Luke has always been my closest and constant companion these past five years. In fact, he is very friendly to me especially when I take care of other furry friends in our shelter.

There have been a lot of forest fires during the summer season. Not far from our shelter, a forest caught fire during this hot summer. Luke rushed towards the forest where flames send out a terrible heat. There’s no longer any hope at the moment to wait for Luke to come back to the shelter. In fact, I was waiting for the firemen to announce me his death in the forest. Suddenly, a fireman burst into my office and informed me that my dog Luke succeeded in saving four cats which were trapped by the flames. Luke seized the kittens, one by one moving them to a safe place.

I immediately accompanied the fireman to the forest to pick up the rescued kittens, but Luke was not there. Then we heard the sound of a dog came from the forest barking furiously. The firemen followed the tracks of the dog until they found him barking loudly by the side of an injured fireman who was lying on the ground.

That day, I was very proud of Luke for his two heroic actions. I paid a visit to the fireman accompanied with my adorable Luke. What a memorable scene when the fireman hugged Luke tightly to his chest! “One thousand thanks, Luke, for saving my life,” the fireman said.

This true story of love and compassion shows us that pets are loving, caring and compassionate. We should love and protect them. Don’t belittle them. Little animals can make enormous things for humans.

21. At the very beginning the author thought ______.

A. Luke ran away from the shelter forever    B. Luke was afraid of big fire

C. Luke was killed by the big fire           D. Luke was able to save all the people

22. The reason why the author was proud of Luke was that ______.

A. Luke rescued four cats and a fireman from the fire

B. Luke warned people of the coming fire

C. Luke took care of other furry animals in the shelter

D. Luke has always been my closest and constant companion

23. The underlined word “belittle” in the last paragraph probably means“______”.

A. make things small  B. look down upon  C. show respect for  D. make enemy with

24.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To stress the role of pets in people life.

B. To persuade people to keep pets.

C. To call attention to the danger big fire.

D. To share a story of love and compassion of pets with us.

Yellowstone Weather

Yellowstone National Park is at lofty height. Most of the park is above 2,275 meters.

Yellowstone’s weather is unpredictable. In summer, it may be warm and sunny with temperatures in the high 70s. At night in any given month, the temperature may drop close to freezing. So it is best to come prepared for cold evenings and mornings, especially if you are camping or hiking. When you leave your campsite, please leave it prepared for possible thundershower and wind.

A sunny warm day may become fiercely stormy with wind, rain, sleet and sometimes snow. Without enough clothing, an easy day hike or boat trip can turn into a battle for survival.

25. If you are planning to stay here in spring for a few days, what is necessary for you ?

A. Enough clothing.                                       B. Weather report.

C. Umbrella.                                                  D. Boiled water.

26. Which season is generally pleasing?

A. Winter.             B. Fall.                 C. Spring.                   D. Summer.

27. In winter the average snowfall is_______.

A. 200 inches                 B. 20 inches            C. 150 inches                    D. 400 inches.

28. This passage is written probably for those who plan to ______ in Yellowstone National Park.

A. do research work                                     B. take a business trip

C. have sports games                                        D. spend their holidays or take a tour

Liverpool, my hometown, is a special city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage(遗产)Site.

I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist(薄雾), Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.

As if to stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has the best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No. 1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, making the city a place of wonder.

As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub(酒馆). It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.

Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of “outstanding universal value”. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore.

29. Visitors who see the city for the first time would be deeply impressed by________.

A. its charming banks                                 B. its famous museums

C. its wonderful palaces                                    D. its attractive buildings

30. Liverpool has important cultural role because _________.

A. it has the best collections of Victorian paintings

B. it has museums, galleries, music festival and sports events

C. the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors

D. the best palaces of Europe are in Liverpool

31. The author uses the Philharmonic pub to prove that________.

A. Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants

B. Liverpool is an impressive place full of attraction

C. a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves

D. a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to complete their journey

Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, extra learning attempts or tries to increase the length of time we will remember it.

In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, and bicycle riding long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.

The multiplication tables(乘法口诀表) are an exception to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.

The law of overlearning explains why cramming(突击学习)for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to pass the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development.

32. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

A. People remember well what they learned in childhood.

B. Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

C. Poem reading is a good way to learn words.

D. Stories for children are easy to remember.

33.The author tells the experience in childhood in order to ________.

A. remember the good old days                      

B. let readers follow the example

C. explain the law of overlearning                     

D. help readers understand the importance of knowledge

34. According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is________.

A. a step towards studies                             B. a result of overlearning

C. a special case of cramming                           D. a skill to deal with math problems

35. What is the author's opinion on cramming?

A. It's helpful only in a limited way.          B. It causes failure in college exams.

C. It's possible to result in poor memory.          D. It increases students' learning interest.

Everyone, from homeless people to billionaires, is likely to be influenced by stress; there’s simply no way to avoid it.  36  Here are five powerful tips for ways to kill stress in almost any situation.

Eat Healthier

Though a lot of stress is psychological, there are also plenty of physical factors that lead to this natural human response to noticed danger. In order to relieve stress, make sure you’re treating your body right. A big part of this is eating healthier.  37  Anyway, adopting an alkaline(碱性的) diet instead of an acidic(酸性的) one is recommended.

Wake Up Earlier

38  However, waking up 15 or 20 minutes earlier each morning may have more benefits than sleeping in. By giving yourself some extra time, you won’t feel quite rushed in the morning, which leads to better preparation and more confidence.

39

Since you are never going to remove 100 percent of the stress in your life, one of the best things you can do is let it be one of your motivations. This is what stress is designed to do, after all. The psychological and physical reactions brought on by stress are supposed to heighten our senses and empower us to fight off a threat.

Watch a Funny Video

Here is a simple and practical tip: watch a funny video on YouTube. Research shows that seeing something amusing activates the part of the brain that produces calm physiological(生理的) responses. This can lead to less anxiety and more happiness.

Take Walk Outside

Whenever possible, make sure you take your walk outdoors.  40  It can improve energy levels and memory by as much as 20 percent.

A.A number of studies show that spending time in the open is a great way to relieve stress.

B. Diet and relaxation are two important keys to good health.

C. There are no magic “anti-stress” foods.

D. However, there are ways to reduce the amount of stress you suffer from.

E. Keep Positive Relationships

F. Let Stress Motivate You

G. It is certainly true that the more sleep you get, the less stressed you’ll be.