That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theater. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.

As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers . Very few people were still out. except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.

About a block from my apartment , I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.

Suddenly I wasn't cold or tired any more, and I ran out of the door and back to where I'd heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck pulled up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, "Alisa Camacho?" I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked, holding up a small square shape.

It was nearly 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn't get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn't be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.

41. How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?

A. Cold and sick.                  B. Fortunate and helpful.

C. Satisfied and cheerful.               D. Disappointed and helpless.

42. From the first paragraph,we learn that the writer was busy _____.

A. solving her problem at the bank

B. taking part in various city activities

C. learning acting in an evening school

D. preparing for the first night show

43. On her way home the writer _____.

A. lost her wallet unknowingly

B. was stopped by a garbage truck driver

C. was robbed of her wallet by an armed man

D. found some homeless people following her

44. In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?

A. Someone offered to take her back home.

B. A red-haired man came to see her.

C. She heard someone call her name.

D. Her wallet was found in a garbage truck.

45. From the text, we can infer that the writer _____.

A. would stop working at night           B. would stay on in San Francisco

C. would make friends with cleaners         D. would give up her job at the bank

I look in the mirror, and I'm not happy with what I see. I don't have a "perfect" face. I look in the magazines and all I see are girls with fair hair, blue eyes, and, of course, a pretty little nose. They're on the outside of the buses that I take home, the television programs I watch, and the billboards（广告牌）I walk under. Almost every advertisement I see shows this human physical "perfection". These billboards not only tell me what to drink, but also how to look.

Our society places more importance on a person's physical beauty, rather than their ability, honesty and character. We have influenced women to go through painful surgeries（手术）and starve themselves to become this society-built physical model. To be a beautiful woman in the 21st century doesn't mean that you are a brilliant doctor or caring mother. It means you have the perfect jaw, eyes and lips. It means that you can be six feet tall and weigh one hundred and ten pounds.

But what about the women who are starting to leave their youth? Instead of looking at aging as a sign of wisdom, we try to prevent the aging process (过程）. It's a kind of funny thing to want to look eighteen when fifty. Fifty is a relaxed age, when you can step back and look at all you've achieved(successfully complete something). It is when your hard work pays off. Unfortunately, our society just sees you as “old”. To stop the aging process, women buy wrinkle（皱纹）creams, do eye lifts and face lifts. They spend thousands of dollars to win the hopeless battle against age.

I remember when I was about thirteen years old and going through teens, I had oily hair, and a half developed body. I hated the way I looked. I used to cry to my mother all the time, but she would just laugh and tell me that "you don't want anyone to like your appearance. It's your heart that is important, because beauty fades（消逝）." I knew that she was right. If you work on your heart enough, people will start to see the beauty in you, which lasts and remains on even after you die.

25．The main idea of the first paragraph is that    .

A. the author doesn't have a perfect face

B. women have to look beautiful

C. photos of beautiful girls can be seen everywhere

D. there are too many beauties in daily life

26．What's the author's attitude towards being "old"?

A. It's a pity that people have to get old.

B. It's a fruitful and wise time.

C. It's stupid to try to stay young.

D. It's a pity that society looks down upon the old.

27．It is          that regard(s) the physical beauty as more important.

A. women themselves

B. the author's parents

C. newspapers and magazines

D. society

28．What's the author's opinion about beauty?

A. The author doesn't like the beauties our society values.

B. It is not important whether a person looks beautiful or not.

C. It is a person's heart and inner qualities that are important rather than the physical beauty.

D. The author feels appearance is important to a person.

 I won’t work friends with Peter, for I once overheard him speak. III of me during my ________.

   A. silence            B. companion        C. absence    D. career

 What does her handwriting tell you about her ________?

A. person                         B. member                                                                            C. character                 D. figure

That holiday morning I didn't have to attend school. Usually, on holiday, mother  41  me to sleep in. And I would certainly take full advantage of it. On this particular morning,  42   ,I felt like getting up early.

I stood by my window overlooking the  43 , having nothing better to do. But as it turned out, I was soon to learn about something  44  in life.

As I watched several people go by, get into their cars and drive off, I  45  an old man on a bicycle with a bucket on its  46  and a basket of rags and bottles on its back-carrige. He  47  from one car to another, washing and cleaning them. From the water on the ground, it seemed that he had already  48  washing and cleaning about a dozen or more cars. He must have begun to work quite early in the morning.

Several thoughts  49  my mind as I watched him work. He wasn't well-dressed. He had on a pair of shorts and a(an)  50  T-shirt. The bicycle he rode was not by any means the kind modern  51  would want to be seen riding on. But he seemed  52 with life. There he was, working hard at his small business,  53 at passers-by and stopping to chat now and then  54 elderly men and women on their way to the market nearby.

There was a noticeable touch of  55 in the way he seemed to be doing things  56  the windscreen(挡风玻璃),then standing back to admire it, scrubbing(擦净)the wheel and  57 ,standing back to see what they looked like after the scrub.

  It was a   58  to learn, I felt. At no age need one have to beg for a  59  if one has good health and is willing to work hard. For a while I felt  60  of myself. Young as I am—just sixteen, and there was this old man who must have been usefully engaged perhaps before the sun appeared above the horizon.

4l． A．forces      B．allows              C．causes             D．forbids

42．A．otherwise         B．therefore          C．however          D．besides

43．A．parking lot       B．bus stop           C．school             D．market

44．A．interesting B．surprising         C．awful                     D．useful

45．A．noticed            B．recognized       C．called              D．assisted

46．A．back                B．handle              C．wheel              D．seat

47．A．searched          B．left                  C．moved             D．wandered

48．A．stopped           B．started             C．intended           D．finished

49．A．crossed           B．slipped             C．disturbed         D．inspired

50．A．attractive  B．shiny               C．simple             D．expensive

51．A．repairmen B．businessmen     C．drivers             D．cyclists

52．A．busy         B．content            C．careful             D．bored

53．A．waving            B．looking            C．laughing           D．pointing

54．A．about        B．for                  C．with                D．like

55．A．worry              B．respect            C．sympathy         D．pride

56．A．cleaning           B．fixing        C．replacing          D．covering

57．A．still                  B．yet                  C．again               D．soon

58．A．lesson              B．subject             C．skill                 D．fact

59．A．business          B．living        C．success           D．right

60．A．tired         B．doubtful           C．fearful             D．ashamed

在英语课堂上，你喜欢老师授课时只用英语， 还是英语、汉语兼用？某英语杂志社就此话题邀请中学生发表。请你围绕“How do you prefer English classes to be taught? In English only, or in both English and Chinese?” 这个问题，参考所给要点，选择一种授课形式，写一篇英语短文。

注意：  1. 词数100-120，短文开头已给出（不计入总词数）

             2. 参考词汇：气氛 atmosphere

I prefer my English to be taught in                                                      

To ________ east of the city lies a mountain，________ south of which is the village where I was born.

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

There is a very instructive incident involving the life of Alexander the Great, King of Greek.

Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence. So, he lay helplessly waiting to

breathe his last. He called his generals and said, “I will depart from this world soon, and I have three wishes. Please carry them out without fail.”

“My first desire is that,” said Alexander, “My physicians alone must carry my coffin.” After a

pause, he continued, “Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be spread with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected.” The king continued, “My third and last wish is that both my hands should be kept hanging out of my coffin.” Alexander’s favourite general kissed his hand and pressed it to his heart. “Oh, King, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?”

Alexander took a deep breath and said, “I would like the world to know of the three lessons I

have just learnt. I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no

doctor can really cure any bodies. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So let people not take life for granted.”

“The second wish of spreading gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to

tell people that not even a bit of gold will come with me. I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is just a waste of time to chase wealth.”

“And about my third wish of having my hands hanging out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty-handed into this world and empty-handed out of this world.” With these words, the King closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last.

4. The first paragraph suggests that Alexander ________________.

   A. wanted to leave the world as he came empty-handed

   B. realized that what he got in his life was nothing to him at all

   C. was spending a lot time conquering many kingdoms and had earned a great amount of wealth

   D. regarded his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth as the most important

things

5. The underlined word “clutches” in Paragraph 3 means “___________”.

   A. sentence    B. attention    C. control    D. shadow

6. The author intends to ________________.

   A. tell us the story of Alexander

   B. stress the power of Alexander the Great

   C. persuade people to realized what Alexander said

   D. introduce readers to the instructive lessons of Alexander

7. What would be the best title of the passage?

   A. The Death of Alexander

   B. The Greed of Alexander

   C. Three wishes of Alexander

   D. The Life of Alexander

Camp Jano India 

Celebrate Indian culture, languages, arts, festivals and literature. Weekly themes are brought to life through related arts, games, projects, stories and theatre in a very unique, exciting, creative, interactive (互动的) and structured style. A very unique and unforgettable experience that kids will want to repeat! Mornings are spent with the Hindi language at the child’s level. Afternoons provide the cultural elements taught in an interactive style with special emphasis on drama.

Bay Language Academy  

We invite campers (4-12 years old) to travel and open up doors to explore past and recent civilizations through daily field trips. Cultures will be shown through customs and cooking. Lectures (6/10-8/30) will introduce French, Spanish or Chinese and the cultures they convey. Our language summer-camp is infused (灌输) with cultural activities and taught by a team of bilingual (双语的) instructors.

Petits Confettis 

Want your 3- to 5-year-old kids to experience a French camp? Come and join us for 6 weeks of French camps!

Kids will be totally happy to learn French and French culture while they take part in team projects like building a tipi or making French bread. Weekly themes include cooking, arts, drama, outdoor activities, board games, music, yoga, rhymes and story time.

Chinese Immersion Summer Camp 

This is our 11th Chinese language and culture summer camp. We take children from 6th grade. This year we continue the weekly fun themes like art, science, cooking and sports in the morning. In the afternoon, we have abacus, reading and Chinese culture lessons taught in Chinese. Our teachers are all native speakers with a lot of experience. Our weekly field trips go to different places like SF zoo, tech museums, fire stations etc. 

21. Why can Camp Jano India give children an unforgettable experience?

       A. It has quite experienced teachers.      

       B. It teaches Indian languages at different levels. 

       C. The activities are arranged for the whole day.  

       D. The activities are carried on in an interesting style.

22. Bay Language Academy and Chinese Immersion Summer Camp are similar because ______.

       A. they both provide field trips      

   B. they both have bilingual teachers

       C. they both provide sports programs in the morning 

       D. they are both intended for kids of 4-12 years old

23. If a girl likes yoga, she will go to ______.

       A. Camp Jano India          B. Bay Language Academy

       C. Petits Confettis            D. Chinese Immersion Summer Camp

24. What is the common theme of the four camps?

     A. Fun and sports.               B. Travel and adventure.

       C. Language and culture.        D. Art and music.

阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150左右的英语短文。 

    My Mother’s Hands

   50 years ago, for some reason, I was not accepted by the school. However, it was my mum, who held my little hands and tried countless schools and managed to get me registered

   50 years later, the day after my mother had slipped into a coma from a stroke, I sat next to her, holding her hand, stroking it, watching her body heaved up and down as she breathed heavily, like she was struggling with something.

   A few days later. Mum died. At her bedside, I spent some time just looking at my mother, soaking in the finality of her death. There she was, my mother, motionless and lifeless. I took hold of her still warm but lifeless hand, holding it for the last time, recalling every piece of precious moment we spent together. . .

   I finally let go of her hand---1ifeless, yet having given so much life to so many of us---and placed it next to her body. I found myself saying silently to her the only words that came to my mind, “Goodbye Mum, thank you for everything.”

   Thank you, Mother, for not giving up, so that I could go to school. Thank you for coaching me, for reading to me, for ironing my school uniforms, for combing my hair, for tying my shoe laces, for making sure I had a little handkerchief inside my pocket…

   Rest in peace, Mother, you are still very much alive in us. Happy Mother's Day

【写作内容】

   有人说, 因为上帝不能无处不在, 所以他创造了“母亲”。你的母亲是一位怎样的女性?请以“母亲”为主题写一篇记叙文, 结合自身的经历讲述母亲对你的爱或者她对你成长的影响。内容要点包括：

   1. 以约30个词概括以上短文内容。

   2. 然后以约120个词讲述母亲对你的爱或者她对你成长的影响, 并包括以下要点：

   （1）描述你的母亲;

   （2）简述她对你的影响;

   （3）你准备怎样表达对她的感激之情?

Johann Strauss was born in Vienna in 1825．Although his father did not want him to become a 61(music)，Strauss Junior studied the violin 62(secret)as a child．When his father discovered his son practising on a violin one day，he gave him a beating，  63 (say)that he was going to beat the music out of the boy．But that didn’t prevent the boy from becoming one of the 64 (great)composers of all time．

He wrote his first waltz at the age of six．At nineteen，he decided to devote 65(he)to music．He formed his own orchestra and made a successful tour of Europe and soon became known 66 the Waltz King．The emperor of Austria was so  67(please)with his music that he appointed him．the conductor at the court balls of Vienna．It Was for these occasions 68．He wrote some of his most popular waltzes，among 69  was the well-known favourite The Blue Danube．In all，the talented Johann Strauss 70(write)more than 500 masterpieces．

---I don’t really like James, Why did you invite him?

  ----Don’t worry. He____come. He said he wasn’t certain what his plans were.

A. must not             B. need not               C. would not          D. might not

 You know that everything changes, but you’re seldom prepared when it comes to your children.   61  years fly by, suddenly they’re teenagers. They’re all grown up with plans   62  their own.

At parents, we want to hold tightly to those precious and unforgettable   63   (moment) when she   64  (lose)her tooth and you were the Tooth Fairy, or when you bought his baseball glove and taught him with great patience   65  (hold) a bat. Your girl looks more like a young woman now; your son is becoming a man. If you’re fighting those changes, you may get tired. But if you welcome the changes   66   (merry), you’ll be young at heart.

Parents have to change, too---you can’t avoid it. It’s   67   (nature) for you to miss the years when they were cute and when you were  68   center of their world. As a courageous parent aware of the process of life  69   you’re involved in, you accept the changes and move forward in tears. Sometimes you’ll thankful that   70  (be) a teenager is not a permanent condition.

    Those who believe that they will never do well in a particular area probably never will. Those

who believe they are not good at  41  will forever feel unprepared. But those who believe that it

is  42   to succeed at what they attempt can surprise themselves.

    Adam was ready to  43   .His wife Anna, however, was less  44   .As she explained to

a friend, "Adam has  45   done anything that required physical strength. When he retires, he

will sit in his easy chair and   46  me to bring him his food.”

    But to Anna's  47，soon after her husband retired, he   48   a health club. Arriving home

from exercise class one night, he announced,  "I  49   for the wrestling tournament. I am going

to   50  Friday night.”Anna was shocked. "Please don't do it, Adam. You're not in   51  .You

will be so beat up that they will have to carry you home!”  52   ，he couldn't be persuaded and

she told him that if he wanted really to do it, she was not going to watch.

      53  to her word, she stayed away as Adam wrestled. And just as she  54   ，two men

carried Adam home. He   55   down on the bed, every muscle pained and wounded.  56  she

could speak, he cried out," Don't say a(n)  57  , Anna! This is not the worst of it. I  58  tonight.I have to wrestle again tomorrow night!”

    Nothing  59  in your life until you believe you can do things that are important to you. And if you have a low  60   of yourself, nobody else is likely to raise it.

41 .A. something         B. nothing         C. anything          D. everything

42.   A. possible         B. vital           C. impossible        D. important

43 .A. travel           B. retire          C. resign            D. leave

44.  A. confident        B. negative          C. enthusiastic      D. elegant

45 .A. always           B. often             C. again             D. never

46.   A. expect          B. warn              C. invite            D. urge

47·A. sorrow          B. surprise          C. delight           D. relief

48.   A. owned           B. founded           C. supported         D. joined

49 .A. signed up       B. made up           C. took up           D. came up

50.   A. prepare         B. exercise          C. wrestle           D. consult

51 .A. place           B. shape             C. trouble           D. practice

52.  A. Anyhow           B. Moreover         C. Therefore         D. However

53.A. True             B. Exact            C. Opposite          D. Relevant

54.   A. advised         B. promised         C. predicted         D. designed

55 .A. settled         B. lay              C. sat               D. laid

56.   A. When            B. After            C. Before            D. Until

57.A. plan            B. idea             C. goal              D. word

58.   A. lost            B. won              C. gained            D. performed

59.A. changes         B. happens          C. recovers          D. reacts

60.   A. talent          B. doubt            C. opinion           D. suggestion

1. If you don’t take your parents’ advice, you’ll regret ______________(早晚/迟早).

2. The books are in a mess. You’d better ______________(把它们整理/分类).

3. It’s our duty to serve the people ______________(全心全意地).

4. We must ______________(不遗余力) to take some measures to solve this problem.

5. As for me, I do ______________(称赞/高度赞扬) his efforts and admire his talents.

6. _____________(说起) chemistry, Mike always does best in the tests.

7. The local economy of my hometown is developing ______________(以惊人的速度).

8. He was fined ______________(当场) by the traffic police as a result of drunk driving.

9. In traditional Chinese culture, red generally ______________(代表/象征) festival, joyfulness or enthusiasm.

10. Nowadays, ______________(随着生活水平的快速提高), most people are living a better and better life.

11. They ______________(盯着我看) in surprise as if I were a stranger.

12. Many innocent people ______________(饿死) during the war.

13. To lose weight, you should ______________(远离/不吃) junk foods.

14. To improve my study, I often ______________(熬夜) too late to do plenty of exercises.

15. ______________(逐步地/一步一步地), with the help of my teachers, I made progress in all the subjects which I was weak in.

16. The government still has a long way to go to __________________(阻止人们污染环境).

17. Nothing can ______________(代替；取代) the love of a mother for a child.

18. Many people ______________(遭受) various kinds of illness because of air pollution.

19. They hold the view that schools ______________(应该) have classes on weekends.

20. ______________(让我惊讶的是), my neighbor didn’t blame me for my breaking his window, but instead forgave me for my honesty.

21. ______________(出于对……的同情) the homeless children, he offered them shelter for the night.

22. As Senior 3 students, we should concentrate on our studies, but doing exercise shouldn’t ______________(占据) all the time.

23. She is proud that both her children ______________(对音乐有天赋).

24. As for me, I ______________(倾向于) choose the former for the following reasons.

25. Many educators suggest that ______________(学生不应该过度使用) the internet.

This coming year promises to be an exciting one for technology and science. There is already a line-up of great new gadget (小玩意). We have chosen four for you.

No. 1 The Air Board 1.0 is a fantastic new way to get around. If you are tired of walking, or just want to get somewhere at a relaxed pace, then the Air Board 1.0 is for you. The board works when you step onto the pressure pads. These can read the weight and the movement of the rider. If you want to turn, all you have to do is move your weight to the left or right and the board will do the rest. It is very quick and easy. According to the official website, the power will last for about ten miles (16 km). It can travel at the speed of 10 miles an hour and it takes one hour to be fully charged.

No. 2 Do you enjoy using herbs and spices (香料) when cooking? Then this little gadget, inspired by NASA space technology, might be for you. It makes sure that you always have fresh and well-grown herbs or plants when and where you need them. The Click & Grow is designed to be small and efficient so it can fit on your countertop (厨房操作台). It is self-watering, it checks itself and it also has a LED grown light that makes sure the plants grow fast, strong, and healthy. For those interested, to use this gadget, all you need to do is place the plant box in, fill it up with water and plug it in. Simple, right? So instead of digging through the garden mud for your herbs, why don’t you make them in the control of your own kitchen?

 No. 3 The Miito gadget is perfect for all homes, and especially those who like to care for the environment. Miito has been called “the kettle of the future” by the Gadget Flow platform for its futuristic ideas and design. The Miito kettle is designed to heat up the water in any container. For example, if you need a cup of water, you would fill the cup with the right amount of water and place it onto the kettle. After placing the rod into the water, the rod would heat up and so would the water. Though it can’t heat anything made of iron, the Miito’s design and unique method of heating don’t only save water. They also save electricity.

 No. 4 Have you ever wished you could walk through the worlds of your games, seeing things as your characters would? Well now, you can. The Rift released by Oculus VR is the latest and greatest in gaming technology so far. Designed by American Palmer Luckey, 23, this clever head set allows you to see the worlds of your games in 3-D. Although you might need to upgrade your computer to get the full gaming experience with the Rift, it’s the next step in virtual reality and it’s improving the way we can play games. Alongside the Oculus headset, the teams are working on creating a controller named Oculus. The Oculus Rift has been designed so that players can’t only see, but also play in, 3-D worlds.

46. It will take you ______ to get to your school (2.5 miles away) on a fully-charged Air Board 1.0.

A. 8 minutes            B. 10 minutes                C. 12 minutes               D. 15 minutes

47. No. 2 can be sorted as a ______ gadget.

   A. gardening       B. transportation           C. gaming                     D. cooking                  

48. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. All the four gadgets have to be operated by hand.

B. Miito, a kettle made of iron, can save electricity.

C. The clever head set, the Rift, has been named after its designer.

D. The Rift is one of the popular gaming products by Oculus VR.

49. Where is the text most probably from?

A. An experiment report.                         B. A travel journal.

C. A science report.                     D. A scientific story.                                  

Are you competitive enough to make it in America? There is an undeniable excitement about coming to study in the US, but it's not all excitement. Yes, it is America; it is the land of freedom; it's the place where different cultures clash and live together in peace. However, you guys might agree with me: it's not easy to leave home and the security of family, friends and people who love and care about us. And doing it raises some questions:  Is it worth it? Are you equal to the challenge? You might be sitting in front of your computer watching a documentary about America, which shows you the breathtaking views of skyscrapers in New York, the beautiful warm weather in San Diego, and the huge parties along the beaches of the Sunshine State, Florida.
        Just as you know, it's all true. I remember how my heart was racing the first time I visited Times Square in New York. I can't find any words in the dictionary to describe how I felt at that moment. Someday, when you get lucky and go there, you will know what I mean.

 Unfortunately, TV and movies never show the other side of what students must do to survive America. Education in the States is really different from other places. Yes, there is the traditional A, B, C, and D grading system, and you get to be on the Dean's List if you have all As on your transcript. However, these grades don't just come from your test performances. The requirements of classes in the US are much more varied and this is the biggest adjustment that overseas students have to manage.

 Some have papers that you have to write every week; others have group projects you must do with your classmates, presentations you make in the class, or research you do by yourself to prove your own idea. There comes a night when you have a couple of projects for different classes, a paper, and an exam to study for. And that night you ask yourself, “What did I get myself into？”

 I'm not trying to intimidate you, but you should know what it really is like to study in the States. One thing I can promise you is that it is worth all the hard work you put in. And the more time you give to your study, the more open doors you will have by the time you finish your degree.

24. The author wrote this passage to ________.
A. help readers prepare for studying in the US
B. warn people of the dangers of living in the US

C. promote the US education system to overseas students
D. make readers understand the benefits of studying in the US

25. According to the author, America is ________.
A. a place that he could not get used to
B. a country where students can learn freely
C. a dangerous place to live in without family or friends
D. a place where people from different backgrounds get on well

26. When the author first visited Times Square, he felt ________.
A. disappointed            B. surprised             C. excited                D. nervous

27. According to the passage, which of the following is most challenging?
A. Attending all the classes.                 B. Getting all As in the tests.
C. Writing papers every week.             D. Balancing different study requirements.  

Surfing the net when you should be finishing a work report, changing clothes when you have a train to catch, or perhaps even lying in bed when you’ve promised yourself you’ll work out. Sound familiar? You aren’t alone. We all procrastinate (拖延) sometimes, especially when it comes to things we aren’t really fond of.

A study revealed that we spend about 218 minutes procrastinating every day, which amounts to 55 days of lost time each year. We might not think these figures particularly worthy of worry, but when we look at the overall impact of procrastination on our lives, it’s a different story. Not only does this cost financial loss, it also affects peace of mind. In general, people who continually put things off are unhappier, as well as being less wealthy and healthy.

So why do we do it? “When we avoid taking action, we’re really avoiding pain,” explains psychiatrist (精神病学家) Phil Stutz. For most of us, pain avoidance isn’t limited to one situation. It applies to almost anything that’s painful. Most of us try our best never to leave a comfort zone. That’s why we sacrifice something much more valuable: time. “Our time on earth is limited,” Stutz adds. “Every moment is an opportunity we’ll never have again. Procrastinators act as if they have all the time in the world. But deep down, they know they’re wasting parts of their life. The trouble is, most of them don’t know how to free themselves.”

One way he says we can reach this level of freedom is by overcoming the pain of avoidance using daily visualization (想象). “Picture the pain you’re avoiding as a black cloud in front of you,” Stutz says. “Notice how you’re tied of the ways this pain has held you back in life, and tell yourself that you’re determined to conquer it. Then it’s time to get through the cloud and to the other side — where you’re free.” It is obvious that this tool works when we want to procrastinate. We then get into the habit of moving “towards” pain instead of away from it.

Experts insist: procrastinators can change their behavior, it takes a lot of self-work but in the end, it’s worth the effort. And start today, not tomorrow.

63. The writer begins the passage by           .  

   A. mentioning habitual activities    B. asking related questions

   C. presenting abnormal things     D. comparing different opinions

64. According to the passage, people procrastinate because they          .

   A. get accustomed to taking action   

   B. don’t know how to free themselves  

C. are not aware of the limited time

D. prefer to stay in the comfort zone to avoid pain

65. One possible way to stop procrastination is to           .

   A. lie in bed        B. avoid the pain

   C. overcome it mentally         D. reach the freedom

66. What’s the writing purpose of the passage?

   A. To analyze the trouble procrastination causes.

   B. To show what contributes to procrastination.

   C. To encourage people to defeat procrastination.

   D. To solve the problems caused by procrastination.