Many years ago, when I was in high school and working weekends to pay for the extras that my folks couldn’t really afford, I lost my wallet.

My old car needed putting gas in the back. I prepaid and then put my wallet on the bumper(保险杆), and drove off . I hadn’t even had time to miss it when our phone rang and a man asked me if I had lost my wallet. I checked my wallet and to my surprise, I didn’t find it. He asked me to tell him how much money was in it. He then told me where to pick up my wallet.

As I pulled into his driveway, I noticed his handicapped van(残疾人车)and the ramp(斜坡)going up to the house I was thinking that there was no way this man easily got out of his van and got my wallet off the street. He had to pull over, get in his wheelchair, lower the lift, and then pick it up. I was just surprised. I felt grateful.

I knocked on the door and he told me to come in. I thanked him like 10 times for finding my wallet. I was stuck , though. I didn’t want to insult him by offering money, I really felt like offering something. so I asked him if there was anything I could do to repay his kindness, and he said “Just pass it on”. I said I would be certain to do that. I was raised to be honest in any circumstance(状况) and I would have done so, without promising this fellow I would, but I wanted to repay his kindness, so I willingly promised I would.

21. What did the man ask the writer to do?

A. He asked the writer to pass his kindness on

B. He asked the writer to be careful

C. He asked the writer to repay his kindness

D. He asked the writer to be honest

22. What can we learn from the man’s action?

A. Where there is a will, there’s a way

B. A friend in need is a friend indeed

C. Help others, but not ask for anything

D. Good is rewarded with good

23. Which of the following can best describe the man who picked up the writer’s wallet?

A. Loyal                 B. Noble             C. Honest                D. Promising

Do you drink water that's been left sitting out overnight or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different?

Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire(获得) off taste. Many people think that this is because of microorganisms. But that's not what makes old water taste not fresh. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours, tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most likely safe to drink.

However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming(假设) you use a fresh glass every few days, you probably won't have a problem unless the glass has been touched by dirty fingers, and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom.

As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to make plastic can leach(过滤) into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun," he explains. BPA, as you probably know, has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or don't buy them at all; use refillable water bottles instead.

24. Tap water begin to acquire an off taste because of______ .

A. the glass                                               B. BPA

C. carbon dioxide                            D. the microorganism

25. According to Paragraph 2, tap water that's been left sitting out for 12 hours____.

A. contains few microorganisms        B. is still safe to drink

C. tastes better                                   D. is most likely undrinkable

26. What should we do with plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car?

A. Throw them away.                        B. Clean them and use them again.

C. Use them after they cool down.  .          D. Refill them with fresh water

27. Which of the following is true about BPA?

A. It is safe for people to use.                   B. It is a kind of new material.

C. It is the main material to make plastic.  D. It can cause great harm to people.             

It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators(评论员) fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.

Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not at all exciting, the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that” To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.

Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, “because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena(现象).” The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.

Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings, conversation starters or the blank “fillers”, In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.

28. The author mentions Dr. Johnson’s comment to show that________.

A. most commentators agree with Dr. Johnson

B. the comment was accurate two hundred years ago

C. English conversations usually start with the weather  

D. Dr. Johnson is famous for his weather observation

29. What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to?

A. A social trend.                                  B. An emotional state.

C. A historical concept.                            D. An unknown phenomenon.

30. According to the passage, Jeremy Paxman believes that________.

A. Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather

B. there is nothing special about the English weather]

C. the English weather attracts people to the British Isles

D. English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty

31. What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?

A. To explain what English weather-speak is about.

B. To analyze misconceptions about the English weather.

C. To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.

D. To convince people that the English weather is changeable.

Summer Surfing USA

15-Day Tour for Beach Lovers

Visit these beautiful Southern California surfing beaches

El Capitan in Santa Barbara, Surf Riders in Malibu, the Wedge at Newport Beach, Doheny at Dana Point. Accommodations (住宿): Single or double rooms in beachfront hotels

Price includes: Daily surfboard use, 3-hour beginner’s class

Nightlife activities: Beach meals, club dancing, moonlight trips

Additional activities: Visit Universal Studios and Disneyland

Tour Beverly Hills and see the movie stars’ homes

Tour cost: Single room at $1,999

Double room at $2,300

Hazel’s Personal Services

Do you ever have questions like these ?

●Where can I get my hair cut for a reasonable price?

●Do you know where I can have someone fix my bike ?

●Where can I get someone to upgrade my computer?

●Do you know where I can have my jacket cleaned?

Do you know where you can have ALL these things done? Call Hazel! (646)555-2121

Hazel offers:

√ Computer support  √ Repairs  √ Beauty services

√ Washing          √ Pet-sitting

If Hazel doesn’t offer the service you need, she’ll find someone who does!

Vote for Roberta Chang

Roberta Chang will clean up Cradville!

Have you noticed these problems in our city?

●The air is becoming dangerously dirty because of gases from cars and trucks.

●There is heavy traffic on the roads because of people’s dependence on cars.

●Our city streets are being destroyed as a result of heavy traffic.

●Many parks have been lost through overbuilding.

●Our fresh water supply is being overused by people who don’t save it.

If you vote Roberta Chang for city council (议会), you vote for solutions!

32. What can one get from Summer Surfing USA?

A. Enjoy different interesting activities.           B. See movies with pop stars.

C. Have a 15-day free surfing class.                  D. Surf across the USA.

33. The questions in Hazel’s Personal Services are raised to _____.

A. show common problems                       B. attract readers

C. expect answers from readers                   D. carry out a public opinion survey

34. We can infer from the text that Roberta Chang _____.

A. has come up with new ideas to protect the environment

B. has helped clean people’s houses in Cradville

C. is competing for a position

D. is a member of the government of Cradville

35. The text is likely to appear in _____.

A. a report         B. a history textbook          C. a travel guide         D. a newspaper

        Being A Volunteer

What can you do to help people? The answer is-to be a volunteer! _ 36

●Help yourself by helping others

When you volunteer to help others, you are helping yourself. __37　Lots of people really enjoy volunteering. Doing volunteer work means one important thing: You make a difference in the world. So where do you start? __38

●Things to do with family members

Volunteering is a great way to have fun with your family. Talk to your parents, brothers, or sisters and see what they might be interested in. Find something you all agree on. You can do the things as a family like cleaning up a park and planting trees or flowers in your local community.

●Invent your own opportunity

39   You can make and sell products, and donate the money. Volunteering gives kids a taste of responsibility. Volunteering can also help kids learn important things about themselves-like what kind of things they’re best at. A volunteer job can even help some kids decide what they want to do when they grow up. __40  Make a plan to start volunteering today!

A. Kids can come up with their own ways to raise money or provide needed services.

B. Volunteering means to spend time helping others.

C. School is a good place to start if you are looking for volunteer ideas.

D. So what are you waiting for?

E. Why not come?

F. Clean up a school or other public buildings.

G. If you’re upset, doing something can be a great way to calm yourself down.