Some people just know how to start a conversation with anyone, in any place. If you're not one of these lucky types, don't worry. 54．__________

Remark on the surroundings or occasion. If you’re at a party, for example, you could comment on the food or the music in a positive way like this: “I love this song." or “The food’s great.”

55．________ For example. “How is the wine?” or “Who do you know here?- Most people enjoy talking about themselves so asking a question is a good way to get a conversation started.

56．________ For example, “I really like your purse. Can I ask where you got it?- or “You’re really doing well in this. Can you show me how to do it?”

Remark on anything you have in common. People would like your saying “My daughter went to that school, too. How does your son like it?"

57．__________Don't say something that obviously causes offence and avoid heavy subjects such as politics or religion. Stick to light subjects like the weather, surroundings，and anything you have in common such as movies or sports teams.

Listen effectively.   58．You can't concentrate on what someone's saying if you're thinking about what you’re going to say next. The key to effective communication is to focus fully on the speaker and show interest in what's being said. Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and encourage the speaker to continue with or “uh huh.”

A. Choose subjects you’re interested in.

B. Use a praise to create a good atmosphere.

C. Keep the conversation going with small talks.

D. It is not the same as wailing for your turn to talk.

E. Ask specific questions that arc related to the drinks.

F. Ask a question that requires more than just a yes or no answer

G. Here are some ways to have a conversation with someone new.

 Last night on my way home I saw an old lady driving a BMW car at __________ I thought was a dangerous speed.

A. that    B. which    C. what   D. how

Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way. " He was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.

    Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

    Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.

    Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.

    "Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today. "

    "I learned that the population of Nepal is .... "

    Silence.

    Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation（拯救）of the world would depend upon it. "The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well . . . . " he'd say. "Get the map; let's see where Nepal is. " And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.

    This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

    As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming (肯定) our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

    Later during my training as a future teacher, I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.

24. What do we know from the first paragraph?

   A. The author's father was born in a worker's family.  B. Those born stupid could not change their life.

   C. The poor could hardly afford school education.    D. The town elders wanted to learn about the world.

25. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to "   

   A. one new thing    B. the news     C. a request    D. some comment

26. What is the greatest value of "dinner time" to the author?

   A. Winning Papa's approval.             B. Showing talents.

   C. Continual learning.                  D. Family get-together.

27. It can be learned from the passage that the author _____.

   A. appreciated his father's educational technique   B. knew very well about Nepal

   C. felt regret about those wasted days            D. enjoyed talking about news

 His best movie was about the life of Gandhi in India, ______ won several Oscar awards.

A.       where                  B. who                         C. which                      D. that

A little girl lived in a simple and poor house on a hill．Usually she （16）　    　 play in the small garden．She could see over the garden fence and across the valley a wonderful house with shining golden windows high on another hill．（17）　   　  she loved her parents and her family，she desired to live in such a house and  （18）　        　  all day about how wonderful and exciting   （19）　  　 must feel to live there．

At the age when she gained some  （20）　   　  skill and sensibility（识别力），she （21）　  　 her mother for a bike ride （22）　   　 the garden．Her mother finally allowed her to go，（23）　     　 her keeping close to the house and not （24）　                　 too far．The day was beautiful．The little girl knew （25）　 　      where she was heading!（26）　   　 the hill and across the valley，she rode to the（27）　   　 of the golden house．

（28）　   　 she got off her bike and put it against the gate post，she focused on the path （29）　   　 to the house and then on the house itself．She was very disappointed when she （30）　    　 that all the windows were （31）　   　 and rather dirty．

So （32）　   　 and heart﹣broken，she didn't go any further．She （33）　   　，and all of a sudden she saw an amazing （34）   　．There on the other side of the valley was a little house and its windows were golden．Looking at her little home，she（35）　    　that she had been living in her golden house filled with love and care．Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

    On our first anniversary, Jack bought a bottle of Casaque，a kind of expensive cologne(古龙香水) for me. “ We agreed to save the money for your postgraduate education,” I said somewhat half-heartedly as I took it out from a beautifully-wrapped packet. “ I am unable not to give something  41  to the world’s most beautiful bride, honey!” I held it to my  42 , and smelled the most pleasant flavor I could ever  43 . Looking down at my  44  blue jeans and ugly， ragged tennis shoes, I wondered if I could ever be worthy of it. But I would  45 . I used only a little of it every time  46  Jack graduated and our life was financially easier. It’s a  47  of the

foolish love of a young husband.

Then one day three-year-old Jim was sitting on the floor  48  the empty cologne bottle. His lips wet，he was making a( n )  49  face. He drank my  50  cologne! “ Jack, come quick. ” I cried. “ Can cologne  51  my baby? Jim drank the rest of it!” “It’s mostly just alcohol，honey,” Jack  52  me. Little Jim was fine, and my concern for my child was  53  .I now felt  54  to see the empty cologne bottle.

    A few weeks later，Jack bought another bottle of my beloved cologne. I  55  it as much as I had done to the earlier one.   56  ，it became three-quarters empty. I thought it best to buy another  57  . But the shop assistant told me that there wasn’t even a maker of that brand any more.

    Now I only use my special cologne on very important occasions，because there will be 58      to replace it when these last few precious  59  are gone. But from the bottom of my heart, it’s not three-quarters empty but still one-quarter full. Perhaps if I’m very careful，I can  60  using it for the rest of my life.

41. A. special                     B. terrible                    C. practical                 D. cheap

42. A. eye                   B. nose                       C. hand                       D. mouth

43. A. imagine                    B. afford                      C. touch                      D. describe

44. A. clumsy            B. unique                C. faded                   D. stylish

45 .A. try                         B. act                            C. insist                    D. withdraw

46. A. unless             B. even if                  C. until                  D. even after

47. A. cost              B. consequence               C. standard             D. symbol

48. A. looking for       B. holding               C. reaching for          D. filling

49. A. amused         B. excited               C. awful                    D. happy

50. A. poisonous       B. precious              C. dangerous         D. magical

51 .A. hurt             B. attract                C. frighten            D. please

52. A. criticized         B. encouraged                C. educated           D. comforted

53. A. increased              B. relieved               C. confirmed             D. developed

54. A. grateful           B. nervous              C. heartbroken        D. desperate

55. A. resisted                 B. wasted               C. protected          D. prized

56. A. Still               B. So                   C. Otherwise          D. Therefore

57. A. brand                  B. bottle                 C. flavor              D. color

58. A. some                   B. none                       C. another                  D. more

59. A. quarters                B. packets              C. drops              D. shops

60. A. turn to          B. devote to              C. count on            D .decide on

 I can’t accept your gift; ______ I thank you for giving it.

   A. instead            B. nevertheless        C. otherwise        D. besides

Vernon Bowman, a 75-year-old farmer from rural Indiana, did something that got him sued. He planted soybeans of those seeds.

    Have we really gotten to the point that planting a seed can lead to a high-stakes Supreme Court patent lawsuit? We have, and that case is Bowman vs. Monsanto, which is being argued on Tuesday. Monsanto's critics have attacked the company for its “merciless legal battles against small farmers," and they are hoping this will be the case that puts it in its place. They are also hoping the court’s ruling will rein in patent law, which is increasingly being used to claim new life forms as private property.

    Monsanto and its supporters, not surprisingly, see the case very differently. They argue that when a company like Monsanto goes to great expense to create a valuable new genetically modified seed; it must be able to protect its property interests. If farmers like Bowman are able to use these seeds without paying the designated fee, it will remove the incentives for companies like Monsanto to innovate.

    Monsanto accused Bowman of patent infringement and won an $ 84 456 damage award. Rather than pay up or work out a settlement. Bowman decided to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. He said Monsanto should not be able, just because they've got billions of dollars to spend on legal fees, to try to terrify farmers into obeying their agreements by massive force and threats.

    The central issue in the case is whether patent rights to living things extend to the progeny of those things. Monsanto argues that its patents extend to later generations. But Bowman's supporters argue that Monsanto is trying to expand the scope of patents in ways that would enrich big corporations and hurt small farmers. They say that if Monsanto wins, the impact will extend far beyond agriculture-locking up property rights in an array of important areas. Knowledge Ecology International contends that the Supreme Court's ruling could have "profound effects" on other biotech industries.

    If this were a Hollywood movie, the courageous old Indiana farmer would beat the profit-minded corporation before the credits rolled. But this is a real-life argument before a Supreme Court that has a well-earned reputation for looking out for the interests of large corporations. This case gives the court an opportunity to rein in the growing use of patents to protect genetically engineered crops and other life forms—but the court may well use it to give this trend a powerful new endorsement.

 66. Why did Vernon Bowman get sued?

    A. He used genetically modified seeds to feed his cattle.

    B. He planted soybeans without paying for the patent.

    C. He made a profit out of Monsanto’s commercial secrets.

    D. He obtained Monsanto's patented seeds by illegal means.

 67. What are Monsanto’s critics hoping the Supreme Court will do?

    A. Allow small farmers to grow genetically modified soybeans.

    B. Punish Monsanto for infringing on small farmers' interests.

    C. Rule against Monsanto's excessive extension of its patent rights.

    D. Abolish the patent law concerning genetically engineered seeds.

 68. What is the argument of Monsanto and its supporters?

    A. Patent rights should be protected to encourage innovation.

    B. Bowman cannot plant the seeds without Monsanto's consent.

    C. Monsanto has the right to recover the costs of its patented seeds.

    D. Patent law on genetically modified seeds should not be challenged.

 69. What is the key issue in the Bowman vs Monsanto case?

    A. Whether patent for seeds is harmful to agricultural production.

    B. Whether the biotech industry should take priority over agriculture.

    C. Whether measures should be introduced to protect small farmers.

    D. Whether patent for living things applies to their later generations.

 70. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

    A. Hollywood movies usually have an unexpected, dramatic impact on real-life arguments.

    B. The Supreme Court will try to change its reputation for supporting large corporations.

    C. The Supreme Court is likely to persuade the parties concerned to work out a settlement.

    D. The ruling would be in Bowman's favor if the case were argued in a Hollywood movie.

Schools are never perfect and not all teachers are perfect, either. If you meet a difficult teacher, or if you can't get along with a teacher for some reasons, what will you do?　36　

   1. Show respect for your teachers.

   You may not always feel like sitting down and paying attention in class　37　But you do need to show them respect and study hard．

   2. Learn to listen in class.

   　38　If you don't listen, you will miss valuable information. And it is also a sign of respect for your teacher in class.

   3. Ask proper questions when necessary.

   You will not always understand everything you see and hear in class　39　If the teacher is too busy, ask to arrange a proper time for further explanation.

   4. 　40　

   Talking about someone behind his/her back means spreading gossip. They are all hurtful. If you hear a story about a teacher, do not pass it on.

   Getting along with your teachers is vital for you in many ways, especially when you are in your last year of high school. Wish you good luck in your school days and have a good time with your teachers！

A.      You may not listen carefully and even not agree with your teacher.

B.      Listening is a learned skill that is very important during your high school years.

C.      Never gossip about your teacher.

D.     Don’t talk with your teacher secretly.

E.      Let him / her go and never bother to ask questions.

F.      Here are some good points that you may like to consider.

G.     If you are unsure about a task, speak to your teacher about it.

At one level, the Internet has enabled people to make connections they might not otherwise have made, and virtual friendships can ______ real-life relationships.

A. evolve into          B. arise from               C. seek for                   D. attach to

 Traditionally, the church and the pub are the heart of any village or town in Britain, ______  

   the local people gather together to socialize and exchange news.

  A. which             B. when               C. where                D. whose

One sentence from the news in Washington has remained in my mind since a trip last summer: “When you see people run against the crowd escaping 61 the danger, they are 62 (probable) firefighters, police or journalists.”

I think this is most true for the firefighters. Whenever and wherever 63 (disaster) happen — 9/11 Attacks in New York 14 years ago or the explosion in Tianjin on Wednesday night — it is always the firefighters 64 take the lead to run to the very center, saving lives by 65 (risk) their own.

I cried today near the explosion site, not because of the smoke from the ongoing fire 66 because of a short message a firefighter sent to a trusted friend that went viral online. It reads, “If I cannot make it, my father is your father; and please remember 67 (sweep) my mother’s tomb.” I was thrilled later to learn that he did make 68 .

“Everyone knows it’s 69 (danger) to be a firefighter. But he has always liked it and has done it for 12 years,” his father said. “He 70 (survive) this time, but no one knows what will happen next time.”

Thousands of taxi drivers in Shenyang, Liaoning province, reportedly blocked streets with their vehicles on Sunday in protest against unlicensed vehicles using taxi-hiring apps (打车软件) and apps-based car rental companies providing passenger services, including high-end cars. Although the drivers also complained about the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy by the government, their main complaint was the loss of business because of the rising number of Internet-based car services companies.

On Wednesday, news reports came that Beijing transport authorities will take measures to stop the illegal “taxi business” of private cars through the newly rising Internet apps, following the footsteps of Shenyang and Nanjing.

It is not yet clear how the Shenyang city government will handle the issue and whether it will declare the services offered by market leaders such as Didi Dache, a taxi-hiring app provider backed by Tencent Holdings, and Kuaidi Dache illegal. But Shanghai transport regulators have set a rule, by banning Didi Zhuanche, or car services offered by Didi Dache in December.

Such regulations will cause a setback to the car-hiring companies and investors that are waiting to cash in on the potentially booming business. Just last month, Didi Dache got $700 million in funding from global investors, including Singapore state investment company Temasek Holdings, Russian investment company DST Global and Tencent. Besides, the market is uncertain that Kuaidi Dache is about to finalize its latest round of funding after getting $800 million from global investors.

Regulatory uncertainties, however, could cast a shadow on the future of the Internet-based car-hiring services, which have become popular in most of China’s big cities. To be fair, these companies’ business model is anything but bad. For example, Didi Zhuanche works side by side with established car rental companies to provide high-end car service mainly for businesspeople through the Internet and mobile phone apps.

Every link in this business model chain has legal companies and services. Hence, it is hard to define it as illegal and ban it.

28．Why did taxi drivers in Shenyang block the streets with their vehicles?

A. Because they wanted the authority to increase their driving allowances.

B. Because they wanted to be taught how to use the taxi-hiring apps.

C. Because they wanted to make their main complaints known to the authority.

D. Because they wanted to appeal to passengers not to hire the private cars.

29．The author’s attitude to banning internet car-hiring service is______.

A. positive        B. negative      C. neutral         D. unclear

30．Which of the following statements is false according to the passage?

A. The problem referred to in the passage exists in all cities

B. App-based car rental is functional to some degree

C. The government should regulate the app-based car rental market

D. Didi Dache is a China-foreign joint company

31．we can learn from the passage that _____.

A. Shenyang forbade apps-based car rental companies

B. Shanghai is the second city banning Didi Zhuanche

C. some international investment companies have strong faith in the future of apps-based car rental companies

D. it is not difficult to picture the apps-based car rental companies illegal

Weighing the Options

    Making decisions when shopping is often a tough call. Even if you’re satisfied with the first dress you try on, would you go on looking for alternatives, comparing styles and prices, until literally dropped dead?

    Psychology researchers have studied how people make decisions and concluded there are two basic styles. “Maximizers” like to take their time and weigh a wide range of options—sometimes every possible one—before choosing. “Satisficers” would rather be fast than thorough.

    16. __________ So even if they see what would seem to meet their requirements, they can’t make a decision until after they’ve examined every option to make sure that they’re making the best possible choice. Researchers followed 548 job-seeking college seniors at 11 schools from October through their graduation in June. They found that the maximizers landed better jobs. 17. _________.

    “The maximizer is kicking himself because he can’t examine every option and at some point had to just pick something,” they say. “Maximizers make good decisions and end up feeling bad about them. 18. _________

    Satisficers also have high standards, but they are happier than maximizers. Maximizers tend to be more depressed and to report a lower satisfaction with life, their research found.

    Faced with so many choices in our lives, we need to learn how not to waste time and energy on our decision-making.

    19. ________ For instance, if you’re picking a restaurant for a lunch meeting, first deciding on a certain part of town or type of cuisine can narrow your options.

    Once you’ve arrived at a decision, stick with it. 20. __________ To limit the number of options you can set a time limit for decision-making. Say you are buying a new bag, you could spend an amount of time studying features, price and value—but if you give yourself only five minutes to make a decision, and there are only these bags you can consider, you’ll save time. You’ll be happier with your decision, too.

A. The other is to make decisions more accurately at the beginning.

B. Satisficers make good decisions and end up feeling good.

C. First of all, decrease your range of options.

D. Comparing is often a must when you make a decision.

E. Maximizers are people who want the best.

F. Just accept that no decision is ever completely perfect.

G. Their starting salaries were 20 percent higher but they felt worse about their jobs.

71.Research findings have shown that about 20 percent of people only 10 percent can be

          (分类) as “early birds” .

72. The company never           (妥协) on the quality of its products.

73. It was this exploring around problems and his           (充满活力的) spirit that led to his most famous invention—the telephone in 1876.

74. The           (标准) are so strict that it is difficult to get new ideas accepted unless they are truly novel.

75. The           (最初的) requirement is that you need perfect DNA which gives information for how cells are to grow.

One Sunday, my family had gathered at my parents’ house to feast upon Mom’s wonderful cooking．During the normal dinner chatter, I noticed that my father was slurring （说话含混） his words．No one mentioned this during dinner, but I felt compelled to discuss it with my mother afterward．

We decided that there was something seriously wrong and that Dad needed to see the doctor．

Mom phoned me two days later．“The doctor found a brain tumor （肿瘤）．It’s too large at this point to operate．Maybe they can do something then, but the odds are long．”

Even with the treatment, my father’s condition worsened, and the doctor finally informed us that this condition was terminal(晚期的)．During one of his stays in the hospital, we brought our baby daughter Chelsey with us when we visited him．By this time he had great difficulty speaking．I finally figured out that he wanted Chelsey to sit on his stomach so he could make faces at her．

Watching the two of them together, I realized I was living an experience that would stay with me forever．Though grateful for the times they could share, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a clock ticking in the background．

On the visit to my parents’ home during what we all know was my father’s last days, my mother took Chelsey from my arms and announced, “Your father would like to see you alone for a minute．”

I entered the bedroom where my father lay on a rented hospital bed．He appeared even weaker than the day before．

“How are you feeling, Dad?” I asked．“Can I do anything for you?”

He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make out a word．

“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you,” I said．

With great difficulty he said, “I love you．”

We don’t learn courage from heroes on the evening news．We learn true courage from watching ordinary people rise above hopeless situations．In many ways my father was a strict, uncommunicative man．He found it difficult to show emotion．The bravest thing I ever saw him do was overcome that barrier to open his heart to his son and family at the end of his life．

41．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．The writer accompanied his father to a medical examination．

       B．The writer’s father got worse after the removal of the brain tumor．

       C．The writer was quick to notice the strange condition of his father．

D.  The writer’s father had known about his illness before the writer discovered it．

42．What does the underlined sentence “the odds are long” mean?

       A．There’s little possibility for Father to recover．

B.  It takes a long time for Father to recover．

       C．Father needs love and care from his family．

       D．They need a proper time to operate on Father．

43. How might the writer have felt when he saw his father make faces at Chelsey?

    A. Disappointed      B. Glad         C. Surprised        D. Bitter        

44．The father had never said “I love you” to the writer before because______．

       A．he was not used to openly showing his emotions

       B．he was not so attached to the writer

       C．he thought there was no need to tell the writer

       D．he believed in strictness and punishment

45．What does the writer attempt to tell us?

       A．Life is short, so live your life to the fullest．

       B．Don’t wait to see a doctor till it is too late．

       C．Bravely express your love for your family．

       D．We don’t often value health until we lose it．

假设你是李华，从互联网上看到一个国际中学生家教组织将面向中国招聘兼职中文家教(tutor) 的广告，欢迎中国学生参加。 请写一封电子邮件申请参加。

内容主要包括：

1. 自我介绍（包括中英文能力）；

2. 参加意图（帮助别人学习中文和推介中国文化）；

3. 希望获准。

注意：

1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 邮件开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总次数。

Dear Sir or Madam, 

_­____________________________________________________________                                  

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________    

                                                                              Yours sincerely,

                                                                                     Li Hua

假如你是高三学生李华。你从新华网上得知21st Century 就我们如何支配压岁钱向大家征稿。请用英文向报社投稿，介绍你的预算。

注意：

1. 词数在100字左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3.开头已为你写好。不计入总词数。

Dear Sir，