I’m visiting the school ______ my mother taught English ten years ago.

A. that                 B. what

C. why                  D. where

Every year, when the air turns sharp, I think about my mother. She was always the first to point out the signs of autumn.

There were lessons to be learned from nature in the fall. To mother, autumn was a great book that she’d make up a sea of stories. “You must remember,” she would say, “that the leaves which die in the fall are born again in the spring.”    

Balance and counterbalance; harmony and disharmony; lose and renewal. These seemed to be the themes that ran through my mother’s stories ─ and her life.

   A memory: when I was seven, on the night of my mother’s fortieth birthday, she took me outside to stand beneath a bright moon. “Look through these,” said my mother, handing me a pair of binoculars(双筒望远镜). “You see that reddish part? That’s the Sea of Tranquility. And the blue shadow to the side? That’s called the Ocean of Storms.” Then she said something about how in life it was necessary to learn to navigate both.

   My mother loved the wind. When I was growing up, she would often recite this poem to me:

                    Who has seen the wind?

                         Neither you nor I,

                 But when the trees bow down

                         Their heads,

                     The wind is passing by.

   There’s an old photo of my mother, who is about ten years old, holding the small gray cat. The wind is blowing her long and dark hair. This girl who loved the wind is smiling — perhaps at the feel of the breeze touching her face.

As I smiled at the child my mother was, I could think of her without deep feelings of sadness and loss. I thought I could begin to find my new place in the world without her.

And so I sat the other night on the floor of my room holding my mother’s handbag. I had brought it home with me from the hospital on the day of her death, but had not been able to open it.

Inside, along with the wallet and photos of her grandchildren, I found a folded piece of paper upon which my mother had written these lines from nature writer Wendell Berry:

   “Always in the big woods when you step off alone into a new place there will be, along with curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the unknown, your first bond with the wilderness you are going into.”

   Just the sort of thing Mother would say, who could still teach me after all these years.

   I went downstairs and opened the door. And suddenly a breeze blew in. “You’ve been six years out of the wind,” I thought. Then I found myself saying, to no one in particular.

                      Who has seen the wind?

                       Neither you nor I,

                   But when the trees bow down

                       Their heads,

                       The wind is passing by.

 51. Why was my mother always the first to point out the signs of autumn?

     A. Because she believed autumn was the best season of a year.

     B. Because there were lessons to be learned from nature in autumn.

     C. Because only then could she make up stories.

     D. Because the evening sky was more interesting.

52. What were the themes that ran through my mother’s stories — and her life?

     A. Balance and counterbalance.       B. Harmony and disharmony.

     C. Loss and renewal.                D. All the above.

 53. What did my mother love?

A. The sky.          B. Little animals.     C. The wind.       D. The poem.

 54. What could I find without my mother?

     A. My new place in the world.              B. A folded piece of paper.

     C. The poem she loved best.                D. The wallet and the photos.

55. Which do you think is the best title of the passage?

A. A great mother, a plain living           B. I’ll never forget my mother

     C. A gentle breeze and a cat             D. The girl who loved the wind

The world is not coming to an end on December 21, 2012, the US space agency insisted Monday in a rare campaign to dispel widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie.

The latest big screen offering from Sony Picture, 2012, arrives in theaters on Friday, with a 200milliondollar production about the end of the world supposedly based on myths (虚构的故事) backed by the Mayan calendar. It is claimed that the end of time will come as a Planet X — or Nibiru — heads toward or collides with the Earth.

Some websites accuse NASA of hiding the truth on the planet’ s existence, but the US space agency denounced such stories as an “Internet hoax(恶作剧) ”. “There is no factual basis for these claims，” NASA said in a question and answer posting on its website. “If such a collision were real, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012，” it insisted. “After all, our planet has been getting along just well for more than four billion years，” added NASA.

There is another planet, Eris, floating in space. But the small planet similar to Pluto will remain safely fixed in the outer solar system and it can come no closer than four billion miles to the Earth, according to NASA.

Initial theories set the disaster for May 2003, but when nothing happened the date was moved forward to the winter in 2012 to coincide with the end of a cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar.

NASA insisted the Mayan calendar in fact does not end on December 21, 2012, as another period begins immediately afterward.

And even if the planets were to line up as some have forecast, the effect on our planet would be “negligible”， NASA said.

“And while comets and asteroids (小行星) have always hit the Earth, big hits are very rare，” NASA noted. The last major impact was believed to be 65 million years ago，resulting in the end of dinosaurs.

“We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs，” the space agency said.

49．________played a key role in the spread of the rumors.

A. A new book                                   B. The Internet and a new Hollywood movie

C. NASA                                       D. An Indian calendar

50．The film 2012 is________.

A. about the end of the world                 B. based on the scientific prediction

C. well accepted in the science field            D. about a romantic love story

51．We can infer that________.

A. people didn’t take the rumor seriously

B. Planet X — or Nibiru does exist

C. astronomers have been tracking Planet X for over ten years

D. the rumor caused a panic among some people

52．Which of the following is the best title?

A. New Hollywood movie 2012            B. December 21, 2012, NOT the end of the world

C. End of the ancient Mayan calendar     D. How rumors came into being

 —Excuse me. May I ask a favor of you?

  —______.

    A. It’s my pleasure      B. Sure, go ahead     

C. Ask, please          D. I’ve no time

Lots of people stress out about talking in front of the class or getting laughed at if they make a mistake in front of an audience.    36    The “stress hormones" that your body produces at times like these can actually help you focus.

    But when worry and stress about performing get to be too much, these hormones give people that “red alert（紧急状态）”feeling-the one that causes you to feel cold or sweaty, or get butterflies in your stomach.    37

    Be prepared.    38    Rehearse（排练）as much as you can and practice in front of others at every opportunity. Most of all, think positively. Tell yourself “I'll be OK" or “ I can do this" even if you are not 100% sure of it

    Look after yourself. Before big performances it's easy to let taking care of yourself slip as you spend too much time on rehearsals and practice.    39   Exercise can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control.

    Find out what the experts do. You can find books, DVDs, and online information about how to give your best when you perform, depending on what type of performance you're preparing for.    40    Or ask the cast of your school play or your drama or music teacher how they beat stage fright. And if your parents or grandparents ever performed, they may have their own secrets to share.

A. Confidence helps beat stress hormones.

B. The following tips can help you avoid that feeling.

C. You're less likely to freeze up if you're well prepared.

D. You can do this whether you're performing alone or as part of a group.

E. Check out stories about Olympic gymnasts or your favorite star to get their tips.

F. Feeling nervous before a performance is part of your body's way of helping you do your best.

G.  You'll look and feel your best if you get enough sleep and eat healthy meals before your performance.

We had a really bad time about six months ago but now things are_______.

A. picking up  B. coming up    C. making up     D. turning up

 Every American who helps to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, _______the uncertainty inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd.

A. when        B. if                  C. because          D. while 

    Imagine going to bed not knowing where your next meal is going to come from.   36   Today, nearly 11 percent of people on Earth suffer from hunger, according to a recent State of Food Insecurity in the World report published by the United Nations. But it turns out that this number is something to celebrate!

    Though the numbers look like a lot, the number of hungry people in the world has actually decreased by about 209 million since 1992. This has been mainly due to the hard work of organizations such as the UN, the FAO and the WFP.

    According to the WFP, the world produces enough food to feed the entire population of 7 billion people.   37   There are many reasons why food does not go from the producers to the consumers.

    People living in poverty cannot afford nutritious foods. This makes them weaker and it is harder for them to earn money to escape from poverty and hunger.   38   An average person in the US spends just 6.6% of the income on food.

    Drought is one of the most common causes of food shortage in the world.   39   In many countries, climate change is worsening the situation.

    Conflicts around the world can disrupt farming and food production. Fighting forces millions of people to flee their homes. These people don’t have the means to feed themselves.

       40   Food that is wasted uses up precious natural resources.

A. How can we solve the problem?

B. Each nation has its own challenges.

C. One-third of all food produced is never consumed.

D. But not everybody has access to food when they need it.

E. That is the fate of nearly 805 million people in the world.

F. Natural disasters such as flood and tropical storms can impact food output too.

G. Do you know in poor countries people spend over 80% of their earnings on food?

”Long time no see.”is ____ sort of informal, but it is part of ____ language that Americans use daily.

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

There is an old Spanish saying which states，“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow？31.________ We have to go for them now!

●Tomorrow is not promised.

Nobody likes to talk about death，but everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day or the hour. 32.________. Don’t go to your tomb with unrealized dreams. Make the decision to go after every dream，big or small right now.

●33.________

One of the biggest dream killers is fear. Many people could have achieved amazing things if only they weren’t afraid. Just think about all the things you’ve wanted to do，but allowed fear to convince you that you weren’t talented，or good enough. Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create.

●Take action to realize your dream.

You can dream about writing a great play，but it’s never going to happen unless you actually put pen to paper. You can dream about finding a cure for cancer，but it will never happen unless you actually become equipped with the necessary tools to find that cure.34.________

●Possibilities are waiting for you.

There are so many amazing opportunities and people waiting for you. How do you get to them？Simple！Follow your dream.35.________ You’ll never see those doors if you sit around waiting for a dream to happen，instead of actually working to make it happen.

A．Don’t let fear win.

B．In other words，dreams don’t work unless you do.

C．Our dreams should not，and cannot wait.

D．Therefore，today is all we have.

E．You’ll be much happier if you go for it.

F．You were born into the world with a unique gift，which nobody can copy.

G．Doors that you couldn’t imagine open up when you go after what you want.

      If cars had wings, they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2012．The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its carplane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012．

     “ It's the next ’wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh．“Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly．”

     The car plane has wings that unfold for flying－a process the company says takes one minute-and fold back up for driving． A runway is still required to take off and land．

     The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is  both．The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National High way Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations．

    The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly．They say it saves you the trouble of trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go．When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road．There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an air port-you park it in the garage at home．

    The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet．It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers．Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal（临界） conditions．

    The Transition's price tag: $ 194,000．But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS．Another option is a fullplane parachute．

    “If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option,”Gersh said．

     So far, the company has more than 70 0rders with deposits． “We're working very closely with them,

 but there are still some remaining steps, ” Brown said．

71．We can learn from the first paragraph that          ．

    A．carplanes will be popular in 2012

       B．people might drive a carplane in 2012

       C．both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land

       D．Richard Cersh is the vice president of Massachusetts

72．It takes the carplane one minute to           ．

    A．fold and- unfold its wings                            B．unfold wings for flying

    C．land in the airport                                        D．meet flying safety regulations

73． According to the passage,  which of the following is NOT true?

    A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land．

    B．To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FA         A．

    C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes．

    D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home．

74．The underlined word "it" in the last but one paragraph refers to           ．

    A．the radio                                                 B．the transponder

    C． the GPS                                                D．the fullplane parachute

75． What's the best title for the passage?

      A．Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Comer

      B．Which To Choose: A Ferrari Or A CarPlane?

      C．A More Convenient And Cheaper Way To Fly

      D．Cars With Wings Can Fly As Fast As Plane

I was feeling_________ (不舒服) hot.

How do you feel about watching other people work?

Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work.

Right now, I’m sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling（打捆）the big field on top of the hill. She’s been haying that field for over ten years. I know: I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old.

 She picked a great day for baling. It’s not too hot, and there’s a nice breeze. On Monday, when she cut the field, it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field. Didn’t stop her, though. She just stuck that big hat on her head, wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck, and set to work. I remember when I would have done the same thing.

While I’m here sucking a lemonade, Beth is driving the “hay(干草) train,” a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon. You’d think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor. But somehow she manages. When she’s finished, her tracks are very straight.

The whole time she’s haying, that dog of hers is working just as hard, running along beside her like he’s afraid she’ll drive away without him. Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him.

The way the machine works is pure poetry. Each row is pushed into shape. When just enough hay is in a bale, it is wrapped up and fastened together. A second or so later, the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon. The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius.

That’s not to say it works perfectly. Every once in a while a bale misses the mark, especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row. That means, of course, that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon.

I can remember when Beth’s mother was her age. She looked an awful lot like Beth does now. Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves.

Well, I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again. Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass.

56. We can learn from the passage that at some time in the past the author ______. 

   A. bought the tractor for Beth                           B. forced Beth to work at an early age

   C. worked in the field like Beth             D. trained the dog to help Beth work

57. In the eyes of the author, the sight of Beth baling hay is _______.

   A. uncommon        B. beautiful          C. unforgettable        D. changeable      

58. Before thrown into the wagon, the hay must be _______.

   A. tied up            B. dried up           C. cut up              D. lined up  

59. Who do you think is telling this story?

   A. Beth’s mother.      B. Beth’s father.       C. Beth’s grandmother.    D. Beth’s grandfather.

   JOHANNESBURG—They say cats have nine lives. Now a Chinese toad(蟾蜍)   has joined that club of clever survivors.

   South Africans are shocked at the endurance of a toad that got trapped in a cargo shipment from China to Cape Town, after jumping into a porcelain(瓷器) candlestick（烛台） that was made there. South African officials reportedly planned to put down the creature, fearing it would cause harm as an invasive species if it were let go in the wild.

   But the toad got a last-minute pardon. Mango Airlines, a South African airline, transported the toad on Friday to Johannesburg for delivery to an animal shelter, after officials decided to find a way to let the toad live. The two-hour fight was a breeze compared to the trip from China, a long way of many weeks and thousands of kilometers across the Indian Ocean.

   Airline spokesman Hein Kaiser said the toad got “first-class treatment”, sitting in a transparent plastic container with escort Brett Glasby, an animal welfare inspector. There was even a ceremony, in which the toad’s boarding pass was handed to Glasby.

   “He was the star of the show on the flight,” Kaiser said of the amphibious(两栖的) passenger. “I think every passenger stopped to have a look.”

   On landing in Johannesburg, the toad was brought out of its container for a celebrity-style photo shoot. Observers said the brown toad seemed like a cool customer. It belongs to the Asian Toad species, which breeds during the monsoon(季风) season. It is believed to have survived the trip from China by hardening its skin to prevent it from drying out, and also by slowing its breathing and heart rate—methods that help the species survive in times of drought.

   “We’ve had snakes in imported timber and scorpions(蝎子) in fruit. We were called because the toad was right inside the candlestick, and we had to break it to get it out” Glasby, the inspector, told The Star, a South African newspaper.

28. What is the passage mainly about?

A. An Asian toad gets a new home in South Africa.

B. Asian toads can’t get used to the life in South Africa.

C. Workers shipped a toad to South Africa on purpose.

D. South Africa ignores the protection of animals.

29. If the toad is released into the wild, _________.

A. it will make the locals feel shocked    B. it might harm the native species

C. it will lose its life in the wild              D. it might flee into another country

30. The toad was able to arrive in South Africa alive_________.

A. because it escaped all attacks and hunts

B. because it used to stop its breath in winter

C. because it formed hard skin to protect itself

D. because it was lucky to be given a chance

31. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A. sometimes animal are transported accidentally

B. no one has seen such a big toad in Africa

C. a candlestick is the best place for a toad

D. droughts make toads live longer

　　Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.

　　One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed ot be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please. I insist.” Jimmy agreed.

　　Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applications waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer’s office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy’s heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.

　　Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.

　　“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.

　　21. Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?

　　A. He was out of work B. He was bored with his job

　　C. He wanted a higher position D. He hoped to find a better boss

　　22. What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?

　　A. A friend’s car had a flat tyre B. a wild man was pushing a car

　　C. a terrible accident happened D. an old man’s car broke down

　　23. Why did the old man offer Jimmy a ride?

　　A. He was also to be interviewed B. He needed a traveling companion

　　C. He always helped people in need D. He was thankful to Jimmy

　　24. How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?

　　A. He was sorry for the other applicants

　　B. There was no hope for him to get the job

　　C. He regretted helping the old man

　　D. The interviewer was very rude

　　25. A. What can we learn from Jimmy’s experience?

　　A. Where there is a will, there’s a way

　　B. A friend in need is a friend indeed

　　C. Good is rewarded with good.

　　D. Two heads are better than one

假如你是红星中学高三（1）班的学生李华，你参加高校招生英语面试，请根据以下提示用英语做自我介绍。

1. 性格特点；     2. 兴趣爱好；

3. 擅长科目；     4. 未来专业意向。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That’s all! Thank you!