Alexis was hot and tired. With rage in her voice she shouted, "Pull me up！I give up, I hate this. This is stupid!" It was at that moment when Jason, the adviser on the trip, looked at me and said, "Ed, I'm going to go down and talk with her." I then shouted down to Alexis, "Hold on! You can do this. We know you can!"

Jason grasped another rope, put his climbing harness(系带)on and began to move down the cliff. Within moments Jason was beside Alexis. She had her cheek directly against the face of the rock with her feet barely resting on a small piece of the cliff that stuck outward. Jason said to Alexis, "I know that you have been on this cliff now for what seems like a long time. Your feet and fingers are cramping(痉挛)up and your forearms feel as though they are on fire. But , Alexis, you are strong, look how far up you are already. You have taken one of the more difficult paths up the cliff. Alexis, look at the path you have taken."

At that moment, Alexis moved her cheek away from the rock face and looked down. The bright white chalk she used in her hands to give her a better hold, showed the path where her tired hands had moved her upward on the cliff. Jason was right. Alexis had taken the hardest way up the cliff. Jason then looked straight into Alexis' eyes and in a calm voice he said, "You are not alone out here, there are people who care about you, who want to help you and see you succeed. We are going to do this together. Are you ready?" Slowly she nodded her head and took a deep breath.

 1.Jason went down the cliff because _________.

  A. Alexis took a wrong path

  B. Alexis was trapped in rocks

  C. Alexis didn’t believe in herself

  D. Alexis’ forearms were badly hurt 

2.The underlined word "hot" in the story means _________.

  A. disappointed    B. uncomfortable   C. angry   D. running a high body temperature

3.We can infer from the passage that ________.

  A. Alexis was finally pulled up by Ed111]

  B. Alexis regretted having taken the wrong path up the cliff

  C. Alexis was immediately sent to hospital after she was pulled up

  D. Alexis successfully rock –climbed in the end

4.Alexis would probably become ________ _.

  A. more strong-minded   

  B. easier to give up

  C. poorer in health

  D. less interested in rock climbing

Sir Edmund Hillary is best known for being the first, along with climbing partner Tenzing Norgay, to reach the top of Mount Everest(珠穆朗玛峰).However, he also made many visits to Antarctica(南极洲). In 1957, he led the first trip over ice to the South Pole. Hillary also helped his home country, New Zealand, build a research center on Antarctica, called Scott Base. He visited it in January 2007, when he was 87 years old.

In the 1900s, many people like Hillary saw Antarctica as an exciting place. Scientists are interested in how glaciers(冰川) flow and melt. They also worry that global(全球的) warming is making glaciers me lt faster. It has caused a 75 percent increase in ice loss in the last 10 years, according to a new study. Scientists say ice loss could cause water levels around the world to rise faster than expected. Ice is melting faster than expected because of global warming.

Researchers in Antarctica are studying many other subjects too. Some use the cold weather and clear air as a way to study things that affect other parts of the globe. Antarctica has the cleanest air in the world. That allows scientists to compare the air there to the air in polluted places. Antarctica is the darkest place on earth, so it is a great place to study the stars. Some scientists are even studying penguin droppings(企鹅粪). They have developed a new test to learn more about penguins’ diets.

5. What is Sir Edmund Hillary best known for?

  A. He was the first to reach the top of Mount Everest.

  B. He went to Antarctica many times.

  C. He led the first trip to the South Pole.

  D. He helped build a research center on Antarctica.

6. The final result of global warming is that________.

  A. there would be no ice

  B. water levels could rise faster

  C. the climate would become warm

  D. the ocean would be polluted

7. Who of the following would NOT be interested in Antarctica?

  A. People who are interested in what penguins eat.

  B. Researchers who like watching stars.

  C. Adventurers who decide to climb Mount Everest.

  D. Scientists who are studying the world’s air.

 8. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

  A. Edmund Hillary.

  B. Antarctica—Best Place for Scientific Research.

  C. Global Warming.

  D. Studies on Antarctica.

Just 50 years ago Manx seemed to be on the point of disappearing. "If you spoke Manx in a pub on the island in the 1960s, it was considered provocative(挑衅的) and you were likely to find yourself in a fight," recalls Brian Stowell, a 76-year-old islander who has written a Manx-language novel, The Vampire Murders, and presents a radio show on Manx Radio spreading the language every Sunday.

The language itself is similar to the Gaelic tongues spoken in the island's neighbours, Ireland and Scotland. A century ago, "Moghrey mie" would have been commonly heard instead of good morning on the island.

"In the 1860s there were thousands of Manx people who couldn't spea k English," says Stowell. "But only a century later it was considered to be so backwards to speak the language that there were stories of Manx speakers getting stones thrown at them in the towns. "I learnt it myself from one of the last surviving native speakers back in the 1950s."

Recession(经济衰退 ) in the mid 19th Century forced many Manx residents to leave the island to seek work in England. And parents were not willing to pass the language down through the generations, with many believing that to have Manx as a first language would affect job opportunities overseas.

There was a fall in the language. By the early 1960s there were perhaps as few as 200 who spoke the tongue. The last native speaker, Ned Maddrell, died in 1974. Unesco(联合国教科文组织) pronounced the language died out in the 1990s.

Now there is even a Manx language primary school in which all subjects are taught in the language, with more than 60 pupils attending. Manx is also taught in other schools across the island.

9. What does “Moghrey mie” mean according to the passage?

   A.All the best.    B. Congratulations.    C. Never mind.     D. Good morning.

10. Many Manx people went to England to ______.

   A. learn Manx    B. teach English      C. look for jobs     D. attend college

11. What is the passage mainly about?

   A. The Manx language.       B. The life of Manx people

   C. The Manx island.          D. The Manx language school

The kids in this village wear dirty, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts(小屋） made of sticks and mud. They have no school. Yet they all c an chant the English alphabet（字母表）, and some can make words.

The key to their success: 20 tablet computers(平板电脑) dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a U.S. group called One Laptop Per Child.

The goal is to find out whether kids using today’s new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing the project data say they’re already amazed. “What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten,” said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program.

The fastest learner—and the first to turn on one of the tablets—is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse. The device’s camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had figured out its workings and made the camera work. He called himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia.

With his tablet, Kelbasa rearranged the l etters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own. “Seven months ago he didn’t know any English. That’s unbelievable,” said Keller.

The project aims to get kids to a stage called “deep reading,” where they can read to learn. It won’t be in Amharic, Ethiopia’ s first language, but in English, which is widely seen as the ticket to higher paying jobs.

12. What can we infer from Keller’s words in Paragraph 3?

   A. They need more time to analyze data.

   B.More children are needed for the research.

   C. He is confident about the future of the project.

   D. The research should be carried out in kindergartens.

13.It amazed Keller that with the tablet Kelbesa could _______.

  A.learn English words quickly

  B.draw pictures of animals

  C.write letters to researchers

  D.make phone calls to his friends

14. How does the Ethiopia program benefit the kids in the village?

   A. It trains teachers for them. 

   B. It contributes to their self-study.

   C. It helps raise their living standards.          

   D. It provides funds for building schools.

15. What is the aim of the project?

   A. To offer Ethiopians higher paying jobs. 1111]

   B. To make Amharic widely used in the world.

   C. To help Ethiopian kids read to learn in English.

  D. To assist Ethiopians in learning their first language.

Self-confidence, motivation, support and knowledge are the main factors determining if one succeeds or fails. Each of these factors influences our chances of success in a different way.   16  .

Lack of self-confidence is probably the most dreadful enemy of success. 17   Even the most capable person is sure to fail with such an attitude. If it is your case too, improving your self-confidence is a must .

Motivation is equally as important as self-confidence.  18  You may even not try to achieve the goal that lies before you. It is important to find out what is the best motivation for you. If you have to do something that does not motivate you, just treat yourself with a reward after you succeed. Of course, this reward should consist of something that will motivate you to pursue(追求) a success.

  19   While it is not a must for succeeding in your goals, a lack of support can often lead to failure. It is also true that some people cannot succeed without a proper support from their surroundings. These people often lose their motivation or worse, their self-confidence. If you know such a pe rson, supporting him or her is a right thing to do. Also surround yourself with the right people. You will see the results soon.

Pursuing realistic goals is also important for a success. You should always make sure that your goals are achievable.   20   Unrealistic goals usually lead to a fast failure and also make many people embarrassed.

A. As we know, many people try but do not succeed.

B. Consider all your knowledge and skills when setting up a goal.

C. Motivation is something in yourself that can push you forwards.

D. There are several main reasons why some people cannot succeed.

E. Supportive family and collective workplace are also very important.

F. Without it , you will not push yourself towards a better performance.

G. Thinking you are not good enough to achieve your goals is the same as deciding that you will not succeed.