On the first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know, I looked round when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady with a smile. She said “Hi, handsome, my name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze. “Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked. “ I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me. After class we walked to the Student Union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends.

Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always listening to this “  time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon(偶像) and she easily made friends wherever she went. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football dinner. I’ll never forget what she taught us. “ We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunities in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.” She concluded her speech by courageously singing“ The Rose”. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics(歌词) and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end she finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

21. What happened to the author on the first day of school?

A. He got to know an old professor.

B. He made the acquaintance of an old lady.

C. He joined the Student Union.

D. He had to share a milkshake with others.

22. From the underlined sentence in Paragraph1, we can find out the author’s ____.

A. concern about age        B. respect for the old

C. curiosity about the lady    D. complaint about education

23. In the author’s eyes, Rose was _____.

   A. innocent and generous      B. wise and skilled

   C. talented and hardworking    D. courageous and inspiring

24. Which saying might Rose possibly support?

   A. One is never too old to learn.

   B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

   C. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

D. It is no use crying over spilt milk.

 --- Why hasn’t Steve contacted us up to now? ______ anything have happened to him?

   --- I’m not sure, but I guess something ______.

  A. Must ; may           B. Could ; might            C. May ; must have      D. Can ; may have

The British Isles are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west，and ________.

A．the North Sea is to the east         B．the North Sea to the east

C．to the east is the North Sea        D．to the east the North Sea

Secret codes (密码)keep messages private。Banks, companies, and government agencies use secret codes in doing business, especially when information is sent by computer.

   People have used secret codes for thousands of years. _31_ Code breaking never lags(落后) far behind code making. The science of creating and reading coded messages is called cryptography.

   There are three main types of cryptography. _32_ For example, the first letters of “My elephant eats too many eels” Spell out the hidden message “Meet me.”

_33_ You might represent each letter with a number, For example, Let’s number the letters of the alphabet, in order, from 1 to 26. If we substitute a number for each letter, the message “Meet me” would read “13 5 20 13 5.”

   A code uses symbols to replace words, phrases, or sentences. To read the message of a real code, you must have a code book. _34  For example, “bridge” might stand for “meet” and “out” might stand for “me.” The message “bridge out” would actually mean “Meet me.” _35_ However, it is also hard to keep a code book secret for long. So codes must be changed frequently.

A. It is very hard to break a code without the code book.
B. In any language, some letters are used more than others.
C. Only people who know the keyword can read the message.
D. As long as there have been codes, people have tried to break 

them.
E. You can hide a message by having the first letters of each 

word   spell it out.
F. With a code book, you might write down words that would stand 

for other words.
G. Another way to hide a message is to use symbols to stand for 

specific letters of the alphabet.

John worked hard at his lessons and gained _____to a famous university last year.

A. permission             B. admission

C. agreement              D. freedom

_{George Gershwin，born in 1898，was one of America’s greatest composers．He published his first song when he was eighteen years old．During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs．}

_{Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City．These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s．Many of his songs have remained popular as ever．Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way—from jazz to country．}

_{In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music．Could jazz，some people asked，be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music．Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it．And in that short time，he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue．Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert．The audience were thrilled when they heard his music．　　It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular．}

_{In 1928，Gershwin went to Paris．He applied to study composition(作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger，but she rejected him．She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style．While there，Gershwin wrote An American in Paris．When it was first performed，critics(评论家)were divided over the music．Some called it happy and full of life，to others it was silly and boring．　 　　But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States．It still remains one of his most famous works．}

_{George Gershwin died in 1937，just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer．He was only thirty-nine years old．Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages．People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written．}

_{1．Many of Gershwin’s musical works were　　　　．}

_{A．written about New Yorkers}

_{B．composed for Paul Whiteman}

_{C．played mainly in the countryside}

_{D．performed in various ways}

_{2．What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?}

_{A．He created one of his best works．}

_{B．He studied with Nadia Boulanger．}

_{C．He argued with French critics．}

_{D．He changed his music style．}

_{3．What do we learn from the last paragraph?}

_{A．Many of Gershwin’s works were lost．}

_{B．The death of Gershwin was widely reported．}

_{C．A concert was held in memory of Gershwin．}

_{D．Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death．}

_{4．Which of the following best describes Gershwin?}

_{A．Talented and productive．}

_{B．Serious and boring．}

_{C．Popular and unhappy．}

_{D．Friendly and honest．}

    During the past Spring Festival, many children may have received red packets from their families. But Xing Pu, a 40-year-old economist, is asking the government to give red packets to every Chinese citizen.

    Xing suggested the government give out 1,000 yuan to each Chinese since the government income has increased rapidly in recent years. He said his suggestion would allow everyone to directly enjoy the fruits of the country's economic success, help the lower-income groups deal with rising prices and increase consumption around the country.

    Recent years we have seen the government carry out a series of pro-poor() and pro-rural() policies, including increasing spending on public health care and calling off the agricultural tax. But the lower-income group still needs more help while being hit hard by an 11-year high in prices.

    Xing said while making the draft, he has borrowed many ideas from practices in countries like the Unites States and Singapore, whose governments offered cash handouts() to their citizens earlier this year as the result of a surplus in government income. As for in China, "We can even encourage the rich to donate their 1, 000 yuan red packets to the poor," said Xing.

    Although Xing's suggestion has gained wide support among ordinary Chinese on the Internet, many other economists criticized it as unpractical. Even Xing himself admitted he made the suggestion without any careful calculation. But they agreed with Xing's point that the growing economic pie should be shared among the people.

    "To better use the increase of money, handing out money is not a solution that holds good for all time. It could be better to improve the public service or cut the price of energy use in daily life," said Qiao Xinsheng, an economic professor.

32. Xing Pu suggested that the government give out one thousand yuan to each Chinese because ________.

A. the poor should get help from the rich B. the government should increase consumption

C. all people should benefit from the economic growth  D. the government should carry out pro-rural policies

33. What has the government done to help the lower-income group?

A. Spending less on public health care B. Reducing the agricultural tax

C. Handing out money to every Chinese D. Carrying out policies to assist the poor

34. According to some experts, what is better than giving out money?

A. Supplying food to everyone every day B. Cutting the price of energy use in daily life

C. Controlling the rising prices D. Increasing the government' s income

35. Xing Pu's idea of giving red packets to every Chinese citizen mainly came from ______.

A. customs of the Spring Festival B. what other nations have done

C. the increase in public health care D. the high prices in the past years

_{_____ his great courage, the boy was left alone in a dark room, no lighted candle_____ it up．}

_{A． Considered；lighted}

_{B． Considering；lighting}

_{C． Having considered；lighted}

_{D． To consider；lighting}

写作任务: 假定你是李华，将于今年七月从新星外语学校毕业。你从报纸上得知 B&B 公司要招聘一名英文秘书，你很感兴趣写一封求职信，包括下列要点:

1. 年龄:

2. 学习情况及英语水平:

3. 兴趣和特长:

4. 性格特点.

 注意:

1. 词数100-120

2. 可适当增加细节，以使行为连贯；

3. 开头语和结束语己为你写好

Dear Sir/Madam,

                                             _______________________________

 

                                                                                      

 

                                                                               

     

.

                                                               Sincerely yours,

                                                                      Li Hua

Attractions in Wisconsin

Swiss Historical Village

612 Seventh Ave, New Glares

The Swiss Historical Village offers a delightful look at pioneer life in America’s heartland.14 buildings in the village give a full picture of every day life in the nineteenth-century Midwest.

Tue.---Fri., May 1st---October 31st, 10:00am---4:00pm. Admission is $20

( 608 ) 527-2317 www.swisshistoricalvillage.com

Artisan Gallery & Creamery Cafe`

6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli WI

One of the largest collections of fine arts and crafts (手工艺品)in Wisconsin. Over 5000 sq. Ft. of exhibition space in a historical creamery. While visiting enjoy a wonderful prepared lunch at our cafe` overlooking the Sugar River. Just minutes from Madison!

Gallery open Tue.—Sun.,10:00am—5:00 pm

Cafe` open Wed.—Sat, 11:00 am—3:00 pm Sun. brunch with wine, 10:00---3:00 pm

( 608 ) 845-6600 www.artisangal.com

Wisconsin Historical Museum

30N. Carroll Street On Madison’s Capital Square

Discover Wisconsin’s history and culture on four floors of exhibits. Open for public program.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00am---4:00 pm. Admission is free.

(608)264-6555 www. wisconsinhistory. Org/museum

Christopher Columbus Museum

239 Whitney St., Columbus

World-class exhibit---2000 quality souvenirs marking Chicago’s 1893 World Columbus Exhibition.

Tour buses are always welcome

Open daily, 8:15 am---4:00 pm

(608)623-1992 www. columbusantiquemall.com

33. Which of the following is on Capital Square?

   A. Wisconsin Historical Museum             B. Swiss Historical Village

   C. Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café           D. Christopher Columbus Museum

34.Where can visitors have lunch?

A. At Wisconsin Historical Museum           B. At Swiss Historical Village

C. At Christopher Columbus Museum         D. At Artisan Gallery & Creamery Cafe`  

35.We can learn from the text that_________.

A. Tickets are needed for Wisconsin Historical Museum

B. Swiss Historical Village is open for half a year.

C. Artisan Gallery & Creamery Cafe are open daily for 4 hours.

D. Christopher Columbus Museum overlooks a river.

A Letter of Invitation

Dear Mr. Smith,

    I'm writing                                    (代表全班) to invite you to join us in

our English corner during the School English Week.

                            （按照计划），the activity will be held in the school lecture hall

from 4:30p.m. to 5:30p.m., when we will first                       （交换英语学习经验），

read aloud English poems and learn to sing some English songs. Then, we would like to ask you to                                              (简介美国文化)so that we will have a better understanding of it.

    I would appreciate it if you could come and have fun with us.                          

                                                                         ，（如有

任何特别要求请提前通知我们）and we can                     （做充分的准备）for you.

    I'm looking forward to your reply.

                                                         Yours,

                                                        Li Hua

A Letter of Thanks

Dear Mum and Dad,

I am writing to                                                               

                                （感谢你们在我18岁这一天送给我的生日卡和礼物）．

I'd like to                          （表达我对你们18年以来为我做的一切的感激之情）．

    Reading the words you wrote on the card, I                                         

                                                                               

(忍不住想起你所教我的一切，如独立、与人为善以及面对困难时保持勇敢)．Thanks to    

                                                                 （你的鼓励和无

条件的爱），I believe that I will                                         （不辜负你们

的期望）and become the one you are proud of.

Mum and Dad, I promise I will                                                  

                            （高考后为你做一顿大餐以表达我对你们的深爱）．

    Best wishes,

                                          Yours,

                                          Li Hua

A Letter of Apology

Dear Tom,

    I'm writing to                                                                

              ，as                              （这周六无法按上周计划那样与你外

出郊游而道歉）I'm sorry for breaking my promise.

    Actually, I've been expecting to meet you                                         

（在我们约定的时间）to have a great time together. However, something unexpected happened. My grandfather，                             （他七十多岁），fell over and broke his leg yesterday while having a walk in the park. He                                          

                                                                           （受

伤如此重以致马上被送去医院）．Now he                                         （正

在接受治疗）there and I must look after him at the weekend.

    I wonder                                                              （我们

下周天是否外出）if                                                  (你方便的话)．

Again, I'm sorry for                                                          （我给

你带来的不便）．

    I'm looking forward to your reply!

                                                                   Yours,

                                                                  Li Hua

How to remember your passwords

    Remembering and then forgetting your passwords can be a frustrating business, and one that contributes to more than half of calls made to helplines. ___36___  Once you have reset your password, you’re going to need to remember that one too. Follow our tips on breaking the password-frustration cycle.

___37___

We often create so many user IDs but there are only a small number of passwords that you really need to remember. It’s important for you to remember your banking and email passwords, but do you really need to worry about your occasional eBay visit? If you can commit(交付) just a few to memory, you can hand the rest over to a password keeper to do the remembering for you.

Sign up for a password keeping service.

___38___ You just need to encrypt(加密) your data and keep it in a safe server. Many password keepers require you to remember just one master password, which will give you access to the accounts you have chosen.

Write them down

“Just keep them in a safe place, such as a locked box,” says Internet security blogger Bruce Schneier. ___39___ Thus, it isn’t entirely discouraged and can be an efficient back-up plan when all else fails.

Work on your memory

___40___ Practising memory techniques or making certain lifestyle changes, including reducing stress, might just prevent you from having to make that frustrating password phone call ever again.

A. Download a mobile password app.

B. Of course, it doesn’t just stop there.

C. Try to make a note of your passwords.

D. Work out which passwords matter most.

E. Put your money into different accounts.

F. It will remember your passwords for you.

G. Many exercises can help improve your memory.

I was only joking when I said Tom was silly; Who _____ he took it seriously.

A. would have thought   B. would think           C. had thought          D. thought

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

_________   I was alone, no one would know whether I read it or not. So I opened it. It said，“Mike，I know life is  _________ right now, I know you are frustrated and I know we don’t do everything right. I also know that I love you  _________  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   _________ . Just know that no matter where you go or whatever you do in your life, I will always love you and be _________ that you are my son. I’m here for you and I love you-that will never  _________  .Love you, Mom.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 — I promise her daughter ____ get a nice present on her birthday.

  — Will it be a big surprise to her?

A. should              B. must          C. would             D. shall

The bad economic situation set people 　　　 why so many banks and companies are left 　　　 down one by one. 

A. thinking; closing　　　　B. thinking; to be closed

C. to think; closing                           D. to think; closed

Of the many unpleasant emotions we can experience, fear may top the list.    36   . Fear can also keep us from pursuing the things in life that really matter -- like following our dreams, and developing important relationships. I have some ideas, though, of how to be free from fear.

l         Experience fear.

I used to be very afraid of speaking in front of people. I would get sweaty palms and my stomach would be so tied up that I wouldn't be able to eat. However, each time I spoke, I noticed afterwards that it wasn't that bad. Things I fear are never as bad in reality as I make them out in my mind.    37   .

l         Create space.

The first and most important step to being fearless is to create some space between ourselves and the emotion of fear. This isn't accomplished by ignoring the fear, or trying to talk ourselves out of it.    38   . In fact, a recent research shows that by simply admitting the emotion we actually begin to reverse the "fight or flight(逃避)" response in the body.

l         Control the breath and feel the fear.

Once we acknowledge the presence of fear, the second step is to control the breathing so that it becomes slower and gentler. We try to make the breath just a little bit longer, and feel how fear manifests(展现) in the body.    39   .

With practice, we can create enough space between us and the emotion of fear so that we're able to replace a fearful thought with a positive one.    40   . For instance, before I get up to speak in front of a group of people, I imagine that the audience is positively impressed by what I say and that I manage to complete the speech successfully.

A.     Space is created only when we can honestly acknowledge that fear exists.

B.     We can imagine a positive outcome for whatever we're about to do.

C.     Fear, if left uncontrolled, can even destroy our life.

D.     So one way to get rid of fear is to simply push ourselves to do things that we fear.      

E.      When we can see a positive outcome in our mind, fear no longer holds us back.

F.      But fear is more than just physically unpleasant.

G.     As we pay attention to the physical symptoms of fear, we can see fear objectively.

    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.

 

Whether you're a child, teenager, young adult or are middle-aged, respect you’re your parents is an important value. Your parents are the people who raised you, devoting time, energy and money to your development.    36    No matter your age, there are 5 ways to show respect.

●Respect their belongings.

One important way to show respect is to show regard for the things important to your parents. For younger children, this may mean not touching jewelry or other valuable things.  For grown children, respect may mean returning a borrowed tool in good condition and on time. Lack of respect for a parent's belongings is a violation of personal boundaries.    37    And never borrow things without asking first.

●Punctuality .

38    Therefore, always be on time. For teenagers, showing up on time means coming home by curfew（宵禁）.Adult children should show up on time for family dinners or events, or to pick a parent up for a medical appointment. Call if you're going to be late because parents worry about children, no matter their age.

●_39    Remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special days is a sign that you honor your parents. Make plans to take them to lunch or dinner or bake a cake or cookies. Most parents don't expect expensive gifts, but a handmade gift is always appreciated .A phone call from a grown child who lives too far for a visit is a welcome sign of respect.

●Be kind.

Kind words and affection are simple ways to show respect. Tell your parents you love them.  Listen and allow your parents to speak without interruption. Show a sincere interest in what your parents have to say. Be patient with your parents and don't rush them. Never talk back or be rude or disrespectful. Acknowledge your parents' achievements.    40

A．Be a good listener.

B．Celebrate with them.

C. Lateness indicates a lack of respect.

D. Treat your parents the way you would like to be treated.

E. And they love you unconditionally throughout your life.

F. Being respectful helps build positive relationships with others.

G. Don't take advantage of your parents' kindness and generosity.

Muzak
The next time you go into a bank, a store, or a supermarket, stop and listen. What do you hear?     ____36     It’s similar to the music you listen to, but it’s not exactly the same. That’s because this music was especially designed to relax you, or to give you extra energy. Sometimes you don’t even realize the music is playing, but you react to the music anyway.  
Quiet background music used to be called “elevator (电梯) music” because we often heard it in elevators. But lately we hear it in more and more places, and it has an new name “Muzak”. About one-third of the people in America listen to “Muzak” every day. The music plays for 15 minutes at a time, with short pauses in between. It is always more lively between ten and eleven in the morning, and between three and four in the afternoon, when people are more tired.      37     
If you listen to Muzak carefully, you will probably recognize the names of many of the songs. Some musicians or songwriters don’t want their songs to be used as Muzak, but others are happy when their songs are chosen. Why?     38    
Music is often played in public places because it is designed to make people feel less lonely when they are in an airport or a hotel. It has been proven that Muzak does what it is designed to do. Tired office workers suddenly have more energy when they hear the pleasant sound of Muzak in the background.     ____39     Supermarket shoppers buy 38 percent more groceries. 
    40     They say it’s boring to hear the same songs all the time. But other people enjoy hearing Muzak in public places. They say it helps them relax and feel calm. One way or another, Muzak affects everyone. Some farmers even say their cows give more milk when they hear Muzak!

A．Some people don’t like Muzak.

B．The music gives them extra energy.

C．Music is playing in the background.

D．Factory workers produce 13 percent more.

E. Muzak tends to help people understand music better.

F. They get as much as $4 million a year if their songs are used.

G. Muzak is played in most of the big supermarkets in the world.