The capital of the United States 61.    (be) called Washington, D.C. It was named

 Washington in honor of 62._____first president of the United States, George Washington. D.C.

stands for "District of Columbia". Its 63.  _(create) started in 1790. It was built along a river.

It was burned down by the British army in 1812, 64.____it was quickly repaired. The city is

 home 65.___many government buildings, 66.__     (include) the White House and the U.

S. Congress. The Library of Congress is the 67._  _(large) library in the world with over 36

 million books. There is also a large museum 68.   _(call) the Smithsonian Museum. In 1800,

the city had a population of 8100. By 1900, it had grown to almost 300,000. Now Washington, D.C.

is one of the country's largest 69._  (city). Many people visit the capital each year to tour the

 buildings and museums. 19 million people visited 70.___last year.

     你的学校要举行征文比赛，题目为“My Favourite Festival”， 请以此为题写一篇文章参加比赛，介绍你最喜欢的一个节日。要点如下：

5. 节日的庆祝时间；

6. 节日的象征或传统食物；

7. 节日的庆祝方式。

注意：  1.词数100左右；

        2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

My Favourite Festival

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.

But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.

    Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy.  “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.

    “In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”

    The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules:Anatomy of an Attitude.

    But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause.  Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.

Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die. 1111]

But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.

    “Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.

32．If you were considered“cool”in Africa in the 15th century, you_____.

A. thought and acted differently from the majority

B. had a calm and quiet attitude towards life

C. didn’t observe rules and authorities           

D. had all kinds of “bad” manners

33．The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who _____.

A. do very well in their studies                                    

B. are very skilled at sports

C. are good at chess and other thinking games.

D. have supernatural powers like Harry Potter

34．Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?

A. It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd.

B. “Cool” was used as early as the 15th century.

C. Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays.

D. Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”.

35．What does the article mainly talk about?

A. The origin of the word “cool”.

B. The kinds of people who are “cool”.

C. The changing meaning of the word “cool”.    

D. How to be a “ cool” person.

  Eddie drove over to Betty’s to see her, only to find she wasn’t home, so he wrote a note: “Hi, Betty. I love you and I miss you.” He was about _61______(tape) the note onto her front door when he saw her car pull up. She walked up the _62_____(stair). Instead of the big smile, hug, and kiss that she usually greeted him with, she simply said, “What’s up?” 

“You didn’t call me back for _63____ last two days, honey, so I came over to see you.” He gave her the note. She _64______(open) it, read it, and put it on the kitchen table. 

“That’s sweet,” she said, _65_____(walk) into her bedroom. Eddie followed her and tried to hug her.  “I have to wash my hands,” she said. When she came out of the bathroom, she told Eddie that he should go home. She said she was hungry after a whole _66____(tire) day, and was going to eat something _67___ take a nap. She added that she might call him _68______(late). 

_69_____Eddie‟s entire five-minute visit, Betty constantly avoided his eyes. Instead of walking him out to his car, Betty locked her front door as soon as Eddie was outside her apartment, much to his _70____(disappoint).  

An old lady in a plane had a blanket（毯子）over her head and she did not want to take it off . The air hostess spoke to her, but the old lady said, “I have never been in a plane before , and I am frightened. I am going to keep this blanket over my head until we are back on the ground again !”

Then the captain came. He said, “Madam, I am the captain of this plane. The weather is fine, there are no clouds in the sky, and everything is going very well. ”But she continued to hide.

So the captain turned and started to go back. Then the old lady looked out from under the blanket with one eye and said, “I am sorry, young man, but I don’t like planes and I am never going to fly again. But I’ll say one thing, ”She continued kindly, “You and your wife keep your plane very clean!”

36. An old lady had _________ .

A. glasses     B. a blanket over her head     C. a coat     D. a basket

37. A. She didn’t want to ________ .

A. turn it off  B.  take it off  C. talk about it  D. get it on

38. _________ spoke to her .

A. Her husband       B. One of her friends

C. The air hostess     D. The man next to her

39. The old lady had never been _________ before .

A. abroad        B. in hospital     C. in a plane       D. home

40. The woman didn’t like planes and she was never going ________ .

A. to fly again     B. to travel      C. to go abroad     D. to go home

    Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down. “I wish I could take one of my children out alone,” said Christie.

Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I’ll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I’ll take someone out.

The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie’s daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “She’s like a different child when there’s no one else around,” Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn’t have to make an effort to gain attention.

Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering（口吃的）son, Tom, doesn’t stutter once during our activities since he doesn’t have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who’s always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.

The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child ---talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves to be an only child at least once in a while.

24. What is the text mainly about?

    A. The experience of the only child being with mother.

    B. The advantage of spending time with one child at a time.

    C. The happy life of two families.

    D. The basic needs of children.

25. Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were _____________.

     A. happy            B. curious            C. regretful          D. friendly

26. What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?

    A. The daughter acts like a leader.          B. Sam holds her hand more often.

    C. The boys become better followers.      D. Tom has less difficulty in speaking.

27. The author seems to believe that ___________.

    A. having brothers and sisters is fun

    B. it’s tiring to look after three children

    C. every child needs parents’ full attention

    D. parents should watch others’ children

As one of the world’s oldest holidays, Halloween is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe, but it is in North America and Canada that it maintains its highest level of popularity. Every year,65% of Americans decorate their homes and offices for Halloween. Halloween is the holiday when the most candy is sold and is second only to Christians in terms of total sales.

Australia

In Australia, some people will leave bread. water and a lighted lamp on the table before retiring on Halloween night. The reason for this is that it was once believed such items  would welcome the dead souls back to earth on a night which for the Australians was considered to be brimming（溢）with strong cosmic energies.

Belgium

The Belgium believe that it is unlucky for a black cat to cross one’s path and also unlucky if it should enter is home or travel on a ship. The custom in Belgium on Halloween night is to light candles in memory of dead relatives.

Canada

Modern Halloween celebrations in Canada began with the arrival of Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1800s. Jack-O-Lantern is carved and the festivities include parties, trick-or-treating and the decorating of homes with pumpkins and corn stalks.

France

Unlike most nation of the world, Halloween is not celebrated by the French in order to honor the dead and departed ancestors. It is regarded as a “American” holiday in France and was unknown in the country until around 1996.

21. In which countries does Halloween have its highest level of popularity?

A. France and North America               B. Canada and North America

B. Australia and Canada                   D. Belgium and Canada

22. Why will people leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the table In Australia?

A. These items would welcome the dead souls back to earth

B. These items are used to respect ancestors

C. These items are just for fun

D. The other items can replace them

23. In which country does Halloween is not celebrated as the others?

A. Canada               B. Belgium            C. Australia          D. France        

 Tom is good at his work, but he seems to _____ confidence.

   A. lack     B. lack of       C. lacking in       D. short of

I wish there would be a way to describe China in simple terms but that's impossible. For the most part Chinese people are friendly, easy­going and optimistic. They are curious and unusually patient and they are also the hardest-­working people I have ever met.

In China, family is everything. In my English classes when the students were asked what they would do if they only had a few hours to live, most students told me how they would spend their last few hours with their families and parents. Many times the subjects in the classes center on families and friends. I teach many students a year, talking to them freely.

The cost of living here is very low compared with that of the US. The city of Xiang Fan I live in isn't large and I live better. Non­imported(非进口的)foods are very cheap, so are clothing and articles of everyday use. The cost of public transportation is very low, too. Chinese value education. However, it is reported that many children can't afford the expenses of schooling and are forced to leave school in some poor areas in China. But they organized Project Hope many years ago. It creates conditions for the poor children to go back to school. In my opinion, Project Hope is of great importance to the development of the rural education.

When we read news of China in the west, rarely, if ever, will we see anything mentioned of the positive changes China has gone through. While it is true that economic miracles have not reached many areas of China, but we also have the same problems.

When I am asked which country I consider better, China or the US, my answer has always been the same, “We are not worse or better than each other, we are only different.”

25．What does the author think of Chinese people?

A. He thinks most Chinese people hardly work.

B. He thinks most Chinese people are proud.

C. He dislikes most Chinese people.

D. He praises most Chinese people a lot.

26．What is the author doing in China?

A. He is teaching English in a school.

B. He is visiting the places of interest.

C. He is studying in a college.

D. He is on business.

27．What are NOT cheap in China in the author's opinion?

A. Clothes and shoes made in China.

B. Local foods.

C. Imported foods.

D. Public transportation tickets.

28．We can infer from the passage that the author thinks ________.

A. the westerners have got to know China well

B. the progress of China is seldom reported in the US.

C. China's economic miracles have appeared everywhere

D. the education in rural areas is never cared about in China

I am glad that you have managed to come. You ________ have brought wine, we’ve got plenty.

A wouldn’t  B couldn’t  C mustn’t  D needn’t

 —Time is limited. I have to finish this tonight.

   —But it’s midnight now and you should have a sleep _____ much work you have to do.

A. however                    B. no matter                  C. although            D. whatever

Running for a Dream

 I will never forget that November day. It was hotter than normal. This was the __41__ my father and I had waited so long for, because we had been working towards this race for three years. Dozens of familiar faces from church and school flashed across my view. They had come __42__ me. I saw worry and __43__ on my father’s face. Then the race began!

   For the first two and a half miles，I felt __44__. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with controlled __45__ and a strict diet. My friends hadn’t seen me in weeks, but they understood the __46 _ required to make my dream a reality. As in all of my races，I didn't __47__ out in the front，I loved the pleasure of passing people as my strength overtook their premature speed.

Then without warning，my strength began to decrease. Neck and neck with one of my greatest competitors, I __48__ see the finish line. I had begun the final dash into __49__ when my knees became weak and my legs gave way. Nothing I could do would make them __50__ weight.

 I watched as runners rushed by me. __51__ I knew my dreams of victory were destroyed. I had to finish the race. However, my legs hurt badly. With all of the __52__ left in me, I got on my hands and knees and crawled (爬), inch by inch, across the finish line. Voices, both __53__ and familiar, cheered me on. They gave me the courage to keep __54__ until the very end.

   The doctors were there in seconds, but my eyes searched the crowd for him. There was only one person I wanted to __55__ to. I whispered, “I’m so sorry , Dad, I'm so sorry I __56__ you.” He looked at me, saying, “You could never disappoint me. Sometimes these things just __57__. All that matters is that you did your best.”

“But we worked so __58__. What about our dream?” He reached over for my hand and said, “Don't you know that you are my dream and it has come true?”

It wasn't long before my running shoes were back on, marking a __59_ path for my journey, I learned that all of the miles, the tears, the sweat, and the pain my dad and I experienced together were not for a __60__. What I realized, though, was that to him, I was the greatest prize he had ever won.

When Kathryn was 6 years old, she sat outside for three hours at her home and did not make a sound.Her parents wondered why she was so quiet, only to discover that she was drawing a picture of a flag outside. She recalled. “That’s what I wanted to do that day,” said Kathryn, who is now 23 years old. And in the future, she continued to do art as a hobby.

Recently, Kathryn was named Lake Placid’s first artist in the neighborhood. She will be there for at least four weeks and possibly more. During that time, she will teach an art class and focus on her own art. Much of her work includes creating photos. She said: “There is always something there that you haven’t included, so you can never stop when painting a photo.”

Kathryn ended up as the first artist just by chance. She said her sister was on vacation in Florida and looking for a job in Lake Placid. The sister got the job and moved there.

Kathryn said she visited her sister and was ordered to do wall paintings inside a building. Later, her sister saw a demand for an artist on line and suggested she should apply.

Kathryn said she’s the first artist in her family, but added that her parents are creative. Her father loves to create things from wood, she said. “Anything you can make out of wood, he has made it,” she said.

Her own creativity with art continued through college. While at college, she was once employed to recreate a photo of a couple on a vacation to Florida and one of a sunset in either North Carolina or South Carolina.

Kathryn said she’s looking at other forms of art. The time she spends here will help her to “figure out who I am as an artist,” she said.

21. From the first paragraph, we can know that        .

A. Kathryn had few words at her early age

B. Kathryn would sit outside in silence

C. Kathryn used to keep silent at home

D. Kathryn liked art since her childhood

22. While painting a photo, Kathryn thinks        .

A. It’s hard to finish a perfect job.

B. you can’t stop half way

C. you may miss the photos somewhere

D. you have to finish it at a time

23. Talking of her father, Kathryn        .

A. praised him for his wood art

B. was ashamed of his form of wood art

C. was greatly proud of him

D. felt pity for his creative talent

24. What is the passage mainly about?

  A. A young artist treats art more than a hobby.

B. A hobby becomes a pursuit(追求) for an artist.

C. A girl finds her value in her own hobby.

D. A girl walks out of her hobby as an artist.

Do you want to live forever? By the year 2050,you might actually get your wish-if you are willing to leave your biological body and live in silicon circuits (半导体电路). But long before then, perhaps as early as 2020,some measures will begin offering a semblance of immortality (虚的永生).    

Researchers are confident that the technology will soon be able to track every waking moment of your life? Whatever you see and hear, all that you say and write, can be recorded, analyzed and added to your  personal chronicles (履历). By the year 2030, it may be possible to catch your nervous systems through electrical activities, which would also keep your thoughts and emotions.  

Researchers at the laboratories of British Telecommunications have given the name of this idea as Soul Catcher. Small electronic equipment will make preparation for Soul Catcher. It would use a wearable supercomputer, perhaps in a wristwatch, with wireless links to microseosors under your scalp (头皮) and in the nerves that carry all five sensory signals. So wearing a video camera would no longer be required.   

At first, the Soul Catcher's companion system-the Soul Reader-might have trouble copying your thoughts in complete details. Even in 2030, we may still be struggling to understand how the brain is working inside, so reading your thoughts and understanding your emotions might not be possible. But these signals could be kept for the day when they can be transferred to silicon circuits to revitalize minds everlasting entities (永生实体). Researchers can only wonder what it will be like to wake up one day and find yourself alive inside a machine.   

For people who choose not to live in silicon, semblance of immortal it would not be as useless as they thought. People would know their lives would not be forgotten, but would be kept a record of the human race forever. And future generations would have a much fuller understanding of the past. History would not be controlled by just the rich and powerful, Hollywood stars, and a few thinkers in the upper society.

38. The main idea of this passage is that_____ .

 A. human beings long for living forever        B. there are many difficulties in making the Soul Catcher

C. people can live forever as technology develops  D. the invention of Soul Catcher has great importance

39. According to this passage, a Soul Catcher will be______ .

 A. a new machine on which research measures have already been made

B. a new invention in order to catch and keep human's thoughts

C. made by British scientists to offer something that looks like living forever

D. made of silicon circuits which can catch people's nervous activity

40. We can infer from the passage that semblance of immortality is______. 

A. to be a reality sooner or later             B. far from certain

C. just an idea that couldn't be realized at all   D. a fading hope

41. The meaning of the underlined word revitalize, in the fourth paragraph is close to___   .

A. make dead     B. make famous      C. make known      D. make active

 _____ such heavy pollution already, the river is now too difficult to clean up.

A. Suffered         B. suffer                   C. Having suffered      D. To suffer    

Read the ________ on the bottle before taking the medicine.

A．explanations    B．instructions      C．descriptions    D．introductions

 If George keeps on working so hard, he’ll ______ sooner or later.

  A. break down                               B. break up

  C. break out                              D. break off

He has a gift for drawing. The underlined word can be replaced by_____.

A. genius       B. present     C. determination      D. motion

 The “Chinese Dream” is ______ dream to improve people’s well—being and ______ dream of harmony, peace and development.

A. the; a                B. a; a        C. a; the    D. the; the

Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can’t talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying, but they do agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees, behave dishonestly to fool other animals. Why? Dishonesty often helps them survive.

Many kinds of birds are very successful at fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator（猎食动物）gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the “hurt” adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest.    

Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries its food so it always has something to eat. Scrub jays are also thieves. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays seem to know when a thief is watching them. So they go back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else.

Birds called cuckoos have found a way to have babies without doing much work. How? They don't make nests. Instead, they get into other birds’ nests secretly. Then they lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them.

Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimp will give its hand to the other. When the winning chimp puts out its hand, too, the chimps are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimp take the winner's hand and start fighting again.

Chimps are sneaky in other ways, too. When chimps find food that they love, such as bananas, it is natural for them to cry out. Then other chimps come running. But some clever chimps learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimps don't hear them, and they don’t need to share their food.

As children, many of us learn the saying “You can't fool Mother Nature.” But maybe you can't trust her, either.

32. A plover protects its young from a predator by___________.

A. getting closer to its young         

B. driving away the adult predator

C. leaving its young in another nest    

D. pretending to be injured

33. By “Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky” (paragraph 5), the author means_______.

A. chimps are ready to attack others  

B. chimps are sometimes dishonest

C. chimps are jealous of the winners  

D. chimps can be selfish too

34. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Some chimps lower their cry to keep food away from others.

B. The losing chimp won the fight by taking the winner's hand.

C. Cuckoos fool their adoptive parents by making no nests.

D. Some clever scrub jays often steal their food back.

35. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Do animals lie?               

B. Does Mother Nature fool animals?

C. How do animals learn to lie?    

D. How does honesty help animals survive?