Liu Huan used to live in Shizuishan, a remote area in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to_____

A. learn about their customs and cultures

B. improve his ability of composing music by living in the village

C. help promote local education by teaching music

D. find some talented students in music

14． When he reached the top of his singing career, he was      .

A. 45    B. 22    C. 28    D. 49

15．Which is NOT true of the description about his musical achievements?

A. He has won the Top 10 Film and TV Singers in the Country three times.

B. He succeeded in singing a duet “You and Me” with Sarah Brightman at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

C. He creates many original scores for film and TV.

D. He is the only one who acts as a judge on “The Voice of China”.

I’ve been keeping an English blog for many years. These practical tips have helped me over the course of my blogging.

       ● Read quality books, blogs, journals, etc. which are written in English. Blogging is not always about writing．     16    Reading also improves your English comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and writing．

       ● Practice helps, so continue writing．     17      Trying to make a perfect post(帖子) free from grammar and spelling mistakes is good but you’re not making use of your time efficiently(有效地).

       ●      18     Think about the main points you want to raise. I prepare an outline of my post and a list of the points I want to talk about. Doing this has helped me stay on track and focus on my main points. The outline and the list of points I want to write about serve as my guidelines when I’m writing．

       ● When writing, use simple words and sentences. Using simple sentences makes your job as a blogger easier.      19      Always remember this: The aim of your writing is to get your message across and the only way to become an effective writer is successfully conveying your message to your readers．

       ● Write your posts ahead of time．    20     To free yourself from the pressure of making a post on daily basis, which might affect your writing, consider making your posts ahead of time．

       A．Also, it makes your posts more understandable to your readers．

       B．Welcome comments from your blog readers．

       C．There are benefits of daily blogging but if it becomes tiring, forget about it．

       D．Don’t be scared of making mistakes．

       E．Mistakes can be reduced with the help of your readers．

       F．You need to read to be able to write fluently．

G．Prepare an outline of your post．