We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells—but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)? Shouldn’t we know who they are?

Joan Mclean thinks so．In fact，Mclean，a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range，feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic．In addition to learning “who” invented “what”，however，Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why’’ and ‘‘how” questions．According to Mclean，“When students learn the answers to these questions，they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try．’’

Her students agree. One young man with a patent for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean’s statement．“If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper’s invention，”said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major，“I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive．”Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer．

So，just what is the story behind the windshield wiper？ Well，Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights，so she jumped aboard a streetcar．Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield，she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built—in device for cleaning the window．Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham，Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions．One of her ideas，a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside，became the first windshield wiper．

Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations．It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light．It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?

32. By mentioning “traffic light” and“ windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are _____.

   A．beneficial，because their inventors are famous

   B．beneficial，though their inventors are less famous

   C．not useful，because their inventors are less famous

   D．not useful，though their inventors are famous

33．Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to _____.

   A．add color and variety to students’ campus life

   B．inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention

   C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University

   D．prepare students to try their own inventions

34．Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was_____.

   A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer

   B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper

   C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm

   D．not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures

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

   A．How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers

   B．How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window

   C．Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper

   D．Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities

   It was the men's skating finals of the Winter Olympics when l was 16.  Someday I'd be in

the Olympics. In fact, it was my dream.

    That night I lay on our living room floor excitedly watching the battle between the

Brians: American Brian Boitano facing Brian Orser in Canada. Both of them had been world

champions. Both of them deserved to win. Naturally l was for Brian Boitano,a northern

Californian like me. We had skated on the same ice.  I held my breath in amazement. Boitano

performed successfully. The gold medal! I jumped in the air when his score went up.

    But what happened next is what I'll never forget. Brian Boitano sat in front of the camera

with his coach, surrounded by a group of journalists.  He was talking about his career and his

medal, talking to the whole world. A terrible sinking feeling went through me.  I could never

be in the Olympics, I thought.  I could not talk in public like that. Just the idea of a press

conference terrified me.

    I loved skating partly because I didn't have to talk. I could express myself with my jumps

and dances better.  I didn't have to stand up and give a speech like some teachers expected.  I

could feel the blood rush to my face if I thought a teacher was going to call me. I stared at my

shoes.  1 was sure I'd make a fool of myself.

    The next day l was at the rink（溜冰场）as usual.1 was practising a combination of jumps

that had once seemed impossible.  1 worked very hard the next few years - on the ice and

especially off.  After journalists talked to me and although my heart pounded every time I

spoke to them, I got to know them. They became familiar faces. And they got to know me.

So when my big moment came four years after Brian's, I was ready.

    Sometimes I think my biggest accomplishment was not winning the gold but talking to the

press afterwards. When you do the thing you fear most, you put an end to fear.

    Fear can stop you dead in your tracks. Fear can kill a dream. What are you afraid of?

What scares you more than anything else? This year, walk right up to it and conquer it, step

by step.

21. What information can we get from the second paragraph?

    A. The author lived a hard life.

    B. The author comes from Canada.

    C. The author once skated with Orser.

    D. The author wished Boitano to win the match.

22. What is one of the reasons why the author liked skating according to the passage?

    A. She could build up her body to be healthier.

    B. It could help her to get closer to her idol.

    C. She could better express herself with body language.

    D. The possibility of her being a world champion was great.

23. What the author felt the most satisfied with is that     ．

    A. she lived up to her coach's expectations

    B. she became a world champion as planned

    C. she managed to overcome her inner fear eventually

    D. she handled the balance between her career and life

24. What does the author mainly want to tell us?

    A. Face a fear bravely.    B.Practice makes perfect.

    C. Bad times make a good man.    D.Failure is the mother of success.

●Does failure really exist?

If you believe you have failed, then you have.  If you believe you don’t have the ability to succeed, then you don’t.     36     The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born.

●    37   

Most people give themselves an out without even realizing it. They are willing to work hard on reaching their goals, but only until the going gets too rough or their energy dies down.  Don’t do that!     38      Never quit, never admit failure, and never lose heart.

●Don’t believe in a clear finish line for goals.

It’s a good idea to set a general timeline, but remember that something will be beyond your control.      39     If you lock yourself into a given timeline, you might make yourself feel like a failure!  Instead, get a general idea of when you’d like your goal to be completed. Then take it one day at a time and focus on making progress instead of reaching the finish line in as little time as possible.

●Be sure that you don’t see difficulties as failures.

Difficulties mean only one thing: it’s not time for your goal to be completed yet.  That’s it!  It doesn’t mean you failed; it doesn’t mean you’re weak; it doesn’t mean you’ll never achieve your goals.     40     You’ve got to keep moving forward and find a way over, around, or through the difficulties.

A. Never give up on yourself.

B. Failure only exists in your own mind!

C. That’s exactly how failure makes us feel.

D. It simply means you have not done enough yet.

E. You can never say exactly when your goal will be reached.

F. Instead, make up your mind to make your goal happen, no matter what!

G. Work hard towards your goal, and you will be likely to get good results.

No matter how much knowledge you have, if your subject is at all ______, be careful when discussing it during your speech, or you may well offend your audience.

A. diverse          B. sensitive    C. abstract         D. original

  We offer five kinds of courses. Each course has been designed to help students according to their needs.

  Course 1: General English

  General English is designed to develop students’ basic communication skills in speaking and pronunciation, reading, writing, grammer and vocabulary. Tuesday to Friday: 9:00 am to 11:00 am, $ 288 per week.

  Academic English is for students who want to take the IELTS exam or for those who need to use Englishin a professional area. Monday to Friday: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, $320 per week.

  Course 3: High School ESL

  Why not make the most of your time studying in Australia with the help from TIES? We have High School ESL classes each week specially designed for international students. Tuesday to Friday: 8:00 am to 11:00 am, $25 per hour.

  Course 4: Night Classes

  Do you want to improve your English and get the best possible results in your GRE test? We have two night classes each week designed to meet your needs. Tuesday and Thursday evenings: 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm, $60 per day.

  Course 5: One on One

  If you are interested in some One on One lessons with TIES teachers, we can design a course to meet your needs. One on One lessons can improve your English language skills more quickly and help students who want to take TOEFL. Tuesday to Friday: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, $80 per hour.

21. If you are an English beginner, you’d better choose      .

A. Course 4         B. Course 3      C. Course 2       D. Course 1

22. How much will you pay if you spend two weeks taking the High School ESL course?

A. $600            B. $500         C. $300          D. $200

23. What can we learn from One on One according to the passage?

A. Its lessons are given in the morning

B. It’s more expensive than the other courses.

C. It’s especially designed for English beginners.

D. Its lessons are designed to only improve writing skills.

   When I was little, my family had a telephone. It was kept in a case on the wall. I was too little to reach the phone. But I liked watching my mother talk to it.

   Then I found that there was a person living in the telephone. Her name was “Information Please”. And there was nothing that she did not know. When our clock ran down, she told us the correct time.

   One day, I hurt my finger with a stone. The pain was terrible, but nobody could help me. Suddenly I thought of the telephone! So I got a chair and climbed up. I took the receiver and said “Information Please.”

   After a second or two, a clear voice replied, “Information.”

   “ I hurt my finger…” I began to cry.

   “Isn’t your mother at home?”

   “Nobody’s at home but me.”

   “Are you bleeding( 流血)?”

   “No,” I replied. “I hit it with a stone and it hurts.”

   “Open your fridge. Then get a little piece of ice and hold it on your finger. That will stop the pain.” She said. “And don’t cry. You’ll be all right.”

   After that, I called Information Please for everything. I asked her for help with my geography. She helped me with my maths. She also told me that my pet mouse would eat fruit and nuts.

   Our friendship was very close. However, when I was nine, my family moved to Boston. And I never heard the operator’s (接线员)voice from then on. But I will remember how much she meant to me during that time, forever.

21.What does the underlined phrase, “ran down”, in the second paragraph mean?

A. Fell.                 B. Arrived.

  C. Moved.              D. Stopped.

22.When the author hurt his finger,________.

  A. he cried at once

B. he first asked his mother for help

  C. “Information Please” comforted him 

  D. “Information Please” handed him some ice

23. How did “Information Please” help the author?

  ① She helped him solve maths problems.

  ② She bought food for his pet mouse.

  ③ She helped him with geography questions.

  ④She told him how to make phone calls.

A. ①③        B. ①④     C. ②③       D. ③④

24.What is the best title for this text?

  A. An Injured Finger         B. Lost Friendship

 C. How a Telephone Works  D. My Friend--- Ms Information

Census Bureau (人口普查局) data released Thursday show that 48 of the 50 most populous (人口稠密的) U.S. cities have grown since 2010, compared with only 40 of the top 50 in the first two years after the 2000 Census. Of the top 100, 93 have grown since 2010, compared with just 72 a decade ago.

Many of the biggest, such as New York, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and Dallas, are outpacing the nation’s 1.7% growth rate since 2010.

“Urban America is recovering faster than more remote places,” said Robert Lang, a professor of urban affairs.

Only two big cities - Detroit and Cleveland - lost population between 2010 and 2012.

The urban recovery is led by mid-sized cities including Austin and Fort Worth and Charlotte. Austin grew 6.6% in two years, becoming the USA’s 11th-largest city. In 2000, it was No. 17.

Other trends:

• New York City grew 2%, adding about 161,500 people since 2010. By far it is the USA’s most populous city.

• The population of New Orleans continues to grow. In 2005 a terrible natural disaster happened to the city, causing the population to decrease. Now it has a population of three hundred and sixty-nine thousand. The number has grown by 7.4% since 2010.

• Government budget crunches (紧缩) have put state capitals in difficulty. Half are behind the growth rate of their regions.

Perhaps the biggest exception to the capital crunch is Austin. It has grown more than 26% since 2000. Population expert William Frey says Austin enjoys a number of qualities that make it attractive. It’s a high-tech city with a state university. And it’s in Texas, an attractive place for newcomers. “In some ways it’s a model of what other cities would like to become,” he says.

Frey notes that Charlotte, which grew 5.4% since 2010 has grown into a high-tech and financial center whose industries do business not just with those in other U.S. cities but with the rest of the world.

21． The statistics in Paragraph 1 suggest that _____.

A. there were fewer cities in the USA a decade ago

B. remote areas in the USA have more people now

C. the population in the USA has grown since 2010

D. many big cities in the USA face population problems

22． William Frey thinks Austin’s growth _____.

A. is due to its education

B. is the steadiest in the USA

C. attracts well-educated people

D. deserves the attention of other cities

23． According to the text, Charlotte _____.

A. is a political center

B. has grown slowly since 2010

C. is the USA’s 11th-largest city

D. does business at home and abroad

BRAD GARRETT’S COMEDY CLUB

Category: Comedy 

Best known for his role on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom(情景喜剧) Everybody Loves Raymond, Brad Garrett returns to his Vegas roots with his comedy club at the MGM Grand. It is a good place to check out when you need a break from work.

Prices from: $56.40 and up 

Age restriction: must be 21 years of age or older 

Show Length: 115 minutes 

MAC KING COMEDY MAGIC SHOW 

Category: Comedy, Magic 

Mac King Comedy Magic Show is different every afternoon, with lots of audience participation. He is willing to make fun of himself instead of his guests in order to make everyone feel welcome and entertained. The afternoon is kid-friendly from start to finish. Still, whether you’re eight or 80, you won’t be able to figure out Mac King’s secrets.

Prices from: $40.90 and up 

Age restriction: No age restriction 

Show Length: 90 minutes 

THE MENTALIST, GERRY MCCAMBRIDGE 

Category: Comedy, Magic 

Using his skills as a “mentalist”, Gerry McCambridge shocks the crowds as he uses his abilities to predict just what audience members will do next. Anyone who has seen the show has walked away in disbelief, amazed by his unusual power.

Prices : $34.99 and up 

Age restriction: Under 13 will not be admitted into the theater 

Show Length: 75 minutes 

ROCK OF AGES 

Category: Plays & Musicals 

The cheerful Rock of Ages brings audiences back to the times of big hair and even bigger bands with 28 popular rock songs from the 80s including “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “I Wanna Know What Love Is,” “Here I Go Again,” and more. Rock of Ages has been nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. It also received a Drama League nomination for Distinguished Production of a Musical.

Prices from: $74.00 and up 

Age restriction: Must be 15 years of age or older 

Show Length: 123 minutes 

21. Who is most likely to be able to read audiences’ minds?

A. Raymond.     B. Mac King.         C. Gerry McCambridge.      D. Brad Garrett.

22. Which of the following is good for a kid of 10 years old to go to? 

A. Gerry McCambridge’s show.           B. Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club.

C. Performances of Rock Of Ages.        D. Mac King’s comedy magic show.   

23. If someone is interested in musicals, his best choice must be ______. 

A. ROCK OF AGES                  B. BRAD GARRETT’S COMEDY CLUB

C. MAC KING COMEDY MAGIC SHOW    D. THE MENTALIST, GERRY MCCAMBRIDGE 

Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth

Introduction

Although small-scale business training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world, relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such opportunities to youth living on the street or in difficult circumstances. Over the past years, Street Kids International (S.K.I.) has been working with partner organizations in Africa, Latin Africa and India to support the economic lives of street children. The purpose of this paper is to share some of the lessons S.K. I. and our partner organizations have learned.

Background

    Typically, children end up on the streets not due to a single cause, but a combination of factors: the lack of adequately funded schools, the demand for income at home and so on. The street may be attractive to children as a place to find adventurous play and money. However, it is also a place where some children are exposed, with little or no protection, to exploitative employment, and urban crime.

Street Business Partnerships

S.K.I. has worked with partner organizations in Latin America, Africa and India to develop innovative opportunities for street children to earn income.

● The S.K.I Bicycle Courier Service first started in the Sudan. Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles, which they used to deliver parcels and messages, but they were required to pay for it gradually from their wages.

● The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society. Street Youths are supported to start their own small business through business training, life skills training and access to credit.

Lessons Learned

The following lessons have emerged from the programs that S.K.I. and partner organizations have created.

● It’s important for all loans to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic business and life skills.

● Small loans are provided initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles, shoe shining kits.

● All S.K.I. programs have charged interest on the loans, primarily to get the business runners used to the concept of paying interest on borrowing money. Generally the rates have been modest.

Conclusion

    There is a need to recognize the importance of access to credit for poor young people seeking to fulfill economic needs.

21. The organization, S.K.I., aims to _________________.

 A. give business training and loans to street children

 B. provide schools and social support for street children

 C. share the lessons S.K. I. learned to help street children

 D. draw the attention of the government to street children

22. This passage implies that with the help of S. K. I. street children may_____________.

 A. reject paid employment            B. set up their own business

 C. leave their families                D. employ other children

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

 A. The link of all loans to training programs is important.

 B. Interest is charged for the loans in all S.K.I. programs.

 C. The S.K.I Bicycle Courier Service provides the participants with free bicycles.

 D. The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia works with another organization.

Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all

historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons — for example, economic reasons — why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own hometown of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative (保守的) and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different, even though that might be the more risky choice.

28.What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?

A. Most of them are too expensive to preserve.

B. They are more pleasing than modern buildings.

C. They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.

D. Some of them are not attractive.

29.Which of the following is TRUE according to the author?

A. Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

B. We should reproduce the same old buildings.

C. Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

D. No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

30.By “move things forward” in the last paragraph, the author probably means “______”.

A. destroy old buildings                

B. put things in a different place

C. choose new architectural style       

D. respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

31.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To explain why people dislike change.

B. To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

C. To warn that we could end up living in caves.

D. To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.

The Price of a Dream

I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics. 

By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction（信念）.

One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother. 

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was dreading（害怕）this, but my mother said: “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.”

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them,” he said.

I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he demanded.

“Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the price of a dream?”

That question laid bare for me the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20,000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother the house of my dream.

25. The writer was grateful to Coach Jarvis, because Jarvis ______. 

A. made him set a goal                  

B. supplied him with new clothes

C. gave him financial support           

D. helped him show conviction

26. When the boy was offered a job, he wanted to ______.

    A. balance summer baseball and the work schedule

    B. refuse the job offer for summer baseball

    C. give up summer baseball for the job

    D. ask his coach Jarvis for advice

27. Which of the following can replace “If  you make your bed, you have to lie in it.”?

    A. You must eat the bitter fruit of your own making.

    B. Believe in yourself, but above all be patient.

    C. You must rely on yourself first, then others.

    D. A good beginning makes a good ending.

28. The end of the story was that the writer ______.

A. failed to buy his mother a house         

B. succeeded as a sportsman

C. became a successful businessman      

D. made some money in the summer job 

1．  现在很多人服用维生素C来抵御感冒。（protect）

2．  新建成的轻轨一旦开通，将给周围的居民带来极大的方便。（convenience）

3．  随着世博会的临近，许多旧房屋被拆除，取而代之的是现代化的建筑。（replace）

4．  据说大量关于甲型H1N1病毒预防和治疗的书籍已出版了。（be said to…）

5．  我发现，你一天做了多少事并不重要, 重要的是你努力完成的事情做得怎么样。(what)

Warning: reading too much Cinderella to your daughter may damage her emotional health in later life. A paper to be developed at the international congress of cognitive psychotherapy(认知心理疗法) in Gothenburg suggests a link between the attitudes of women abused by their parents and early exposure to the wrong sort of fairy tales. It says girls who identified with Cinderella, Rapunzel and Beauty in Beauty and the Beast were more likely to say in destructive relationships as adults.

The theory was developed by Susan Darker Smith, a psychotherapist at the University of Derby. She interviewed 67 female abuse survivors and found that 61 put up with serial abuse because they believed they could change their partners and with patience, composition and love. Hardly any of the women in a control group, who had not experienced abuse, thought they could change their partners in this way.

The same view was taken by male survivors who had been abused as children. These women and men said they would leave a relationship rather than put up with abuse from a partner. Ms Darker Smith found the abused women were much more likely to identify with Cinderella and other submissive female characters in fairytales, who were later rescued by a stranger prince or hero.

Although most girls heard the stories, damage appeared to be done to those who adopted the submissive characters as role models. “They believe if their love is strong enough they can change their parents’ behaviors, she said.” Overexposure in children to stories that emphasize the transformational qualities of love may make women believe they can damage their partners.” For example, they might never have understood the obvious flaw(缺点) in the story of Rapunzel, who remained locked in a high tower until rescued by a knight on a white horse, who broke the door down. “The question,” said Ms Darker Smith, “is why she did not break the door down herself.”

72. The passage is especially intended for _________.

   A. parents with young daughters

   B. girls who like reading fairy stories

   C. girls who think they can change their partners

   D. parents with grown-up daughters

73. Cinderella, Rapunzel and Beauty in Beauty and the Beast are similar in that _________.

   A. they all married some princes

   B. they all changed their partners with love

   C. they were all abused by their partners

   D. they all put up with abuse

74. Which of the following statements is true of the women in a control group?

   A. They don’t believe in fairy tales.

   B. They don’t believe in the transformational qualities of love.

   C. They have also experienced abuse.

   D. They survived abuse.

75. What does the underlined word “submissive” in the 3rd paragraph probably mean?

   A. kind-hearted      B. obedient   C. gentle    D. easy-going

When I heard the piano, I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside as I always did. That meant she was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. “Almost anything”, I sighed dejectedly. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. It didn’t come to me naturally. I thought back to happier times when I was writing stories and acting them out with my friends, cutting up old clothes to make dresses that performers wear in plays, and building scenery out of old things we found. But Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try.

The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music.

“Hello,” I heard a voice behind me say softly. I turned around to see a little girl standing behind me, eating an apple. But before I could make any response, Mrs. Windsor walked into the room in her usual urgent manner and announced,“Jennifer, this is my niece, Pasha. Pasha, this is Jennifer. Pasha will be giving you your lesson today. I’m up to my ears in something else!” she then exited to the kitchen.

Pasha set her apple down on the side table and slid beside me on the piano bench.

“What piece do you like best?”she asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “They’re all the same to me. I don’t know.

“You mean you don’t have a favorite?”

“No, not really.”

Pasha looked at me, rather puzzled, then opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys and studied the notes on the page for a moment. Then I frowned and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I have to admit I was a rather mechanical pianist.

After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant.

“Like a story. What story is being playing out within the music?”

“I guess I’ve never thought about it before. I don’t know.”

“Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”

Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys.“Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.”A carefree, happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!”The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’s horse sees her plight (困境),” Pasha continued, and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. They make it to the bank and she hugs her faithful horse and swears she will never again wear princess skirts that weigh her down. She will only wear jeans and T-shirt from now on.” Pasha finished with a big smile and then looked at me.

“Aren’t you the girl who tells the stories?” she asked.

“I guess. I do tell a lot of stories.”

“Oh, yes! All the kids talk about them. I’ve heard about you. Well, all you have to do is learn to hear the stories in the music. That’s all there is to it.”

“I’ve never thought it that way.”

“Let’s try another one, shall we?”Pasha smiled and together we played that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.

55．The underlined word “dejectedly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______

A. nervously        B. desperately       C. impatiently      D. unhappily

56．Jennifer got lost in thought when she ________

A. played the piano with Pasha for the first time

B. listened to Pasha tell her story about the princess

C. remembered happier times of writing stories and acting them out

D. discovered that Mrs. Windsor’s niece would be giving the piano lesson

57．By describing herself as a mechanical pianist, the author showed ______

A. she could remember the notes in a short time

B. she was playing the piano without thinking

C. Pasha was showing off her skills

D. it had been a long time since she played last time

58． Which of the following can best describe Pasha?

A. Creative        B. Naughty           C. Humorous        D. Brave

59．Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A. Never Give up                         B. A Piano Lesson

C. Why I Hated Playing the Piano         D. A Friend for Ever

60．This text would be probably found in ______

A. a collection of stories about friendship and learning

B. a book of daily records about famous young musicians

C. a magazine series about the challenges of overcoming fears

D. a series of newspaper articles about musical instruments

   There is a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of great singers.   61  (ask) to be part of a show for some old World War II soldiers, he told them he was very busy and he could afford only a few minutes,  62  he would come if they wouldn’t mind his singing one short song and immediately leaving for his next appointment. Of course, the show’s director agreed  63  (happy).

    But when Jimmy got on stage, something surprising happened. He went through   64   short song and then stayed. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept  65   (stay). Pretty soon, he had been on stage  66   fifteen, twenty, and then thirty minutes. One of his   67   (assist) behind the stage stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened”

Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason why I stayed. You can see for   68   (you) if you look at the front row.” In the front row were two men, both of   69   had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that was exactly what they  70   (do) , loudly and cheerfully.

Indoor Plants

As with any house guests, indoor plants require a certain amount of basic, regular attention if they are going to feel at home. The first consideration when purchasing plants is to make reasonably sure that they are suitable for the condition in which they are going to be housed.

A general rule for most plans being brought indoors for the first time is to ensure that they have reasonable temperature of not less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a position out of cold air, safe from pets and not exposed to strong sunlight.

Plants love company.When plants are growing together, they create an atmosphere of damp around themselves which is far more beneficial than hot dry conditions.A group of plants will also present a more pleasing picture and provide an opportunity for a creative arrangement.There is no secret to this.Just rely on your natural feeling for harmony.

Watering and feeding plants are probably the two areas of care that are the least well understood, but, again, if you follow a few simple rules, your plants should do well.Cold slightly warm water is therefore the answer.It is usually better to pour water on to the soil on the surface of the pot rather than put the water into the pot holder at the bottom.Avoid giving small amount of water at regular intervals－it is much better to wet the soil right through the pot in one go and then to allow it to dry noticeably before giving it a further watering.

The majority of indoor plants will be in active growth from March until October, and during this time, the established ones will benefit from regular feeding.This may mean feeding with a weak liquid fertilizer at each watering or at intervals of a week or ten days with fertilizer at a standard strength.It is important, however, to ensure that plants are not fed when growth is not active, when the soil in the pot is dry, or too soon after the plants has been potted up.

28．In Paragraph 2, the author mainly tells us to________.

A．put plants in clean indoor air

B．create a new environment with plants

C．put plants on the sunny side of the room

D．make sure of suitable conditions for plants

29. What's the benefit of plants growing together?

A．It provides owners good company.

B．It helps the air around them slightly wet.

C．It makes it convenient to look after them.

D．It allows owners to draw a pleasant picture.

30. While watering the plants, what should we remember to do?

A．Use water that is a little warm.

B．Pour the water into the pot holder.

C．Give small amount of water at one time.

D．Consider further watering in dry weather.

31. What is the best time to feed the plants?

A．When the soil is dry.

B．When their growth is active.

C．When the temperature is high.

D．When they have just been planted.

   Smith先生是一位加拿大籍教师，今天他给你们做了一个讲座，介绍了有关加拿大的情况。请你根据Smith先生的讲座，写一篇报告，向全校同学介绍加拿大的有关情况。词数120左右。 要点包括：

1 加拿大约占世界四分之一陆地面积，是世界第二大国；

2 人口稀少，全国人口约3200万，居民主要讲法语和英语；

3 气候区域差别很大；

4 多湖泊，淡水资源丰富；

5 丰富的森林资源，是世界最大纸张出口国。

可适当增加细节，使文章更完整。

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       Kong Zi, also called Confucius (551-479 B.C.), and Socrates(苏格拉底) (469-399 B.C.) lived only a hundred years apart, and during their lifetimes there was no contact between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers came from shaped their ideas, and how these ideas in turn, shaped their societies.

       Neither philosopher lived in times of peace, though there were more wars in Greece than in China. The Chinese states were very large and feudal, while the Greek city-states were small and urban. The urban environment in which Socrates lived allowed him to be more radical (激进的) than Confucius. Unlike Confucius, Socrates was not asked by rulers how to govern effectively. Thus, Socrates was able to be more idealistic, focusing on issues like freedom, and knowledge for its own sake, Confucius, on the other hand, advised those in government service, and many of his students went on to government service.

       Confucius suggested Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.” He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some had more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that some had more potential to develop their reason than others did. Like Confucius, he believed that the superior class should rule the inferior (下层的) classes.

       For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.

       Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes.

28. Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?

A. Socrates and Confucius had much in common.

B. Confucius had much influence on Socrates ideas.

C. There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece.

D. The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas.

29. Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that _______.

A. all men were equal when they were born

B. the lower classes should be ruled by the upper class

C. the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdom

D. people should not ask others to do what they did not want to

30. What made some people different from others according to Confucius?

A. Knowledge            B. Potential               C. Family                D. Community

31. This passage is organized in the pattern of _______.

A. time and events         B. comparison and contrast

C. cause and effect         D. definition and classification                                      

 The manager was satisfied to see many new products ______ after great effort.

A. having developed B. to develop          C. developed          D. develop

Step into Wonderland and follow any of the many tracks around Kinabalu Park. Even though it is the most explored and studied place in Borneo, new discoveries of rare plants are frequently being made here.

    So take a map and set off on your own or follow Park Naturalists as they take you on guided path walks and point out the various wonders. There are also visual shows advertising rare plants and animals here. If you are a first time visitor, sign up for these shows and you’ll be excited when you find yourself identifying the same plants and animals on your walks or during your climb up Mt. Kinabalu.

Mt. Kinabalu Botanical Garden is one of the biggest attractions at the park, which started in 1981. This 5-acre garden is an excellent collection of different kinds of plants on the mountain, as plants from all over the park have been replanted here. There are hotels, inns and chalets(牧人小屋) at Kinabalu Park to suit one’s budget. For more information, click www.sabahtourism.com.

21. What can we infer according to this text?

A. There’re still some unknown rare plants in Kinabalu Park.

B. Mt Kinabalu is a more explored and studied area than Borneo.

C. Mt Kinabalu Botanical Garden attracts visitors due to its long history.

    D. Visitors should follow the Park Naturalists so as not to get lost.

22. Which of the following is a fact based on this text?

A. Guided Nature Walk is a favorite of first time visitors.

B. Botanical Garden and Butterfly Farm open at the same time.

    C. Slide Show is unavailable unless it is arranged in advance.

    D. Visitors can have access to Night Walk anytime they wish.

23. If a couple visit the Park with their son aged 19, how much will they pay?

 A. $30.        B. $40.        C. $50.       D. $60.