11．　　You may think there is only sand in the desert of the world, (1)       it is not true. In the desert, as we know, there is a little (2)      , but it is not (3)       for most plants. Still we can see some plants live in the desert.
　　There is (4)       in some places in the desert. We call these places oases (绿洲). In the oases, there are villages and towns. People grow all kinds of crops in the fields there.
　　People (5)       live outside the oases. They have camels, sheep and other animals. These animals depend on the desert plants for their food and do not need (6)       water.
　　The animals are useful to the desert people in many ways. They eat the meat and drink the milk of the animals. They use the camels for carrying water, food, tents and something else.
　　The people of the desert have to keep moving from place to place. They must always (7)       grass or desert plants for their animals. When there is no more food for their animals, they move to (8)       place. The desert people are (9)      . No man in the desert would ever (10)       to help the people in trouble and give them food and water.

12．　　U2 is the name of a band from Ireland. It's one of the most famous rock bands in the world.
　　In 1978, a 17-year-old high school student, Larry Mullen, looked for some musicians to make a band. Finally, he found another three boys and they set up a band. The four boys named their band U2.
　　They traveled a lot and gave concerts in many countries. More and more people got to know them and love their music. Many of their songs, such as Beautiful Day and walk on, were popular. In the 1980 s, the band became famous.
　　Now the four members of U2 are still good students and their music is still popular. People in the world still enjoy their music.

13．　　Inventions usually make a big difference to people's lives. Do you have any great inventions at home? Do they help you a lot in your life or bring you much fun? Here are some of the most useful inventions in families according to a survey.

14．　　Fights at school sometimes happen. (1)       Here's something you can do.
　　(2)       Sometimes, you feel so angry that you really want to teach somebody a lesson. But being angry can't solve problems. (3)       In the school, everyone involved (卷入) in a fight will be punished (惩罚), no matter who started it. There are no winners in a fight.
　　(4)       If you know someone is coming up behind you to attack (攻击), turn toward the person with your hands up in front of your body and loudly say "stop" before walking away. Loud voice can usually make the attacker calm down. If the person doesn't stop, cry for help by calling out the name of a teacher whose office is near.
　　(5)       Your friend may ask you to join in a fight. Learn to say no. Helping him fight is not really helpful to him. If you really want to give him a hand, try to ask him to give it up. Also, you can tell him if he gets involved in a fight, he may get hurt and be punished. Then, try to learn why he wants a fight and help him find a right way to deal with the problem.

根据短文内容, 从下列选项中选出能填入文中空白处的最佳选项, 选项中有一项为多余选项．

15．　　One day, a man was walking on the street. At the corner, he met a little boy holding a bird cage (鸟笼) and (1)      (sell) birds. He (2)      (stop) and looked very sadly at the birds. The birds were jumping up and down in the cage, trying to fly away.
　　After standing for a moment, he asked the boy, "How much are these birds?"
　　"One dollar and fifty cents, sir." the boy answered quickly.
　　"I am afraid that you are mistaken. I am not asking how much it is." The man said. "I'd like (3)      (buy) all of the birds. How much do you want for (4)      (they)?"
　　Hearing this, the boy (5)      (happy) counted the number of the birds in the cage.
　　"You need to pay 5 dollars (6)      them."
　　"Here is the money!" The man passed the money. The boy counted with (7)      (excite). However, he then was (8)      (吃惊) to find all the birds flew away.
　　"Oh my God, for what reason did you do that, sir? You don't even get a bird!" The boy asked the man who set the birds free.
　　"My boy, let me tell you why I did this." The man said. "All (9)      (life) should be free. (10)       we like them or not, they are our friends. We should give them freedom."

16．　　In Chengdu, tea culture has developed into the Chengdu-featured (特殊的) tea house culture. There is a saying about Chengdu tea houses: You could see more tea houses than sunny days. Why can the tea house in Chengdu catch so much eyesight? It is because of their many different functions (功能): for relaxing, meetings as well as amusement.
　　Chengdu tea houses are often decorated (装饰) with bamboo desks and bamboo chairs. Chengdu people love tea houses, because they love chatting. They often gather together in a crowded tea house, and drink tea when chatting in their free time. They often have a cup of tea and cakes, watch actors performing traditional arts, talk and laugh with people in the house, which could be true joy of life.
　　The soft wind is filled with tea's smell. The teas they use are usually jasmine green teas. Dragon-well and Biluochun. They use Northern Gaiwan as tea sets (larger than Gongfu Gaiwan). Gaiwan is made of three parts: the lid, the cup and the saucer (茶碟). When the tea service master pours water into the Gaiwan, you will see the water filling from the air into Gaiwan, with a lively sound. In a moment, water stops. Then look at the Gaiwan. The water in it is just right at the level of the Gaiwan's mouth, with a simple drip (水滴) on the desk. This is a unique (独特的) skill, as well as an art.
　　No matter where you are in Chengdu, in a quiet park or in a busy street, you can see those featured tea houses. They have fair price and good service. People can stay there for half a day, having only a cup of tea and snacks. In the talks of friends and neighbors, the colorful tea culture of Chengdu is fully expressed.
阅读短文，回答问题。

17．　　There are so many expressions (表达) in American English that sound good but are not . "Face the music" is a good example. When someone says they have to "face the music", it does not mean they are going to a concert.
　　"Facing the music" means to accept the punishment of an action. Americans often use the word "face" in this way. For example, "I can't face another night of camping! It's cold and rainy." Or "In life, you must face your fears." "Face" used in this way is very common.
　　But now, let's go back to facing the music. Imagine a friend asks you to take care of her beautiful red sports car. She gives you the keys and says, "Thanks so much for watching my car while I'm away. But please do not drive it. It is an extremely (极其) fast car." But you do not listen. You want to show off (炫耀) to some friends. So, you drive it into a stop sign. Bang!
　　When your friend returns, you must tell her what you have done and "face the music". The "music" here is a result. It could be losing her friendship or paying for repairs to her sports car or both. Whatever the music is, you must face it.
　　There are other American expressions that mean the same thing as "face the music". To "take your medicine" means to accept the results from something bad you have done. And if someone says, "You made your bed. Now lie in it." He means you created a bad situation and now you will experience the results!
阅读短文，按要求完成相关任务。

23．大自然给予我们多姿多彩的世界。正如习大大所说，绿水青山就是金山银山。相信同学们也一定发现了，我们赖以生存的大自然正在变得越来越美丽。请以"Love Our Beautiful Nature"为题写一篇演讲稿，号召同学们从自身出发，从小事出发，尽自己所能珍爱大自然。
内容包括：
1. 政府和人们在大自然保护方面做出的努力。
2. 作为中学生，你在日常生活中能够做的有助于保护大自然的小事。
3. 我们的行为对大自然的积极影响。
要求：书写工整，80—100词（开头已给出, 不计入词数）。
Love Our Beautiful Nature
　　These days, our nature is becoming more and more beautiful. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________