Success comes to those who turn disasters into opportunities,overcome their limitations and bounce back with renewed energy. If you have fallen down, get up and brush the  (1)  off your clothes and move on. A temporary setback is not a total   (2)  . For that matter, there’s no such thing as failure. Nothing is   (3)   in this world. If you have the will to   (4)  , you can achieve anything. And always remember that the whole world will   (5)   you when you want to achieve something urgently. Here is a living proof of this idea.

Sudha Chandran, a young girl from India, who learned   (6)  when she was three years old. She lost one of her legs in an accident.   (7)  the accident ruined her bright future, she didn’t give up.

After several   (8)   months that followed, one day, she met a doctor who developed an artificial limb made from rubber. So intense was her   (9)   that she decided to go back to dancing after she had been fitted with an artificial leg. Sudha knew that she believed in herself and could fulfill her   (10)  . She then began her courageous journey back to the world of dancing — learning to   (11)  , bend, stretch, walk, turn, twist, twirl and   (12)  dance.

  (13)  every public show, she would ask her father about her   (14)  . “You still have a long way to go” was the answer she used to get   (15)  . In January, 1984, Sudha made a historic comeback   (16)   giving a public show in Bombay. She performed in such a marvelous manner that it moved everyone to   (17)  while bringing her back to the number one position again. That evening when she asked her father the   (18)  question, he didn’t say anything. He just touched her feet as a tribute to a great artist.

Sudha’s comeback was so heart-warming that a well-known film producer was   (19)  to make a film named Mayuri, based on Sudha’s encouraging story. When someone asked Sudha how she had   (20)  to dance again, she said quite simply, “You don’t need feet to dance.”

People all over the world celebrate the new year. However, not all countries celebrate in the same way, and in some countries, the new year doesn't begin on the   (1)   date every year.

   In many countries, the new year begins on 1st January, but people start celebrating on 31st December, New Year's Eve. In New York many people go to celebrate in Times Square.   (2)   they're waiting for the New Year, they listen to music, sing traditional songs and have fun. Just before 12 o'clock, everyone   (3)   down from 10, 9, 8...As soon as it's 12 o'clock, everyone shouts very   (4)  , "Happy New Year!"

   New Year's Day is often a family day. Some families get together for a special meal. When the weather is fine, many families go out for a   (5)  .

   On New Year's Day, many people make resolutions for the new year. They   (6)  a list of things, such as "I will help out more with housework. I will work  (7)  at school than others." or "I won't spend so much time playing video games." When they have made  (8)   lists, they read it to their family or friends and promise to   (9)  their resolutions.

   So it doesn't matter how they celebrate,   (10)   people in countries all over the world, it's a time to say goodbye to the old year, and to welcome the new.

A Welcome Gift

Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them   (1)  side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud   (2)  filled the room and made them feel very happy.

The next morning,   (3)  , their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a   (4)  under their door during the night. One of their neighbor had written to complain(抱怨) about the sound of the piano. Dario’s mother asked the building superintendent(管理员) if he knew anything about it. But he said that they were all   (5)  people and he couldn’t imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their   (6)  and apologize for their playing.

“Maybe we could go and  (7)  everyone in person.” his mother said.

“What if we invited them to come here for a   (8)   instead? Dario asked.

They both loved the  (9)  . Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts  (10)  their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers(彩带) and party lights.

Finally, the day of the party    (11)  Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to   (12)   One woman, Mrs. Gilbert,    (13)  Dario’s mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I   (14)  that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don’t think I disliked the playing.”

Dario’s mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I think maybe we  (15)  you an apology.” she said. “I didn’t  (16)  how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.

“You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert said. “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such  (17)  music. ”

“These songs are beautiful music. ” Dario’s mother said. “We will be   (18)  to play them in the evening.”

“And we won’t play so loud or late!” Dario said. He was already looking forward to  (19)    the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother’s face. It gave him a feeling of  (20)  and made him feel that they were home at last.

I’ve read lots of stories about family memories. In those   41 , I’ve found voice of sadness and longing. It’s true that so much in our daily lives makes us   42  all the time. We find ourselves with less and less time to spend with our   43  and friends. I’ve had the same   44 myself.

I used to have   45  times with my grandfather when we lived together. When I was very young, I often enjoyed spending time in his   46 , watching the flowers and watering the fruit trees. But as I grew up, I   47  became “selfish”.

Once, when I was 6, we went shopping together. As we took the wrong bus and ended up getting   48 , unable to find our way back, I couldn’t stay   49  and shouted rudely in his face. I was so stubborn that I wouldn’t say sorry   50  returning home, thinking I had done nothing wrong.

Now I   51  how ridiculous（荒唐的）I was at the time! And I also realize how   52  it was when I finally admitted I was   53 ! When I truly wanted to express my   54 , my grandfather had left us   55 , leaving me with no more chance to   56  my mistake. I couldn’t   57  say to him the three words –– “I am sorry”.

We are spending more and more time outside, with less and less time to   58  with our families at home. So   59  the most of every second you have with your loved ones, because time   60  going, waiting for no one.

Dear Aunt Tara,

   I have a problem with my homework. We have to do It in a group. It has to be finished this Friday, but Gary, the boy in our group, has done nothing helpful. He just keeps causing trouble. Every time we talk about the work with him, he always says,“Don’t worry. I’ll do it later.” But he seldom does his job. And when he does, he does it the wrong way. Someone has to do it for him again. What’s worse is when Ms. Lin asks about our group, Gary always tells her that we others don’t work hard enough. I’m really mad at Gary about this. We’re in the same group. Shouldn't we help each other to do a better job?                                                                                                                                                                                            Kate

Dear Kate:

      It is important for students to learn how to work together in a group. Maybe you should talk to Gary about the problem and tell him you all need his help. If he still doesn't change, go talk to your teacher. I believe she can make Gary do his job.

                                                                                                               Aunt Tara

Mother’s Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she’s special to you. Finding the right for Mom on that day is not always easy. We often want something personal and thoughtful. But how can we make it? These following ideas may help you.

Gift of Time

Moms just want to spend time with their children so make it a Mother-Daughter/Son day. Spend the whole day with her. Do the things she likes doing with her.

Home Video

Take your family videos and make them a short home video. She can enjoy it whenever she misses you. Although it may take a lot of time, the process(过程) can be great fun and the result is often priceless(无价).

Mom Mix

Make a CD for her. It’s a collection of all the songs that remindher of you and your growing up.

Write a Letter

Write a letter instead of a simple card. Write about all the good memories you have with her and all the things she has done for you.

Flowers

People send carnations(康乃馨) on Mother’s Day. You can easily spend a lot of money on them. If you have flowers in your garden, or can handpick them, it can be a great gift.

Dinner

Make a dinner and invite her over. You can also take it over to her house and surprise her. Just don’t’ forget to wash the dishes after the dinner.

1.Why is it not easy to find a right gift on Mother’s day?

A．Because we want to save money

B．Because mothers don’t like gifts.

C．Because we always want to get something special

D．Because mothers are very difficult to deal with

2.Making a home video may be _______.

A．fun              B．boring            C．easy             D．nothing

3.What does the underlined word “remind” mean in Chinese?

A．使……防范       B．使……想起        C．使……经过        D．使….. 痛苦

4.How many kinds of ideas have been mentioned here for Mother’s Day?

A．4                B．5                C．6                D．7

5.From the passage we know _________.

A．you can buy a big cake for your mom on Mother’s day

B．writing a letter is better than sending a simple card to your mom on Mother’s Day.

C．inviting your mom to eat in a restaurant is a good gift for her.

D．buying carnations for her is a good way.

People who are hit by lightning and survive often have long-term effects. These may include memory loss, sleep disorders, muscle pain and depression.

Experts tell people to seek the safety of a building or a hard-top vehicle any time they hear thunder, even if it is not raining. They say lightning can strike as far as sixteen kilometers from any rainfall. Lightning can travel sideways. And at least ten percent of lightning happens without any clouds overhead that you can see.

People who are outdoors should make sure they are not the tallest thing around. Bend low to the ground, but do not lie down. And do not stand near tall object. Get away from water and anything made of metal. A car is safe, but don’t touch any metal inside.

Safety experts say people in buildings should stay away from anything with wires or pipes that lead to the outside. The National Weather Service says if you plan to disconnect any electronic equipment, do so before the storm arrives. Do not  use a wired telephone. Do not use water. All these can carry electricity.

Some people think a person struck by lightning carries an electrical charge afterward. Experts say this is not true. It is safe to begin emergency treatment

Each year about four hundred people in the United States are struck by lightning. Last year forty four people died. The average is close to seventy. The National Weather Service says that is more than the number of people killed by severe storms.

1.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Lightning can happen even if there is no cloud.

B．Lightning can’t strike very far.

C．Lightning can’t travel sideways.

D．Don’t stay in a car when lightning happen.

2.We can learn from the passage that________.

A．it’s better to turn off any electronic equipment before the storm arrives.

B．a wired telephone is not safe to use in rainy days.

C．a person struck by lightning is said to carry an electrical charge afterward.

D．severe storms kill more people than lightning does.

3.The underlined word ”depression” probably means”_______”.

A．excitement                            B．a state of being forgettable

C．silence                               D．a feeling of being sad

4.The passage is mainly about______.

A．where people should stay in case of lightning

B．some common knowledge about lightning safety

C．how lightning travels

D．a report written by the National Weather Service

They can be seen more frequently than ever before on college campuses, wearing flannel(法兰绒) and thick­framed glasses while listening to music. One might find them playing unusual musical instruments, shopping at second­hand stores or expressing themselves in other unique ways.

They call themselves hipsters. Being “hip” used to mean following the latest fashion. But gradually the word has become a sign of “being cool, unique and unusual”．

Hipsters value independent thinking, progressive politics, an appreciation of creativity and intelligence. Hipsters take pains and pride in not being mainstream. However, their culture has become quite trendy. This irony(讽刺) is central to their culture and offers an interesting conflict.

“I do take things in the mainstream with a positive attitude，” says Ben Polson, a college student at Brown University. “But sometimes I also question what determines popularity, especially regarding music.” Polson represents many hipsters.

When less­known bands become popular, they often lose their former fan base in exchange for a new one. There is a famous hipster saying that goes, “I used to like that band before it got popular，” Polson quoted.

According to Polson, bands' music changes when they go mainstream. They become less experimental, doing things just to save popularity and fans. The original elements that we were drawn to slowly disappear for the sake of popularity.

Many young adults have started to view hipsters' outlook as cool and they are adopting hipsters' anti­mainstream culture mind to themselves. This has led to specialized brands, stores and music for the hipster consumers. But on the other hand, some such stores, including clothing labels Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, have gained mainstream popularity. This has seemingly made the anti­mainstream culture become weaker.

“A lot of people that are self­defined hipsters aren't really hipsters. They're just trying to act as hipsters to seem cooler，” says Amanda Leopold, a college student from Oberlin College, US. Although Leopold has many unusual tastes and seems quite individualist, she refuses to classify herself as a hipster.

1.In the passage, hipsters refer to people ________.

A．who are fans of pop music

B．who study in different colleges

C．who appear cool and unusual

D．who try to attract others

2.According to the author, ________.

A．hipsters are the pioneers of the mainstream

B．hipsters are unhappy with the mainstream

C．hipsters' culture exists mainly in music field

D．hipsters' culture can also become popular

3.What is the main idea of the seventh paragraph?

A．Urban Outfitters and American Apparel are famous clothing labels.

B．Hipster consumers have more specialized brands, stores and music.

C．Anti­mainstream culture can gain mainstream popularity.

D．The culture of hipsters is becoming more and more terrible.

4.When describing hipsters, the author speaks ________.

A．in an ironic voice  B．in an objective voice

C．in an angry voice  D．in a funny voice

The oldest subway system in China is the Beijing Subway. Before the government undertook the building of a subway system, the only __  (1)  __ of public transport in Beijing were buses and trolleybuses. In 1965, the Chinese government __  (2)  __ the construction of a subway line. The tunnels for the __  (3)  __ were all dug by 1969. __  (4)  __，the opening of the new subway line was postponed until 1971, when the platforms and stations were finally __  (5)  __. In 1984 a second subway line was completed. The Beijing Subway grew __  (6)  __ until 2000, with only one new section being added to the two lines. Then in 2001, Beijing was chosen to host the 2008 __  (7)  __. As a result, between 2002 and 2008 the system was __  (8)  __. Altogether, six new lines were built in order to convey the many crowds of people coming to the Olympics, and to make transport in Beijing more __  (9)  __. Even after the Olympics, the growth of the Beijing Subway has __  (10)  __，and there will be 19 lines in total in the coming few years.