Name ______________ Score_________/40Part one:Passage one: Words: 201 Readability: 4.0Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.This is an old English saying. It means that we must go to bed early in the evening and get up early in the morning.Is this true? Perhaps it is. The body must have enough sleep. For example, children need ten hours’ sleep every night. If we do not go to bed early, we cannot have enough sleep. Then we cannot think or do our work well. We will not be wise or live a comfortable life.Some people go to bed late at night and get up late in the morning. This is not good for them. We must sleep at night when itis dark. When daylight comes, we must get up. This is the time for exercise. Walking, running, jumping, swimming, playing games are all good forms of exercise. Exercise keeps the body strong.Exercise helps blood to move around inside the body. This is very important. Blood takes food to all parts of our bodies. The brains in our heads also need blood. We think with our brains. If we keep our bodies healthy, and do exercises, we can think better!A. Write T for true F for false beside the following statements. (2.5’)____ 1.The passage tells the readers why it is important to be healthy.____ 2.Early to bed and early to rise helps us think and work well.____ 3.To keep healthy, everybody must sleep ten hours a day.____ 4.Daylight is the time for exercise.____ 5.Blood moves to all parts of our bodies.B. Answer the following questions incomplete sentences and in your own words. (2’)1. Give some forms of exercise from the passage.____________________________________________________________________ ____2. You must have some habits which are good for your health. What are they?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ________3. Give a proper title to the passage. (0.5’)____________________________________________________________________ ____Passage Two: Words: 231 Readability: 3.8SealA man moved his boat across the lake. Over his head, a bird flew in the wind and the other rested in a tree. Both watched the man.They knew the man was afraid of the sea. He wanted to swim but he was afraid of drowning. The two birds watched the man return to his home. They saw he didn’t have any confidence in himself. His house was small because he was not sure he could build a larger one. He didn’t cook his food because he was afraid he would burn it. The man did not run fast because he was afraid of falling. One bird said, “How will he succeed?” “He needs to find the talents that he had inside himself,” the other answered. “We must choose the correct time a nd chance carefully,” said the first one. One day, his daughter fell into the water. The man jumped into the sea without thinking. At that time, the two birds changed him into a seal. He saved his daughter. From that day on, the man could change himself into a seal whenever he wanted. He could swim and do things that no other person could do.The two birds were happy. Just like the man, all of us have special ability. It’s just waiting to be changed from dreams into reality, if only we have the courage to try.Answer the following questions in complete sentences. (5’)1. What was the man afraid of when he wanted to swim? (1’)____________________________________________________________________ ____2. Give 2 examples to show the man has no confidence in himself. (1’)_________________________________________________________________3. Why did the man jump into the sea one day? (1’)____________________________________________________________________ ____4. How did the two birds help him? Which kind of animal is a seal? (1’)____________________________________________________________________ ____5. What does the story want to tell us? (1’)____________________________________________________________________ ____%Correct ____________ =Mastery of Level_________(Yes/No)Part two:Passage one: Words: 242 Readability: 4.9Fiery Visitors from Outer Space1. On the next clear summer night, look up into the sky. If you are lucky, you may see a “shooting star”. They look just like stars falling down from the sky.2. But shooting stars are not stars at all. The real name for a shooting star is “meteor”.There are millions of meteors out in space. They are pieces of rock and metal. When they are in space, meteors do not glow. In fact, we can’t se e them at all. But when a meteor comes close to the earth, it starts to fall toward the earth. As it passes through the air, it gets very hot. It starts to glow, and finally it begins to burn. We see the burning meteor as a shooting star.3. Sometimes meteors travel by themselves in space. But many meteors travel in groups called swarms. The swarms have orbits like planets have. They pass close to the earth every year. A famous swarm is the Perseid swarm. It passes close to theearth in summer, usually in August. Each year a few meteors from the Perseid swarm fall to the earth, so August is a good month to watch for shooting stars.4. Most meteors are small, so they burn up before they crash into the earth and are buried in the ground. Once a meteor reaches the earth, we call it a meteorite. The biggest meteorite, which weighs seventy tons, landed in Africa.A. Circle the main idea of paragraph 3.(0.5’)1. Sometimes meteors travel by themselves in space.2. Sometimes meteors travel in swarms.3. A famous swarm is the Perseid swarm.4. August is a good month to watch for shooting stars.B. Match the word on the left with the phrase on the right that fits best by writing letters. (1’)1. ______meteor a. a famous swarm of meteors2. ______swarm b. a meteor that has reached the earth3. ______Perseid c. The real name for a shooting star4. ______Meteorite d. a group of meteorsC. Answer questions in complete sentences and in your own words.1. Why is Augusta good month to watch shooting stars? 1’____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ________2. Where is the biggest meteorite? 0.5’____________________________________________________________________ ____3. There is an old saying that if you make a wish when you see a shooting star, your wish will come true. So when you see a shooting star, what wish will you make? Why? 2’____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ________Passage Two: Words: 270 Readability: 4.2ZanOn the island of Crete, the Great Earth Mother had a child called Zan. The bees of the forest brought honey for little Zan, and the wild goats gave him milk. But children must have toys. So the five servants of the Great Earth Mother made toys for him. Zan played happily on the mountains with his toys and with the animals in the forest.When he grew up into a strong, kind man, Zan wanted to reward his animal friends. So he made a law that the goats could go wherever they wished. He made hives for the bees to protect them from the cold winds and snow. Then, Zan put the toys he had saved in a secret cave where they would be safe. He asked the bees to guard the cave.One day three bad men climbed up the mountain to find treasure. They put on armor to protect themselves from the bees, and they crept through the bushes untilthey reached the mouth of the cave. The bees buzzed around to attack the men, but their armor protected them and they went inside.Suddenly Zan appeared in the cave. “Stop!” He shouted. “You have come here to rob and kill. I must let you live, for this is the cave of life. But from now on, you will never be able to tell other people where my wonderful cave is.”As Zan finished speaking, the men turned into birds. One turned into a woodpecker, one became a thrush, and one became an owl. That’s why even today, when the birds speak, no one can understand them.A. Number the events below in the order that they happened. (0.5’*4)__________ Three bad men tried to steal Zan’s toys.__________ The Earth Mother had a child named Zan.__________ Zan turned the men into birds.__________ Zan rewarded his animal friends.B. Answer the following questions in complete sentences. (1’*3)1. Why did the three men come to the mountain?____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ____2. What happened to the three men at last?____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ____3. What kind of person do you think Zen is? ( At least 3 adjectives )____________________________________________________________________ ____%Correct ____________ =Mastery ofLevel_________(Yes/No)Part three:Passage One: Words 312 Readability 6.8Marie CurieMarie Curie was a great scientist. She was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. Both of her parents were teachers. When Marie was only 10 years old, her mother died.Marie was a very good student. She loved science, math, and languages. She and her sister Bronya wanted to go to college, but in those days, only men could go to college in Poland. The girls had to go to France to study. There was not enough money for both sisters to go, so Marie worked as a teacher in Poland. She sent money to Bronya to pay for medical school in Paris. After Bronya became a doctor, she helped Marie.When she was 24, Marie became a science student at the Sorbonne, a university in Paris. Even with her sister’s help, she did not have much money. She lived in a small room near college. It had no lights, no water, and no heat. Sometimes Marie only had bread and tea to eat.Marie studied hard and graduated(finished school) in 1894. A year later, she married Pierre Curie. He was also a scientist. They worked hard together for many years. Their most important discovery was radium. Today, doctors use the rays from radium to treat cancer. The Curies won a Nobel Prize for their discovery. This is the highest award for a scientist. Marie Curie was the first woman to receive this award.When Marie Curie was 39, Pierre died in a road accident. But she continued their work. Curie became the first woman professor in France. In 1911, she won a second Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, years of working with radium harmed her health. She died of cancer in 1934. Her daughter Irene continued Curie’s work. She also received a Nobel Prize. Sadly, Irene also got cancer and died young. Both women gave their lives for their work.Answer the following questions in complete sentences in your own words. 5’1. What kind of family was Marie born in?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ __2. What kind of life did Marie Curie have when she studied at university in Paris?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ __3. How many times did Marie Curie get the Nobel Prize?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ __4. Marie was born in Poland. Why did she become the first woman professor in France?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ __5. What kind of person do you think Marie Currie is? Give examples to support your ideas.____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ __Passage Two: Words: 412 Readability: 5.6The Choking DogJoanne beat impatiently on the steering wheel of her Mercedes sports car. Now she was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 p.m., and at 6:30 she was expected to hold a meeting of the tennis club.At last, the traffic was moving, and she switched quickly to the fast lane to get home. After she parked her car, she leapt out of the car and ran for the house. As she opened the door, she almost knocked down Sheba, her dog, who was standing behind it.She bent down to stroke the large Alsatian do g's head, "I have to go now” Sheba was coughing or choking as if she was trying to vomit something. She was obviously in real discomfort, and her sad eyes gazed at Joanne helplessly. Joanne examined the dog closely, and Sheba did look very sick. Joanne realized that it is necessary to take her to the vet immediately. Fortunately, the vet's surgery is not far. Joanne quickly loaded the coughing and choking dog and took her to the vet.As soon as she arrived at Dr. Sterne’s place, he brought her immediate ly into his office."Something is stuck in her throat," said Dr. Sterne."Doctor, I have to go back to get changed for an emergent meeting. I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, OK?""Sure,” said the doctor.Joanne hurriedly went back to her home. As she entered the door, the phone rang.“This is Dr.Sterne. I'm coming with the police. Wait outside for us.” said the doctor with fear in his voice. Joanne was confused and also a little frightened.When she ran into the street, two policemen were getting out of their car. After briefly checking that she was the owner of the house, they ran into the house, without explaining anything. Joanne was completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived."Where's Sheba? Is she OK?" shouted Joanne."She's fine, Joanne. I extracted the thing which was choking her."Why are the police in my house?"Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man who could hardly walk and with blood all over him."How did he get in there?”"I think he must be a burglar," said the doctor. "I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba's throat, it turned out to be three human fingers. I don't think he's a very happy burglar."I. Circle the correct letter of the answer. (2’)1. Why was Joanne impatient at the beginning of the story?a. She was lost.b. She had lost a client at work.c. She was stuck in a traffic jam.d. Her dog was sick.2. Why did Joanne take the dog to Dr. Sterne's surgery?a. It was time for Sheba's checkup.b. The dog couldn't breathe properly.c. She wanted to get her out of the house.d. The doctor had asked to see her.3. What happened as she arrived home for the second time?a. The police arrived.b. The phone rang.c. The dog died.d. A burglar was just escaping.4. The story says that the dog "gazed at Joanne helplessly". "Gazed" meansa. staredb. criedc. barkedd. laughedII. Answer the following questions in complete sentences and in your own words. (3’)1. Why did the doctor ask Joanne to wait outside her house?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________2. Use two or three sentences to describe what happened between the dog and the burglar.____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________3. What are the consequences of burgling?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________%Correct ____________ =Mastery of Level_________(Yes/No)Part Four:Passage One: Words: 358 Readability: 7.5DrumsWhen we think of a drum we usually think of a musical instrument. The drum has also been used for years as an important tool for communication. The human voice is very good for communication, but it cannot be heard very far. As early humans began to live in groups, runners were sent from village to village with important messages, but that took a lot of time. It was discovered that beating on hollow logs could be heard for greater distances, and so a new form of communication called “talking drums” was born.In many early communities, a large drum was set in the middle of the village to help send messages to nearby tribes. The drums could be hit with hands and sticks. Some of the larger drums could be heard up to sixteen miles away!A group in West Africa made an amazing talking drum system. Their drums were made of round pieces of wood that were four to five feet long. A skin (often an elephant ear) was stretched over one end of the wood and was held in place by a rope. The skin was tightened or loosened to make higher and lower sounds. They had learned to use the drums so well that they could actually copy the language that they spoke! The drums sounded like a person speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard far away.Most systems of drum communication used a series of beats that meant something. The messages usually told of danger, death, war, or other news of great importance. The message could be sent very far by a relay system. That is, one village would send a message and a nearby village would hear it. They would thenrepeat the message on their drums, sending it to their neighbors. Some relay systems worked so well that they could send a message about 200 miles very quickly.Although “talking drums” became a good system of communicating over distances, it had one very big problem. Their enemies could understand the drum messages, so they would know what was being said or planned. Communication by drums certainly wasn’t perfect!A. True or False. Decide the following statements are true (T) or false (F). (2’) _______1. The main idea of the passage is that drums can be heard over great distances._______2. Drums are only used as a musical instrument._______3. People in West Africa tightened the skin over the drum to make a lower sound._______4. Drums made by people in West Africa could speak.B. Answer the following questions in complete sentences and in your own words. (3’)1. What is a drum “relay system”? (1’)____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ _____.2. Name 4 other forms of communication and which one do you like best and why (2’)____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ________.Passage Two: Words 360 Readability: 6.0We Like to ShareGeorge and Ellen were successful owners of a restaurant which they kept clean and spotless while serving good inexpensive food. They were very friendly with all their faithful customers who dined at their café because they enjoyed being friendly and helpful.One day an unfamiliar elderly couple came into the thriving restaurant. Although the old man ordered a hamburger and some French fries, his grey-haired wife didn’t order anything to eat. George prepared the food and served it to the man.The old fellow and his wife sat at a dining table and the man cut the hamburger in half. Then he divided the French fries into two equal parts. He put half of the hamburger and half of the French fries in front of his wife. Then he began to eat his half of the hamburger and fries. His wife relaxed and watched while he ate.Ellen observed the old couple. She thought that perhaps they couldn’t afford another hamburger. She felt sorry for them, so she went over to their table and offered them another meal free of charge.The old man was too busy eating to reply, but his wife said, “Oh, No!Don’t worry about us. We like to share. We share everything.”The old fellow nodded and said, “Everything,” before he stuffed more French fries into his mouth.Ellen smiled at them and returned to the counter. She took some orders from other waiting customers and then watched the old couple again. She noticed that the woman was still not eating. Her half of the cooling burger and fries remained sitting on the plate on the table in front of her. She reasoned that perhaps the man’s wife intended to give her share to her husband if he was still hungry after eating his share. Ellen frowned in confusion. She hastily returned to their table.The old woman saw her and commenced telling her not to worry because they had always shared everything.“I know,” responded Ellen. “You’ve already told me that. I was just wondering why you are not eating your half.”“Oh,” said the woman. “I’m just waiting for my turn with the false teeth.” (6.0) Answer the following questions in complete sentences in your own words. 5’1. What kind of food did George and Ellen’s restaurant serve?____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ____2. Why did Ellen think the old couple couldn’t afford another hamburger?____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ____3. What is the meaning of intended?a. plannedb. wonderedc. noticedd. wanted4. Write an adjective in each blank._____________________ customers ______________________hamburger 5. Why was Ellen so confused by the behavior of the oldpeople?____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ____%Correct ____________ =Mastery of Level_________(Yes/No)。
