11．　　Mr. Jackson was our science teacher. On the first day of class, he gave us a talk about an animal called wampus. He told us that the wampus lived on earth millions of years ago during the Ice Age and died out because of the change of climate (气候). We all listened carefully and took (1)       of everything he said. Later we had a (2)      .
　　When the exam paper was (3)       to me, I was surprised and sad. There was a big red "X" through each of my answers. I failed. But how come? (4)       on the test paper, I had written down (5)       Mr. Jackson said in class.
　　Then I realized that no one (6)       the exam at all. What had happened?
　　"Very simple," Mr. Jackson explained. "I had made up all that story about the wampus. There had never been any such animal, so the information in your notes was not correct. Do you expect to get (7)       marks for incorrect answers?"
　　There was no need to say we were (8)      . What kind of test was this? What kind of teacher was he?
　　How could we believe he gave us so much information about an animal that had not been there at all? How was it possible (9)       us students to doubt what the teacher taught us?
　　"The zeros on your papers will be (10)       in your grade books," he said. And he did it.
　　Through this (11)      , Mr. Jackson hoped that we would learn something. Teachers and books are not always (12)      . In fact, no one is. He told us not to let our mind go to sleep. Instead, we should keep thinking all the time and speak up if we think there are (13)       in our teachers' words or in books.
　　We should (14)       the habit of doubting, and the ability to decide by ourselves. What a special (15)       he gave us!

12．　　Below are several posters about community matters for people.

13．　　More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion (十亿) bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost! Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you.
　　Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit (受益) from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way. Folding (折叠) bikes work well for people who take the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travellers.
　　Health Benefits of Bicycling:
　　•It helps to prevent heart diseases.
　　•Bicycling helps to control your weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.
　　•Bicycling can improve your mood (心情). Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.
　　•Bicycling is healthier than driving.

14．　　Rob Frenette had problems with bullies at school for eleven years. He was often lonely and scared. When he was fifteen, however, he decided to do something about his problems. He walked into a newspaper office and told them about the bullying. His story went into the newspaper and soon all the TV stations in Canada wanted to talk to him about his experiences. They also wanted to hear his ideas to stop bullying.
　　After that, Rob continued his studies at school, but in his free time he helped other people with bullying problems. With a friend Katie Neu, he made a website called www.bullyingcanada.ca. Visitors to the website can find advice, stories and poems about bullying, in both English and French. When people are upset, they can talk on the phone or online to Rob and his team. Every weekend Rob has to answer e-mails to the website. He also speaks to children, teachers and members of government around the country about bullying.
　　Rob's most important message is, "When bullies are unkind to you, it isn't your fault. There's nothing wrong with you, so you should try to keep trusting yourself. And remember that people care about your problems. You just have to find those people."
　　One of Rob's ideas is "Blue Day", a special day for stopping bullying in schools. Students have to wear blue clothes and in class they learn how to stop bullying. More than 150 Canadian schools now celebrate Blue Day, but Rob won't stop until there's a Blue Day in every school in Canada.

15．阅读短文，然后根据其内容回答所提问题。
　　Mary is going to study for a year in Toronto, Canada. She is worried because she knows little about it. Simon is a student in Toronto and here is some information for him to give Mary about the city.

16．　　The Chongyang Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. It (1)             (celebrate) on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It's also called the Double Ninth Festival.
　　The festival started as early as the Warring States Period (475—221 BC). It has a history of more than 1, 700 years. Among the numbers from zero to nine, nine is (2)            (high) odd number (奇数). People believe that two "ninths" meeting together stands for a long life. So it is a special holiday for Chinese people to show love and respect for (3)             (they) elders. They hold many kinds of (4)             (activity) in honor of old people to wish them good health and a long life.
　　The festival comes during the golden time of fall. On the day, people (5)             (traditional) drink chrysanthemum (菊花) wine, eat Double-Ninth Cakes and climb mountains. They also carry a kind of plant, and its name is dogwood. People in ancient times (6)            (believe) that the plant could drive away evil (邪恶的) spirits and prevent them from catching an (7)            (ill) in winter.

17．　　Our world is in danger. We must do something to protect the environment. But (A) are the main problems we face?
The greenhouse effect
　　The atmosphere around the Earth is necessary for all living things. It is like the glass of a greenhouse, letting sunlight in and (B)keeping heat from getting out. Without it, the Earth would be the same (C) the Moon-cold and lifeless.
　　When we burn fuels such as petrol and coal, we produce a gas called carbon dioxide (CO₂). (D)Too much of this gas pollutes the atmosphere, and causes it to keep in too much heat. As a result of the greenhouse effect, the Earth's temperature is increasing. This causes sea level to rise, and in the future may cause cities to disappear.
　　Cutting down forests
　　Every year, we destroy nature by cutting down huge areas of forests. This makes the greenhouse effect worse (E)因为树吸收二氧化碳 and produce oxygen. Cutting down trees also destroys the homes of the animals that live in our forests, and causes the surface of the soil to be easily destroyed by rain. This can (F)result in floods and even more damage to the environment.

18．　　In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on December 26th, which is the following day after Christmas Day. However, strictly speaking, (A)节礼日是圣诞节之后的第一个工作日。 Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means it's a non-working day in (B) whole of Britain. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is the public holiday.
The exact origin (起源) of the holiday is unclear. One of the thoughts is that during the Middle Ages, when great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, a Christmas Box was placed by a priest (神父) on each ship. Those sailors (水手) who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box. It was sealed up (密封) and kept on board until the ship came home safely. ①. Then the box was handed over to the priest in exchange for the saying of thanks for the success of the sailing. (C)The priest wouldn't open it to share the contents with the poor until Christmas.
　　One more thought is about the "Alms Box" placed in every church on Christmas Day. Worshippers (做礼拜的人) put gifts for the poor into it. These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas. ②.
　　③. Today many businesses, organizations and families try to keep the traditional spirit of Boxing Day alive by donating (捐赠) their time, services and money to aid Food Banks, providing gifts for the poor, or helping families (D) need. Besides, spending time with family and shopping are popular Boxing Day activities now.

19．阅读短文，然后根据其内容从方框中选出可以填入空白处的短语。

Dr Johnson: Well, what seems to be the problem?
Tanya: I just feel too busy, and everything seems too difficult. I'm having my exams next week, and I'm not sure whether I can do well in them. My best friend and I also just had a quarrel. I guess I'm having a lot of trouble (1)             stress.
Dr Johnson: So what are you doing to relax?
Tanya: Nothing, really. I am (2)             so many things. I don't have time to relax.
Dr Johnson: But are you aware that if you never relax, stress can become (3)             your health?
Tanya: So what should I do?
Dr Johnson: You can (4)             stress by taking a break now and then. It would also be good to (5)             a hobby or do some exercise.
Tanya: Well, I see. Thanks for your advice.

20．假如你是李华，在平时的学习生活中，也遇到了类似Tanya这样的烦恼，请给答读者问专栏的主笔Dr. Johnson写封信，征求建议。
要点如下：
1. 向Dr. Johnson致以问候，表达对专栏的喜爱之情；
2. 叙述你在学习上遇到的困难或和同学相处中碰到的烦恼、并征求建议；
3. 表达谢意并希望尽快收到答复。
Dear Dr. Johnson,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Li Hua