Yacouba Sawadogo is an African farmer who has been travelling across the deserts for the last 30 years，using ancient farming techniques to fight the threatening deserts.
His story dates back to the 1980s when Africa suffered one of the worst droughts in its history．During that period，rainfall reduced by as much as 80％，killing almost all the plants．Most local people moved away to different places，but Yacouba stayed back．Instead of giving in to the violence of nature，he decided to take control and change the face of the land completely．
Unable to read and write，and with no access to modern techniques and tools，he started to employ an old African farming practice called “Zai”．The practice involves planting seeds in small holes filled with eco-friendly manure(肥料)．The holes fill up with and keep the water that falls during the rainy season．This provides moisture(水分) and nutrients for the growing plants during the dry periods．Also，the manure attracts ants，which help break up the soil further and increase its ability to take in water．
Within two decades of starting his revolutionary work，a forested area of about fifty acres came up on the land of the African desert．Yacouba featured in a documentary titled “The Man Who Stopped the Desert” through which he became known to the rest of the world．To the great joy and relief of Yacouba，what the documentary focused on was put into the re-establishment of local forests and a training program for the farmers who wanted to 1earn Yacouba’s technique．Today，“Zai” is being widely practiced in the region．
1.What does the text mainly talk about?
A. A training program for African farmers．
B. A documentary about an influential African farmer．
C. The serious situation of environment destruction in Africa．
D. An African farmer fighting deserts with old farming methods．
2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Yacouba advertised his farming practice through the media．
B. Yacouba’s efforts have made a great difference．
C. Rebuilding forests is no tough job at a11．
D. Deserts no longer threaten Africa．
3.Which word can best describe Yacouba?
A. Determined． B. Knowledgeable． C. Curious． D. Creative．
After a long winter，spring is the ideal time for sightseeing and exploring London’s green spaces．
Explore London’s parks and gardens
Springtime is one of the perfect times of year to explore London’s parks and gardens，when the city’s Royal Parks will be blooming with flowers．Go and admire the rainbow of azaleas(杜鹃花) at Richmond Park or hire a deckchair in St James’s Park with a view of Buckingham Palace.
Enjoy the entertainment at a Spring Festival
There are a good many festivals and events held in London throughout spring．Make the most of the cultural exhibitions at the British Library Spring Festival, the Sundance Film Festival or the London Literature Festival；head to Shakespeare’s Globe，which hosts open-air Shakespeare performances from late April until early October．
Get active
Warmer weather means there’s no excuse for staying indoors，so go for a walking or cycling tour of London．Alternatively，walk the Thames Walkway，which follows the river all the way from central London into the countryside；make the most of London’s “Boris Bikes”，which are available for hire all around the city and are free of charge for the first half hour．If you’re really looking for a challenge，sign up for the famous London Marathon，held annually in April．
Take to the waters
Whether cruising(航行) along the Thames River，hiring a rowing boat in Hyde Park or riding a canal boat around Little Venice，there are lots of fun ways to get on the water in London．Held every year since 1829，the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race allows teams from England’s most famous universities to compete against each other，and draws huge crowds of watching people．
1.If you are interested in British culture，you are advised to ________．
A. visit Richmond Park B. row a boat in Hyde Park
C. attend the London Festivals D. walk the Thames Walkway
2.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. You can see Buckingham Palace from St James’s Park．
B. London’s Boris Bikes are free to use for a whole day．
C. Outdoor Shakespeare performances are held only in spring．
D. The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race has a history of over 200 years．
3.According to the writer，which of the following activities challenges you most?
A. Watching Boat Race． B. Joining in London Marathon．
C. Cruising along the Thames River． D. Cycling around London．
4.The writer wrote the text in order to ________.
A. introduce tourist attractions in London
B. stress the importance of exploring London
C. suggest ways to enjoy spring in London
D. show the beauty of spring in London
假设你是光明中学的高中生李华。你校拟选拔一些优秀学生，利用暑期到星光希望小学为学生辅导英语。你希望参加此活动。请根据以下提示，用英语给校评选组写一封申请信：
•对此活动的认识（如对本人、学校及社会的益处等）
•个人优势（如性格、独立生活能力、语言能力等）
•你的计划（如怎样进行辅导等）
注意：1.词数80词;
2.可适当加入细节，以使内容充实、行文连贯;
3.信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入词数。
参考词汇： 星光希望小学Xing Guang Hope School
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Li Hua from Class One, Senior One .__________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Yours Sincerely
Li Hua
1.说实在的，如果你能用现金支付我会非常感激（honest； appreciate）
__________________________________________________________________________
2.我们钦佩他对教学的投入，从他身上我们学到了很多（admire; devotion; 定语从句）
__________________________________________________________________________
3.他和女主人交谈得很开心。显然，他们对彼此很熟悉（familiar）
__________________________________________________________________________
4.他女朋友一直未原谅他的不守信，即便他已经道歉了（forgive; word; even though）
___________________________________________________________________________
5.我们的老师认为养成良好的学习习惯很重要，我们可以从中受益匪浅（attach; form; benefit）
__________________________________________________________________________
In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice-bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, 1. Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.
Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might 2. (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine 
various hardwoods and metal 3. (create) special design.
The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots, 4. (use) twigs(树枝) to remove it. Over time, 5. the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which 6. (gradual) turned into chopsticks.
Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, 7. lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the 8. (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and 9. (be) too violent for use at the table.
Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat 10. their hands.
The young woman entered the pool where an injured dolphin（海豚） was swimming．Despite her fear, she felt strong wearing her new leg．
In her second grade．Maja __________ her cousin，Jasmina．After Jasmina’s death．Maja swore she would honor the little girl by __________ with a dolphin, an animal that both girls __________.” Jasmina never got the chance to do it.” says Maja, now, “so I __________ that someday I’d do it for her．”
In high school, Maja was __________ about sports．She even planned to become an athlete． __________, in 1993, during the civil war in her home country, a bomb（炸弹）__________ her left leg．
After two years’ __________ in the U.S., Maja received her first artificial leg, but __________ it didn’t fit well, walking for Maja was very painful. __________, she managed to graduate from a local high school．Then after receiving a __________ from Saint Francis University, she got a job at an insurance firm and __________ started her own company．
To relax, Maja __________ often watch the dolphins play at an aquarium（水族馆）near her home．A young dolphin, Winter, who had lost its tail, caught her __________. One day, Maja happened to see trainers __________ Winter with a high-tech tail．When they were done, Winter swam freely in the water. Maja was inspired．She__________ to find the inventors of Winter’s tail．Within ten days, she had a new leg which freed her of the __________ that had troubled her for almost 16 years．
Now Maja was ready to keep her __________．She went to the aquarium．Lowered herself into the pool and held out a hand to Winter, who got close __________, then swam away．After a few minutes, the dolphin let Maja __________ its back. Finally, the two began to swim around the pool together．
1.A. lost B. visited C. rescued D. left
2.A. talking B. living C. surfing D. swimming
3.A. spoiled B. accepted C. liked D. bought
4.A. pretended B. perfected C. decided D. agreed
5.A. interested B. crazy C. positive D. concerned
6.A. Undoubtedly B. Surprisingly C. Unfortunately D. Strangely
7.A. took away B. took over C. cut down D. cut off
8.A. study B. operation C. experiment D. treatment
9.A. until B. because C. although D. if
10.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D. Otherwise
11.A. glory B. notice C. prize D. degree
12.A. gradually B. finally C. actually D. personally
13.A. might B. should C. would D. could
14.A. nose B. leg C. eye D. hand
15.A. decorating B. guiding C. marking D. fitting
16.A. succeeded B. managed C. shocked D. puzzled
17.A. pain B. 
sadness C. worry D. fear
18.A. attention B. promise C. record D. habit
19.A. blindly B. swiftly C. carefully D. gratefully
20.A. touch B. cover C. mop D. inspect
