I was driving home the other day on a sunny afternoon. I had a smile on my face as I sang along to the songs on the radio. It was a beautiful day that I felt full of happiness. My good mood ended, however, when the radio station took a news break between songs. Then suddenly I found myself listening to yet another story of a rich famous man who had broken the law. I shook my head as I came to a red traffic light.

As I pulled to a stop I noticed four leather-jacketed bikers. They were standing in the middle of the road with two on either side of the light. They looked rough and dangerous, but as I got closer I noticed each one was holding their helmet in their hands. I rolled down my window as one approached my car. “We are the Brother’s of the Wheel”, he said. “We are collecting money for a Christmas Toy Drive for needy children.” As I pulled a dollar out of my wallet I looked past his beard and tattoos and into his eyes. They shined with a goodness and kindness that came right from his soul. I dropped the money in his helmet and waved to the other bikers as I drove off. My good mood had returned. My faith in mankind had been bolstered. And I had to remember again never to judge people by their appearance.

Our society often judges books by their covers but God reads what is written in our hearts and souls. Perhaps one day we will all learn to see the world through the same eyes. Perhaps one day we will realize that looks matter little and actions matter much.

21. The writer’s good mood ended when _______.

A. he hear news between songs               B. he had to stop at a red traffic light

C. he heard a rich man broke the law             D. he saw four leather-jacketed kids in need

22. What are four bikers doing at the traffic light?

A. Having a bicycle race in the street             B. Selling helmets to the passers-by.

C. Raising money to help kids in need            D. Preparing for Christmas holidays.

23. What does “bolstered” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. Destroyed.          B. Improved.        C. Decreased.            D. Exploded.

24. The writer to tell us that we should________.

A. have faith in young people                  B. judge others by their actions

C. change our attitude to society             D. manage to help others in need

Parents should ban electronic media during mealtimes and after bedtime as part of a comprehensive “family media use plan”, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Excessive media use is associated with obesity, poor school performance, aggression and lack of sleep”, said Marjorie Hogan, co-author of the new policy.
    Families should have a no-device rule during meals and after bedtime, the guidelines say. Parents should also set family rules covering the use of the Internet, cellphones, including, perhaps, which sites can be visited, and who can be called. The policy also restated the existing recommendations: Kids should limit the amount of screen time for entertainment to less than two hours per day; children younger than 2 shouldn’t have any TV or Internet exposure. Also, televisions and Internet-accessible devices should be kept out of kids’bedrooms.
    Doctors say parents need to obey the family rules, too, to model healthy behavior. That, some say, may be the toughest part. “If you go to any restaurant, Family 3.0 is Mom and Dad on their devices and the kids on theirs”, says Donald, a pediatrician and an AAP spokesman. “Who is talking to each other?”
    Children aged from 8 to 18 spent an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day consuming media for fun, including TV, music, video games and other content in 2009, according to a 2010 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report was based on a survey of 2002 third through twelfth graders, 702 of whom completed a seven-day media use diary. That was up about an hour and 17 minutes a day from five years earlier. About two-thirds of 8 to 18-year-olds said they had no rules on the amount of time they spent watching TV, playing video games or using the computer, the Kaiser report found.
   Use of mobile devices by young kids has soared. A new report from Common Sense Media, a child-advocacy group based in San Francisco, found that 17% of children 8 and younger use mobile devices daily, up from 8% in 2011.
25. Which statement is TRUE according to the first paragraph?
     A. Parents are advised to ban electronic media after mealtimes.
     B. A “Family media use plan” is being carried out throughout America.
     C. Electronic media are evil in the eyes of parents and educators. 
     D. The overuse of electronic media has caused many severe problems.
26. Why should parents themselves obey the family rules?
  A. It’s beneficial to their health. B. It’s essential to parenting their kids.
  C. It’s beneficial to their work.            D. It’s essential to develop good relationship with their kids.   
27. What can be inferred according to the report from the Kaiser Family Foundation?
     A. The majority of the surveyed kids can use electronic devices as they like in their homes.
     B. The report was based on the statistics in 2002.
     C. 702 of the surveyed kids completed a seven-day media use diary.
     D. Kids are spending less and less time using media for fun. 
28. What can be the best title of the passage?
     A. Consuming media for fun is a nature of kids
     B. No use, no worry
     C. Measures should be taken to stop children’s overuse of electronic media
     D. Electronic devices threaten the relationship of many families

Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.

Question: Could you introduce yourself first?

Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I’m a web designer.

Q: What are your great memories?

A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories.

Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?

A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent.

Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?

A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe.

Q: How do you get along with your parents?

A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I’ve got. That’s our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters(过滤) out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch.

29. In Misbah’s childhood,      .

A. he was free from worry                              B. he liked living in the countryside

C. he was fond of getting close to nature        D. he often spent holidays with his family

30. What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?

A. A colorful life.                          B. A beautiful house.

C. Money for his family.                    D. Peace and freedom. 

31. How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?

A. By paying weekly visits.                          B. By chatting on the Internet.           

C. By calling them sometimes.                       D. By writing them letters.

32. If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?

A. What was your childhood dream?

B. What is your biggest achievement?

C. What is your parents’ view of you?

D. What was your hardest experience in the war?

Africa is a very diverse land with many different tribes. One tradition that many of these groups share is painting or marking their bodies and faces in color. They do this for many reasons. Some marks are used to identify people as part of a group.__36___ Let’s look at some different examples of body painting.

   ____37___ Among the Masai of East Africa, when men are old enough to marry and make decisions for their people, they participate in a special ceremony in which they paint their heads and faces red. This ceremony takes place every seven to fourteen years, so there is not an exact age for participating in it. The Samburu, also from East Africa, like to paint their faces and hair red because they think it looks attractive.

   ____38____ To show that he has killed a lion, a man will paint his body with a natural white material, making special marks to represent this accomplishment. The Masai men also use this white to show that they are no longer boys and are considered adults.

One quite unusual example of face painting is done by the Wodaabe people of West Africa. Once a year, they have a beauty contest for men. ____39___ Then they add white and black circles and lines. Black paint is used near the eyes and on the lips to draw attention to the whiteness of their eyes and teeth, which the Wodaabe consider most beautiful.____40___.

As you travel, enjoy the beautiful and bright colors of Africa.

A. Red is the common color in body painting because it often represents health and long life.

B. Other marks are used for ceremonies such as weddings and during times of war.

C. The ceremony expresses hope for rain.

D. The Masai men also have a unique way of showing that they are brave.

E. The women then decide which man they like best.

F. The men pretend to fight each other.

G. The men paint their faces yellow and red.

I will never forget watching my son play soccer in this middle school. My son was not a star player. In fact, he didn’t have the opportunity to play for long in each game  61  the rules at that time made sure everyone was involved. In one game, with the score tied and time  62  (run) out, he was playing a defensive position. The other team’s star player got  63  ball but my son was in his way. Somehow, when they met, the result was that the star player  64  (fall) on the ground and my son got the ball. He run with  65  and had a clear path to the goal. His coach jumped up and down  66  (yell) “go” and most of the parents yelled for victory. When my son kicked the ball several yards towards the goal, he  67  (sudden) stopped and went back to the star player, helping him get up. When we all got  68  (enthusiasm) about the game and forgot about the basic values of fairness and fun, my son helped a player of the other team. I  69  (touch) deeply. After the game, I hugged my son proudly. I was so glad that my son knew there was something 70 (importance) than winning.