Since the beginning of time never has there been another with my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my mouth． None that came before, none that live today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and think exactly like me． I’m a unique creature．
Vain attempts to imitate others no longer will I make． Instead will I place my uniqueness on display in the market place． I will begin now to highlight my differences; hide my similarities．
I am rare, and therefore I am valuable． I am the end product of thousands of years of evolution; therefore, I am better equipped in both mind and body than all the emperors and wise men before me．
But my skills, my mind, my heart, and my body will weaken, rot, and die for fear that I put them to good use． I have unlimited potential． Only a tiny part of my brain do I employ; only a small amount of my muscle do I apply．
So never again will I be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments nor will I lose myself, anymore, in self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even acknowledge． I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will． I am not on this earth by chance． I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand． Henceforth(从今往后) will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy．
I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell． I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I speak to multiply my sales, for this is the foundation on which I will build my career． Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracteD．
I have been given eyes to see and a mind to think and now I know a great secret of life that all my problems, discouragements, and heartaches are, in truth, great opportunities in disguise． I am nature’s greatest miracle． And nature knows not defeat． Eventually, she achieves victory and so will I, and with each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult．It can be inferred from the text that the author is most probably a(n) _________．
| A．robot |
| B．soldier |
| C．salesman |
| D．athlete |
Which of the following can best describe the author’s character?
| A．Intelligent, calm and content． |
| B．Confident, modest and realistic． |
| C．Independent, cold and aggressive． |
| D．Ambitious, confident and optimistic． |
According to the text, which of the following is fundamental to the author’s career building?
| A．Knowledge of mankind． |
| B．Speaking skills． |
| C．Prediction of the market． |
| D．sense of victory． |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Nature’s greatest miracle |
| B．The power of being different |
| C．The great secret of life |
| D．Great opportunities in disguise |
You may have experienced the frustration of receiving a parking fine or finding your car towed away （拖走）after leaving it parked for a couple of minutes．
But now a high tech car sticker could help motorists avoid such a situation by allowing a traffic warden（管理员）to get in touch with them．Car owners can buy the sticker and place it inside their car’s windscreen，having set it up with vital information，such as their phone number．The slim design will i nclude a sensor that will send a text message warning a driver about a coming fine when touched by a traffic warden．The message will ask them to move their car immediately．The driver could then type a reply for the warden us ing their smartphone，which will appear on the sticker’s screen．They may choose to write something along the lines of“back in two minutes”in a bid to avoid a fine．Frankfurt-based IT consultant，Daniel Kalliontzis，came up with the idea and is raising funds on Indiegogo to put his 54 sticker into production．
The smart sticker system will rely on the good will of traffic wardens and critically，a German law．The law states:“An officer has to choose the most e fficient and inexpensive way for the car owner to remove the vehicle．”It could be cheaper for the authorities to contact the driver than to tow his car．
At the time of writing，Mr Kalliontzis has raised just over 3，000 of his 50，000 goal on Indiegogo．If he manages to raise the money，the stickers will be shipped in June 2015．But it appears that car owners using the smart system could get some unnecessary warning messages，because anyone could touch the smart sticker．The first paragraph is intended to ________．
| A．highlight an awkward situation |
| B．complain about a parking fine |
| C．introduce the topic of the passage |
| D．remind motorists of the parking risk |
What may probably contribute to the application of the TowStop sticker in Germany？
| A．The sticker’s low cost． |
| B．The mass production． |
| C．The goodwill of motorists． |
| D．The law of the country． |
What can be concluded from the last paragraph about the TowStop Sticker？
| A．It takes time and efforts to put it to use． |
| B．Only traffic wardens can touch the sticker． |
| C．All car owners will use the sticker in 2015． |
| D．Kalliontzis is experienced in raising money． |
What’s the right order of the following statements according to the passage？
①A message is sent by the sensor．
②The sticker is put inside a car’s windscreen．
③A traffic warden touches the smart sticker．
④The sticker is set up with vital information．
⑤The motorist sends a message．
| A．②④⑤③① |
| B．④②③①⑤ |
| C．④②③⑤① |
| D．②④①③⑤ |
Essay is optional and no penalties(处罚) for wrong answers．These changes will take place in SAT college exam．The changes include the use of some words more commonly used in school and on the job instead of the words such as “prevaricator” and “sagacious”.
College Board officials said the change is needed to make the exam better representative of what students study in high school and the skills they need to succeed in college and afterward．The new exam will be rolled out in 2016, so this year’s ninth graders will be the first to take it, in their junior year．The new SAT will continue to test reading, writing and math skills, with an emphasis on analysis．Scoring will return to a 1,600-point scale last used in 2004, with a separate score for the optional essay．For the first time, students will have the option of taking the test on computers.
They also said many students who are terrified they will be tested on lots of SAT words currently can ask for help: practicing with flashcards．They know flashcards are not the best way to build real word knowledge that lasts, but when the SAT rolls around they become the royal road．Students stop reading and start flipping.
The essay will be changed in other ways, too．It will measure students’ ability to analyze and explain how an author builds an argument and it will also be up to colleges whether the essay will be required．Each exam will include a passage drawn from “founding documents”: such as the Declaration of Independence or from discussions they’ve inspired．Instead of testing a wide range of math concepts, the new exam will focus on a few areas, like algebra, thought to be most needed for college and life afterward．A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions, instead of on the entire math portion(部分).
Jim Rawlins, the director of admissions at the University of Oregon, said the changes will potentially help the students but it will take a few years to know its influence, after the students go on to college．He said some colleges are still dealing with questions about the changes made in 2005, such as how to consider the essay portion．The criticism of the SAT is that students from wealthier families do better on the exam because they can afford expensive test preparation classes.
The SAT was taken last year by 1.7 million students．It has historically been more popular on the coasts, while the other main standardized college entrance exam, the ACT, dominated the central U.S．The ACT took over the SAT in total use in 2012, partly because it is taken by almost every junior in 13 states as part of those states’ testing scheme(方案).
ACT president Jon Erickson said when hearing of the SAT changes, his reaction was that they could’ve been talking about the ACT now．“I didn’t hear anything new and different, so I was a little left wanting, at least at the end of this first announcement,” Erickson said .
Bob Schaeffer, education director at the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, or FairTest, said it is laudable(值得称道的) that the SAT will provide free test preparation, but it is unlikely to make a dent in the market for such preparation．He also said the new test is unlikely to be better than the current one．His organization has a database with institutions that don't require ACT or SAT scores to make admissions decisions.
We can learn from the third paragraph that flashcards_________.
| A．will become the only way to test words |
| B．can help students get ready for SAT words |
| C．can help students memorize the words forever |
| D．are the best way for the students to get high scores |
SAT exams will be less required in 2016 with the purpose of _________.
| A．getting more students interested in the entrance exam |
| B．making it easier for students to be admitted into colleges |
| C．offering chances for the students to be tested on every subject |
| D．testing the students better on the knowledge and skills they’ve learnt |
The change in the 2016’s SAT college entrance exam include the following EXCEPT that _________.
| A．students will use calculators if they get stuck in certain math questions |
| B．some words that are uncommonly used won’t appear in the exam |
| C．students will be given the chance to take the test on computers |
| D．students will be tested on a wide range of math concepts |
According to Jim Rawlins, _________.
| A．the changes are mainly aimed at students from the rich family |
| B．the changes will force students to give up writing essay |
| C．the changes will probably have some bad influence |
| D．the changes will be of no benefit to students |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the ACT ?
| A．It is more popular in the coastal cities. |
| B．More than 1.7 million students took it last year. |
| C．Jon Erickson felt worried about the SAT changes. |
| D．It has been the most popular college entrance exam so far. |
For years I have been asked by several people how and why I came to translate a novel by Virginia Woolf in 1945. I graduated from the University of Ankara in 1941 and my four teachers, including Orphan Burian, are members of the Translation Bureau who prepared a list of works to be translated into Turkish and set themselves to translating some of these, besides shouldering the heavy work of correcting or editing the translations submitted to the Bureau. Orphan Burian, now mostly known for his translations of Shakespeare, had started to translate To the Lighthouse for the Translation Bureau, but at the same time he wanted to do something from Shakespeare. So he transferred it to me.
For me, To the Lighthouse was love at first sight or rather at first reading. To translate a book, I first read it from the beginning to the end. Then I started writing each sentence by hand. When I finished the whole book I read my translation from the beginning to the end, checking it with the original, and making corrections. Then I typed it, and read the typed copy, making changes again. All in all that added up to five readings. I started translating the novel in 1943 and submitted it to the Bureau in 1944. It was published in 1945 under the general title of “New English Literature” in the series called “Translations from World Literature” known as the “Classical Series”.
So, the first book by Virginia Woolf in Turkish appeared in 1945, and it was To the Lighthouse. This was eighteen years after its publication in England in 1927. To me the book itself was pure poetry; I read it as if in a dream. Not trying to dive very deeply into it, I sort of swam on it or over it. Now, years later, I swim in it. Even after so many years, in each reading I become conscious of new layers of which I haven’t been aware before. It keeps pace with my experiences in life as years go by, and each reading is a new reading for me.
In 1982 and again in 1989 I revised it for two new editions and I again did it sentence by sentence checking it with the original. In those years I had thought it was necessary to revise my translations every ten years, but now I think I must do it every three or four years. In a country like Turkey, where we work very hard to clear our language from old and new foreign words, we should try to be up to date as to the words we are using, and of the same importance are the studies being made on the methods or techniques of translation, and new approaches in translation.
While translating, I usually have both the writer and the reader in mind. The novels she wrote after 1920 were especially new for most of the readers. She usually uses very short sentences, followed by rather long ones. I remember sentences of more than ten lines which weren’t easy for me to translate as they were. And in Turkish our having only one word, the word “O”, for “he”, “she”, “it” in English, made me repeat the names of the characters more often than Woolf did. And I changed some long indirect sentences in the original into direct sentences in my translation, thinking it would make an easier reading in Turkish.
When translating, I make use of all kinds of dictionaries. A difficult English word for me is the word “vision”. In To the Lighthouse, the artist Lily Briscoe is trying to finish the picture she has been drawing for some time and the novel ends with the following sentences: “Yes, she thought, laying down her brush extremely tired, I’ve had my vision.” And I’m still thinking about how to translate this remark into Turkish.How and why did the writer come to translate To the Lighthouse?
| A．It was really a piece of good luck. |
| B．She was the only qualified person for it. |
| C．Virginia Woolf was very familiar to her. |
| D．She was a member of the Translation Bureau. |
What does the underlined part in paragraph 3 mean?
| A．The writer prefers the work very much. |
| B．The writer likes the sport swimming. |
| C．The writer is aware of her advantages. |
| D．The writer has digested the book very well. |
Why does the writer revise her translations more often now?
| A．Readers make new demands. |
| B．Turkish is a language of mobility. |
| C．Many mistakes are spotted in the old edition. |
| D．She wants to make it more popular in the market. |
While translating, the writer repeated the names of the characters to_________.
| A．make full use of the direct sentences |
| B．emphasize all of these characters |
| C．make her translation clearer in Turkish |
| D．make her translation much briefer |
The last paragraph mainly implies that_________.
| A．the writer is taking up a difficult job |
| B．the writer’s translation needs improving |
| C．English is a difficult language in the world |
| D．remarks from characters are difficult to translate |
Five years after they disappeared, lost jewels belonging to the wife of a US ambassador to the Netherlands were found.
Dawn Arnall had already received an insurance payout for her loss. However, the misplaced gems had been found and held for safe keeping by a hotel she stayed in. staff were unaware that the jewels were worth $ 9m.
The world is full of forgetful people. A man in the English town of Reading even left a sausage casserole in a bus. The dish ended up in the Lost Property Office until it was recovered by his mother, eager for her dinner.
A walker in the Lake District had his food in his mouth but … what about his teeth? After climbing a hill in 2007, David Packer stopped for a chocolate bar. He took his false teeth out, wrapped them up in a tissue and just forgot about them. It took more than a year for the walker to be reunited with them.
Over the past 78 years passengers on London’s transport network have left behind items including human skulls and gas masks from World War II. Since 1934, staff have handled an average of 200 000 items a year. Recently they have used computers to try to track down their owners.
But if you find something and can’t locate the rightful owner, is it finders keepers? It depends on what’s found and how, says John Spencer, professor of law at the University of Cambridge.
“If you pick up a coin, you can keep it unless you saw someone drop it, as you wouldn’t be able to find the owner by taking reasonable steps.”
If it’s a larger sum, you should report it to the police but if the item has been abandoned, the property is yours. One man’s loss is another man’s gain!
Dawn Arnall is mentioned in the first two paragraphs to .
| A．attract readers’ attention to the jewellery |
| B．introduce the topic |
| C．make a summary |
| D．get people think |
Judging from the examples given in the third, fourth and fifth paragraphs, people can be .
| A．generous | B．experienced |
| C．forgettable | D．honest |
What does the underlined part in the sixth paragraph mean?
| A．It depends on the law whether to keep something you find. |
| B．One man’s loss is another man’s loss too. |
| C．It’s immoral to keep something that doesn’t belong to you. |
| D．Whoever finds something can keep it. |
Across Britain, burnt toast will be served to mothers in bed this morning as older sons and daughters rush to deliver their supermarket bunches of flowers. But, according to a new study, we should be placing a higher value on motherhood all year.
Mothers have long known that their home workload was just as heavy as paid work. Now, the new study has shown that if they were paid for their parental labours, they would earn as much as £172,000 a year.
The study looked at the range of jobs mothers do, as well as the hours they are working, to determine the figure. This would make their yearly income £30,000 more than the Prime Minister earns.
By analyzing the numbers, it found the average mother works 119 hours a week, 40 of which would usually be paid at a standard rate 79 hours as overtime. After questioning 1,000 mothers with children under 18, it found that, on most days, mums started their routine work at 7 am and finished at around 11 pm.
To calculate just how much mothers would earn from that labour, it suggested some of the roles that mums could take on, including housekeeper, part-time lawyer, personal trainer and entertainer. Being a part-time lawyer, at £48,98 an hour, would prove to be the most profitable of the “mum jobs”, with psychologist(心理学家) a close second.
It also asked mothers about the challenges they face, with 80 per cent making emotional(情感的) demand as the hardest thing about motherhood.
Over a third of mums felt they needed more training and around half said they missed going out with friends.
The study shows mothers matter all year long and not just on Mother’s Day. The emotional, physical and mental energy mothers devote to their children can be never-ending, but children are also sources of great joy and happiness. Investing(投入) in time for parenting and raising relationships is money well spent.
How much would a mother earn a year if working as the Prime Minister?
A. £30,000. B. £142,000.
C. £172,000. C. £202,000.
The biggest challenge for most mothers is from .
| A．emotional demand |
| B．low pay for work |
| C．heavy workload |
| D．lack of training |
What is stressed in the last paragraph?
| A．mothers’ importance shows in family all year long. |
| B．The sacrifices mothers make are huge but worthwhile. |
| C．Mothers’ devotion to children can hardly be calculated. |
| D．Investing time in parenting would bring a financial return. |
What can we conclude from the study?
| A．Mothers’ working hours should be largely reduced. |
| B．Mothers should balance their time for work and rest. |
| C．Mothers’ labour is of a higher value than it is realized. |
| D．Mothers should be freed from housework for social life. |
She may have lacked a home, but now this teen has top honors．
A 17-year-old student who spent much of high school living around homeless shelters — and sometimes sleeping in her car — today graduated and spoke on behalf of her class at Charles Drew High School in Clayton County, Ga．, just outside of Atlanta．
Chelsea Fearce held a 4．466 GPA and scored 1900 on her SATs despite having to use her cellphone to study after the shelter lights were turned off at night．
“I know I have been made stronger．I was homeless．My family slept on cushions on the floor and we were lucky if we got more than one full meal a day．Getting a shower, food and clean clothes was an everyday struggle,” Fearce said in a speech she gave at her graduation ceremony．Fearce overcame her day-to-day struggles by focusing on a better day．“I just told myself to keep working, because the future will not be like this anymore,” she told WSBTV．
Fearce, one of five children, grow up in a family that sometimes had an apartment to live in, but at other times had to live in homeless shelters or even out of their car, if they had one．“You’re worried about your home life and then worried at school．Worry about being a little hungry sometimes and go hungry sometimes．You just have to deal with it．You eat what you can, when you can．”
To our surprise, Fearce overcame the difficulties and even tested high enough to be admitted into college half way through her high school career．She starts college next year at Spelman College as a junior where she is planning to study biology, pre-med (医学预科)．“Don’t give up．Do what you have to do right now so that you can have the future that you want,” Fearce said．How did Fearce go on with her study without access to lights?
| A．By the car light． |
| B．By her cellphone． |
| C．By lights out of shelters． |
| D．By moonlight． |
When Fearce starts college at Spelman College, she will _____．．
| A．have graduated earlier from high school than normal |
| B．be a 17-year-old student from a poor family |
| C．have a home without sleeping in her car or shelters |
| D．have raised enough money to go to college |
What lesson can we learn from Fearce’s experience?
| A．Knowledge can change your fate． |
| B．Don’t give up, and tomorrow will be better． |
| C．Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well． |
| D．He that will not work shall not eat． |
Life is filled with challenges．As we get older we come to realize that those challenges are the very things that shape us and make us who we are，it is the same with the challenges that come with friendship．When we are faced with a challenge，we usually have two choices．We can try to beat it off, or we can decide that the thing presenting the challenge isn’t worth the trouble and call it quits．Although there are certainly times when calling it quits is the right thing to do，in most cases all that is needed is commitment(承诺)and communication．
When we are committed to something， it means that no matter how painful or how uncomfortable something is，we will always choose to face it through instead of running away from it．Communication is making a space for discussion and talking about how you feel as opposed to just saying what the other person did wrong．If you can say to a friend，“I got my feelings hurt．” rather than“You hurt my feelings．”you are going to be able to solve the problem much faster．
In dealing with many challenges that friendship will bring to you, try to see them for what they are：small hurdles you need to jump or get through on your way through life．Nothing is so big that it is impossible to get over, and hurt only serves to make us stronger．It is all part of growing up，it happens to everyone，and some day you will look back on all of this and say,“Hard as it was，it made me who I am today．And that is a good thing．”
What is the underlined word“committed”can be replaced by ____________．
A． devoted B satisfied
C． smpdsed D． interested
It can be inferred from the text that _____________．
| A．friendship needs challenges |
| B．challenges shape our character |
| C．small hurdles aren’t worth the trouble |
| D．commitment promotes friendship |
The writer suggests that _____________ when faced with a challenge．
| A．one should call it quits |
| B．one should temporarily run away from it |
| C．one should be committed and communicable |
| D．one should lay it a side for a while |
According to the passage，if your friend hurts your feelings，you are well advised to _______________．
| A．forget it |
| B．talk to him／her about it directly |
| C．communicate properly with him／her |
| D．run away from it |
The whole passage is centered on the relationship between _____________．
| A．friendship and challenges |
| B．commitment and communication |
| C．communication and friendship |
| D．challenges and the ways to get through |
IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer, and the man behind it is Ingvar Kamprad, one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs．Born in Sweden in 1926, Kamprad was a natural businessman．As a child, he enjoyed selling things and made small profits from selling matches, seeds, and pencils in his community．When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for his good grades．Naturally he used it to start up a business—IKEA.
IKEA’s name comes from Kamprad's initials (I.K.) and the place where he grew up (‘E’and ‘A’)．Today IKEA is known for its modern, minimalist furniture, but it was not a furniture company in the beginning．Rather, IKEA sold all kinds of miscellaneous goods.
Kamprad’s wares included anything that he could sell for profits at discounted prices, including watches, pens and stockings.
IKEA first began to sell furniture through a mail-order catalogue in 1947．The furniture was all designed and made by manufacturers near Kamprad’s home．Initial sales were very encouraging, so Kamprad expanded the product line．Furniture was such a successful aspect of the business that IKEA became solely a furniture company in 1951.
In 1953 IKEA opened its first showroom in Almhult, Sweden．IKEA is known today for its spacious stores with furniture in attractive settings, but in the early1950s, people ordered from catalogues．Thus response to the first showroom was overwhelming: people loved being able to see and try the furniture before buying it．This led to increased sales and the company continued to thrive．By 1955, IKEA was designing all its own furniture.
In 1956 Kamprad saw a man disassembling(拆卸) a table to make it easier to transport．Kamprad was inspired．The man had given him a great idea: flat packaging．Flat packaging would mean lower shipping costs for IKEA and lower prices for customers．IKEA tried it and sales soared．The problem was that people had to assemble furniture themselves, but over time, even this grew into an advantage for IKEA．Nowadays, IKEA is often seen as having connotations(内涵) of self-sufficiency．This image has done wonders for the company, leading to better sales and continued expansion.
Today there are over 200 stores in 32 countries．Amazingly, Ingvar Kamprad has managed to keep IKEA a privately-held company．In 2004 he was named the world’s richest man．He currently lives in Switzerland and is retired from the day-to-day operations of IKEA．IKEA itself, though, just keeps on growing.The author states in Paragraph 6 that flat packaging___________.
| A．needs large space to assembly furniture |
| B．is a business concept inspired by Kamprad |
| C．helps reduce transportation costs |
| D．makes the company self-sufficient |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Ingvar Kamprad is the richest man in the world. |
| B．IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer. |
| C．The advantage of IKEA’s furniture is dissembling. |
| D．Ingvar Kamprad established IKEA and led it to great success. |
What is the author’s attitude towards IKEA’s future according to the last paragraph?
| A．Indifferent | B．Optimistic |
| C．Doubtful | D．Pessimistic |
The passage is developed primarily in terms of ___________.
| A．order of events |
| B．analysis of a process |
| C．examples that illustrate(阐释) a problem |
| D．comparison and contrast |
The Palm Islands are the largest artificial islands in the world and are under construction in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates．They are being developed as tourist, leisure, and residential resorts, and will increase the coastline of the country by 120 kilometres.
After four years of planning and careful consideration of the environmental issues, construction started in 2001．Dutch engineers with experience of reclaiming land from the sea were employed in the building of the first two islands．The site for all three islands is an area of the sea where the water is not very deep．Sand is taken from the seabed and sprayed into the construction site．Although the shallow water facilitates this process, the islands are still very exposed to the currents and tidal movements of the sea．Rocks are used to hold the sand in place resulting in a large crescent (月状的) structure．This acts as a breakwater and protects the islands from the sea.
The first two islands are in the shape of date palm trees and consist of a trunk and 17 frond, or leaves coming off the trunk．The first island, named Palm Jumeirah, has three five-star hotels in the trunk, and luxury homes in the leaves．It is astonishing that when these homes went on sale in 2004, they were all sold within three days.
The second palm, Jebel Ali, was started in 2002 and is designed to be an entertainment centre．Six marinas (小游艇船坞) are planned, with a water theme park, and homes built on stilts (桩柱) in the water.
The Palm Deira planned to be the largest of the three islands, with a length of 14 km and a width of 8.5 km, an area larger than the city of Paris．It will consist of residential properties, marinas, shopping malls, sports facilities, and clubs．These will be open to both residents and tourists.
More artificial islands, the World Islands, are now being constructed near the Palm Jumeirah．They consist of 300 private islands grouped into the shape of the continents of the world and will be used for estates, private homes, community islands, and resorts.
Unquestionably, these artificial islands are one of the wonders of the modern world．They will also maintain Dubai’s status as one of the leading tourist destinations in the region.According to the passage, all the following are right EXCEPT___________.
| A．Some Dutch engineers are experienced in reclaiming land from the sea. |
| B．The islands are being built in the shallow water of the sea. |
| C．All the luxury homes on Palm Jumeirah were sold. |
| D．The World Islands are bigger than the Palm Jumeriah. |
The underlined word “facilitates” in the second paragraph probably means___________.
| A．holds back | B．makes easier |
| C．slows down | D．leads to |
What is the passage written for?
| A．To introduce the wonderful artificial islands. |
| B．To show how to build artificial islands. |
| C．To offer a travel service for tourists. |
| D．To prove the Palm Islands are the largest artificial islands in the world. |
Speaking from my past experience, it is very difficult to find good friends that you can trust but once you have found them, they are worth keeping forever! Therefore, I think friendship is the most important relationship that anybody could have.
The qualities I look for in a friend are a good sense of humor but sensitivity when it matters. Also that friend would have to be strong-minded and highly spirited. I think that these qualities are the key qualities to look for in a good friend.
Even the strongest friends can still have arguments, although usually about more serious topics, rather than the usual teenage childish arguments. Some matters can seriously affect a friendship. If one of your friends started experimenting with harmful and dangerous drugs, what would you do ? A good friend would try to help as much as possible, whereas a bad example of a friend would simply shrug(耸肩) and turn a blind eye.
Not only the bad things affect friendship ---- good activities do too. Such as bonding with one another, not just by going out on a night with them but by spending quality time with them and talking to each other, which indicates a good ability to communicate. This is a key aspect of a good friendship.
Good friends do not always have to be in the same age group as you. I have a good friend and she is 47 years old and I am 16.
Unfortunately, some people lose contact with their friends as they grow older, which is a sad way to lose a good friend.
I think friendship is one of the most important things in life because if you have no friends you will have no happiness.According to the author, true friendship _______.
| A．is easy to get |
| B．deepens with time |
| C．needs management |
| D．affects one’s happiness |
Paragraph 3 is mainly about______.
| A．why drugs are bad for teenagers |
| B．problems that will test friendship |
| C．ways that help avoid arguments |
| D．whether a friend is trustworthy |
According to the author, which matters least in friendship?
| A．Age. | B．Sensitivity. |
| C．Sense of humor. | D．Communication ability. |
Which of the following saying can match the author’s view on friendship?
| A．Old friends and old wines are best. |
| B．A friend without faults will never be found. |
| C．A life without a friend is a life without the sun. |
| D．a friend to everybody is a friend to nobody. |
When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.
One big disadvantage is money---it costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of travelling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising---and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens(十几岁) or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
| A．Staying on the farm |
| B．Moving to the countryside |
| C．Leaving home for the city |
| D．Running away from the school |
Which of the following is true about the writer?
| A．He is very old now. |
| B．He is in good health. |
| C．He prefers driving a car. |
| D．He lives in the city now. |
In the passage, the writer tries to _______.
| A．express his opinions about way of life |
| B．describe his life in the countryside |
| C．show an interest in the outside world |
| D．persuade the reader to live in the city |
How is the passage mainly developed?
| A．By inferring |
| B．By comparing |
| C．By listing examples |
| D．By giving explanations |
My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material．It wasn’t forced on us either．He took Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, Addison’s essays, and many other literary wonders from the eighteenth century and made them hilarious, even at eight o’clock in the morning．The thing that amazed me most was that the first time I read these works on my own some of them seemed dead, but the second time, after his explanation, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen the humor．The stories and poems and plays were suddenly filled with allusions（典故）and irony andhilarious moments．I learned more from him than from any other teacher．
My least favorite English teacher also made people laugh．Some students found him to be wonderfully funny．Many others did not．He assigned journals over a six week period, to be written in every day．At the end of the six weeks I had a notebook full of bits and pieces about my ideas, short stories, reactions to what we had read, and so on．Our teacher announced that we would be grading each other’s journals．Mine was passed to Joe, that class clown, who always behaved in a funny or silly way．He saw it fit to make joke of and said, “This writing isn’t fit to line the bottom of a birdcage．” Our teacher laughed at that funny remark．It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since．
So what makes the difference？Humor is one of the most powerful tools teachers or writers have．It can build up students and classes and make them excited about literature and writing, or it can tear them apart．It is true that humor is either productive or counter-productive and self-defeating．
The passage mainly discusses _____．
| A．teaching | B．literature |
| C．humor | D．knowledge |
The underlined word “hilarious” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____．
A． funny B． tiring
C． inspiring D ．brilliant
With his favorite English teacher, the writer found it most amazing that _____．
| A．his teacher was very learned |
| B．his teacher was very humorous |
| C．the works by Johnson and Addison were very humorous |
| D．few were able to find humor in works by Johnson and others |
The English teacher the writer disliked most _____．
| A．was not able to make students laugh |
| B．hurt his students’ feelings |
| C．didn’t let his students do the grading |
| D．had no sense of humor |
Submitting Assignment Online In order to upload an assignment (work given to students) to the system properly, you must save the assignment using one of the following applications: Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, or Microsoft Excel．
After you complete an assignment, it is important to save your work．This ensures that assignment being uploaded to the system is the most updated version．Your word processing program may attempt to save the assignment to a folder on your computer．We recommend creating a new folder, named after your course, in a location that is easy to remember, such as “My Documents．”
File Name Requirements
Select a file name for the assignment that is easy to remember．The file name must NOT contain spaces．Any spaces used in the file name will prevent the file from uploading to the system．File names using the extensions．rtf．html．zip．jpg, or．exe are NOT allowed．
Assignment Upload Procedure
Make sure you save the assignment using one of the applications previously identified and ensure that it meets the file name requirements described above．When the file is ready to upload, follow these steps:
1．Sign in the system．
2．Enter your address information and click the CONTINUE button．You will be routed to the “Directions” screen．
3．Review the directions and click the CONTINUE button．You will be routed to the “Special Assignment Upload” screen．
4．Click the SEARCH button．The “Choose File” pop-up window appears．
5．Find the location on your computer where you saved your assignment, and select the file．
After you have selected the file, click the UPLOAD button to upload your assignment to the system．Assignment Submission Dates
Assignments must be submitted by midnight on the specified due date．Submit your assignment on time so that it reaches the system on or before the due date．No late assignments will be accepted or marked．Assignments delivered after the due date will not be assessed and will be failed．Please manage your time carefully as family and work demands will not be accepted as excuses for late or non-submissions．Tutors and administrators do not have the authority to grant extensions．
Which of the following file names is acceptable for submitting assignment？
| A．research paper．Doc |
| B．research paper．Pdf |
| C．researchpaper．doc |
| D．researchpaper．rtf |
Students are advised to save an assignment to a specific folder in order to _____．
| A．sign in the system |
| B．remember where the document is |
| C．choose the appropriate application |
| D．remember the document name quickly |
If you summit your assignment late, you _____．
| A．can have a second chance |
| B．should ask a tutor for help |
| C．may apply for an extension |
| D．will get a fail for the work |
As you grow older，you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions--like whether to cut class or try cigarettes．Making decisions on your own is hard enough，but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder．People who are your age，like your classmates，are called peers．When they try to influence how you act，to get you to do something，it’s called peer pressure．
Peers can have a positive influence on each other．Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system．Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book，and now everyone’s reading it．These are examples of how peers positively influence each other．
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways．For example，a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball．
It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure，but you can do it．Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do．
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely．” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this．If you choose friends who don’t cut class，smoke cigarettes，or lie to their parents，then you probably won’t do these things either，even if other kids do．
If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle，talk to someone you trust．Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two．For whom is the passage most probably written?
| A．Students |
| B．Parents |
| C．Teachers |
| D．Doctors |
In the last three paragraphs，the author mainly_____．
| A．explains why friendship is so important |
| B．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure |
| C．discusses how peers influence us |
| D．shows how to make more good friends |
Which of following may help handle peer pressure?
| A．Spending more time with classmates． |
| B．Taking up more relaxing hobbies． |
| C．Choosing friends with no bad habits． |
| D．Helping others who are in trouble． |
What is the topic of the passage?
| A．Friendship |
| B．Making decisions |
| C．Self-confidence |
| D．Peer pressure |
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