When I was 12, I got a part-time job on a dairy farm, milking cows. We milked 65 cows twice a day. One day, I complained to my father about having to milk those cows, saying it was tiring. He said, “You know, boy, to work is a blessing. ” I looked at the men who’d worked harder. I had a feeling I had been told something really important, but it took me many years before it sank in.

   Back then, going to college was a rare privilege. My father told me if I’d picked something that I liked to study, I’d always look forward to my work. But he also added that even having a job I hate is better than not having a job at all. I wanted to be a farmer, but I joined a military program to help pay for college. And what started out as an obligation to the army became a way of life that I stayed committed to for 37 years.

   In the late 1980s, during a visit to Bangladesh, I saw a woman with her baby on her back, breaking bricks with a hammer. I asked a local officer why they weren’t using a machine to make the work easier. He told me a machine would put that lady out of work. And as bad as that woman’s job was, it was enough to keep a small family alive. It reminded me of my father’s words: to work is a blessing.

   After seeing a lot of people like that woman in Bangladesh, I’ve come to believe that people without jobs are not free. They’re victims of crime, poor health, and depression. People who have jobs can have a home, send their kids to school, develop a sense of pride, contribute to the good of the community and even help others. When we can work, we are free. We are blessed.

 21. Which can be the best title of the text?

   A. My Chosen Way of Life.         B. Why Should I Work?

   C. To Work Is a Blessing.           D. Inspiration from a Woman.

22. The writer joined a military program because ___________.

   A. his parents forced him to do so.      B. he couldn’t afford his college education.

   C. he intended to find a lifetime job.    D. he could travel abroad with the army.

23. What does the writer intend to say through the last Paragraph?

   A. People without jobs are victims of crime.      B. Freedom is not always free for people.

   C. People with jobs should help those in need.    D. We should feel fortunate to have a job.

           Top Kid-Friendly Summer Vacations

  Dude Ranch

    If you have little cowboys and cowgirls at home, thrill them by visiting a dude ranch on your next vacation. Your children can learn about nature, enjoy horseback riding, and gain an entirely new perspective. You can choose between programs that have you spending quality time with your kids, and programs that are for children only. This summer, experience the perfect combination of work and play, and enjoy the great outdoors--at a dude ranch!

  Visit www. ranchweb.com for more information.

  Six Flags Great Adventure

   Revive a classic vacation by visiting one of the most famous them park chains in the country. With locations all over the US, there’s sure to be a Six Flags near you. Take the whole family and be back at work on Monday. Escape the summer heat with countless water rides, or get excited with a thrill ride. Take your kids to have brunch（早午餐）with Bugs Bunny, or check out the new Safari Park, where you can interact with real animals.

  For more information, visit: www.sixflags.com.

  Roswell UFO Festival

   Do you have science fiction fans in your household? Encourage their interests and experience a special vacation at the annual Roswell UFO Festival, held every year in early July. Come in costume if you wish, and join the parade. Attend lectures by famous authors and researchers, or watch up-and-coming bands perform. Even if you’re not a believer, you can still enjoy the artwork, music and great celebration.

  Visit www. roswellufofestival. com for more information.

  Earthpalce

   It’s not easy being green, bit it can be fun if you visit the exhibits at Earthplace in Westport, Connecticut. This 62-acre wildlife reserve is committed to educating the public about the environment and promoting positive actions to preserve nature. The exhibits provide hands-on features that make learning fun for your kids. After touring the exhibits, visit the garden and the playground, and enjoy the summer weather.

  For more information, visit: www. earthplace.org.

 24. Dude Ranch and Six Flags Adventure are similar in that ___________.

  A. they are both suitable for a family vacation.    B. they both provide programs only for kids.

  C. they both allow people to have brunch.        D. they both provide thrill rides.

25. Which will you choose if you want to learn how to protect wild animals?

  A. Dude Ranch.  B. Earthplace.  C. Six Flags Great Adventure.  D. Roswell UFO Festival.

26. Who would be most interested in Roswell UFO Festival?

  A. A kid who loves music.          B. A kid who likes adventures.

  C. A kid who is interested in aliens.   D. A kid who likes hands-on experience.

27. If you want to join a parade in costume, you should visit _____________.

  A. www.sixflags.com          B. www. ranchweb.com

  C. www. earthplace.org        D. www. roswellufofestival. com

    Sure, it’s good to get along with your teacher, because it makes that time you spend in the classroom more pleasant. And yes, it’s good to get along with your teacher because, in general, it’s smart to learn how to relate to the different types of people you’ll meet throughout your life.

    But really, there’s one super-important reason why you should get along with your teacher. Kids who get along with their teachers not only learn more, but they’re more comfortable asking questions and getting extra help. This makes it easier to understand new materials and do your best in tests. When you have this kinds of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to with problems, such as problems with learning or school issues like bullying.

   As a kid in elementary or middle school, you’re at a wonderful stage in your life. You’re able to take in lots of new and exciting information. Apart from that, you’re able to think about all this information in new ways. Your teacher knows that, and in most cases, he or she is thrilled to be the person who’s giving you all the materials and helping you put them together. Remember, teachers are people, too, and they feel great if you’re open to what they’re teaching you. That’s why they wanted to be teachers in the first place!

   Some kids may be able to learn in any situation, whether they like the teacher or not. But most kids are sensitive to the way they get along with the teacher, and if things aren’t going well, they won’t learn as well and won’t enjoy being in class.

28. Paragraph 2 mainly talks about ___________.

   A. benefits in getting along with teachers     B. ways to develop relationship with teachers

   C. new materials learned from teachers       D. avoiding problems happening around kids

29. What’s the writer’s attitude towards getting along with teachers?

   A. Doubtful.   B. Objective.   C. Uncaring.      D. Favorable.

30. What can we know from the passage?

   A. Kids are unable to understand lots of exciting Information.

   B. Kids will leave the class when not doing quite well with their teachers.

   C. Kids will leave the class when not doing quite well with their teachers.

   D. Kids are bullied while communicating with others in schools.

31. The passage is most probably taken from __________.

    A. children’s literature               B. an education magazine 

C. a science report                  D. an advertisement

  It is rare to find someone who jumps out of bed fully awake as soon as his or her alarm clock goes off in the morning. According to a survey of people in England, the average adults there do not feel fully awake until 9:55 am. Of course these survey results do not apply to everyone. When it comes to what affects our sleeping habits and what happens in our body while we sleep, scientists have found two systems that adjust people’s sleep and also decide how difficult it is for a person to wake up from sleep.

  Our system for adjusting sleep is like a clock inside our body. This body clock makes us feel sleepy or awake at certain time each day. Age can also affect the time set by our body clock to make us sleepy or awake. Most people go through a sleep phase delay when they are teenagers. During this phase, teenagers feel naturally more awake later at night. Thus, it might be difficult for a teenager to fall asleep before 11:00 pm. Since teenagers typically have to wake up early for school, it becomes difficult for them to get through sleep each night. On the other hand, those who do get enough sleep at night will feel less sleepy in the middle of the day when the clock in their body signals a peak sleepy time.

  In addition to the “sleep clock” in our body, there is also a “sleep meter” in each of us. The sleep meter keeps track of how much sleep we get each night. This meter also helps our body stay asleep throughout the night in order to balance the hours when we are awake during the day. So the sleep meter is like a natural device in our body that helps us balance the amount of sleep we need with the amount of time when we are awake each day. Some people seem to have a meter that tells them they need less sleep each day than others. Thus, while health professionals recommend 8-10 hours of sleep for children to have a healthy lifestyle, some people can be healthy with a bit less sleep.

32. What is the main purpose of this passage?

   A. To compare people who work well at different time of the day.

   B. To explain the processes of sleeping and waking up.

   C. To describe systems in our bodies related to sleep.

   D. To recommend the minimum amount of sleep per night.

33. What does the “meter” inside our body do?

  A. It helps keep us asleep at night.            

  B. It determines if we dream or not.

  C. It makes us sleep less when we are busy.  

D. It changes how much sleep we need as we get older.

34. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “phase” in Paragraph 2?

  A. Quality.    B. Balance.   C. Suffering.     D. Period.

35. What can be inferred about a girl who feels very sleepy during a peak sleepy time in the       

    afternoon?

A. She didn’t get enough sleep at night.         

B. She has a very active sleep gene.

  C. She needs more than 9 hours of sleep each day.

  D. She spent a long time waking up in the morning.

              Unique New Year Traditions from Around the World

     How do you celebrate New Year’s Day? If I had to take a guess, you probably celebrate it surrounded by family and friends, enjoying drinks of your choice and watching the ball drop with Dick Clark. 36            Listed below are four of the top ten “Unique New Year Traditions from Around the World”.

     1. Breaking Dishes on a Neighbor’s Door

     A strange Danish New Year tradition, depending on how you look at it, is throwing dishes at a neighbor’s door. 37          The family with the tallest pile of broken plates, glasses, cups and other crockery(陶器) is considered to be the luckier, because it symbolizes their large number of loyal friends.

      2. Talking to Spirits

     Talking to spirits is a part of Mexican beliefs. Mexicans strongly believe that they can communicate with the souls of their dead loved ones. 38            And this is not done at home on an individual basis, but is a legal Mexican practice. Taos Inn, in New Mexico, for example, offers 15 minutes’ session of spiritualism and meditation for ＄15.6. Not a bad price for some helpful guidance!

      3．Wearing Polka Dots

      Imagine streets full of people wearing polka dots and dining room tables full of round-shaped food and fruits on one single day of the year. 39                  Philippines believe that this will bring them prosperity by associating the round dots to coins and wealth.

4. Burning Scarecrow Dummies(稻草人)

Ecuador has a unique custom of crafting scarecrows and then burning them at midnight. They adorn（装饰）them and fill the scarecrows with newspapers and pieces of wood. As midnight approaches, everyone gathers outside their home and each family burns their own scarecrows. 40        The scarecrows also scares away bad luck, which in turn, fills their new year with luck and happiness.

A. New Year’s Eve is considered the best time to communicate with dead spirits to convey a message or ask for guidance.

B. It is also believed in the Irish culture that this act will help them get rid of bad luck.

C. Have you ever imagined what New Year’s Day would look like in another country?

D. This all actually happens in the Philippines on New Year’s Eve every year.

E. Strangely, this makes them happy instead of annoying them.

F. We all want to start a new, fresh year with renewed enthusiasm and hope.

G. The tradition says that this destroys all the bad things that took place in the past months.