After walking a whole day, I was almost________, not feeling bad, though.
A. out of shape B. out of breath C. out of control D. out of order
The Man of Many Secrets — Harry Houdini — was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century. He was a man famous for his escapes — from prison cells, from wooden boxes floating in rivers, from locked tanks full of water. He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America. Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic” tricks.
Of course, his secret was not magic or supernatural powers. It was simply strength. He had the ability to move his toes as well as he moved his fingers. He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.
Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in club in New York. They called themselves the Houdini Brothers. When Harry married in 1894, he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant. But for a long time they were not very successful. Then Harry performed his first prison escape, in Chicago in 1898. Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison, and he invited the local newspapermen to watch.
It was the publicity that came from this that started Harry Houdini’s success. Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs and toes trained to escape ankle chins. But his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors. Every time he went into the prison cell, Bess gave him a kiss for good luck — and a small skeleton key, which is a key that fits many locks, pass quickly from her mouth to his.
Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame. He arranged to escape from the local prison of every town he visited. In the afternoon, the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers, and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full. What was the result? World-wide fame and a name remembered today.
21. According to the passage, Houdini’s success in prison escapes depends on _______.
A. his special tricks and supernatural powers
B. his unusual ability and a skeleton key
C. his magic tricks and unhuman powers
D. his wisdom and magic tricks
22. In the fourth paragraph, the underlined word “this” refers to _______.
A. his first prison escape B. the year 1898
C. the publicity D. Harry Houdini’s success
23. From the passage we can infer that Houdini became famous _______.
A. in 1894 B. before he married
C. at the age of 17 D. when he was about 24
24. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. A Skeleton Key B. A Man of Many Secrets
C. World-wide Fame D. Great Escape
假如你是李华。你的两位朋友Tom与Peter几天前发生了争吵。3月19日是Peter生日，Tom想送他一个礼物来缓和关系，他特地发来邮件寻求你的建议。请你根据以下要点给Tom回一封邮件：
信的内容包括：
1．礼物选择； 2．你的理由； 3．其他和解建议。
注意：
1．词数100左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3．邮件的开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数。
Dear Tom，
I'm glad to hear that you are considering making up with Peter.__________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Yours，
Li Hua
Many people like white color as it is a ______ of purity.
A．sign B．symbol C．signal D．symptom
It is said that the project __________（将完成）by the end of this November and many farmers will benefit from it. (complete)
My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of 41 ．Very often when we have flowers, Denise or I would plant some between the rocks, just to add some 42 to the area．
Last summer, I found a tiny little 43 in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either. We decided to let it 44 growing until we could find out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the 45 plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I decided to
46 the weeds around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something 47 . The sunflower had not 48 where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big 49 and grown under and around it to reach the 50 ．
That’s when I 51 that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its 52 of developing, we too have the ability of doing the same thing. If we 53 ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach where we 54 to go and get what we need for growth．
We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the 55 to achieve our goals. Like the 56 , it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had 57 in itself that it would succeed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be 58 who and what we are, then the environment will begin to 59 us. We will find a way to go under or 60 any “rocks”in order to reach our goals．
41. A. flowers B. insects C. rocks D. vegetables
42. A. color B. water C. fertilizer D. shape
43. A. weed B. seed C. rock D. plant
44. A. stop B. continue C. improve D. escape
45. A. weak B. lonely C. strange D. pretty
46. A. remove B. tend C. watch D. collect
47. A. wonderful B. terrible C. valuable D. unusual
48. A. passed B. started C. left D. died
49. A. tree B. table C. rock D. wall
50. A. air B. top C. sun D. house
51. A. realized B. doubted C. regretted D. hoped
52. A. place B. way C. course D. process
53. A. fill in B. put in C. worry about D. believe in
54. A. forget B. hate C. aim D. wait
55. A. ability B. wish C. plan D. idea
56. A. yard B. sunflower C. home D. summer
57. A. energy B. virtue C. courage D. faith
58. A. aware of B. afraid of C. proud of D. tired of
59. A. support B. affect C. upset D. forgive
60. A. into B. around C. through D. from
Are you the type of person who always says“yes”？I’ve come to learn that it is very important to learn to say NO！It’s okay. People are still going to like you. They may even respect you more because they know you are honest.
I，m not saying to say“no" to someone who really needs your help. I’m talking about refusing that meeting that you really do not want to attend or that birthday party that you don’t want to be a guest at.
Think for a moment how you feel when you say YES to something that you really don't want to do. If you’re like I once was，you can’t sleep at night and you think about it too much.
It weighs on your mind. You try to find ways out. Whatever you’re saying to yourself，if you really wanted to go，you wouldn’t have all of these thoughts.
So，why not just say NO from the beginning? Maybe you feel like if you don’t show up at the meeting（by the way，it is not one you must attend) your boss isn’t going to like you or your co-workers won’t respect you. Maybe you feel as if your mom，dad or sisters won’t love you as much if you don’t do everything for them that they ask every occasion.
If these people are your true friends，family members，or a good boss，they will like or love you the same no matter what. People treat you the way you teach them to，and if you’re someone who always says“yes" then that’s what they，re expecting.
You need to do what is right for you. Of course we do have real obligations in life to fulfill，but we do not have to do everything others want us to do.
64．Which of the following statements would the writer agree with？
A. We should try to do what our friends ask us to do.
B. We should help others in need.
C. Always saying“yes" means you are dishonest.
D. Always saying“no" means you are brave.
65．What does the underlined word，’ It" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Saying "yes"． B. A friend's birthday party.
C. Something you’re unwilling to do. D. Something you think difficult to do.
66．The writer believes that if you say“no" to your family members，you’11＿·
A. have the same relationship with them as before
B. have a loose relationship with them
C. disappoint them
D. upset them
67．What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Learn to Make a Right Choice B. To Be Yourself
C. Do What You Want to Do D. Learn to Say No
Hard work and lack of sleep have ______ her beauty and youth in recent years.
A. worn out B. tried out C. made out D. sent out
Health is the most important thing in the world. Nothing is more important than health. If we take away our money, houses, or even our clothes, we can still survive.___36___That is why we always try to eat in a healthy way and exercise regularly.
How can we keep healthy? In order to eat healthily, I usually avoid eating food high in fat, like French fries or cookies, which are junk food.___37___ I eat a lot of vegetables and fresh fruit which are full of vitamins.
___38___ Taking exercise every day helps us build a strong body. Regular exercise is an important part of keeping me healthy.
What’s more, I think friends are an important part of one’s health. ___39___I always feel better when I am with friends than I am alone. When I am with friends, I always laugh .Laughing is also an important part of health. It's good to stay with my friends.
By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy. These things sound easy to do, but not many people can manage them. ___40___
A．On the other hand, doing exercise is very important.
B．There are some people who like staying alone, but they keep healthy.
C．Many students show that people with a wide range of social contacts don’t get sick.
D．But if our health was taken away, it is certain that we would surely die.
E．I think a strong will is necessary if we want to keep healthy.
F．I only eat little meat.
G．Some people appear fat because they often eat too much.
The 2016 Rio Olympic Games have come to an end. Without about, many Chinese sports fans sat in front of the TV and cheered our athletes on, hoping that they would get as many gold medals as possible.
But sometimes our desire for gold medals can result in the sadness of failure. When Liu Xiang, China’s track hero, pulled out of the Beijing Olympics due to injury, he greatly disappointed many Chinese sports fans.
But things are different now. In the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, we saw a healthier and more lenient Chinese attitude toward the sportspeople, fully in line with the Olympic spirit.
China didn’t win any gold medals on the first day. But, instead of criticizing the athletes who failed to finish on top of the podium(领奖台), the majority of fans were happy with their efforts. “Reacting in the right way when an athlete misses out on gold shows the maturity of a person, and is also a challenge for a country to face up to in the process of development,” commented CRI.
Swimmer Fu Yuanhui won fans’ hearts, even if she only won a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke final. Her fans on her Sina Weibo micro blog have increased 100,000 to over 6 million. Many sports fans appreciated her straightforward character and attitude toward competition.
“The warm support from Internet users shows that public attitude toward competitive sport and the Olympics have gotten to a higher level,” said an article in the People’s Daily.
32.From passage 2, what can we know about Liu Xiang?
A. He is still a famous athlete
B. He didn’t complete his event in the Beijing Olympics
C. The audience desired him little
D. He was required to give up the competition
33.What does the underlined word “lenient” mean in Paragraph 3?
A. unhappy B. serious C. complaining D. tolerant
34.People like Fu Yuanhui because of her .
A. kindness to the fans
B. winning a bronze medal
C. attitude to competition
D. Weibo mirco blog
35.What does the author mainly want to tell us in this passage?
A. Learning how to face up to challenge
B. Winning gold medals is important
C. Changing attitude to athletes is a must
D. Getting as many gold medals as possible
We all know that, ____, the situation will get worse.
A．not if dealt carefully with B．if not carefully dealt with
C．if dealt not carefully with D．not if carefully dealt with
GAD How to find time for yourself
Do you ever find yourself longing for some time for yourself? Many of us are so busy with work, school, and home life that often there is no time left over to do something that you enjoy. What follows are some ways to carve out that necessary time you need to slow down, and enjoy life.
36 This is a great one because you’re accomplishing many things at once. You’re getting exercise, you have time to think or enjoy music, and you’re helping to save the environment.
Arrive early. 37 Then use this time for yourself: reading, writing, relaxation, thinking, whatever.
Buy tickets in advance. Sports, theater, concerts, or any other event you would enjoy. Schedule the plans with a friend later. 38
Evenings with yourself. 39 If others ask you to do things those nights, just tell them you have plans. Use the time for gardening, reading, exercise, or doing nothing!
40 What are you interested in? Strike while the iron is hot. Look up a club in your area today and join! If you can’t find a club, consider starting one yourself!
A. Join a group.
B. Walk to work.
C. Take an education class.
D. Try to save certain weeknights just for you.
E. If you want more time for yourself, you can get it.
F. Any appointment that you have, plan to arrive 15-30 minutes early.
G. Having the tickets already in your hand will force you to make it happen!
When you're on the go, your best friend and resource can be your phone. In the age of smart phones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, list expenses, send postcards, and much more. When used together, these apps can be the basic travel tool, placing a wealth of information at your fingertips no matter where you are on the planet. U.S. News Travel has picked the essential travel apps, known for their utility and reliability. Best of all, they cost absolutely nothing.
Trip It
Your Personal Travel Agent
Be your own travel agent and plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to accomadating restaurants—with Trip It. You can make travel schedule by hand, or simply forward the email confirmations of your flight, rental car, train tickets, and hotels to plans.
Weather Free
Your Go-To Meteorologist(气象学者)
Stop trying to explain the weather forecast on the evening news (particularly when it's in a foreign language). The Weather Free app informs you (in English) of the climate in various locations. It features the local weather, and other key factors that will inform your decision about what to wear before stepping outside.
Goby
Your Event Guru
When you're in a foreign city, you sometimes look around and ask: Where are all the people? Goby has the answer. This app pinpoints the neighborhood hot spots (including museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in your neighborhood. But its true value comes in finding nearby events. You'll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the corner.
21. What is the advantage of using travel apps picked by the U.S. News Travel?
A. They can solve any problem you come across.
B. They reduce your travel budget.
C. They exercise your fingertips.
D. They are reliable and free of charge.
22. With the help of the travel apps used together, travelers can do the following things EXCEPT__________.
A. rent a car B. decide what to wear
C. look for a friend while traveling D. find the nearby museums
23. Where are the readers likely to read the passage above?
A. In a geography textbook B. In a science and technology magazine
C. On a popular website D. In a business report
Many of us are used to hearing stories of people being pickpocketed in busy places. But most of us are aware of the dangers, so we are safe – at least, we think we are.
According to a BBC report, a growing number of thieves are trying to “hack (侵入) our mind’s weaknesses” to get their hands on our possessions.
“In fact, the key requirement for a successful pickpocket isn’t having quick fingers,” said the report. By using psychology, some pickpockets are taking advantage of the loopholes(漏洞) in our brains.
Our lack of ability to multitask is one of the most important loopholes used by pickpockets, the report explains. While this can often be a good trait(特点), allowing us to focus on the most important details in our surroundings, “a good trickster can use it against you, ” said neuroscientist Auzana Martinez-Conde.
“It’s all about directing people’s attention toward something else,” said James Brown, who studies the tricks of pickpocketing. Confidence, the power of suggestion, and certain hand movements such as moving your hands in an arc (弧形) are all said to be things that fool us.
Groups of pickpockets use a common trick designed to create a scene and confuse victims.
The first gang member, a “blocker”, walks in front of the victim and suddenly bumps into them. A second member of the gang then bumps into both of them from behind and stages an argument with the “blocker”. In the confusion, both men steal what they can and pass it to a third thief who quickly runs off with the stolen goods.
Some thieves go even further to exploit our psychology by hanging out near signs reading “beware of pickpockets”. Since this is one of the last places people expect to be robbed, many check where their valuables are, giving away their location to thieves.
But according to Brown, as long as we don’t daydream in public, we shouldn’t be worried.
“A street thief will avoid like the plague(瘟疫)” people who are demonstrating（展现）a very open awareness of their environment,” he said.
25．According to the BBC report, the main strategy of a successful pickpocket is________.
A. to distract victims
B. to give themselves multiple tasks to do
C. to focus on the most important details
D. to use swift hand movements
26．When groups of pickpockets use their common trick, ________.
A. it is the third thief’s task to steal what they can from the victim
B. the victim usually doesn’t dare to argue with them
C. the victim usually gets confused and lets down his or her guard
D. two members bump into the victim from different directions at the same time
27．Why do some thieves hang out near signs saying things like “beware of pickpocketers”?
A. They think it is more thrilling to steal in those areas.
B. Normally there are no police officers around.
C. They don’t know common people’s psychology.
D. They have a better chance of locating people’s valuables there.
28．According to James Brown, which of the following types of person is more likely to be pickpocketed?
A. People who look weak. B. People who are walking slowly.
C. People who are absent-minded. D. People who are alert to their surroundings.
Consider this: Building use 40% of all energy consumed by people. How is it that in nature, species such as termites (白蚁) create remarkable temperature-control systems to keep themselves cool, without air conditioners?
Imagine for a moment a termite mound (丘) on the African grassland, where temperatures swing between 40oC during the day and 10C at night. Termite survive, though, only if their environment has a constant6 temperature of 30oC. So how do the termites keep a mound at a consistent temperature?
Let’s take a look at how the mounds are built. Termites mounds are tall, often reaching up to 7.6m high and rooting 3m underground. The mounds are built with a long tube at the top that looks like a small chimney. When termite mounds are found to be in the way of building project, explosive is often needed. Termites create small openings in the wet mud at the bottom of the mounds. These tunnels act as wind catchers, lowering the temperature of the air as it moves through the tunnels of wet mud. This process is called evaporative (蒸发) cooling. When dry it passes over water, the air absorbs some of that water. This occurs as the vapor pressure and the temperature of the air and the water try to become equal. The heat moves from the higher air temperature to the lower water temperature, thus cooling the air.
The termite mound also makes use of natural air currents. Because warm air rises, the air currents draw air from the tunnels at the bottom up and out through the opening at the top of the mound. To regulate the heat and dampness in the mound, the termites work constantly to change the position of the tunnels, opening up new tunnels and blocking others.
Architect Michael based his design of the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, on that of termite mounds. Like the termite mound, Eastgate is ventilated (通风), cooled, and heated entirely through natural mean. Its ventilation costs one-tenth of that of a standard air-conditioned building and uses 35% less energy than six conventional building.
49. Termites can survive on the African grassland mainly because of ________.
A. the constant temperature there B. their temperature-control systems
C. the height and length of their mounds D. their heat stored in the bodies
50. What does the sentence underlined in Paragraph 3 imply about termite mounds?
A. They are designed skillfully. B. They are strong enough.
C. They are harmful to people. D. They are constructed grandly.
51. The tunnels of wet mud in termite mounds are built to ________.
A. cool down the temperature B. let in fresh currents
C. warm up the air D. block the openings
52. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Principle of Ventilation B. Structure of Termite Mounds
C. Wisdom of Termites D. Inspiration from Termite Mounds
The village seemed deserted, the only sign of life ________ some trees waving in the strong wind.
A. were B. being C. was D. to be
Tomorrow we'll pay a visit to a museum, next to _______ is a nice restaurant where we can have Italian food．
A. that B. this C. it D. which
The spirit of Christmas isn’t always so cheerful. Here are four unusual and a little scary Christmas traditions from around the world.
1.Guatmala: Burning devils
In order to make houses free from bad spirits for the New Year, Guatemalans do a full house clean in December. The dirt and dust is gathered from every home and each neighborhood creates a large amount of garbage. A devil statue is built and placed on top of the dirt, and burned. The bad luck is said to burn up with the devil.
2.South Africa: Don’t eat Santa’s cookies
To keep kids from stealing on Santa’s cookies, parents tell children a story about a boy named Danny who ate all of Santa’s cookies and really angered his grandmother. She killed him and now his ghosts visits houses during Christmas time.
3.Iceland: Fear the Yule Cat
Children who don’t receive new clothes by Christmas Eve will be eaten by the Yule Cat, a large and angry cat, which is said to hide in the snow. The strange tradition comes from farmers who used the myth to encourage their workers to finish making the autumn wool before Christmas.
4.Ukraine: A spooky tree
If you find yourself in Ukraine around the holidays, you may be wondering: Is it Christmas or Halloween? Trees here are decorated with artificial(人工的) spider weds and decorative spiders. The unusual tradition comes from a story where a spider wove a web around the tree of a poor family. When morning came, the white strands(线) turned to precious metals and the family became rich. The webs today show good fortune for the next year.
21.To celebrate the New Year, what will people do in Guatemala?
A. Clean their houses B. Show their respects to the devil statue
C. Buy a devil statue D. Move to new houses
22.Which country has a tradition that might cause kids’ fear of eating Santa’s cookies?
A. Guatemala B. South Africa
C. Iceland D. Ukraine
23.What can we infer about Christmas in Iceland?
A. The Yule Cat usually hides in the grass before Christmas
B. All the children will receive new clothes on Christmas
C. New clothes are popular Christmas presents for children in Iceland
D. The Yule Cat would eat the farmers who don’t finish their work on time
24.Why do Ukrainians like spiders on Christmas?
A. Spiders are pretty insects
B. Spiders are believed to bring good fortune
C. Spiders always help poor families out of pity
D. Webs of spiders are suitable for decoration
The share prices are falling sharply, which _______ investors from buying and selling shares.
A. prevents B. protects C. discourages D. persuades
---What do you say if we combine our two businesses for more profit?
---__________.
A. It can’t be better B. I don’t think so
C. I think it is not OK D. I can’t say anything
