Sorry, I have no time left now. Can we discuss the matter ________ supper?

   A. over                   B. on                   C. by                    D. at

I used to believe courtesy was a thing of the past. Very seldom have I encountered a courteous human being in this modern era.

Recently, I had to change my thinking, when I came face to face with just such a human being in a coffee place, with my two daughters. The place was crowded as usual and we had to climb steep(陡峭)stairs in order to find an empty table. After enjoying coffee and snacks, we went down the narrow stairs, where there was hardly any space for another person to either climb up or come down.

Just as I was in the middle of the stairs, a gentleman entered the main entrance of the restaurant which was right in front of the staircase(楼梯). I was sure I would be pushed roughly by this man going up. I kept coming down as fast as I could. My daughters were already down, looking up at me worriedly, hoping I would reach them before the stranger started walking up the stairs, knowing I was a nervous sort.

Nearly reaching them, I noticed the man still standing near the door. I reached my daughters and passed the stranger at the entrance door which he kept holding open. I looked back thinking he was still at the door, deciding whether to go in or find another less crowded place. I saw him going up the stairs, two at a time. I told my daughters about it and all three of us felt bad that we did not even thank the courteous gentleman who was actually holding the door open for us ladies to pass through before going up.

Such well mannered people are hard to find these days, when pushing is very common in our advanced but aggressive society. We applauded for his chivalry(骑士精神).

8. What is the meaning of the underlined word “courtesy” in Paragraph 1?

A. A brave action         B. Sacrifice spirit

C. A considerate action    D. Selfish behavior

9. What did the author think of the man at the first sight of him?

A. He was in a hurry

B. He would wait for her

C. He would cross her rudely

D. He was a man with good manners

10. Why did the author’s daughters worry about her?

A. She was easy to be nervious

B. She took up too much space

C. She was too old to walk fast

D. She focused too much on the man

11. What can we learn about the man from Paragraph 4?

A. He might be a waiter of the café

B. He might have an urgent business to do

C. He loved a daughter of the author

D. He would hold the door open for all

For those who have no access to clean water, the phrase “a thirst for knowledge” may soon have a new meaning. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can make water safe to drink. The researchers say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.

An estimated 600 to 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is infected with harmful bacteria or other pollutants. But researcher Teri Dankovich has developed a special book that could turn dirty water into clean, drinkable water. The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles (微粒) of silver. The pages can be used as filters (过滤器) to remove harmful microorganisms that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it. Ms. Dankovich says each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be decontaminated.

Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful. At the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Ms. Dankovich was asked whether she has considered adding classic literature on the book’s pages. “The idea of classical texts – that’s of interest maybe later. But we have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven’t had the time to go through that part,” she laughed.

Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project. It costs just pennies per page to produce each book.

28. How does the book help people get clean water?     

A. The tiny metal particles on the pages remove the pollution.

B. Its pages can produce small particles when dropped into water.

C. It contains knowledge of water cleaning on each of the pages.

D. It carries information about the harm caused by dirty water.

29. The underlined word “decontaminated” in Paragraph 2 probably mean______.

A. tested             B. boiled                C. absorbed                D. cleaned

30. What can we infer about the drinkable book with classical texts?

A. It will be available soon.

B. It’s a joke to the researchers.

C. It’s a waste of time to do research on them.

D. It has not been on the researchers’ schedule.

31. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Book pages providing safe drinking water.

B. Water pollution in developing countries.

C. Books designed to improve people’s lives.

D. A new test carried out successfully.

Before Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States, it had killed 54 people in Haiti and left tens of thousands more homeless. Haiti is especially tender because of its underdevelopment, so people die there—as they did during the earthquake in January 2010—in greater numbers than they would in other countries subject to the same natural disasters.

But there is one disaster that was brought to Haiti directly by people, now by nature. It was not caused by extreme weather. That disaster is the cholera that struck Haiti two years ago.

Most people I talk to don’t even know that United Nations troops brought this deadly disease to Haiti in October of 2010. There hadn’t been any cholera in Haiti for at least 100 years, if ever, until some UN troops from /south Asia poured human waste into a branch of the country’s main water supply. Since then, more than 7,600 Haitians have died and over 600,000 have gotten sick.

However, the UN is still denying its responsibility, despite studies published by the New England Journal of Medicine, tracking the origin of Haiti’s cholera bacteria to UN soldiers. A study by a team of 15 scientists last year produced even more conclusive evidence, using whole genome sequence typing (基因系列归类) and two other methods that matched the cholera strain in Haiti to a sample from Nepal that was taken at the time when the Nepalese UN troops arrived in the country. In short, there is proof beyond reasonable doubt that the UN mission is responsible fro bringing this disease to Haiti.

So there is one obvious source of money fro ridding the country of cholera, but so far, only about 53% of the $5.35 billion promised by international donors has been delivered. For the US government, it is just 27%, or $ 250 millions. If these governments want to help the UN fix the mess that they created, they should have already committed the funds to do so.

57.       By mentioning the hurricane and earthquake happening in Haiti in Paragraph 1, the author implies________.

A. natural disasters are unmerciful

B. many deaths could have been avoided

C. Haitians are easy to become victims in face of disasters

D. America should be responsible for them

58.       How does the author show the origin of Haiti’s cholera bacteria?

A. By providing supporting evidences.                      B. By analyzing the results.

C. By making further investigations.                           D. By challenging the UN.

59.       How much money should the American government have offered to Haiti?

A. 2.84 billion dollars.      B. 925 million dollars.        C. 67.5 million dollars.        D. 250 million dollars.

60.       What does the author write the passage most probably for?

A. To introduce the serious cholera situation in Haiti.

B. To ask for more financial help from UN.

C. To prove the direct cause of Haiti’s cholera outbreak.

D. To condemn the attitude of international community towards Haiti’s cholera.

    [ l ]On the 15th of each month, a classroom at Pointers Run Elementary School in Maryland is packed with volunteers Students like Campbell Snoddy collect food         by students, parents and teachers from each classroom．Then, the children check to make sure the food isn't too old．After that, they sort it by category and put the cans and boxes into bags to be delivered to low -income senior citizens in the community．

    [ 2 ] “I wanted to teach my daughter about charity．” says Julie Rosenthal, Who started the nonprofit program six years ago． "And I wanted to teach other kids in the community, too．"

    [ 3] Children make their deliveries around the 15th of the month when money from monthly Social

Security checks begins to run out and tough decisions between food and other needs have to be made．

    [4 ] "I am on a fixed income and the food has helped me out considerably," says Linda Testennan, a food receiver．

    [5 ] “ It was really fun, and it was great to make the senior citizens happy,” says Campbell． “ It was really cool．”

    [6 ] Sofia Merkowitz, another Food on the 15th volunteer, agrees．"I really liked it because it made me feel really good that people were so happy that they got food．"

[7]Rosenthal says that is why she has children do more than fill a bag with donated food．        

      [8 ] "We want the children to have firsthand experience delivering the food to the people so that they can get that feeling of really making a difference in somebody’s life, a positive difference．"

    [ 9] The program started with one school delivering 30 bags of groceries． It has grown each year, and now involves 10 schools and several churches．Food on the 15th has delivered more than12, 000 bags so far．Rosenthal's goal is to expand Food on the 15th across the country and around the world．

76．What is the passage mainly talking about? （no more than 10 words）

77．List three things that the students do with the food in the program "Food on the 15th" （ no more than 20 words）

78． Fill in the blank in the first paragraph with proper words to complete the sentence．（ no more than 3 words）

79． On what purpose did Julie Rosenthal start the non - profit program? （ no more than 15 words）

80． What does the underlined word "it"  in Para 5 probably mean?  （ no more than 6 words）

More student than ever before are taking a gap-year (间隔年)before going to university. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated(起源) with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.
This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,” he said.

But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship – young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to ￡15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40%  of students  are  forced   to  work  during  term  time  and  the  figure  increases  to 90% during  vacation periods,” he said.

12. What do we learn about the gap year from the text?

  A. It is flexible in length.                       B. It is a time for relaxation.

  C. It is increasingly popular.                    D. It is required by universities.

13. According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year______.

  A. are better prepared for college studies        B. know a lot more about their future jobs

  C. are more likely to leave university in debt     D. have a better chance to enter top universities

14. How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon?

  A. He's puzzled.       B. He's worried.       C. He's surprised.      D. He's annoyed.

15. What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?

  A. Attend additional courses.                  B. Make plans for the new term.

  C. Earn money for their education.              D. Prepare for their graduate studies.

 In hot summer, milk quickly turns sour(酸的)       it is refrigerated.

    A. while           B. if              C. unless         D. until

Tayka Hotel De Sal

Where: Tahua, Bolivia

How much: About $95 a night

Why it’s cool: You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That’s something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt — including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses (床垫) and blankets). The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric dried-up lake that’s the world’s biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633-square-mile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.

Green Magic Nature Resort

Where: Vythiri, India

How much: About $240 a night

Why it’s cool: Riding a pulley(滑轮)-operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window — there is no glass! — you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy. Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel, or just sit on your bamboo bed and read. You don’t even have to come down for breakfast — the hotel will send it up on the pulley-drawn “elevator”.

Dog Bark Park Inn B&B

Where: Cottonwood, Idaho

How much: $92 a night

Why it’s cool: This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet. Sweet Willy is a 30-foot-tall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side. You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps to the loft in Willy’s head, or hang out inside his nose. Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters, there is also a toilet in the 12-foot-tall fire hydrant outside.

Gamirasu Cave Hotel

Where: Ayvali, Turkey

How much: Between $130 and $475 a night.

Why it’s cool: This is caveman cool! Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65℉in summer. (Don’t worry — there is heat in winter.)

21. Which of the following about Tayka Hotel de Sal is true?

   A. The hotel is the cheapest among the four mentioned.

   B. Everything in the hotel is made of salt.

   C. The glue can prevent the rain from dissolving the hotel.

   D. It is located on a prehistoric dried-up lake.

22. What does the underlined part “Sweet Willy” refer to?

   A. The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.

   B. The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.

   C. The name of the hotel.               

   D. The name of the hotel owner.

23. Which of the hotel makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?

   A. Tayka Hotel De Sal        B. Green Magic Nature Resort

   C. Dog Bark Park Inn B&B    D. Gamirasu Cave Hotel

24. What is the similarity of the four hotels?

   A. Being expensive.          B. Being unique.

   C. Being beautiful.           D. Being natural.

Four simple ways to stay positive

Trying to stay positive, both in good times and bad, is a great way to improve your quality of life. Try these four methods on a daily basis.

1. Don’t think a lot about negativity.

Of course. Staying positive 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a bit difficult. Letting things get to you is normal, and it’s actually healthy to cry or express frustrations once in a while.

It’s when those negative moments control your life that your emotional balance is at risk.    36    However, don’t give that sadness another second in your day.

2.      37       

What you put into your body directly affects how you feel on the outside. Fill yourself with good, healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and limit snacking. Exercise is equally of great importance. Take a few days out of your week for at least a half a hour of activity, and try to stick to a routine.    38   

3. Be kind to others.

     39   Making someone’s day a bit brighter not only puts a smile on his or her face. but also yours as well. Remember to smile and treat each person with pity and respect. Good deeds are contagious （传染的）, and your positive attitude may spread among others.

4. Take it one day at a time.

Being positive isn’t an instant thing. It’s a steady effort that we follow every hour of every day.   40    Instead, focus on living in the moment and doing what you can to make each moment better.

A. Eat healthy and stay fit.

B. Take your lunch breaks outside.

C. Don’t worry about what the future may bring.

D. Gratefulness helps you appreciate life in bad times.

E. Good feelings come from acts of kindness and selflessness.

F. Take a few minutes to feel sad and accept what happened.

G. Even going outside for a walk and enjoying the sunshine improves your mood.

When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was totally deaf. After consulting with many doctors, they made a   21   that would forever change my future.   22   sending me to a private school for the deaf, they decided to “mainstream” me. All of my schoolmates and teachers would have   23   hearing.

I experienced great   24   throughout primary school because, besides the efforts of “  25   ” with the other students, I also   26   with most of my schoolwork. But, Mrs. Jordan, my 5th grade teacher, changed all of that with a   27   three-word phrase.

One morning, she asked the class a question. I   28   her lips and immediately raised my hand. Although I feared, I felt unusually   29   because I was sure I had the right answer. I took a deep breath and   30   answered Mrs. Jordan’s question.

Her response   31   all of us. Mrs. Jordan enthusiastically   32   her right foot on the floor and waved her right finger in a full circle   33   it pointed directly at me. With shining eyes she cried, “THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!”

For the first time in my young life, I was an instant star. My heart burst with   34   and I sat a little   35   in my chair and puffed out my chest. My confidence   36   like never before. I decided right then and there that I would make a   37   for myself in this world. The very three-word phrase had totally   38   my young life.

From that day forward, my   39   improved fantastically. My view on life   40   a complete turnabout. And it all started with Mrs. Jordan. “THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!”

21. A. plan        B. choice                      C. promise                    D. decision

22. A. Instead of       B. Apart from                C. Regardless of            D. Far from

23. A. weak        B. sharp                       C. normal                            D. different

24. A. anxiety           B. honour                     C. sympathy                 D. excitement

25. A. getting away     B. putting up                 C. fitting in                   D. coming up

26. A. handled      B. struggled                  C. disagreed                  D. engaged

27. A. regular      B. polite                        C. simple                      D. formal

28. A. found        B. understood               C. saw                         D. read

29. A. embarrassed    B. frightened                 C. confident                  D. jealous

30. A. gently         B. luckily                      C. nervously                 D. carelessly

31. A. enjoyed        B. surprised                  C. delighted                  D. fooled

32. A. stamped        B. placed                      C. stepped                    D. knocked

33. A. if             B. unless                      C. since                        D. until

34. A. pride         B. regret                       C. courage                    D. envy

35. A. taller       B. shorter                            C. longer                      D. wider

36. A. declined     B. sank                         C. returned                   D. acted

37. A. home         B. fortune                    C. place                        D. name

38. A. devoted     B. surrounded               C. occupied                  D. transformed

39. A. grades      B. health                       C. characters                D. growth

40. A. set         B. made                        C. turned                      D. got

________ carefully, the mixture was bitter.

A．Tasted　  B．Tasting  C．Taste　  D．To taste

  Speakers of different languages not only describe the world differently but think about it differently too, according to a new study.

Researchers used a cartoon cat Sylvester to study how language was reflected(反映) in the gestures people made .Dr Sotaro Kita of the University of Bristol’s Department of Experimental Psychology(心理学）,showed the cartoon to a group of native English, Japanese and Turkish speakers and then watched their gestures as they described the action they had seen. He found speakers of the three different languages used different gestures to describe the same event, which appeared to reflect the way the structure of their languages expressed that event. For example, when describing a scene where the cat swings on a rope, the English speakers used gestures showing an arc trajectory(弧形轨迹） and the Japanese and Turkish speakers tended to use straight gestures showing the motion but not the arc.

Dr Kita suggests this is because Japanese and Turkish have no proper verb to express the English meaning “to swing”. While English speakers use the arc gesture as their language can readily express the change of location and the arc－shaped readily, Japanese and Turkish speakers cannot as easily express the idea of movement with an arc trajectory so they use the straight gesture.

Dr Kita said, “My research suggests that speakers of different languages cause different spatial(空间的）images of the same event in a way that matches the expressive possibilities of their own language. In other words, language influences spatial thinking at the moment of speaking.”

5. Researchers used a cartoon cat because they wanted to know_________.

A. how language was reflected in people’s gestures

B. whether they could express the same idea

C. whether they could describe what they had seen

D. how the structure of language changed

6. After watching the gestures of the speakers of the three different languages, Dr Kita concluded that________.

A. Japanese and Turkish people couldn’t express the meaning of “swing”

B. English was obviously better than Japanese and Turkish

C. every language had its own special way to describe things

D. no word in Japanese and Turkish could express some ideas of English

7. Where does this text probably come from?

A. An advertisement　　              B. A Scientific Research Report         

C. A Scientific Fiction　　　           D. An Announcement

8. What is mainly discussed in the text?

A. Differences between languages.

B. Differences between gestures.

C. How people use different gestures to express the same event.

D. Language influences the way people think.

In case anyone _____ come in my absence, tell him I will be back soon.

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

My name is Luca Lamoariello. People always ask me how I learned 11 languages. Here I would like to answer this question, taking English, French and Dutch (荷兰语) as examples.

English

English was already a world language by the time I turned 10 in 1991. I struggled at first. Grammar explanations confused me, and the material was boring. Then my parents hired a private English tutor(家庭教师). She set me on the right path to learning and, most importantly, learning to love language. My aunt bought me The Hardy Boys for my birthday and after that there was no looking back. I started reading a lot of books in English. The combination of reading books, watching movies every day and talking to my teacher once a week for two years worked wonders. By the age of 15 I was fluent in English.

French

I started learning French around the same time as I started learning English and faced many of the same problems. That all changed when I found that I could watch French TV. I started watching two hours every day after dinner. By the age of 15 I was fluent in French. A few hours of television a day did more than the previous three years in middle school.

Dutch

I met Lotte, a Dutch girl, while camping in Northern Sardinia. She didn’t speak much English and we both became frustrated at our inability to communicate, so I decided to learn Dutch. Lotte and I lost touch later, but the language stayed with me. People insisted that Dutch was a completely useless language—they all speak English – but I stuck to it. I read books and magazines that my friends would bring back from the Netherlands. I knew I would use the language sooner or later. Now I speak Dutch every day with my Dutch housemate. Speaking Dutch has become easy, effortless and interesting.

To those who ask me why I like learning so many languages I always reply: “I don’t live to learn languages; I learn languages to live a better life”.

24. What was the most important effect of the private English tutor on the author?

A. She explained the rules of English.       B. She often talked to him in English.

C. She led him to love language.           D. She taught him how to learn English.

25. Who inspired the author to read books in English?

A. His English tutor.      B. His friend.     C. His parents.     D. His aunt.

26. How did the author learn French?

A. By watching French TV regularly     B. By reading books in French.

C. By living in France.                D. By watching many French movies.

27. Why did the author learn Dutch at the beginning?

A. To work with in the Netherlands.     B. Because it was used worldwide.

C. To communicate with a girl.         D. Because many people spoke Dutch.

In college, Spring Break （春假）is usually associated with the beach, parties and sleepless nights, bringing about relaxation, free time and friends. Students who wish to spend their break doing something productive and rewarding, however, may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program. It places college students in communities both at home and abroad.

The Program allows students to take part in various projects dealing with issues such as literacy （识字）, homelessness and the environment. It includes helping kids with their lessons, raising money for families in need and collecting data for environmental research.

The hope is that, by getting themselves involved in different environments, students will have the opportunity to learn about members of communities and broaden their view. In turn, they will incorporate (融合) their experiences and lessons learned into their own communities. In a word, the Program aims to encourage students to be active citizens nd engage themselves in making a difference in society.

In the spring of 2006, about 36,000 students in the USA participated in the Alternative Break Program.

Samantha Giacobozzi, now director of the Program, has been on five alternative break trips herself, including trips to New Orleans, India and Dominican Republic. “I was a student who went on alternative break trips and had my life totally transformed by that experience,” she said. “Every year, we meet many students who have attended the Program. You can see changes in their life that are connected with their alternative break experiences.”

The Program began in 1991, Today, it has become increasingly popular with college students in the United States.

56．Who may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program?

      A．College students who want to work in communities.

       B．College students who want to have a good time on the beach.

       C．College students who wish to do something productive and rewarding.

       D．College students who want to bring about relaxation, free time and friends.

57．The aim of the Program is to          .

       A．allow students to take part in various projects

       B．help students to raise money for families in need

       C．encourage students to be active and make a difference in society

       D．teach students to collect date for environmental research

58．What is Samantha’s attitude toward the Program?

       A．Thankful.            B．Regretful.            C．Indifferent.          D．Unsatisfied.

59．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

       A．The Program began in the spring of 2006.

       B．So far about 3,000 students in the USA have participated in the Program.

       C．The Program has become increasingly popular with college students all over the world.

       D．Many students have made changes in their life by their alternative break experiences

 It is not clear ______ the financial crisis will soon be over.

A. since              B. what               C. when              D. whether

 He won another award, ______ I think is the result of his hard work.

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