II. Choose the best answer(选择最恰当的答案)

(   ) 23. Which of the following underlined parts is different from the others in pronunciation?

A. We ate a big birthday cake on my brother’s birthday.

B. The teacher encourages us to face the problems bravely.

C. It is known to all that an apple a day keeps a doctor away.

D. Jack has never been late for school since he came to the middle school.

(   )24. I wonder whether it is suitable to buy ____ camera as a gift for Tom’s birthday.

A. a B. an C. the D. /

(   )25. They made a complete plan and started to

climb the hill ____ the morning of July 10th.

A. in B. on C. at D. of

(   )26. Sunny left the office quickly without speaking to ____ else. She seemed to be angry.

A. somebody B. everybody C. nobody D. anybody

(   )27. Can you see ____ lovely cat over there clearly? I want to have one like it.

A. this B. that

C. these D. those

(   )28. If you have any problems, you can ask your parents to give you ____.

A. a piece advice B. an advice C. some advice D. some advices

(   )29. A lady from India with an amazing brain can calculate even ____ than a powerful computer.

A. fast B. fastest C. faster D. the fastest

(   )30. There are 30 students doing sports in the playground. Some are playing basketball, and ____ are playing badminton.

A. others B. the other

C. other D. another

(   )31. You will miss the early school bus ____ you start out now. You’d better hurry up.

A. but B. if C. or D. unless

(   )32. If you decide ____ your hand, those are motor neurons telling the muscles what to do.

A. raised B. raise

C. raising D. to raise

(   )33. Captain King and his crew couldn’t escape from Gork without the giant kangaroos, ____?

A. didn’t he B. could they C. could he D. didn’t they

(   )34. The WHO has promised that it ____ more attention to the safety of food and water in the future.

A. paid B. pays

C. will pay D. has paid

(   )35. We can ____ the new words in the dictionary when we come across them while reading newspapers.

A. look after B. look up

C. look at D. look for

(   )36. ____ happy life we are living at present! Let’s go out to have fun together.

A. How B. What

C. What a D. What an

(   )37. — Linda, I’m afraid I can’t go to your birthday party tonight. My mother is ill.

— ____.

A. I’m sorry to hear that

B. That’s all right

C. Don’t worry

D. She must be in hospital

Ⅲ. Complete the following passage with the words or phrase in the box. Each can only be used once（将下列单词或短语前的字母填入空格。每个单词或短语只能填一次）（共5分） 

“Where there is a will, there is a way.” Perhaps not many students can understand this better than 22-year-old Michael Ha. Michael Ha was born in a very poor family. His parents (38) ____ in Vietnam before they moved to Britain in 1980. They couldn’t find work in Britain because they spoke little English. The whole family had to live on benefits (救济金) and they lived in a small house in Hackney, a (39) ____ area in East London. Growing up was not easy for Michael, but he never gave up.

At the age of ten, he set his heart on going to Cambridge University. It was not easy, either. Michael studied at a school, (40) ____ used to be called “the worst school in Britain”. However, young Michael made up his mind (下定决心) to try his best, no matter what kind of school he was studying at. The （41） ____ boy studied very hard and did well in every subject at school. Once he made a bet (打赌) with his friend to learn further (深一层的) Maths. After just spending four months (42) ____ from a book, he got an A in AS-level further Maths.

Now Michael is the star student in John’s College, Cambridge and has just won an award (奖励). He hopes he will be an inspiration (鼓舞) for other young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (不利背景).

Ⅳ. Complete the sentences with the given words in their proper forms (用括号中所给单词的适当形式完成下列句子)（8分）

43. I would like to have a penfriend who is also in the ______ grade. (eight)

44. The ______ of the Internet makes it possible to do business without leaving home. (invent)

45. All the assistants are the students who come from different famous ______. (university)

46. ______ are so fast and accurate that a lot of street vendors still use them today. (abacus)

47. I hope to be able to cook as ______ as my mother when I have learned how to cook meals. (good)

48. Jenny’s experience as an exchange student in Australia has turned out to be ______. (interest)

49. All the reporters were asked to wait ______ outside the meeting room for the appearance of the superstar. (silent)

50. The grass can absorb and control the spread of ______ waste water, like those from pig farms. (harm)

Ⅴ. Rewrite the following sentences as required（根据所给要求，改写下列句子。51-54题, 每空格限填一词。55题注意句首大写)(10分)

51. The charity organization will receive some

money from the local government next year. (改为否定句)

The charity organization ______ receive ______ money from the local government next year.

52. The music at the cafe sounded so noisy that I couldn’t stay any longer. (改为简单句)

The music at the cafe sounded ______ ______ for me to stay any longer.

53. “Have you got any further information about the accident?” the boss asked. (改为宾语从句)

The boss asked ______ I ______ got any further information about the accident.

54. The astronauts have collected much information from the outer space. (对画线部分提问)

______ ______ the astronauts collected from the outer space?

55. sometimes, on the way, make, to, clients, I, phone calls, our (连词、词组成句)

_______________________________________.

Part 3 Reading and Writing(第三部分 读写)

Ⅵ. Reading Comprehension (阅读理解) (共26分)

A. Choose the best answer (选择最恰当的答案) (6分) (词数：233)

Do you know what some students in Venezuela do in their summer holiday? Some of them will go to watch a swimming contest. Hundreds of players including some students swim across the Orinoco River. It is a test of action, quality (质量) and power. The contest is held in the Orinoco River and it is one of the longest rivers in South America. The contest is held every year and has become a tradition in Venezuela.

About 900 people signed up for it and 805 took part in it this year. The players had to swim across the muddy (泥泞的) water of the Orinoco.

805 men and women entered the 3.1-kilometre contest, and 520 of them reached the end after fighting the current (水流) of the river. Others were pushed too far by the waves and had to be picked up by boats.

Swimmers said the fast moving waves made the event difficult. “Just getting across is a challenge (挑战),” said Rene Alvarez, a 41-year-old player who joined in the contest for the fifth time and finished to be the second in his age class.

“I like it because it’s an event that’s never the same. Sometimes the river was gentle and it was not so hard to get across. But this year the Orinoco was very, very strong,” Alvarez said. “Since it depends a lot on the current, there are a lot of strategies (战略) included.”

(   )56. The swimming contest in the Orinoco River is held in ____ every year.

A. spring B. summer

C. autumn D. winter

(   )57. How many players didn’t reach the end in the contest this year?

A. 285.     B. 520.

C. 805.