__________ by the hard work in the last week, he was desperate to have a day off.

A. Having worn out    B. Worn out      C. Being worn out     D. Be worn out

假设你是李华。你校英语演讲协会将选举新一届主席，你欲参选。请用英语写一篇演讲稿，要点包括： 1.  你的个人优势；                2.  未来活动设想；   3.  希望当选。

注意：1. 字数 100 词左右     2.  可适当增加细节，使行文连贯

3. 开头和结尾已为你写好，但不计入总词数。

Good afternoon, dear friends! My name is Li Hua. I am honoured to have a chance to run for the president of the English Speech Association. ……                           Thank you.

After a terrible electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sadness that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to look after and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.

One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was shaking badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a plough and a wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.

The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a real answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.

24. The reason for Robert’s attempts to kill himself was that ___________..

A. a terrible traffic accident happened to him          

B. he had to live in a dark and silent world

C. he was struck by the lightning once more           

D. nobody in the world cared about him

25. What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?

A. Sheltering from the rain under a tree.       

B. Driving a car.

C. Taking a walk with his wife.                

D. Lying on the ground.

26. Which of the following sentences is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Robert had been deaf and blind for nearly ten years.

B. Robert hid himself under the tree for 20 minutes.

C. Robert could hear his wife’s shouting for help when he woke up.

D. The family’s love helped Robert regain confidence to live.

27. We can infer from the text that ___________.

A. there was no exact explanation for Robert’s recovery

B. many doctors came because Robert was badly injured

C. Robert’s wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock

D. a sudden injury in the head led to Robert’s recovery

Would you give up your smartphone for free food? Starting on Monday, family-friendly Italian restaurant Salvatore’s will offer customers two meals for the price of one,   9   they put away their smartphones before taking their seats. According to the owner, Sal Lupoli, “Every diner at the table must agree   10   (hand) in their phone before eating. The phones will be stored safely and returned to   11   when their meals are finished.”

Mr Lupoli thought of   12   idea after noticing that customers “were not speaking to each other while   13   (have) dinner.”

At first look, this seems like just another restaurant promotion (促销). But it might also be a way to encourage people to focus   14   each other and their surroundings instead of putting pictures of their latest meal online. Perhaps it   15   (make) kids actually eat and talk instead of watching  another video on YouTube.

According to a recent Boston Globe article   16   examined the effects of screen time on children's brains, as little as 45 minutes of screen time per day can be   17   (harm), about the length of a typical midday meal. However, Mr Lupli has decided to provide the offer only during day time   18   he thinks most kids will go crazy without their iPads at supper time.

 I don't mind if you come in late ___________ you come in quietly.

A. even though          B. as if                C. so that              D. so long as

Mr Simmons always tries to make me keep in mind that how much easier my life ________ if I were better organized.

A. will be  B. would have been  C. would be  D. will have been

Finding summer jobs for teenagers has not always been easy, but now you no longer have to worry about what your kid can do to make their own money. Recently I found some different sites online that offer information about what kids can do. Below is some of that information, along with questions to think about to help you come up with your own ideas.

Ideas for summer work:

●Parks and Recreation Programs (娱乐节目).

●Babysitting during the day of school.

●Working part-time at a day care for the summer.

●Car washing.

●Working at local vegetable stands .

The easiest way for you to find ways for your child to make money is to think about others’ inconveniences. Think of things you need done, or would like to have done, and what you would consider paying for these things to get done. Once you have some ideas, you can sit down with your child and talk to them about what they would be interested in doing. Then once you have an idea of what they want to do, you can help them come up with fair prices.

Perhaps you would want to only have your child working with people that you know and trust, or at least you could have your child pick a partner. That way with each of them carrying cell phones, even those without service can call 911, they will be much safer.

You can find out more information and many more ideas for kids to use to make money during their summer holidays by surf the Internet.

16. The author wrote the passage to _____.

A. share his discoveries online    B. introduce jobs for parents to do

C. advertise a website for teenagers    D. talk about his summer work experience

17. The passage is mainly written for _____.

A. teenagers    B. Teachers

C. parents    D. website designers

18. Which of the following is NOT considered when teenagers look for summer jobs?

A. Who they’d better work for.    B. How much should be charged.

C. Whether the jobs are safe.    D. Where the workplace is.

    Jane was lying in bed waiting for an operation, nervous and worried. Just then another patient was ____41____ into the ward (病房). After a brief greeting, Jane struck up a(n) ____42____. The 80-year-old newcomer was named Sue. Her son ____43____ ran a company and her daughter worked on a TV station. Since her children were too ____44____ to take care of Sue, she lived in an old people's home. Sue was proud of the ____45____ of her children. Jane really ____46____ Sue. Compared with Sue, Jane was ____47____ but an ordinary country woman whose children were just ordinary workers.

    Soon, it was supper time. Jane's ____48____ cooked some tasty dishes which were her favorite. Jane invited Sue to share her supper, but she ____49____ Sue was ____50____ her daughter when she received a call. ____51____, her children couldn't come to visit her. Worse still, Sue had ____52____ the mealtime in the hospital. She lay in bed, ____53____ and silent. Jane's

daughter offered to buy her some food but she had no appetite (食欲) ____54____.

    The next day, Jane and Sue would go through a series of regular medical checks before the operation. Jane's daughter ____55____ her carefully while Sue was still alone. Out of sympathy, Jane's daughter offered to queue up, fill in different ____56____ and register for Sue. For several days in hospital, even during her ____57____ , Sue's children didn't show up. Sue really envied Jane whose daughter looked after her all the time ____58____ she recovered and moved out of hospital. Care from the loved ones when ill can really make one happy and encouraged, especially for a(n) ____59____ parent. So while devoted to your career, don't forget your role in your ____60____ .

41．A．introducedB．persuadedC．admittedD．squeezed

42．A．quarrelB．discussionC．agreementD．conversation

43．A．smoothlyB．independentlyC．privatelyD．successfully

44．A．guiltyB．busyC．unwillingD．rough

45．A．achievementsB．faithC．devotionD．possessions

46．A．enviedB．impressedC．respectedD．suspected

47．A．somethingB．everythingC．anythingD．nothing

48．A．friendB．husbandC．neighborD．daughter

49．A．misunderstoodB．paidC．rejectedD．struggled

50．A．expectingB．praisingC．disturbingD．inviting

51．A．Possibly B．Unfortunately  C．Generally  D．Strangely

52．A．knewB．ignoredC．followedD．missed

53．A．astonishedB．anxiousC．disappointedD．nervous

54．A．above all  B．at all  C．in all   D．after all

55．A．attendedB．examinedC．obeyedD．protected

56．A．positionsB．gapsC．formsD．surveys

57．A．checksB．operationC．stayD．recovery

58．A．untilB．althoughC．unlessD．because

59．A．ordinaryB．agedC．carefulD．loving

60．A．friendship  B．health  C．familyD．growth

I opened my door to two little girls.I had met Alyssa,six,two weeks before.Since then,she'd waved to me every time she passed my house.

"Hello.Grandma Bonnie!"Alyssa said."This is my little sister,Ariana.She's three."To her very nervous sister,"It's OK,honey.You'll like her."The three-year-old held a "bouquet"（花束）in one hand,and the other gripped（紧握）a tiny notebook and a huge broken crayon."Go on,"her big sister urged,"tell her."

Ariana looked at me seriously."I want to help raise money for my preschool,"she said,holding out her flowers. "So I'm selling these for one dollar a bunch."

I had a hard time hiding my smile.The bouquet consisted of seven oxalis（醡浆草）flowers.Oxalis is a weed almost impossible to get rid of.Obviously Ariana had pulled these flowers out from her own yard or a neighbor's.

Her big sister smiled,"Aren't they lovely,Grandma Bonnie?And they only cost a dollar for the whole bunch.It's all for Ariana's preschool."The girls' plan did amuse me."All right," I agreed,"one dollar coming up."

Alyssa put the bill in her sister's skirt pocket.Then Ariana handed me my purchase."Uh,"I suggested,"why don't you just keep the flowers and the money? Then you could sell the flowers to someone else."Both girls stared at me, horrified."Oh,no,"Ariana cried."We picked them just for you.See,they're beautiful!"

And so they were.A week later,the flowers were twice as many as when my little neighbor handed them to me.What a bargain!

I had called these tiny plants "weeds"—disgusting,worthless things with no right to exist.But in their innocent hearts,those two little girls saw them as a precious creation to treasure and share out of loving hearts to brighten the day of a lonely old "Grandma".

25.Those two little girls paid a visit to the author to      .

A.say hello to their new neighbor                          B.introduce the little sister to her

C.bring her some beautiful flowers                       D.collect money for a special purpose

26.What did the author want to do after knowing the girls' wish?

A.Refuse the girls' request directly.               B.Pay one dollar for the whole bunch.

C.Put the bill into the little girl's pocket.         D.Donate money without accepting flowers.

27.How did the author feel when seeing those tiny plants a week later?

A.Grateful.              B.Disgusted.                     C.Fortunate.          D.Desperate.

28.What is the best title for the text?

A.Sold a Bunch of Flowers                         B.Picked Flowers Just for You

C.Raised Money for Preschool                      D.Delighted an Old Grandma

-----I need to put a cross on the map to show where that famous hotel is.

-----______ ▲ _______? Mary’s done it already

A. Why bother         B. Why not        C. So what          D. What for

 The result of this study confirmed the ____ assumption made by the scientist months ago.

A.      previous      B. precious           C. potential          D. practical

  建设和谐社会需要我们每一个人的努力，而对于我们中学生而言，最重要的就是要从身边的小事做起。就此，你班同学将在英语课上围绕“如何建设和谐校园”为主题进行一次讨论，请你准备一篇发言稿。主要从以下三个方面展开论述：

  1.爱护学校设施；

  2.尊敬老师，团结同学；

  3.自觉保护校园环境。

  注意：1.必须包括以上信息内容，可适当发挥，以使行文更加流畅；

        2.开头、结尾均已给出。

        3.词数100个左右。

   注释：设施：facility

Dear fellow classmates,

   I’m very glad to have a change here to share with you my views about “How to build a harmonious campus”.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   That’s all. Thank you for listening.   

Modern man has cleared the forests for farmland and for wood, and has also carelessly burned them. More than that, though, he has also interfered with the invisible bonds between the living things in the forests. There are many examples of this kind of destruction. The harmfulness of man’s interference can be seen in what happened many years ago in the forest of the Kaibab plateau（凯亚巴布高原）of northern Arizona. Man tried to improve on the natural web of forest life and destroyed it instead.

The Kaibab had a storybook forest of large-sized pines, Douglas fir, white fir, blue and Engelmann spruce. In 1882 a visitor noted, "We, who have wandered through its forests and parks, have come to regard it as the most attractive region which we have the privilege to visit. “This was also the living place of the Rocky Mountain mule deer. Indians hunted there every autumn to gather meat and skins”. The forest also had mountain lions, timber wolves and bobcats that kept the deer from multiplying too rapidly.

Then, in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt made the Kaibab a national game preserve. Deer hunting was forbidden. Government hunters started killing off the deer’s enemies. In 25 years’ time, 6,250 mountain lions, wolves and bobcats were killed. Before the program, there were about 4,000 deer in the Kaibab, and by 1924, there were about 100,000.

The deer ate every leaf and twig they could reach. But there was not nearly enough food. Hunting of deer was permitted again. This caused a slight decrease in the deer herd, but a far greater loss resulted from starvation and disease. Some 60 percent of the deer herd died in two winters. By 1930 the herd had dropped to 20,000 animals. By 1942 it was down to 8,000.

24．The destruction of the environment of the Kaibab resulted from_________ .

A. turning the forest into cultivated land

B. interfering with natural cycle of forest life

C. forest fires caused by man’s carelessness

D. cutting the trees for building materials

25．Engelmann spruce（Para. 2）is most likely the name of _________.

A. a tree    B. an animal    C. a mountain    D. a game

26．The number of the deer in the Kaibab had increased enormously in_________ years’ time.

A.25       B.6           C.18           D.12

27．Years later, large numbers of deer in the Kaibab died mainly because of _________.

A. the cold             B. the organized kill

C. the shortage of food   D. the poor management

　My mother lived in an old farm house in north Oregon，which was located far from any other neighbors.She lived with her elder brother and sisters.Since there were not enough rooms for them，her two sisters __41__ the bigger bedroom downstairs，her brother in a room down the hall and she slept in the top room of the building. 

　　The first __42__ event that happened in that house was when my mother was about 10 years old.She was staying home sick with her brother.He had gone __43__ to the kitchen when my mother heard a voice calling her name from the bottom of the stairs.The voice was __44__ but that was impossible since the only other person in the house was her brother.That was followed by footsteps __45__ the stairs to the top room.A few hours __46__ her brother came up to see what she was doing.She asked him who the girl on the stairs was.He said there was no one in the house. 

　　A few weeks later the __47__ event happened.My grandmother was cooking supper in the kitchen.She turned around and two of the chairs were __48__.She pushed them in and went back __49__.About ten minutes later she turned around and three of the chairs were pulled out.My grandmother was quite __50__ by this because only my mother's little sister was home at the time. 

　　The last event at the house was the __51__ and the one that made them move away.Her elder sister Josie was babysitting her younger one，Sarah，when there was a knock on the door.Josie went to __52__ it and no one was there.She went to the __53__ for some water and when she returned to the living room，Sarah was __54__！She ran all over the house and __55__ found Sarah sleeping in her bed.This was __56__ because Sarah couldn't __57__ the stairs without help because they were very steep.This frightened her so she woke up Sarah and __58__ her downstairs.Then the phone rang.It was my grandma __59__ to say that my grandfather had died and she wouldn't be coming home that night.She was about to turn on the TV __60__ she heard a woman's footsteps coming towards her.She turned around but nobody was there. 

 41．A. offered      B．supported      C． shared   D．afforded 
42．A. interesting   B．particular      C．anxious   D.  strange
43．A. upstairs     B．outsides        C．downstairs D．indoors 
44．A. male       B．other           C．female    D．another 
45．A. turning up   B．coming up      C．picking up D．sending up 
46．A. later        B． ago          C．after     D．former 
47．A. last         B．second        C．third      D．final 
48．A. pulled out    B．pointed out     C. thrown out  D．given out 
49．A. turning       B．pushing       C．cooking   D．pulling 
50．A. delighted B．disappointed        C．frightened  D．satisfied 
51．A. best          B．worse        C．better      D．worst 
52．A. receive       B．answer       C．reply      D．react 
53． A. kitchen       B．living room   C．sitting room D．bedroom 
54．A. asleep        B．lost          C．gone      D．sleeping 
55．A. in the end     B．at first        C．firstly     D．at the end 
56．A. unnecessary   B．desperate      C．separate   D．impossible 
57．A .run           B．walk         C．climb     D．wander 
58．A. took         B．held          C．carried     D．brought 
59．A. crying       B．shouting       C．calling     D．laughing 
60．A. when        B．before         C．while      D．until 

Polar bears are one of the most popular animals for people. Polar bears are different from every other bear in the world. This is because polar bears have white fur. However, there are many facts about polar bears that people might not be aware of .年

The skin of polar bears is black, which according to thinkquest.org  allows them to absorb more heat from the sun. Polar bear fur is transparent , because it is made up of hollow guard hairs. Loc.gov explains that the reason polar bears display white fur is that when the sun hits the fur ,the hollow spaces in the hair scatter the light. Since none of the light is absorbed, the light reflected back appears white to human eyes.

Polar bears’ conservation status is considered close to extinction. Global warming is considered the main cause of the decline in polar population. Polar bears use ice floats to hunt for their food. However, these ice floats are melting so polar bears are starting to drown in the search for food ,and the food is becoming more difficult to get. Contrary to popular belief, polar bears do not eat penguins ,because polar bears are not found in the Antarctic region of the world. Polar bears are only found around the Arctic Circle. Polar bears do not drink water. They get all the water they need from the prey they eat.

FES. Gov specifies that polar bears are considered the largest land carnivores(食肉动物) in the world. The polar bear weight ranges between 700--1,500 pounds. Since the polar bear habitat is melting away, their main evolutionary advantages are fading. Polar bears are not able to use their camouflage(伪装) to find prey in habitats not covered with snow. Polar bears do not hibernate(冬眠). However, when the weather gets uncomfortable, or mothers give birth, polar bears will dig themselves a hidden home.

What can we do to help save the polar bears? We can donate to organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, reduce our carbon footprint, and send letters to politicians explaining to them that we need to set up more preserves to help save the polar bear habitat.

12. What do we know about the fur of the polar bears?

A. It absorbs more heat from the sun.

B. It is black and hollow.

C. Light can pass through it.

D. It is white actually.

13. What does “main evolutionary advantages” in Paragraph 4 refer  to？

A. Hibernation habit    B. The function of their fur

C. Eating meat    D. Their weight

14. What do we know from the passage?

A. Polar bears face danger due to the melting of ice floats.

B. The biggest polar bears weigh about 1,000 pounds.

C. Polar bears never hibernate and do not need water.

D. Polar bears are the largest carnivores in the world.

15. Which of the following ways is NOT the measure used to protect polar bears according to the passage?

A. Donating to wildlife conservation organizations.

B. Trying our best to reduce greenhouse gases.

C. Writing letters to make people protect polar bears.

D. Setting up more polar bear conservation organizations.

    A few days ago, I was sitting in a Thai restaurant enjoying a meal when I got on a phone call from a friend I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. In my enthusiasm and excitement, I talked quite louder than usual voice and in Spanish, my mother tongue.

    A few minutes into the call, an old lady sitting at the table beside mine got up, seemingly offended, and asked the restaurant staff to relocate (重新安排) a table as far away as possible from this man who seemed to be impolite.

    I sank in my seat out of embarrassment. I ended the call soon afterwards and felt the urge to apologize. Before getting up, I looked around to see where she was and she was at the table farthest away from me. I noticed that the lady was alone and staring out the window. I found a tinge (气息) of sadness or anxiety and perhaps a desire for aloneness and peace. But I had obviously destroyed it minutes earlier.

   Right then I abandoned my plan for a conventional apologetic gesture. Seeing those funny smile cards in my wallet, I took one out and wrote some words to express my apology. On signing my restaurant bill, I asked a waiter to secretly charge the lady’s meal to me and hand her the smile card instead of her bill.

    Did she take it the wrong way, I wondered? Did she get confused? Did she refuse the anonymous (匿名的) offer? And so on. I just waited and felt nervous to learn the outcome. To my pleasant surprise, things turned out the best possible way.

    The waiter approached me in a joy, telling me, “In the many times she had dined here before, I had never seen the old lady smile as she did when receiving the smile card and the $0 bill. She thanked me even though I explained that someone else did the job.”

12. The old lady changed her seat mainly because of __________.

   A. her private phone call             B. the author’s loud voice

   C. the views out of the window        D. the restaurant staff’s mistake

13. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

   A. The author didn’t stop talking though he felt embarrassed.111]

   B. The author went up to the old lady and apologized to her.

   C. The old lady just moved to the farthest table to see outside.

   D. The lady didn’t have a nice mood and liked to stay alone.

14. Feeling sorry, the author offered the old lady the following EXCEPT __________.

   A. an apologetic gesture           B. a smile card

   C. a free meal                   D. some written words to apologize

15. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

   A. A Misunderstanding Caused by Different Cultures

   B. An Unpleasant Experience in Thailand

   C. A Smile Card for a Sincere Apology

   D. An Old Lady Who Never Smiles

假如你是李华，你的美国网友David给你写信，询问近年来多次袭击中国华北的雾霾情况。请你给他写封回信，感谢他的关注，简述雾霾的危害并谈谈你的看法。

注意：1.词数100左右（开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数）；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

【参考词汇】雾霾 smog.

Dear David,

I’m glad to receive your letter.  ________________________________________________  

_________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                                                  Yours,

                                                                                                                                 Li Hua

  A businessman once failed in his business and lost several good chances.He    was now deep in debt(债务) and could not work his way out. He sat on the park bench, head in hands,   21  if something miracle could happen to 22 his company.

     All of a sudden, an old man  23  in front of him. “I can see something is troubling you,”he said. Though the businessman was surprised,he still told the old man his  24  .Having listened to the  25  carefully,the old man said, “I believe I can help you.” he asked the businessman’s name,and took out a  26 , saying, “Don’t worry!Take this money.Come to meet me here exactly one year from today.If you achieve your success,you can  27  me back then.The businessman  28  a cheque (支票) for $500,000 in his hand, signed by John D. Rockefeller, who was then one of the  29  men in the world! “I can use the money to get rid of my money worries now!”he realised. But   30  , he decided not to use the money but to put the cheque in his case, just knowing it was there to give him the  31  to work out a way to save his company.

      Within a few months’ time,he was out of debt and  32  money once again. Soon he began to become rich and wanted to meet the old man to say thanks and pay back the money.Exactly one year later, he returned to the  33  with the cheque. At the agreed-on__34___,the old man appeared as he expected.  __35___ the businessman was about to hand back the cheque and  36  his success story, a nurse came running up and took the old man by the arm. “I’m so  37  I caught him!”she cried, “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s  38  escaping from the nursing home and   39  people he’s John D.Rockefeller.”  then she led him away . The businessman just stood there, ___40___.

    Suddenly, he realised it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, but his new found self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

21.A.thinking       B.knowing     C.wondering   D.realising

22.A.start                    B.stop                C.save                D.sell

23.A.appreciated  B.approached   C.approved        D.appeared

24 A.programme          B.troubles          C.wishes            D.dreams

25.A.idea                  B.story                C.method           D.expectation

26.A.money                  B.bill                 C.cheque          D.book

27.A.pay                    B.feed                C.bring               D. call

28.A.saw                   B.tied                  C.pulled                     D.hid

29.A.oldest               B.busiest            C.wealthiest              D.healthiest

30.A.thus                   B.however          C.despite           D.instead

31.A.trouble            B.result               C.strength          D.idea

32.A.losing                B.lending            C.making           D.raising

33.A.park                  B.room               C.company        D.hospital

34.A.weekend          B.corner                    C.price                     D.time

35.A.If                   B.When               C.After                D.Because

36.A.share                B.test                  C.read                D.hear

37.A.glad                  B.angry               C.tired                D.sad

38.A.seldom                B.hardly               C.never               D.always

39.A.ordering           B.telling                     C.warning           D.reminding

40.A.interested         B.shocked          C.excited            D.bored      

Do you believe that things are connected for no scientific reason at all? For example, do you avoid saying the word “four” to avoid bad luck? If so, you have a superstition (迷信). And you’re not alone – all kinds of people have them.

For example, Portugal’s soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo always steps onto the pitch (球场) with his right foot first, according to The Telegraph. And sports players are not alone in having superstitions. A visitor once asked the Nobel Prize winning scientist Niels Bohr whether he really believed that the horseshoe he’d hung at his country home was lucky. “Of course not,” the Danish physicist said. “But I understand it’s lucky whether you believe in it or not.”

One recent study found that even scientists at MIT and other top US schools tended to look for a meaning in natural events, similar to the connection between stepping on the pitch and playing soccer well, according to The Atlantic. When the researchers gave the scientists little time to answer questions, they were twice as likely to agree with statements such as “Trees produce oxygen so that animals can breathe” as they were when they had more time to think about their reply.

It seems that fear can make people think differently in this way, too. In a British study, students imagined meeting a “witch” who said she would cast (施魔法) an evil spell(符咒) on them. About half said a scientist should not be worried about the spell. Yet each of them said that, personally, they wouldn’t let the witch do it to them.

So why are so many of us superstitious? Well, it seems to be our way of dealing with the unknown. “Many people quite simply just want to believe,” Brian Cronk, a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University, said in a 2008 interview. “The human brain is always trying to work out why things happen, and when the reason is not clear, we tend to make up some pretty bizarre (古怪的) explanations.”

And these explanations aren’t completely unhelpful. In fact, superstitions can sometimes work and bring real luck, according to psychologists at the University of Cologne in Germany in the May 2010 issue of the journal Psychological Science. They found that believing in something can improve performance on a task like an exam.

So, what about you? What superstitions do you follow to keep you safe and successful?

25. The author mentions avoiding saying the word "four" in the opening paragraph to ________.

A. show how foolish it is to believe in superstitions

B. introduce the readers to the topic of superstitions

C. discuss the scientific reasons behind superstitions

D. prove that it is reasonable to be superstitious

26. How many superstitious practices are mentioned in the passage?

A. 3                        B. 2                                  C. 4                             D. 5

27. What’s the author’s attitude to superstitions?

A. Unknown            B. Positive                         C. Negative                  D. Neutral

28. What is the best title of the article?

A. Why superstitions are common

B. How superstitions affect our daily lives

C. How some common superstitions came into being

D. How to get rid of superstitions

Music is one of the most important and powerful things in my life. _61___(listen)to music can help motivate me in hard times.

   When I was younger, I didn’t have the great love __62___music as I do now. I _63___(main) listened to what my parents were listening to. I didn’t have much of care for musical compositions. Whether I was in the car, the home, __64___anywhere else, there was sure to be some Beatles, Buddy Holly, or the Dubliners. Now as I’m _65___(old), I enjoy it as it allows me _66__(remember) my childhood.

   I believe music __67___(have)the ability to convey all sorts of feelings. The effect that music can have on our _68____(emotion) is unbelievable, as it can bring people to floods of tears or bursts of laughter.

   I believe music affects people in many different ways. To me music is more than just _69__we listen to or play. It’s something to feel. In my life, it is music which is extremely important___70____ brings me closer to my friends and family. I also feel that it helps me to get through things.