More than 50 music students of New Milford High School in New Jersey, US, got a letter from their headmaster. The letter said that the music department of the school was in big trouble. The students had to pass a test, or the department(系) would be shut down.
On a Saturday, two officials greeted the nervous students. They asked the students to play a piece by Richard Strauss. But they had to sing the words to the music – German words!
Other tasks were also difficult. One student had to sing Mary had a Little Lamb, a children’s song, in an operatic (歌劇的) voice.
After three hours of testing, students waited for the results. They met some students from the New Jersey Youth Orchestra (管弦樂團). The judges(裁判員) gave them only a passing grade.
The worried New Milford students started to realize they had no chance. “I thought it was over,” said Bryan Olsen-Santana, a junior. “The person next to me was crying. I felt bad for her. I felt bad for myself, too, because music is everything to me.”
But then the headmaster came and told them something very dramatic (戲劇性的): “Someone’s played a joke on you!”
What was going on?
The test was part of a reality TV show (電視真人秀) called “Schooled”. The students’ parents, the school and a TV network had made it together.
Everything was fake. The two “officials” were really comedians (喜劇演員). The “students from New Jersey Youth Orchestra” were from another school. There were hidden cameras. The students’ parents were hiding as they watched.
As a reward for putting up with the joke, the students got gifts: MP3 players, digital cameras and school supplies. They were all from the show’s sponsor (贊助商).
【小題1】What is the letter about?

A．The headmaster would come back next term.

B．The school didn’t have money to run.

C．The music department was in big trouble.

D．The students had to give up music.

【小題2】The students were nervous before the test, because _____.

A．they were not good at music

B．the judges were very strict

C．they thought they couldn’t pass

D．it would decide the future of the music department

【小題3】According to Olsen-Santana, we learn that _____.

A．their school failed the test

B．he likes music very much

C．the test was just a joke

D．the girl next to him was sorry for herself

【小題4】What does the underlined word “fake” mean in the passage?

A．順利的	B．假扮的
C．受歡迎的	D．便捷的

【小題5】The students didn’t get _____ as gifts.

A．money	B．MP3 players
C．digital cameras	D．school supplies

 Expo 2010 is held in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31．People all over the world are looking forward to it．Here are several golden rules on how to best plan your hip．

Rule 1：Do your homework

Read everything you call before going．Really study the maps．Know the pavilions．Arrive at the entrance nearest Io the things you want to see．Have a plan．It will make a big difference．

Rule 2：Allow plenty of time

Expo 2010 is the largest attraction event in the history of the world．It will take many days to see it．Plan to spend from five to eight days or more seeing it．

Rule 3：Pace yourself

Expo is enormous．The distances are punishing．It is better to spend a day seeing a single area than to man hack and forth all over the site．Remember to wear the most comfortable shoes．Never mind what they look like．

Rule 4：Get going in May

At many Expos the crowds are smaller in May and in early June than any other time．And beware the last two weeks．During every Expo, people delay their visits and then in early October they suddenly realize．“Expo will close soon! I haven’t seen it!’’ As a result, the last several weeks usually have the most crowded days of the entire Expo．

Rule 5：Find out what everyone else is doing-and do the opposite

If you don't like large crowds and long lines．do the opposite．Here is all example：Most people go on Saturdays or on holidays, So avoid Saturdays and holidays．Go on weekdays when most people are at work．

Rule 6：Turn up

Expo 2010 is the largest celebration in China's history-an amazing once-in-a-lifetime event．When it is gone and it will never be seen again．So whatever you do，don't miss it!

1.Expo 2010 will last _________．

A．five to eight days

B．several weeks

C．six months

D．a year

2.According to Rule 4，you'd bettor not go to Expo on ________．

A．May 3

B．July 5

C．September 16

D．October 20

3.When there are lots of people waiting in line to see the most popular activations, what’s your  best choice?

A．I'll wait in line as other people do．

B．I'll go back and return tomorrow．

C．I'll visit the less crowded places instead．

D．I'll sit on a bench to have a rest for about two or three hours．

4.In Rule 6 “turn up” here means ________．

A．don't miss it	B．come and see
C．make the sound louder	D．never be seen again

 

“The only thing holding you back is yourself. Never say never”, said a rising 17-year-old singer, Justin Bieber, who was just an ordinary boy in Canada a few years ago.
After the accident of falling from the 18^th floor and lying in the snow for three hours, my hands were frozen and my spinal cord (脊髓)was seriously injured. All the doctors and professors in the famous hospitals in Beijing told me that there was little chance for my hands and my body to recover (康復).
After half a year of medical treatments and recovering exercises, I could not make any more progress for over a year. What was worse , I suffered a lot from depression (絕望). On top of this, I suffered from insomnia, making every minute of the night seem to last forever. Hopelessly, mom and I came back to my hometown, which is small town in Guangdong.
At that time, I thought that I would never be able to walk again. I would never love and be loved. I would never be able to earn even a penny. I would never be able to repay the kindness I got from my parents and many nice people. Life was meaningless.
Now two years has passed. My hands are 80% recovered. I can even type faster than a healthy person! Up to now, I have worked for a law firm as an interpreter for half a year already. Although I don’t earn as much as before, I am able to pay for the food and clothes I need. What’s more, I even have extra money to buy thanksgiving presents for my parents and my boyfriend. Through my blogs (博客) , many people get to know me and like me. I can bring happiness to them. I can help those who are still suffering from depression and the pain of illnesses by chatting with them….You see, I am living a meaningful life and I am happier than ever I could have dreamed.
So, my friends, never say never. As long as you are alive, there is always hope and possibilities. It is never too late to take action to realize your dreams.     (382 words)
【小題1】What’s the writer’s present job?

A．A singer.

B．A typist .

C．A professor .

D．An interpreter.

【小題2】What does the underlined word “insomnia” in the third paragraph mean in Chinese?

A．失眠

B．失憶

C．麻木

D．低燒

【小題3】All of the following words can be used to describe the writer’s present life EXCEPT___________.

A．helpful

B．meaningful

C．painful

D．hopeful

【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE?

A．She gets a lot of help through her blogs.

B．She is in love with a young man at present.

C．She got medical treatment soon after the accident.

D．She had no job and earned little before the accident.

New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses working in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to look after them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact , they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole United States.
The cost of shoing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty-five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two or three hours to do the job.
A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. Clearly, a blacksmith must be very storng. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses---for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.
One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country from Ireland in 1948. He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and,as the puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”
【小題1】According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a______ man.

A．clever

B．rich

C．strong

D．lucky

【小題2】James Corbin became a blacksmith because he__________.

A．was interested in horses	B．was needed by the policemen
C．drew a picture of the horseshoe	D．had a make a living

【小題3】In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to__________.

A．fit it on the horse’s foot

B．use it for two or three hours

C．make the from of a horseshoe from a piece of metal

D．draw a picture of the shoe

【小題4】The best title for the passage is “__________”.

A．Policemen on Horseback	B．Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing
C．James Corbin, a Blacksmith	D．Horseshoeing is a Good Way to Make a Living

【小題5】Which of the following is true?

A．Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback.

B．New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback.

C．Policemen on horseback enjoy travelling around the United States.

D．Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars.