According to the newly-elected French president, Macron, France will reform the rigid and outdated rules that the development of the country in the near future.

A. limited    B. had limited

C. have been limiting    D. will limit

    Skin-diving（潜水）is a new sport. This sport takes you into a wonderful new world. It is like a visit to the moon! When you are under water, it is easy for you to climb big rocks, because you are no longer heavy.

Here, under water, everything is blue and green. During the day, there is enough light.

When fish swim nearby, you can catch them with your hands. When you have tanks of air on your back, you can stay in deep water for a long time. But you must be careful when you dive in deep water. To catch fish is one of the most interesting parts of this sport.

Besides, there are most uses for skin-diving. You can clean ships without taking them out of the water. You can get many things from the deep sea. Now you see that skin-diving is both useful and interesting.

31. Skin-diving will take you to ______.

  A. the moon     B. be in danger     C. mountains     D. the deep sea

32. You can climb big rocks under water because _________.

  A. you are stronger                    B. the fish nearby help you

  C. you are not as heavy as on the land     D. there is a lot of light

33. Under water, a skin-diver _________ in the daytime.

  A. can see everything clearly            B. can’t see anything clearly

  C. can see nothing                     D. can see only fishes

34. With a tank of air on your back, you can _________

  A. catch fish very easily               B. stay under water for a long time

  C. be in safe place                    D. have more fun

35.Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

  A. Skin-diving is a new sport.

  B. Skin-diving is like visiting the moon.

  C. The only use of skin-diving is to have more fun.

  D. Skin-diving is both interesting and useful.

A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man----the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.

This attitude toward manual (体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously (豪华地) furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward; furthermore, the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the near- by bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.

32. From Paragraph 1, we can know that in America_____________.

A. people tend to have a high opinion of the self--made man

B. people can always rise to the top through their own efforts

C. college professors win great respect from common workers 

D. people feel painful to mention their fathers as laborers

33. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because___________.

A. servants in America are hard to get          B. she takes pride in what she can do herself

C. she can hardly afford servants                       D. it is easy to prepare a meal with canned food

34. The expression "wait on table" in the second paragraph means?

A. work in a furniture shop                       B. keep accounts for a bar 

C. wait to lay the table                                D. serve customers in a restaurant

35. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?

A. A Respectable Self--made Family             B. American Attitude toward Manual Labor

C. Characteristics of American Culture         D. The Development of Manual Labor

77. To ____________ natural food means to treat it chemically, for example by adding coloring and preservative, before it is sold to the public.

78. She has won the championship three times ____________.

79. After graduation, what he has on his mind is to get a job and ____________.

80. “Nirvana in fire” has become such a tremendous hit that a lot of people ____________ it.

81. The hall is not a suitable place for a wedding, for all those pillars may ____________ the sight..

82. Asking the bank for a loan of 5 million to buy the house means putting himself ____________ the bank.

83. Deep freezing is the simplest way to ____________ food.

84. Praise can ____________ children to study hard.

85. The Liberals ____________ a dramatic victory in the election.

It is said that most people have not more than 30 friends at any given time, and 400 over the whole of their lives. However, on social networking sites, most users have about 150 friends. If these numbers are correct, then friendship means different things in different situations.

Also, there are no rules about friendship. There are no instructions about how to make friends, how to keep friendships going, and how to finish friendships if we want to move on. People have very different opinions about this: some people would die for their friends and they value them more than family. Others say that friends are temporary, only there to help each other until they are no longer needed. If people with such different views become friends, this can lead to problems.

Because of these different definitions of friendship, it is easy to be unhappy about our friendships. We may want them to be deeper or closer, or we may want to have more friends in our lives. Sometimes we simply do not have the time to develop our friendships, or we fear we have left it too late in life to start. If we move to another country or city, we have to find ways to make new friends again.

This dissatisfaction shows us how important friendships are for most of us. We should not think that it could be too late to build friendships. We also need to understand that the need to be around other people is one that is shared by many. Therefore, we should not be too frightened about starting to talk to people who in the future may become our friends: it is likely that they too would like to get closer to us. Remember what people say: strangers are friends we have not met yet.

24. According to the text, how many friends do the majority of people probably have?

A. Over 400 friends in their whole lives 

B. 30 friends or fewer at a certain stage

C. 400 internet friends in their whole lives

D. 150 internet friends at a certain stage.

25. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?

A. There is a rule about making friends     

B. People with different views can become friends

C. Friendships mean different things to different people 

D. Some people would die for their friends if they need to

26. We can learn from the text that most of us_________.

A. need to be with others                  B. build friendships late in life

C. are dissatisfied with our friends           D. are frightened to talk to people

27. What is the author’s attitude towards talking to a stranger?

A. Uninterested        B. Cautious        C. Doubtful         D. Positive                          

Many people rush into the commitment of bringing home a four-legged family member, only to find out that they are not ready for a pet. This often results in the dog being turned over to a shelter where it may not find another home. This can be avoided if potential pet owners take the time to figure out if they are truly ready for the responsibilities of pet ownership.

Being a responsible pet owner involves a financial commitment that goes beyond buying dog food. There are also parasite (寄生虫) prevention, boarding costs while traveling and the cost to care for the pet should it become ill or injured. That is not to say that one must be rich in order to have a dog, but it is important to be prepared for the expenses that come with being a pet owner.

Another consideration is the time commitment An owner away from home for 14 hours every day is not an ideal situation for a dog. A potential dog owner must also consider the time it takes to care for his or her pet, the time it takes to feed, walk, play with, bathe and clean up. Also, dogs require attention. Be prepared to spend time each day petting and playing with it.

Dogs are dogs, and will act like dogs. This includes barking, digging, having accidents in the house and possibly destroying some of the owner’s prized possessions, such as furniture, shoes and cell phones. If the above would cause an owner to want to get rid of the dog, then he or she is not yet ready to be a pet owner. Many wonderful pets end up in shelters simply because they acted like dogs!

28. Who might be suitable to be a dog owner according to the text?

A. Steven, a business man who travels a lot on business.

B. Dick, a jobless teenager who can hardly pay his rent.

C. Jim, who has a daughter sensitive to dog’s smell.

D. Kari, a teacher who works eight hours a day.

29. To be a responsible dog owner you need to do all the following EXCEPT       .

A. finding a shelter for it when you are bored with it

B. spending time each day playing with it

C. taking it to hospital when necessary

D. buying dog food and feeding it

30. What does the underlined part in the first paragraph probably mean?

A. Rush to adopt a dog formally.

B. Commit to buy a dog and take it home.

C. Decide to be a pet owner without thinking about it carefully.

D. Run into a pet shelter and take one home so quickly.

31. What might be the best title for the text?

A. Dogs Arc Dogs                                                               B. Ready for a Pet?

C. Have Time for a Dog?                                             D. Pets Arc Family Members

I was 14 years old. I was angry and rebellious, with  21    regard for anything my parents had to say,  22  if it had nothing to do with me. Like so many    23   , I struggled to escape from anything that didn’t   24    my picture of the world. As a “ brilliant without need of guidance” kid, I rejected any obvious  25    of love. In fact, I got angry at the   26     of the word “love”. One   27   , after an extremely difficult day, I  28   into my room, shut the door loudly and fell down onto my bed heavily. As I lay down in the privacy of my   29   , my hands placed under my pillow. There was an envelope. I pulled it out and on the envelope it said, “To   30   when you’re alone.”

  31   I was alone, no one would know whether I read it or not. So I opened it. It said，“Mike，I know life is   32   right now, I know you are frustrated and I know we don’t do everything right. I also know that I love you   33   and nothing you do or say will ever change that. I am here for you if you ever need to talk. If you don’t, that’s also    34  . Just know that no matter where you go or whatever you do in your life, I will always love you and be   35   that you are my son. I’m here for you and I love you-that will never    36    .Love you, Mom.”

Every night as I went to bed, I would put my hands under my    37   and I remember the _  38   I felt every time I got a letter. During my teen years, the letters were the calm assurance that I still could be loved    39    my anger and rudeness. Just before I fell   40   I became grateful that my mom knew what I, an angry teenager, needed.

21．A. little           B. all            C. full               D. high

22．A. seldom         B. sometimes      C. currently          D. particularly

23．A. families         B. adults         C. people             D. teenagers

24．A. hang up          B. lift up        C. agree with         D. deal with

25．A. attempt          B. offer          C.  request           D. advice

26．A. risk             B. proposal       C. mention            D. point

27．A. night            B. day            C.  morning           D. afternoon

28．A. slipped          B. stormed        C. sank               D. slid

29．A. bed              B. floor          C. closet             D. chair

30．A. answer          B. seal           C. read               D. tear

31．A. If              B. When           C. Though             D. Since

32．A. serious         B. awful          C. amazing            D. exciting

33．A. entirely        B. gently         C. heavily            D. personally

34．A. impossible      B. terrible       C.  right             D. okay

35．A. nervous         B. sorry          C. proud              D. sure

35．A. last            B. change         C. happened           D. start

37．A. pillow          B. book           C. desk               D. door

38．A. relaxation      B. sadness        C. relief             D. thrill

39．A. in spite of     B. instead of     C. ahead of           D. in need of

40．A. ill             B. down           C. silent             D. asleep

    We are what we eat because what we eat every day has   41  great impact on our health. Therefore, we should make every effort to change our bad eating habits.   42  we all know, baked or fried foods may be  43 （taste）, but eating too much of them will  44  （probable）result in some illnesses. Moreover, some food that costs us a great deal of money and is not healthy is junk food.

      45  (compare) with people in the West, Chinese people used to eat more grain and vegetables, but   46    (little) meat, which is a good eating habit. However, things are quite different now. With the rapid economic    47   (grow) of our country, we are now also eating a lot of food that is high in sugar and fat. We    48   (run) the risk of eating out without   49   (consider) the balance of our diet .The food we choose affects our health, so we suggest that the food we choose   50    give us the nutrients we need.

It was Tom’s first visit to England, and he was looking forward to his first journey on London’s Underground Railway. And against his friends’ 41  , he was determined to travel      42 .

    He entered the station shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon. This is a    43  time to travel in London,   44  crowds of people go home from work at this hour. He  45   to join a long line of people waiting for tickets. When at last his 46    came, he had some difficulty in making himself understood by the ticket seller.   47 , he got the right ticket in the end and by asking people the   48 , he also found the right platform. It was     49   with people. He did not   50    to get on the first train, but he was able to move nearer to the platform so as to be in a better  51    to get on the next one. When this train came in, Tom was     52  forward onto the train by the 53    of people from behind. The doors closed and the train moved off. He was unable to see the 54      of the stations where the train    55 , but he knew that the station he wanted was the sixth    56  along the line. When the train reached the sixth station, Tom got off, feeling    57   that his journey  had been so easy. But he suddenly realized that he had come to a station he had never 58  _. He explained his    59  to a man who was standing on the platform. With a    60  on his face, he told Tom that he had caught a train going in the opposite direction.

（  ）41. A. thought           B. advice     C. relation           D. favor

（  ）42. A. alone          B. abroad      C. along          D. away

（  ）43. A. short          B. certain        C. possible         D. bad

（  ）44. A. for             B. and        C. so                D. but

（  ）45. A. planned         B. had           C. happened     D. hoped

（  ）46. A. luck            B. time        C. chance              D. turn

（  ）47. A. Thus           B. Instead        C. Therefore      D. However

（  ）48. A. question      B. way          C. place           D. condition

（  ）49. A. packed         B. caught       C. covered       D. seized

（  ）50. A. manage        B. try          C. agree           D. expect

（  ）51. A. situation        B. state           C. position       D. seat

（  ）52. A. fought         B. swept           C. drawn          D. brought

（  ）53. A. speed          B. support         C. strike           D. push

（  ）54. A. signs          B. points        C. names         D. numbers

（  ）55. A. left            B. stopped         C. started               D. moved

（  ）56. A. part           B. pause         C. stop            D. arrived

（  ）57. A. glad            B. sick           C. sorry         D. tired

（  ）58. A. heard of        B. talked about      C. thought of     D. arrived at

（  ）59. A. result           B. mistake          C. difficulty              D. ticket

（  ）60. A. joke           B. smile                C. surprise              D. pity

She won 4 World Cup titles, and got a silver medal and a gold medal in the Olympics.Who is she？Jennifer Heil.

She was born on April 11，1983 in Canada. She is so good at skiing maybe because she started hitting the Canadian slopes at age two.She went to McGill University and founded B2ten, which has raised over $3，000 to support athletes from all around Canada.

Heil was able to compete in her first Olympics at the 2002 Winter Olympics at 18.She finished in fourth place.In 2006, she was invited to compete in the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.She did an amazing job! Good enough for first place！She took the 2007－2008 season off because she wanted to build up her physical strength.Then at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she won a silver medal.

Unfortunately for Canadians, but fortunately for everyone who wants to win the World Cup, Heil stated that she may retire sometime in the next few years.If she does, Canada may go into another gold medal drought in skiing at home.

Heil says, “My skis are part of my body now.”She has spent so much time on them and she never feels bored at all！She has so much energy that when she is off her skis, she still plays a sport.She was also very good at many other sports.She was very good at volleyball, but was too short.She set records in high school for junior cross­country running, but had to quit because of injuries.Heil swam for 11 years and competed in the provincials, which is like a state­wide competition in the USA.She even did freestyle in the pool!

Jennifer Heil now lives in Montreal, Canada where she skis nearby.

9．It can be inferred from the second paragraph that Heil ________．

A．became a famous athlete at university

B．began to learn skiing at an early age

C．won $3，000 in her first competition

D．founded a skiing club named B2ten

10．Heil didn't compete in the 2007—2008 season because she ________．

A．was injured in training

B．had to improve skiing skills

C． intended to become stronger

D．was forced to lose weight

11．If Heil gives up skiing in the future, ________．

A．Canada may not get any medals in Olympics

B．she will compete in swimming

C．she will recover from her injuries quickly

D．others will have a chance to win the World Cup

12．By saying “my skis are part of my body now”， Heil means she ________．

A．likes walking on her skis

B．loves skiing very much

C．will carry her skis everywhere

D．couldn't rid her daily life of skis

71. The audience was completely thrown into a _________ (恐慌) when the big fire suddenly started in the cinema.

72. With so many different forms of poetry to choose from, students may e_________ want to write poems of their own.       

73. The problem begins when we add huge q_________ of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

74. These two _________ (签名) are very similar. Can you tell me apart?

75. If you develop AIDS, your chances of s_________ are very small.

76. The water companies _________ (接到指令) not to expose people to polluted water any more.

77. England is the largest of the four countries, and for convenience it is d_________ roughly into three zones.

78. Her parents gave her so much money that she’s got no _________ (动机) to get a job.

79. The information gathered by the telescopes _________ (处理) by computers tomorrow.

80. The cool water stops the burning process, prevents the pain becoming u_________ and reduces swelling.

Ever since Donald Trump was elected president of the US, the entire Trump family has been put under a microscope.

In China, the spotlight has been mainly focused on Trump and his daughter Ivanka. She is described on WeChat as an extremely influential role model with stunning beauty, a successful career, and a happy family.

She leads a dream life that a million girls would kill for. Yes, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she got where she is by herself.

There’s always going to be articles that say people born into wealthy families are better looking and have a better family background than you, but these people do work harder than you.

Are you a loser if you were raised in an ordinary family? Should you feel guilty that you sleep eight hours a day because Ivanka sleeps five? If you just want to keep a stable nine-to-five job, does it mean you are not ambitious? How about if you don’t work out or eat healthy, does that mean you will not find your Mr. or Miss Right?

There is a tendency in media nowadays to encourage elitism (精英主义).They are trying to brainwash young people into thinking that they should invest an enormous amount of time and money in bodybuilding and appearance enhancement, even plastic surgery. They encourage lifestyle makeovers: wine tasting classes and expensive trips overseas. They make you believe that if you do as they say, you can improve the quality of your life and join the elites.

But what’s the downside of being ordinary? Do you really need to go to the gym five days a week unless you are a gym maniac (热衷者)? Do you need to take hundreds of selfies and Photoshop the selected ones to post on WeChat? Do you really need to break your neck and sacrifice to earn your first pot of gold only to worry constantly about how to enter high society later?

Don’t let the idea of elitism get to you. Everybody has a right to the life they want. Human beings should not be judged as a success or failure based on whether they are a part of the elite or not. As long as you lead a happy and comfortable life, why bother to chase after other people’s shadows? Choose your own life path and go for it.

5. Why does Ivanka become a hit online?

A. She gets what she has through personal efforts despite decent origin.

B. She together with her family is put under careful investigation.

C. She is a virtual role model frequently seen among ordinary people.

D. She lives such a dream life that a million girls would like to kill her.

6. Which of the following are considered as a life belonging to people of higher social rank?

①Polish and post carefully- selected selfies on WeChat

②Break your neck to earn your first pot of gold

③Spare no expense to improve physical appearance

④Sign up for wine tasting classes and oversea trips

A. ①④     B. ②④          C.②③    D. ③④

7. It can be inferred from the text that ____________.

A. Ivanka sleeping five hours a day makes the vast majority guilty.

B. Being distinguished is a commonly advocated culture nowadays

C. Keeping a stable nine-to- five job will be thought of as a loser.

D. Improving the quality of life will promote one’s social status.

8. Which attitude towards life would the writer probably agree with?

A. Life is like a dogsled team. If you aren’t the lead dog, the scenery never changes.

B. Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.

C. There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.

D. The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.

 I am considering ________ to Qingdao this summer, which is considered ________ a good    

  place for holiday.

      A. going; to be                   B. going; being    C. to go; to be                    D. to go; as

   On one of her trips to New York several years ago, Eudora Welty decided to take a couple of New York friends out to dinner. They settled in at a comfortable East Side cafe and within minutes, another customer was approaching their table.

“Hey, aren’t you from Mississippi?” the elegant, white-haired writer remembered being asked by the stranger. “I’m from Mississippi too.”

   Without a second thought, the woman joined the Welty party. When her dinner partner showed up, she also pulled up a chair.

“They began telling me all the news of Mississippi,” Welty said. “I didn’t know what my New York friends were thinking.”

    Taxis on a rainy New York night are rarer than sunshine. By the time the group got up to leave, it was pouring outside. Welty’s new friends immediately sent a waiter to find a cab. Heading back downtown toward her hotel, her big-city friends were amazed at the turn of events that had changed their Big Apple dinner into a Mississippi.

“My friends said: ‘Now we believe your stories,’” Welty added. “And I said: ‘Now you know. These are the people that make me write them.’”

Sitting on a sofa in her room, Welty, a slim figure in a simple gray dress, looked pleased with this explanation.

“I don’t make them up,” she said of the characters in her fiction these last 50 or so years. “I don’t have to.”

Beauticians, bartenders, piano players and people with purple hats, Welty’s people come from afternoons spent visiting with old friends, from walks through the streets of her native Jackson, Miss., from conversations overheard on a bus. It annoys Welty that, at 78, her left ear has now given out. Sometimes, sitting on a bus or a train, she hears only a fragment(片段) of a particularly interesting story.

25. What happened when Welty was with her friends at the cafe?

A. Two strangers joined her.

B. Her childhood friends came in.

  C. A heavy rain ruined the dinner.

D. Some  people held a party there.

26. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 6 refers to Welty’s       .

A. readers     B. parties     C. friends   D. stories

27. What can we learn about the characters in Welty’s fiction?

  A. They live in big cities.

  B. They are mostly women.

  C. They come from real life.

  D. They are pleasure seekers.

Looking for volunteers

Hi，all,

Fancy running a programme item or two?

We are looking for volunteers to run a number of programme items. If you meet one or more of the following requirements, we are very happy to hear about them at programme@dwcon.org.

    Have guitar, will travel

We have two sing-along items planned (one of them aimed specifically at kids). Unfortunately, one organizer had to leave for some personal reasons, so we need one or two people. We are happy to discuss what we had in mind, but this can be run in any way you want.

Have questions, can point

We have two panels(专家咨询组）for this year: panel on writing and panel on story archetypes(原型）.

We are looking for two volunteers to run these panels as chair. The main responsibility will be to point at people with questions, and have a few questions /remarks(评述）ready in case the audience has no ideas yet. Or if you always want to know something of course.

Play recorder

On Friday evening we will have a karaoke-like programme item, and we are looking for one or two volunteers to act as “DJ”. Music and equipment will be provided, so we mostly expect you to keep track of whose turn it is to sing

Have eyes for colour

Guess what, this is a paint-related item. We would like to make “rock puppets(木偶）,and we need one or two volunteers to guide that. Paint and rocks will be provided.

21. The volunteers who will work on the two panels should __________

  A. be experts on writing. 

  B. be skilled at telling stories.

  C. be good at asking questions   

  D. be experienced in chairing competitions

22. What is the duty of a volunteer “DJ”?

  A. To make sure the equipment works well. 

  B. To play records for the person who will sing.

  C. To make plans for the karaoke-like programme.

  D. To choose the right music for the person to sing.

23. What should the volunteers work as for the paint-related item?

  A. Guides.     B. Painters.     C. Organizers.      D. Chairpersons.

    Several dollars equal nothing for some people, but make a difference for others. Steve has just lost his wife to cancer and everything they had is gone due to the treatment. He now lives in the shelter for the homeless. So we know each other.

Just like other homeless people, he didn’t think he needed anything. But once he mentioned to me he needed eye glasses. His voice hesitated a bit, he looked down, and it appeared like he thought such a request was just a dream. Too much to hope for? It was as if his wish were known by me only.

I submitted an application for him to a program that is supposed to provide a free eye examination and glasses. Three months later, I phoned to ask what was up with the appointment but they told me there was a cash (现金)flow problem until late summer.

Steve showed disappointment, thanked me and started to walk away. I said, “Hold on, I will figure out a way to get you an eye examination and glasses.” His face lit up a tiny bit. He had seen some of the things I have done for other people in our shelter and to me it looked like he might have a line of hope.

I took a picture of him and posted his picture and his story in the Twitter. In about 4 days, eight people from around the world donated $25 each and one person donated $40 and I made up the rest to get him an eye exam and glasses.

Steve picked up his glasses on Wednesday: May 11th, 2011. Today Steve has returned to a previous job he had in a nearby car wash. Because he now has glasses he will be able to see what he is doing while cleaning the vehicles. He is starting a second job at a pet center next week!

5.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ______.

A. it took a long time to treat Steve’s wife

B. homeless people never ask for anything

C. Steve was too embarrassed to ask for help

D. the author and Steve have been friends for years

6. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. The program was closed three months ago.

B. Steve used to work as a salesman in a car factory.

C. Steve got $240 in total from kind-hearted people.

D. The author might be a volunteer in the shelter.

7. The program failed to satisfy Steve because ______.

A. it was already out of business

B. it had some trouble in finance

C. Steve didn’t submit the application himself

D. it’s not designed for people like Steve

8. The best title for the passage is probably ______.

A. Money can sometimes talk

B. Two heads are better than one

C. Small help can really count

D. God helps those who help themselves

Four ways to Improve Your Memory

Have you ever imagined the benefits that a good memory can bring to you? Being able to remember important pieces of information can give you a powerful advantage in your life.___16__. Here are four ways to improve your memory：

Make the most of your imagination. ___17___For example, to remember where you have left your car keys, pretend to hold a camera to your eyes, focus on the scene, and click the image into your memory when you are leaving. This technique works with almost everything you want to remember, as the roll of films in your mind is endless.

Try to practice. There are lots of ways to do this: try to remember which day of the week your last birthday was.__18___Try to remember all the ping-pong finalists and the winner. If you can try to remember the scores as well, it would be even better to practice. It won’t be long before your daily practice pays off, making your mind sharper and more adaptable.

Get physical exercise. Physical exercise not only improves memory but also helps you think faster. A combination of mental and physical activity can protect your memory. It is known that the brain’s processing speed gradually slows as you age.____19____                             

__20______Mental exercises are as important as physical ones to keep one’s brain power. Take up word games like crossword puzzles. Memorize favorite poems and read challenging books or articles that encourage you to expand your interests. Any activity that requires you to think and concentrate will challenge your brain. And your brain will develop better on the challenge.

A. Exercise your brain.111]

B. Play more games.

C. Fortunately, staying physically fit can avoid some of the effects of age on the brain.

D. In fact, the ability to remember things is necessary to your success.

E. Then extend this to the birthdays of all your family members.

F. An easy way to remember something is to “take a picture”.

G. If you are right-handed , try to brush your teeth with your left hand.

She _______down her book and ________in bed. 

   A. lay; laid          B. laid; lay         C. lay; lay        D. laid; laid

Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?

At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (企业家) in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile (敌意的) to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy(嫉妒).   36   Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.

Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money.  37    Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.

  38   . But there is also opposite evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.

“It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”

   39   They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires.   40  It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.

A. This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain.

B. The one who owns most money in the end is the winner.

C. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.”

D. It is not true that British people are born jealous of others` success.

E. Some were given a little, others a great deal.

F. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them.

G. Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem.

Some people get pleasure from picnics and tours. Others like to discuss various topics and find pleasure in it. But the reading of books provides us with such pleasure as we do not get from any other activity.

Books are written by learned people. They contain the best experiences and thoughts of their writers. Writers put in their books not only their own ideas and feelings, but also what they observe and find in society.___16___

If we are in a cheerful mood, our joy is increased by reading.____17____They provide us with the best advice and guidance in our difficulties. Indeed, books are our best friends as they help us in our hour of need.

___18___They entertain us in our spare moments. Good novels, books on poetry and short stories, give us great enjoyment. At times we become so absorbed in our books that we forget even our important arrangements. Loneliness is no trouble for a reader.

___19___They give us sound moral advice. It is through the reading of books that we learn what to love and what to hate. The reading of good books develops and improves our character.

It was the English author Bacon who said that reading makes a full man. No one can question the truth of this saying.

___20___Some books are such that instead of doing any good, they do harm to the readers. So it is the reading of

good books alone that presents us the greatest benefit.

A. Books keep us well-informed.

B. Books contain grains of wisdom.

C. When we are alone, books are our best friends.

D. Books enable us to know the best of the colorful world.

E. When we are in a depressed mood, books comfort our troubled minds.

F. But we cannot get full advantage from reading, if our choice is not good.

G. By reading books written by great thinkers, we come in contact with their minds.