Are you thinking of writhing someone a letter? Call instead. It isn’t that expensive, especially when you call during the evening, night, or weekend hours. In fact, you can made a ten-minute call anywhere in the continental United States for just $2.60.
For even greater saving, always dial direct ,that is ,without an operator’s help .Rates on direct, that is ,without an operator’s help. Rates on direct calls are lower after five o’ clock in the evening and lowest after, and pay phone calls than direct calls.
Need to call out of the country? Now calls to many overseas places may be dialed direct. Check your telephone direction for overseas area codes.
Next time you have good news, or you just want to stay in touch, remember, a phone call means so much more than a letter. This has been a message from Southern Bell Telephone Company.According go this passage, when is a dial telephone call cheapest?
| A．During weekend hours . | B．After 5 in the evening |
| C．during working hours. | D．After 11 at night |
What type of call requires less money?
| A．A direct dial call | B．A collect call |
| C．A person-to –person call | D．A call from a pay phone . |
What should one do in order to made an overseas call?
| A．Dial the operator. |
| B．Call the Southern Bell Telephone Company |
| C．Check the phone book for the overseas operator’s number so that he can help you |
| D．Check the phone book for overseas area codes so that you can dial direct. |
This passage is
| A．an article | B．a letter | C．a talk | D．a dialogue |
Only three local students won Chinese Blog（博客）Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards went to students from China.
170 students’ task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many posting based on a theme of choice—all written in Chinese.
Themes ranged from local opinions－such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore can be a cultural centre－to food blogs.
The entries were judged on Language proficiency（熟练程度）and the quality of writing, as well as the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers.
Academics from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges.
In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list—the rest of the awards were swept up by students from China.
“No surprise.” said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Ianova Junior College, which organized the event. “Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language.”
One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina Gao，19, from the Saint Andrew’s Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts（播客）.Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible. “Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers.” Said Miss Gao. “I think they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts.”The competition was organized by _______
| A．the National University of Singapore |
| B．Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao |
| C．Ianova Junior College |
| D．the Saint Andrew’s Junior College |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Chinese students won most of the awards. |
| B．Not all the themes were about local subjects |
| C．The blogs could be written in Chinese or Singlish. |
| D．The judges were from university in Singapore and China. |
What Miss Gao said suggests that _____________
| A．she likes to blame the authorities |
| B．she has a sense of responsibility |
| C．she thinks highly of the others’ blogs |
D．she loves to read v aluable posts |
As prices and building costs keep rising, the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) trend in the US continues to grow.
“we needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross, “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Roses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $520. “ I was deeply upset about it. Now I have finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-youselfer”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
60. We can learn from the text that many newly married people_______.
A. find it hard to pay for what they need
B. have to learn to make their own furniture
C. take DIY courses run by the government
D. seldom go to a department store to buy things
61. John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to ______.
A. run a DIY shop B. make or repair things
C. save time and money D. improve the quality of life
62. Jim decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when______
A. his car repairs cost too much
B. the car repair class was not helpful
C. he could not possibly do two jobs
D. keeps house and looks after his children
63.when the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim____.
A. makes shoes in his home
B. does extra work at night
C. does his own car and home repairs
D. keeps house and looks after his children
The material above is a _____ for Expo Milano 2015.
| A．poster | B．guidebook |
| C．webpage | D．noticeboard |
Expo Milano 2015 lasts _____ and is open for _____ every day.
| A．half a year; 13 hours |
| B．5 months; 13 hours |
| C．six months; 10 hours |
| D．5 months; 23 hours |
_____ kinds of tickets are introduced here for Expo Milano.
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
SPECIAL DISCOUNT isn’t suitable for _____.
| A．the disabled |
| B．children aged 13 or less |
| C．students over 26 years |
| D．old people aged over 65 |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．Visitors are able to save money if they buy SEASON PASS. |
| B．Parents with children may probably choose FAMILY PACKAGE. |
| C．Visitors with EVENING TICKET can enjoy delicious food. |
| D．Visitors with FAMILY PACKAGE can enter through a special gate. |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negativ
e effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clear will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
57. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us
B. inspiring words give us confidence
C. negative words may let us down
D. words have a lasting effect on us
58. There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______
A. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves
B. we can benefit from talking to ourselves
C. talking to ourselves always gives us courage
D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone
59. The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______
A. praise ourselves
B. remind ourselves
C. make ourselves relaxed
D. give ourselves amusement
60. The author would probably hold the view that ___________
A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers
B. negative words may stimulate us to make more progress
C. people tend to remember friendly words
D. it is better to think twice before talking to others
A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget (配件) may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.
French holiday shoppers are choosing larger numbers for “green” gifting this Christmas, studies show. About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting fi
rm Deloitte.
The survey of Christmas consumer behaviors in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items. Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are popular in France, with many reporting a rise in business.
“Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago,” said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism. His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 a month.
A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.
But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, said that environmental concerns are not why customers buy used goods. “The number one c
oncern is getting the lowest possible price,” said Goldenberg. “Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more.”
Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are fashionable, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff. “The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting” over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Helot foundation for Nature and Humanity.We can judge from the Deloitte study that _________.
| A．over a quarter of the French give second-hand Christmas gifts |
| B．the French are less willing to buy eco-friendly gifts than other Europeans |
| C．80% of French people are happy to receive second-hand gifts |
| D．less than 10% of European consumers are likely to give second-hand gifts |
According to Goldenberg, the main reason for customers to buy used goods is that _______.
| A．they want to be eco-friendly | B．they want to  save money |
| C．it is encouraged by websites | D．it is a new fashion in Europe |
All the following might be a promoted gift EXCEPT ________.
| A．a theatre ticket |
| B．a second-hand book |
| C．a nearly-new digital toaster |
| D．a box of heavily packaged chocolate |
Which of th
e following statements is TRUE?
| A．Old people are not open minded enough to accept second-hand gifts. |
| B．People wish to receive second-hand gifts because of the economic downturn. |
| C．Ravut’s website received a sharp decrease in visits during the Christmas holidays. |
| D．In de Monclin’s opinion, people should spend more time with friends and family during holidays |
Many Going to College Are Not Ready
Only about half of this year’s high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college, and even fewer are prepared for college-level science and math courses, according to a yearly report from ACT, which produces one of the nation’s leading college admissions tests.
The report, based on scores of the 2005 high school graduates who took the exam, some 1.2 million students in all, also found that fewer than one in four met the college-readiness benchmarks （基准）in all four subjects tested: reading comprehension, English, math and science.
ACT sets its college-readiness benchmarks — including the reading comprehension benchmark, which is new this year—by correlating（联系）earlier students’ ACT scores with grades they actually received as college freshmen. Based on that data, the benchmarks indicate the skill level at which a student has a 70 percent likelihood（可能性）of earning a C or better, and a 50 percent chance of earning a B or better.
Among those who took the 2005 test, only 51 percent achieved the benchmark in reading, 26 percent in science, and 41 percent in math; the figure for English was 68 percent. Results from the new optional ACT writing test, which was not widely taken this year, were not included in the report.
About 40 percent of the nation’s 2005 high school graduates took the ACT, and the average overall score was unchanged from the year before. Minority students make up 27 percent of all ACT test takers. Besides, there are also other worrying trends in the ACT report as well, including a continuing decline in the percentage of students planning to major in engineering, computer science and education.
50. The report from ACT mainly tells readers the problem that ______.
A. few minority students graduates took ACT
B. many who intend to go to college are not ready
C. the college-readiness benchmarks is high this year
D. the tests for some subjects are too difficult
51. According to the benchmarks in 2005, about how many students will not earn C?
A. 30 percent. B. 70 percent. C. 50 percent. D. 26 percent.
52. Which of the following pictures can correctly show the numbers of the students who achieve the benchmark in different subjects?
A. 
B.
C.
D.
53. Which of the followings can be found in the report from ACT in 2005?
A. The report about the writing test is very objective.
B. More boy students are not good at science and math.
C. The percentage of students majoring science declined.
D. The average score of 2005 ACT participants changed greatly.
Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you learn English well.
Speak, speak, speak
Practise speaking as often as you can—even speaking to yourself is good practice.
Try recording yourself whenever you can. Compare your pronunciation with the master version, see how you can do better and have another go. If you do this several times, you will find that each version is better than the last.
Why not learn with someone else?
It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or a family member to study with you, it will make you keep working.
Don’t get stuck by a word you don’t know.
Practise improvising（即兴的）ways of getting your meaning across when speaking spontaneously（本能地）, even if you don’t know the exact words or phrases. Think of things you might want to say whenever you have spare time. Use facial expressions, hand movements, anything to get your meaning across.
Language learning is also about intuition（直觉）.
Guesswork is an important way to learn a new language. When listening to recorded material, you aren’t expected to understand everything first round. If you play the same piece several times, you will most probably understand something new each time.
Build up your vocabulary.
A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don’t try to learn too much at once. It’s best to study frequently, for short periods of time. Take at most six or seven items of vocabulary and learn them. Put them into sentences to fix them in your mind, then come back to them later.
And above all, have fun!Why should one have himself recorded when practicing speaking?
| A．To improve his speaking. | B．To record his own progress. |
| C．To encourage others to start. | D．To compare himself with others. |
In the writer’s opinion, which of the following is the most important in leaning English?
| A．Speaking. | B．Pleasure. | C．Intuition. | D．Vocabulary. |
It is implied in the passage that _______ is helpful when you are learning English.
| A．body language | B．a good material |
| C．a good friend | D．a proper dictionary |
According to the passage, one should ______ when you are learning English.
| A．always work with other people | B．be able to guess everything new |
| C．often review what he has learnt | D．take little notice of grammar |
What comes into your mind when you think about robots? Do you imagine armies of evil metal monsters planning to take over the world? Or, perhaps of mechanical men who have been created as guards or soldiers by a mad genius? Or maybe you think of man- like robots who act, think, and look like human beings. In fact robots like these have more to do with science fiction films than with real life. In the real world robots are machines that do jobs which otherwise have to be done by people. Robots either operate by themselves or under the control of a person.
In a car factory, for example, robot machinery can put together and paint car bodies. On the sea bed remotecontrolled（遥控）underwater machines with mechanical arms can perform tasks too difficult for divers. Robot spacecraft can explore the solar system and send back information about planets and stars.
Many robots have computer brains. Some robots are fitted with cameras , sensors, and microphones which enable them to see, to feel, and to hear. And some robots can even produce electronic speech.
All this does not mean that a robot can think and behave like a human being. Present day robots have to be programmed with a good deal of information before they can carry out even simple tasks.
44．Robots in real life________.
A. can behave like human beings B. have the ability to control the world
C. can think by themselves D. can help us with a lot of work
45．According to this article, which of the following is not true about robots in the real world?
A. Some robots are as creative as artists. B. Some robots can help manufacture cars.
C. Some robots can see and hear. D. Some robots can explore outer space.
46．Robots can perform many tasks for man because________.
A. they have intelligence B. they are supplied with computer programs
C. they can imitate human beings D. they have the ability to learn new things
47．The robots in science fiction films and those in real life differ mainly in________.
A. mentality B. appearance C. material D. size
A new law helps people with disabilities. The law says that people with disabilities must be able to get into and out of all public buildings. It also says that business must offer special services to people who have special needs. Companies can not refuse to hire disabled workers. Many businesses may have to change their buildings and services.
—Ramps (坡道) must be built so people can get into buildings.
—Movie theatres must have space for people in wheelchairs and seats for their friends to sit near them.
—Elevators (电梯) must have floor number in Braille.
This law will help millions of people. One woman who has been in a wheelchair for many years said,“It is like a dream.”According to the passage we can see that .
| A．it will be difficult for the normal persons to get into the public buildings |
| B．the buildings of all the businesses will have to be changed |
| C．Most businesses used to offer special services to people who have special needs |
| D．it was difficult for the disabled workers to find jobs in the past |
Ramps can help people .
| A．with hearing problems |
| B．who have difficulty in using their hands |
| C．who have difficulty in using their legs or feet |
| D．who don’t like stairs |
The fact that the new law has been passed shows that______.
| A．the government has paid no attention to the disabilities |
| B．the government wants to help these disabilities |
| C．normal people show mercy to the disabilities |
| D．companies will hire millions of disabled people |
阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳选项。
A
Julia is at Roosevelt. She wants to go to Baseball Field. She should change lines at .
| A．Grand | B．Cliton |
| C．Reno | D．Randolph |
Louis is going to Medical Centre from Damen. He should get off at the stop.
| A．third | B．fourth |
| C．fifth | D．sixth |
To go to Airport from Youth Centre, you should take underground lines in this order: .
| A．Blue Line → Green Line → Red Line |
| B．Red Line → Green Line → Blue Line |
| C．Blue Line → Red Line → Green Line |
| D．Red Line → Blue Line → Green Line |
Have you ever returned a book late to the library before? If so, you may pay a small fine(罚款). How much would you have to pay if the book is returned 65 years late?
A high school in Washington, Us had to deal with such a problem recently. A copy of Gone with the Wind was finally returned to its library 65 years late.
However, the school said that it would not ask Wayne to pay the fine, though that would be about $475.
The book was borrowed out of the library of the high school in 1949, and disappeared until it was found in Maine, Us by Wayne. Wayne found the book in his father’s basement(地下室) and then offered to send it back to the school.
“I feel very sorry about that,” Wayne said.
“We’re very pleased to have the book back. Wayne did the right thing,” Lori Wyborney, headmaster of the school said.The book was borrowed out of the library of the high school _____.
| A．in 1949 | B．in 1965 |
| C．in 1975 | D．in 2014 |
Gone with the Wind is the name of _____.
| A．a library | B．a school |
| C．a book | D．a magazine |
____ offered to send the book back to the school.
| A．Wayne’s father | B．Wayne |
| C．Lori’s headmaster | D．Lori |
No one can change the weather. Nobody can control the weather. But if we read correctly the signs around us, we can tell what the more important changes in the weather will be. This way of telling what the weather will be like on the following day or two is called weather forecasting(天气预报).
For many centuries and in all countries, people have studied the weather and tried to make weather forecasting. Rings around the sun are a sign of coming rain. That many people feel their joints(关节) hurt is a sign of wet weather. Some birds fly high if fine weather is coming, but they fly near the ground if rainy or stormy weather is on the way. If you see a rainbow during rainy weather, this is a sign that the weather will become clear and fine. Such rainbows come in the evening. If the stars twinkle clearly at night, then fine weather will continue. If a fog appears in the morning just above a river, then the day will be warm. If the sunset is mostly red in colour, then the following day will be fine. If a rainbow appears in the morning, rainy weather will probably come.
Most of the above sayings have been made by the people who have used their eyes and brains to make weather forecasting.
Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young. She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star. “I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses,” she says. “I used to wear them to watch TV.”
Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt. The l
ights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful
problem known as “Klieg eyes”. It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights. Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest. But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must.
Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street. Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies. In 1979, Ray-Ban “Wayfarers” were worn by Jake and Elwood in The Blue Brothers. Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban “Aviator” sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun. Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban “Predator” sunglasses famous in Men in Black.
Of course sunglasses aren’t just a fashion statement. The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation. UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully. But you don’t have to give up style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach.What is mainly discussed in this passage?
| A．The use of sunglasses. | B．The history of sunglasses. |
| C．The sunglasses wearing. | D．Why movie stars like to wear sunglasses. |
Why did Geena David like to wear sunglasses?
| A．She was a movie star. |
| B．She wanted to follow a movie star. |
| C．Wearing sunglasses was good to her eyes. |
D．It was good to wear sunglasses when wa tching TV . |
Early actors’ eyes hurt because ______.
| A．they wore sunglasses |
| B．they went out in the sun too much |
| C．the lights on movie sets were too bright |
| D．their scripts were written in very small writing |
Now people wear sunglasses ______.
| A．just to protect their eyes | B．for fashion and to protect their eyes |
| C．because of bright lights | D．because movie stars wear them |
When you buy a T-shirt, or a fur coat in a store , it often carries a label(标签) telling who made it or from what store it was bought. Indeed, some labels show the dress is famous and it is very expensive, so buyers who deal with the cheapest products would be pleased to do away with labels entirely.
However, there is another label more important than the one showing from which store the dress was bought. When a person buys a fur coat, or a jacket , from a store , a label telling what the product is made of should be carried to it.
This label is required by law. Besides telling what the product on show is made of , the label should be in clear English and be where one can find it easily. The information on the label must be the truth.
The reason for this label is that most buyers today aren’t expert enough to know exactly what kind of fur or material they are buying. The buyer must believe in the store that sells the products or in what the labels say.The author doesn’t agree that_______.
| A．some clothes may carry more than one label |
| B．some clothing stores sell cheap dresses |
| C．shops can sell products with or without labels |
| D．buyers will believe what the label says |
This article mainly refers to__________.
| A．making furs and clothes | B．protecting buyers with law |
| C．keeping the buyers informed | D．businessmen and sellers |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Not all buyers know the materials they are buying. |
| B．A fur coat with a high price often carries a false label. |
| C．A label only says what material the product is made of . |
| D．A T-shirt seldom carries a label. |
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