At the time of childhood, I often wondered when I could have the chance to go to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we were quite out off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that my life has its too.

Money is a big advantage. Going out costs so much, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma (哮喘），and the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.

As every coin has two sides, so does living in the city, which also has its disadvantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever you taste in

culture or entertainment (娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising-and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

Is city life better than the country life? Perhaps it is, when you are in your

teens (十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.

21. What was the writer's dream when he was a child?

A. Staying on the farm.         B. Leaving home for the city.

C. Moving to the countryside.       D. Running away from the school.

22. In this passage, the writer tries to          .

A. persuade the reader to live in the city

B. describe his life in the countryside

C. show an interest in the outside world

D. express his opinions about way of life

23. How is the passage mainly developed?

A. By inferring (推理).     B. By comparing (比较).

C. By listing examples.         D. By giving explanations.

If you look for a book for a present for a child, you will be spoiled for choice even in a year when there is no new Harry Potter. J•K. Rowling s wizard is not alone: the past decade has been a harvest for good children s books, which has set off a large quantity of films and in turn led to increased sales of classics such as The Lord of The Rings.

Yet despite that, reading is increasing unpopular among children. According to statistics, in 1997, 23%said they didn't like reading at all. In 2003, 35%did. And around 6% of children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.

Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computer games. Maybe the books boom has affected only on the top of the educational pile. Either way, Chancellor Cordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class. In his pre-budge report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.

Reading Recovery is aimed at six-year-old, who receive four months of individual daily half-hour classes with a specially trained teacher. An evaluation earlier this year reported that children on the scheme (计划，方案)made 20 months' progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months progress, and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.

International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school they read well, but read less often for fun than those elsewhere. Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can expect lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success. According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage.

24. Which of the following is True of paragraph1?

A. Many children's books have been adapted from films.

B. Many high-quality children's books have been published.

C. The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films.

D. The sales of presents for children have increased.

25. What do we know about Reading Recovery?

A. An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year.

B. Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking.

C. It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading.

D. Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading.

26. Reading for fun is important because book-loving children       .

A. take greater advantage of the project

B. show the potential to enjoy a long life.

C. are likely to succeed in their education.

D. would make excellent future researchers.

Last year, my boyfriend suggested that I should run the London marathon(马拉松)，and I laughed. He laughed too, but he laughed too long and too loud. That made me think. I realized that he didn't believe that I could do it. That made me angry, and determined, Now he knows that I can!

Training wasn't easy, but I kept going. I didn't need special training but I did need to buy very good shoes. Each day, I went a little further. By the end of three months, I was running five days a week. Sometimes in the evenings I ran 10 km；on Sunday mornings, I sometimes ran about 30 km. I used to come home, have a shower and eat my breakfast. I felt wonderful!

On the day of the race in London, I lined up with about 30,000 other runners. The faster runners were at the front, while slower runners like me were placed further back. In that way, the professional runners and club runners were not slowed down by the amateurs (业余爱好者).

At first, there were so many runners close together that we were almost falling over each other. We could only run very slowly but that was a good thing because it meant that we didn't rush off too quickly. Gradually the runners spread out and there was more space. There were thousands of people watching us along the route and they cheered and clapped everyone, even the slowest runner. It was wonderful! For the first 10 km I felt very happy and my legs felt very comfortable. However, at 15 km I got a pain in my side and running became difficult, but I kept going and the pain disappeared. At the 30 km .ark, I felt extremely tired, and wanted to stop, but I kept on going. I covered another 3 km and then I began to feel better again. By the time I reached the 35 km mark, I knew I was going to get to the end of the course. Somehow that confidence made me feel lighter and faster and it seemed as if my legs flew over the last few kilometers. I passed hundreds of slower runners, some of whom had passed me earlier, and I felt wonderful! As I came round the last bend(弯道)and saw the finishing line, I could see three runners ahead of me. I raced past all of them to finish the race in just under four hours. The winner had completed the race in 2 hours and 10 minutes, but I didn't care! I had run 42 km and completed my first marathon!

27. The writer's boyfriend laughed at her because

A. he thought she could run the marathon

B. he .didn't think she could run the marathon

C. he wanted her to run the marathon

D. she wanted to run the marathon

28. When the race began

A. all the faster runners were asked to stand before those slower ones

B. many runners fell over each other

C. all the runners were asked to run slowly

D. the professional runners and club runners ran very fast

29. The hardest time for the writer was when she

A. had run for 15 kilometers

B. got a pain in her side

C. reached the 30 kilometer mark

D. was about to reach the finish line

30. The passage suggests that it is better to start a long race slowly

A. than to  run at the same speed  all the time

B. than to  run too fast at the beginning

C. than to  run slowly at the end

D. than to run very fast all the    time

Tips on Touring the UK

Planning a visit to the UK? Here are some tips on how to enjoy your visit to the country.

Advance planning

You need a visa for the UK. You will need to go to the British Embassy, at least two months before the start of your journey, and fill in an application.  31  Don't be nervous about this, as it is quick and informal.

Greetings

When you arrive in Britain, someone will meet you at the airport.   32  But don't do that for too long. Men and women shake hands when they first meet.

Body language

British people do not stand too close to each other.  33__But don't stare at them. British people often look away from you when they talk, and then look at you again at the end of the sentence.

Food

The social rules about eating in Britain seem strange from other countries. Many families in the UK only sit at the table together at the weekend. Some families have a“TV”dinner, who eat their meal while watching TV.   34  At the table，eat quietly and don't lift the bowl up to your mouth.

Making conversations

It is polite to ask about the history and customs of the place you visit.   35  But don't ask them their ages or income, unless they are about the same age as you. Bring some photos of your family to show them, and perhaps a small gift. You will soon find you needn't have worried and that you have made some new friends!

A. Hug and kiss them on the cheeks.

B. Greet them by shaking hands firmly.

C. Then the staff there will interview you.

D. Look at the person you meet and smile.

E. Others do it at different times of the day.

F. Later you will have a physical examination and a questionnaire.

G. People will be encouraged to talk more if they find you1 re interested.

Sweet wormwood(青蒿)is a common plant in China, but it has the power to cure the deadly disease called malaria(症疾). Tu you   56  (be) the woman who uses the plant s special power to save millions of lives. The Chinese scientist won a Nobel Prize because of her great contribution.

On October5, Tu was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She shared the prize with two other scientists from the US and Japan. Tu is the first native Chinese person   57_(receive) a Nobel Prize in natural sciences.

Tu was modest about receiving the award: It's   58  success for the whole research team.” She also thinks  59   is scientists' duty to fight for the health

of all humans.

When Tu joined the national research team to find the medicine   60__ could fight against malaria in the 1960s and 1970s, things were hard. The team didn't have advanced equipment back then. Tu used to test   61   (medicine) by eating them herself.

Her team searched old Chinese medicine books   62   hand and tested over 2,000 traditional recipes.

Once Tu   63  (return) home after traveling for six months. Her little daughter didn't recognize her and hid from the“strange woman”.To do research, Tu also had to move around a lot.

Finally, Tu found artemisinin(青蒿素) in sweet wormwood in 1971. She spent the next decades   64__(try) to improve the medicine. According to World Health Organization, about 200 million people suffer   65   malaria around the world, and about half a million die each year. Artemisinin is stir (激起)the most effective treatment against malaria known today.

Tu never complains about how hard she works. "I feel more rewarded when I see so many cured patients." she said.