The other day Roy Price went “home”to his sister’s house. It’s her home now; and it’s also the house he was born in, Pat, his sister, kissed him and said, “You haven’t changed much, Roy. Let me see, now – when did we meet last?”

    “Thirty years ago,”he answered.“I came here for a week, do you remember? And I was right thirty then.”He added, “You’ve changed very little.”But it wasn’t true. Pat looked like an old lady.

    The next morning Roy walked through the small town alone. The place looked very different. There were lots of traffic signs beside the roads. There was a new car park, a new post office, a new… . He remembered suddenly that the bus used to stop anywhere: you just put up your hand and it stopped. One surprise followed another. But Roy’s biggest surprise was the people. He didn’t recognize（認識）anybody at all. He thought perhaps everyone here seemed old. He went into the post office and bought some stamps. “Where are all the children and young people?”he asked the postmaster. The old fellow looked up and answered, “Children? They’re in school, of course.”

    At lunch Pat said, “The town looks nice, doesn’t it?”

    “It’s all different, Pat. It used to be an exciting place, but now it’s full of old people. I don’t understand…”

    “There are a few newcomers, but the ones we knew are still here. You’re not young yourself, Roy, are you?”

1. The house Roy was born in is now his ___________ home.

    A. mother’s                  B. sister’s                            C. new                  D. own

2. In the eyes of Roy, the small town looked ___________ and people seemed ___________.

    A. different, old             B. different, young        C. old, young         D. old, new

3. In the passage the writer mainly wants to tell us that ___________.

    A. people in the small town were old like Roy’s sister

    B. Roy hasn’t changed much but his sister has changed a lot

    C. Roy’s hometown has changed a lot since he left 30 years ago

    D. Roy didn’t recognize anybody because he had been away for 30 years

The ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group in Scotland. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves.”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity. The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy, and it is already being used in Scotland.
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The winds start out by making little ripples (波紋) in the water, but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.”
When waves come towards the coast, people can set up dams(大壩) to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine(渦輪). The turbine can then power an electrical generator(發(fā)電機).
We will never run out of wave power. Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as oil and coal do.
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface. That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world. But there are some disadvantages that need us to pay more attention to.
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money. He said that its influence on animals in the sea is still unknown. Besides, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic.
With more research, “Many of these problems might be solved,” Taylor said. “Finding more energy sources(資源) is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day.”
In the future, when you turn on a light button, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

【小題1】We can learn from the passage that__________________.

A．a(chǎn)lmost every country is making use of the wave power at present

B．it is necessary for us to develop wave power instead of oil and coal

C．wave power will be sure to make some bad influence on sea animals

D．scientists are making efforts to find new ways of fishing and boat traffic

【小題2】What does the fourth paragraph tell us?

A．Why scientists are doing the research on wave power.

B．What experience that scientists have achieved so far.

C．How the wave energy forms and grows bigger.

D．Which countries are trying out wave power.

【小題3】What’s the writer’s attitude towards wave power?

A．The writer believes that wave power will be used widely by man.

B．The writer doubts if wave energy can be changed into electricity.

C．The writer is sure the experiments will come to the end some day.

D．The writer thinks that wave power isn’t worth researching at all.

【小題4】What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Sea Animals and Wave Power.

B．How Do We Get Wave Energy?

C．The Advantages of Wave Power.

D．Can Waves Make Electricity?

Some students, parents and teachers in Shanghai were surveyed last month. According to the result of the survey, the generation gap(代溝) between students and parents as well as teachers is becoming wider. Here is what they said.
Voice of the students:
“Our parents hold too high expectations which put us under lots of pressure. They care too much about our lives and studies,” one student said.
“It’s impolite that some students’ parents read their children’s diaries without permission!” one student said angrily.
“Some of our teachers are so serious that we can’t make friends with them at all,” another student said sadly.
Voice of the parents:
One mother said, “After school, my daughter usually locks herself into her room and spends lots of time talking with others on the phone. And I can’t stand her clothes and hairstyle!”
“I thought my son was doing very well in his studies. I didn’t realize I was being cheated by him until I got a call from his teacher,” said a father.
Voice of the teachers:
An English teacher said, “Today, the role of the teacher is to put knowledge into students’ brains. The power of teachers has kept students away from them.”
“Some parents pay too much attention to their children’s grades instead of creating a lively and colorful environment at home,” another teacher said.
“In the past, teachers and students often played games together or talked with each other. Today, only studies and grades are talked about,” said a teacher. “A school should be a place where students can learn not only knowledge, but also how to face failure and frustration bravely enough.
【小題1】What can we know from the students’ voice?

A．They hope to be free don’t want their parents to be very strict.

B．The higher expectations their parents hold, the better they will do.

C．Teachers like making friends with students now.

D．A warm and happy family isn’t expected.

【小題2】The underlined word “expectations” in the passage means “­­­­___________” in Chinese.

A．表揚

B．期望

C．夢想

D．責任

【小題3】What can we infer from the teachers who were surveyed?

A．Teachers feel what they are doing for students is good.

B．Parents, teachers and educational rules all influence students greatly.

C．Now teachers and students communicate better than before.

D．Teachers should care more about excellent students.

【小題4】Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．Unhappy teenagers	B．Serious parents
C．Educational rules	D．The generation gap

Some students, parents and teachers in Shanghai were surveyed last month. According to the result of the survey, the generation gap (代溝) between students and parents as well as teachers is becoming wider. Here is what they said.
Voice of the students:
　 “Our parents hold too high expectations（期望）which put us under lots of pressure. They care too much about our lives and studies,” one student said.
“It’s impolite that some students’ parents read their children’s diaries without permission!” one student said angrily.
“Some of our teachers are so serious that we can’t make friends with them at all,” another student said sadly.
Voice of the parents:
One mother said, “After school, my daughter usually locks herself into her room and spends lots of time talking with others on the phone. And I can’t stand（忍受） her clothes and hairstyle!”
“I thought my son was doing very well in his studies. I didn’t realize I was being cheated by him until I got a call from his teacher,” said a father.
Voice of the teachers:
An English teacher said, “Today, the role of the teacher is to put knowledge into students’ brain. The power (權(quán)力) teachers have kept students away from them.”
“Some parents pay too much attention to their children’s grades instead of creating a lively and colorful environment at home,” another teacher said.
“In the past, teachers and students often played games together or talked with each other. Today, only studies and grades are talked about,” said a teacher. “A school should be a place where students can learn not only knowledge, but also how to face failure and frustration（挫折） bravely enough.” 
【小題1】 What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Students like telling how they feel to their classmates.

B．More and more students don’t like to be surveyed.

C．Some parents don’t like their children’s clothes and hairstyle.

D．There has been a great distance between students and parents as well as teachers.

【小題2】The underlined word “cheated” in the passage means ___________.

A．欺騙

B．批評

C．表揚

D．揭露

【小題3】 What can we infer (推斷) from the teachers who were surveyed?

A．Teachers feel what they are doing for students is good.

B．Parents, teachers and educational rules all influence students greatly.

C．Teachers should care more about excellent students.

D．Now teachers and students communicate better than before.

【小題4】Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．Unhappy Teenagers	B．Educational Rules
C．The Generation Gap	D．Serious Parents

The expression “down to earth” means being open and honest. It is easy to get on with some one who is down to earth. A down-to-earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud.
Down-to-earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. A person who is filed with his own importance and pride is said to have his nose in the air.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality（現(xiàn)實）. He may have dreams, but he does not allow them to have influence on his understanding of what is real.
The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a day－dreamer.
When we have both our feet on the ground, and when we are down to earth, we do not have our noses in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us— solid(牢固的) and strong.
【小題1】A down-to-earth person could be_____________.

A．social and proud

B．good and opposite

C．real and important

D．strong and changeable

【小題2】The expression “has one’s nose in the air” means_____________.

A．眉飛色舞

B．目中無人

C．瞻前顧后

D．春風得意

【小題3】This passage mainly talks about_____________.

A．the use of some expressions	B．dreams and achievements
C．the lifestyle of honest people	D．honesty and understanding

【小題4】If you want to understand what is real in life, you have to_____________.

A．get along with other people easily	B．learn from those who are down to earth
C．be a good dreamer with quick mind	D．have both your feet on the ground

【小題5】If you only consider your own importance, __________.

A．you’ll think you are better than others

B．your life will be like the solid and strong ground

C．you’ll be hated by down-to-earth people

D．your life will be filed with love