Knowing about yourself not only means finding out what you’re good at and what you like, but also means discovering what you’re not good at and what you don’t like. Both help you to see your aim （目标）in life.
Although most students would be unhappy if they failed a very difficult physics examination, they have in fact learned a lot about themselves. They know that they should not become engineers or physical scientists. So failing can help a student to live a happier life if he learns something from it. They may then decide on their aims and choose the work they like and are fit for.
It is impossible to decide whether you like something until you have tried it. If you decide to play the piano, you need to take more than one lesson before knowing whether you are really interested in it or able to do well. It is not enough if you want to be a great pianist. You also have to like the hard practice and long training. If you enjoy being a great pianist but hate the work, forget it.
It’s a good plan to try as many ideas as possible when you are young. Then you will find out what your true interests are.If you say you really know yourself,_______________.
| A．you know what you don’t like |
| B．you know what you are good at |
| C．you have no interest in your work |
| D．you’ve got the whole picture of yourself |
Failing can turn into something good ______________.
| A．if you have aim in life |
| B．if your decision is fight |
| C．if you lead a happier life |
| D．if you learn something from it |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．Failure is a better mirror |
| B．No one is fit for the job of a physical scientist |
| C．Success is more helpful |
| D．Physics can help students live a better life |
D
Dear Guys,
I’d like to talk to you about the shame you subjected me to last night. Let me first refresh your memory: You, a group of fit, young men, were playing soccer on the field across from my apartment building. I, a better-than-average looking young woman, was walking along the sidewalk with my groceries. That’s when your ball came flying over the fence and landed in front of me.
One of you approached and asked politely if I would throw the ball back to you. Fighting the urge to drop my bags and run screaming down the street, I reluctantly (勉强地) agreed.
Before I continue, let me explain something that I didn’t have a chance to mention last night: I hate sports. More specifically, I hate sports involving balls. This results from my lack of natural ability when it comes to throwing, catching and hitting. I’m bad at aiming too. So you can understand why I’d be nervous at what I’m sure seemed to you like a laughably simple request.
However, wanting to appear agreeable, I put my bags down, picked up the ball and, eyes half-shut, and threw it as hard as I could.
It hit the middle of the fence and bounced back to me.
Trying to act casually, I said something about being out of practice, and then picked up the ball again. If you’ll remember, at your command, I agreed to try throwing underhand. While outwardly I was smiling, in my head, I was praying, oh God, oh please oh please oh please. I threw the ball upward with all my strength, terrified by what happened next.
The ball hit slightly higher up on the fence and bounced back to me.
This is the point where I start to take issue with you. Wouldn’t it have been a better use of your time, and mine, if you had just walked around the fence and took the ball then? I was clearly struggling; my smiles were more and more forced. And yet, you all just stood there, motionless.
Seeing that you weren’t going to let me out of the trouble, I became desperate. Memories of middle school softball came flooding back. I tried hard to throw the ball but it only went about eight feet, then I decided to pick it up and dash with ball in hand towards the baseline, while annoyed thirteen-year-old boys screamed at me that I was ruining their lives. Children are cruel.
Being a big girl now, I pushed those memories aside and picked up the soccer ball for the third time. I forced a good-natured laugh while crying inside as you patiently shouted words of support over the fence at me.
“Throw it granny-style!” one of you said.
“Just back up a little and give it all you’ve got!” another offered.
And, most embarrassing of all, “You can do it!”
I know you thought you were being encouraging, but it only served to deepen the shame.
Anyway, I accepted your ball-throwing advice, backed up, rocked back and forth a little, took a deep breath and let it fly.
It hit the edge of the fence and bounced back to me.
I surprised myself—and I’m sure you as well—by letting out a cry, “DAMN IT!!!” I then willed myself to have a heart attack and pass out in front of you just so I’d be put out of my misery.
Alas, the heart attack didn’t happen, and you continued to look at me expectantly, like you were content to do this all night. I had become a sort of exhibition for you. I could feel your collective thoughts drifting through the chain-link: “Can she really not do it? But I mean, really?”
Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t really game to continue your experiment. Three failed attempts at a simple task in front of a group of people in a two-minute period were just enough blows for me for one night. I picked up the ball one last time, approached the fence and grumbled, “Please just come get the damn ball.”
And you did. And thanks to you, I decided at that very moment to never throw anything ever again, except disrespectful glances at people who play sports.
Sincerely, Jen CorderyThe writer agreed to throw the ball because ______.
| A．she needed to have a relax carrying the heavy groceries |
| B．she wanted to refresh her childhood memories |
| C．she could not refuse the polite request from the young man |
| D．she had fallen in love with the young man at first sight |
Which of the following is closet in meaning to the underlined word “game”?
| A．anxious | B．brave | C．afraid | D．curious |
Why did the writer mention her middle school memory?
| A．To explain why she failed the attempts to throw the ball back. |
| B．To complain that she had not mastered the ball throwing skills. |
| C．To show how cruel those 13-year-old boys were. |
| D．To express her dislike towards softball. |
What the boys said before the writer’s third attempt actually made the writer ________.
| A．inspired | B．encouraged | C．awkward | D．depressed |
What happened to the ball at last?
| A．The writer managed to throw the ball back. |
| B．The boy got the ball back by himself. |
| C．The writer threw the ball away out of anger. |
| D．The boys got angry and left without the ball. |
What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this open letter?
| A．To express her regret over what she did the day before. |
| B．To announce that she would never play all games again. |
| C．To joke on her inability to throw the ball over the fence. |
| D．To criticize the young men for their cruelty to her dignity. |
D
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, DadWho was most probably the writer?
A. A headmaster managing a primary school.
B. A candidate to run for President of U.S.A.
C. A manager running international business.
D. A commander experiencing a war in a foreign country.What does the underlined word “journey” (Paragraph 1) really mean?
| A．a trip to a place of interest |
| B．a process to bring up their children |
| C．a campaign to run for the president |
| D．a visit to their hometown to meet their grandmother |
What do we know about Malia and Sasha’s grandmother?
| A．She had a perfect way to educate children. |
| B．She encouraged the writer to join the army. |
| C．She bought a lovely puppy for her grandchildren. |
| D．She often read the Declaration of Independence to her grandchildren. |
From the letter we can learn that the writer was ________.
| A．kind and hesitant |
| B．ambitious and considerate |
| C．selfish but merciful |
| D．successful but stubborn |
According to the letter, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The writer and his two daughters had been apart for a long time. |
| B．The writer hoped that his daughters would live up to his great expectations. |
| C．The only way to settle the differences in the world is through violence. |
| D．There still exist some divides of race and region, gender and religion somewhere in the world. |
What is the writer’s purpose of writing the letter?
| A．Encouraging his daughters to run for President in the future. |
| B．Explaining the whole international situation to his daughters. |
| C．Educating his daughters how to defend their country. |
| D．Apologizing to his daughters for his not being able to stay together with them for such a long time. |
The freezing Northeast hasn’t been a terribly fun place to spend time this winter, so when the chance came for a weekend to Sarasota, Florida, my bags were packed before you could say “sunshine”. I left for the land of warmth and vitamin C(维生素C), thinking of beaches and orange trees. When we touched down to blue skies and warm air, I sent up a small prayer of gratefulness. Swimming pools, wine tasting, and pink sunsets(at normal evening hours, not 4 in the afternoon) filled the weekend, but the best part- particularly to my taste, dulled by months of cold- weather root vegetables- was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers’ market that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call.
The market, which was founded in 1979, sets up its tents every Saturday from 7:00 am to 1 p.m, rain or shine, along North Lemon and State streets. Baskets of perfect red strawberries, the red-painted sides of the Java Dawg coffee truck; and most of all, the tomatoes: amazing, large, soft and round red tomatoes.
Disappointed by many a broken, vine-ripened(蔓上成熟的) promise, I’ve refused to buy winter tomatoes for years. No matter how attractive they look in the store, once I get them home they’re dry, hard, and tasteless. But I homed in, with uncertainty, on one particular table at the Brown’s Grove Farm’s stand, full of fresh and soft tomatoes the size of my fist. These were the real deal- and at that moment, I realized that the best part of Sarasota in winter was going to be eating things that back home in New York I wouldn’t be experiencing again for months.
Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight, my happiness deepened when I learned that Brown’s Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty, a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton, where- luckily for me- I was planning to have dinner that very night. Without even seeing the menu, I knew I’d be ordering every tomato on it.
What did the author think of her winter life in New York?
| A．Exciting. | B．Boring. | C．Relaxing. | D．Annoying. |
What made the author’s getting up late early worthwhile?
| A．Having a swim. |
| B．Breathing in fresh air. |
| C．Walking in the morning sun. |
| D．Visiting a local farmer’s market. |
What can we learn about tomatoes sold in New York in winter?
| A．They are soft. | B．They look nice. |
| C．They taste great. | D．They are juicy. |
What was the author going to that evening?
| A．Go to a farm. | B．Check into a hotel. |
| C．Eat in a restaurant. | D．Buy fresh vegetables. |
When I was nine years old, I loved to go fishing with my dad. But the only thing that wasn’t very fun about it was that he could catch many fish while I couldn’t catch anything. I usually got pretty upset and kept asking him why. He always answered, “Son, if you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish”, I remember being even more upset then because, “I’m not a fish!” I didn’t know how to think like a fish. Besides, I reasoned, how could what I think influence what a fish does?
As I got a little older I began to understand what my dad really meant. So, I read some books on fish. And I even joined the local fishing club and started attending the monthly meetings. I learned that a fish is a cold-blooded animal and therefore is very sensitive to water temperature. That is why fish prefer shallow water to deep water because the former is warmer. Besides, water is usually warmer in direct sunlight than in the shade. Yet, fish don’t have any eyelids(眼皮) and the sun hurts their eyes… The more I understood fish, the more I became effective at finding and catching them.
When I grew up and entered the business world, I remember hearing my first boss say, “We all need to think like salespeople.” But it didn’t completely make sense. My dad never once said, “If you want to catch a fish you need to think like a fisherman.” What he said was, “You need to think like a fish.” Years later, with great efforts to promote long-term services to people much older and richer than me, I gradually learned what we all need is to think more like customers. It is not an easy job. I will show you how in the following chapters.Why was the author upset in fishing trips when he was nine?
| A．He could not catch a fish. |
| B．His father was not patient with him. |
| C．His father did not teach him fishing. |
| D．He could not influence a fish as his father did. |
What did the author’s father really mean?
| A．To read about fish. |
| B．To learn fishing by oneself. |
| C．To understand what fish think. |
| D．To study fishing in many ways. |
According to the author, fish are most likely to be found _________.
| A．in deep water on sunny days |
| B．in deep water on cloudy days |
| C．in shallow water under sunligh |
| D．in shallow water under waterside trees. |
After entering the business world, the author found _________.
| A．it easy to think like a customer |
| B．his father’s fishing advice inspiring |
| C．his first boss’s sales ideas reasonable |
| D．it difficult to sell services to poor people |
In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics（策略）.
One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food（垃圾食品）later in their trip. In department stores, the women’s shoe section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics(化妆品) section：while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.
Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wines went up.
When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decision in the first few seconds upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?
| A．To save customers time. |
| B．To show they are high quality foods. |
| C．To help sell junk food. |
| D．To sell them at discount prices. |
According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?
| A．Opening the store early in the morning. |
| B．Displaying British wines next to French ones. |
| C．Inviting customers to play music. |
| D．Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To explain how businesses turn people into their customers. |
| B．To introduce how businesses have grown from the past. |
| C．To report researches on customer behavior. |
| D．To show dishonest business practices. |
At thirteen, I was diagnosed（诊断） with a kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”
She glanced down at me through her glasses, “you are no different from your classmates, young man.”
I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.
In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots（点）, which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?
I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day--- with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words: “ See what you can do when you keep trying?”
The author didn’t finish the reading in class because .
| A．He was new to the class |
| B．He was tried of literature |
| C．He had an attention disorder |
| D．He wanted to take the task home |
What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage?
| A．He had good sight | B．He made a great invention. |
| C．He gave up reading | D．He learned a lot from school |
What was Mrs. Smith ‘s attitude to the author at the end of the story?
| A．Angry | B．Impatient | C．Sympathetic | D．Encouraging |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The disabled should be treated with respect. |
| B．A teacher can open up a new world to students. |
| C．One can find his way out of difficulties with efforts. |
| D．Everyone needs a hand when faced with challenges. |
When your pet has an emergency, first aid is not a substitute for veterinary（兽医） treatment. However, before you are able to get your pet to a veterinarian（兽医）, knowing some basic first aid can help.
Bite Wounds
Approach the pet carefully to avoid getting bitten. Wear a mask for the animal and then check the wound. Clean the wound with large amounts of saline(盐水). If these are not available, then regular water may be used. Wrap large open wounds to keep them clean.
Bleeding
Apply firm, direct pressure over the bleeding area until the bleeding stops. Hold the pressure for at least 10 minutes. Avoid bandages that cut off circulation.
__________
Check to see if the animal is choking（窒息） on a foreign object. If an animal is not breathing, place it on a firm surface with its left side up. Check for a heartbeat. If you hear a heartbeat but not breathing, close the animal’s mouth and breathe directly into its nose—not the mouth—until the chest expands. Repeat 12 to 15 times per minute.
Burns
Wash the burn immediately with large amounts of cool, running water. Apply an ice pack for 15—20 minutes. Do not place an ice pack directly on the skin. Wrap the pack in a light towel or other cover. If the animal has large quantities of dry chemicals on it skin, brush them off. Water may activate some dry chemicals.
Fractures (骨折)
Symptoms include pain, inability to use a limb (腿). Wear a mask for the pet and look for bleeding. If you can control bleeding without causing more injury, then do so. Watch for signs of shock. Don’t try to set the fractures by pulling the limb. Transport the pet to the veterinarian immediately, supporting the injured part as best as you can.The underlined word “substitute” in the first paragraph means something_________.
| A．that is necessary |
| B．that can replace other things |
| C．that is familiar with us |
| D．that can calm people |
What’s the suitable subtitle for the blank（空白处）?
| A．Cutting |
| B．Breathing Stops |
| C．Poisoning |
| D．Suffering Heart Problems |
If your pet is burned by chemicals, you should_________.
| A．wash away the chemicals with saline |
| B．put an ice pack directly on the skin |
| C．bind up the cut with a bandage |
| D．get rid of them before washing |
The passage is mainly about_________.
| A．doing pet first aid |
| B．treating sick pets |
| C．dealing with an emergency |
| D．working as a veterinarian |
Common phrases like “no pains, no gains” give the impression that we ought to be suffering while we study. It’s almost as though the only way to know if we’re putting in enough work is the sense of hardship we bear.
When we haven’t taken the time to come up with another idea, all we know how to do is shut ourselves in a room with a book. It’s no surprise that we find revision boring and difficult. Just as children learn from playing, we can learn from doing, or at least from study techniques that interest us, rather than make us switch off.
Shutting yourself away can make you learn to hate studying. This leads to a situation where instead of being able to concentrate on your work, you are troubled by how unfair it is that you must study.
When you hate your work it’s very difficult to make yourself star, or approach it with any kind of structure or enthusiasm. This can be part of a vicious cycle(恶性循环) that traps you into ineffective revision, your poor progress fuelling further annoyance.
Just being around other people really helps fight against feelings of loneliness and, thankfully, it’s perfectly possible to work in the company of other people. We just need to learn how to deal with distractions(使人分心的事物).
It's not necessary to avoid all company, just idle(懒散的) company. Studying in the same room as someone who is ironing or working out is perfectly possible. People who are bored and looking to be distracted, however, are terrible to work around. They constantly try to keep others in conversation.
It’s also a good idea to avoid the company of people involved in activities that you would rather be doing than studying. Working while sitting next to someone playing video games is much more likely to end with a new high score than a productive few hours of revision.
If being around others means working in a noisy environment, a pair of headphones and some background music can block out even noisy children. They also act as a psychological barrier, so that people think twice before interrupting you.
When you’re studying for a big exam, it seems like your whole life is taken up with study. Friends and family can lessen feelings of isolation(孤立). And connecting with other people makes us happy, so it’s important not to give that up and to make sure that we take the time to socialize.The author might believe that the phrase “no pains, no gains” ______.
| A．best describes how to study well |
| B．makes people treat study as a habit |
| C．encourages people to learn step by step |
| D．is not a good inspirational phrase for study |
Which saying about study might the author prefer?
| A．There is no royal road to learning. |
| B．It’s better to work behind closed door. |
| C．A positive motivation leads to good study results. |
| D．He who is ashamed of asking is ashamed of learning. |
Which might lead to an effective study based on this text?
| A．A correct goal. | B．A good teacher. |
| C．A favorable interest. | D．A hard task. |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 7 implies that ______.
| A．playing video games is helpful for an effective study |
| B．one shouldn’t let a video player to be his / her company |
| C．one should study from certain activities that he / she is interested in |
| D．the more time one spends in playing games, the higher marks he / she will get |
If you are studying in a noisy environment, you’d better ______.
| A．give indication of not wanting to be interrupted |
| B．give up others’ company at one |
| C．think twice before taking any action |
| D．force yourself to be accustomed to the environment |
阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenage girl, and I couldn’t bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads, Coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to step rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work.
One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something, “I’m awfully sorry,” I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost. This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn’t stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to try to guess if the bus had arrived.
Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow my pride and ask someone at the stop for help.
But on this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; It seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself, I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop.After the girl got off the bus that evening, she_________.
| A．began to run |
| B．hit a person as usual |
| C．hit a lamppost by accident |
| D．was caught by something |
At the request stop that evening, the girl___________.
| A．stopped a big lorry |
| B．stopped the wrong bus |
| C．made no attempt to stop the bus |
| D．was not noticed by other people |
What was the problem with guessing at the sound to stop a bus?
| A．Other vehicles also stopped there. |
| B．It was unreliable for making judgments. |
| C．More lorries than buses responded to the girl. |
| D．It took too much time for the girl to catch the bus. |
Finally the girl decided to walk to the next stop, hoping __________.
| A．to find people there |
| B．to find more buses there |
| C．to find the bus by herself there |
| D．to find people more helpful there |
We have an amazing 99 friends at the age of 21--more than at any other time in our life, according to a new study. The typical 21-year-old’s social circle nearly hits 100, with 13 “best” friends, 17 “close” friends and 70 acquaintances.
The research undertaken by skin care brand Nivea found our social circle peaks at 21 as we meet people at work while keeping in touch with friends from school and university. But as our working lives take over，we lose contact with some old friends causing the number to drop to around 68 by the time we are 29 years old. Although this decline continues into old age，it slows down slightly for people in their 30s when many of them become first-time parents. It is believed that this is because people form new friendships while on the maternity ward(产科病房)，at post-natal(产后) groups and when taking their toddlers(学步时期的小孩) to nursery.
The Nivea Closeness Report found the balance between our numbers of “best friends”，“close friends” and “acquaintances”，remains fairly constant throughout our lifetime. The average Briton has 18 close friends and a friendship circle，when all Facebook and other social networking “friends” are included，of 208 people. The report found that men have more than twice the number of close friends，with around 27 compared to women who have just 12. Londoners are also the most sociable，with 39 “close friends”，while the Welsh have just 11.
The age of 21 is such a critical junction in life and that’s why we have so many friends then. As we get older we become more selective and have fewer close friends with whom we talk about the things that are really important to us. Perhaps when we are younger，instead of having one trusted confidante(知己) we share different things with a variety of different people.
According to the Nivea Closeness Report，who have the largest number of close friends?
| A．Canadians. | B．The Welsh. |
| C．Londoners. | D．Americans. |
Older people have fewer friends than the 21-year-olds because .
| A．they think friends are no longer important |
| B．they are more selective and cautious |
| C．they are less interested in making friends |
| D．they have little time to make friends |
The research suggests that the number of friends in one’s late twenties reduces by or so, compared to that in one’s early twenties.
| A．70 | B．20 | C．30 | D．200 |
Why does the number of one’s friends decrease slowly when he is about 30 years old?
| A．Because they achieve success in business and get acquainted with more colleagues. |
| B．Because many parents make friends with people who have similar experiences in bringing up children . |
| C．Because they make more friends through Facebook or the Internet. |
| D．Because as they grow older, they have more confidantes instead of acquaintances. |
阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。A
When Dekalb Walcott III was just 8 years old, his father, a Chicago fire chief, let him tag along on a call. Dekalb says a lot of kids idolized basketball player Michael Jordan when he was growing up in Chicago in the 1990s. Not him.
"I wanted to be like Dekalb Walcott Jr.," he says of his father.
So when his dad asked if he wanted to go on that call with him when he was 8, Dekalb was excited. "I'm jumping up and down, saying, 'Mom, can I go? Can I go?'"
The experience changed Dekalb's life, he tells his dad on a visit to Story Corps. "My eyes got big from the moment the alarm went off." the younger Dekalb says. "This is the life that I want to live someday."
Now 27, the younger Dekalb is living that life. He became a firefighter at 21 and went to work alongside his dad at the Chicago Fire Department. Before his father retired, the pair even went out on a call together—father supervising（监督）son.
"You know, it's everything for me to watch you grow," his father says. But he also recalls worrying about one particular fire that his son faced."
I received a phone call that night. And they said, 'Well, your son was at this fire.' I said, 'OK, which way is this conversation going to go? '" Dekalb Walcott Jr. recalls.
"And they said, 'But he's OK. And he put it out all by himself. Everybody here was proud of him.'
And the word went around, 'Who was out there managing that fire? Oh, that's Walcott! That's Walcott up there!' So, you know, moments like that, it's heaven on Earth for a dad."
Dekalb Walcott Jr. retired in 2009. The younger Dekalb says he's proud of being a second-generation firefighter. "You know, it makes me look forward to fatherhood as well, because I'm definitely looking forward to passing that torch down to my son."The underlined phrase tag along in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．put out fire |
| B．watch basketball |
| C．follow his father |
| D．ask his mother’s permission |
Dekalb Walcott III determined to become a firefighter at the age of _________.
| A．27 | B．21 | C．8 | D．35 |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Dekalb Walcott III wants his son to become a firefighter too. |
| B．Dekalb Walcott Jr. is proud to be a second-generation firefighter. |
| C．Dekalb Walcott Jr. wants to pass the torch to Dekalb Walcott III. |
| D．Dekalb Walcott III is proud that his son has become an excellent firefighter. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Putting Out Fire: A Challenging Job for Father and son |
| B．Passing The Torch: A Firefighter Dad's Legacy |
| C．Dekalb Walcott III: A Second-generation Firefighter |
| D．Dekalb Walcott Jr.: A Chicago Fire Chief |
When it comes to President Obama，most of his personal business is already known by the public. Personal information about his children, Malia and Sasha，however，has been kept a little more under wraps.
The New York Times recently released a list of rules that Michelle Obama has mentioned over the years that Malia and Sasha must follow during their time in the White House，as well as in general. See how the first family educates their children：
The girls must write reports about what they've seen on their trips，even if it's not required by their school.
Malia may use her cell phone only on the weekend，and she and her sister cannot watch television or use a computer for anything but homework during the week.
Malia and Sasha have to play two sports：one they choose and one selected by their mother.
Malia must learn to do laundry(洗衣服)before she leaves for college.
The girls have to eat their vegetables，and if they say they are not hungry，they cannot ask for cookies or chips later.
While these might be shocking to some，Michelle said，“They're not little princesses. It's just basic rules，boundaries, and expectations that we would have normally.”
Michelle also mentions another set of rules：
The girls must do their chores(家务)，though the White House has a large staff. Malia and Sasha have chores of their own.
They must play a team sport, because it's about learning how to play on a team，how to lose and how to win gracefully.
It sounds like Michelle and Barack want the best for their kids and to make them as well rounded as possible. What are your thoughts on the Obama family rules?
What's the passage mainly about?
| A．The first family rules. |
| B．The first family daily life. |
| C．How to be good parents. |
| D．How to be good children. |
What do the underlined words “under wraps” in Para 1 probably mean?
| A．Attractive. | B．Secret. |
| C．Calm | D．Public. |
What has to be followed after the girls' every trip?
| A．Emails | B．Reports. |
| C．Homework. | D．Photos. |
Which of the following is the exception for the girls?
| A．To learn to do laundry. |
| B．To play two sports. |
| C．To use cell phone freely. |
| D．To eat their vegetables. |
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity(亲密) to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, ‘Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
A good book is often the best urn(瓮)of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters.
Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time have been to sift(筛) out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.
Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were, in a measure, actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed(加以防腐处理) in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens.
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “immortality”?
| A．difficult to find | B．last for a long time |
| C．very important | D．hard to destroy |
How do we get close to the greatest minds through reading?
| A．by talking to them about what we thought |
| B．by experiencing what they have gone through in life |
| C．by sharing their feeling and reading their minds |
| D．by acting with them on the stage |
What is the best title of this text?
| A．Companionship of books |
| B．Life without books |
| C．Unforgettable books |
| D．Sorting out books |
This passage is mainly developed by __________.
| A．analyzing causes |
| B．making comparisons |
| C．examining differences |
| D．following the order of importance |
C
Texting pedestrians arena' t just an annoyance to their fellow walkers, but something dangerous to themselves．
“1 was checking emails while walking to work this morning," said Wilbert van den Hoorn．“But it has a serious influence on the safety of people who type or read text while walking．"
Anecdotes back him up．A tourist from Taiwan walked off a port near Melbourne last month while checking Face book-bringing an abrupt, and icy end to a penguin- watching visit． Another shopper in the U．S． was too addicted to his mobile phone to notice the fountain ahead! walking straight into it．
And as mobile-phone use has grown-to about 77% of the world's population, the study says-so has the number of phone-related accidents．The number of U．S．emergency-room visits linked to phone use on the move doubled to as many as l,500 between 2005 and 2010, an Ohio State University study recently showed．
Authorities world-wide have taken note．Signs on Hong Kong's subway system advise passengers in three languages to keep their eyes off their phones．Police and transport authorities have also warned the danger in Singapore, where the Straits Times newspaper ranked it as No．2 Bad Habit"' due to the rising number of road deaths．Some U．S．states, including New York and Arkansas, are even considering bans on this act．
The Australian study used 26 volunteers, a third of whom admitted having hit objects while texting．They were fitted with different equipment in different parts of their body, and asked to walk 8．5 meters three times-once without a phone, once while reading a text and once while writing a text-while eight cameras captured the action．
Volunteers using the phone walked slower and with shorter steps （and slowest of all when typing）, and! more seriously, they locked their arms and elbows in-like “robots", in the researchers' words．That forced their heads to move more, throwing them off balance．
“In a pedestrian environment, inability to maintain a straight path would be likely to increase potential for hits, falls and traffic accidents," said Mr．van den Hoorn．“The best thing to do is to step aside and stop, or keep off the phone．"Which of the following about” Texting pedestrians" is WRONG?
| A．People who type while walking． |
| B．People who phone while walking． |
| C．People who text while walking． |
| D．People who read text message while walking． |
The writer uses the two examples in Paragraph 3 to show
| A．the advantages of mobile phones |
| B．the use of mobile phones in water |
| C．the use of mobile phones in a wrong way |
| D．the popularity of mobile phones |
What is New York and Arkansas' attitude to texting pedestrians?
| A．Considering forbidding their acts． |
| B．Ranking it as” No．l Bad Habit"． |
| C．Setting up signs to warn them． |
| D．Equipping them with advanced machines． |
Why are texting pedestrians likely to hit or fall according to the passage?
| A．They walk too fast． |
| B．They lock their arms and elbows． |
| C．They are out of balance． |
| D．They walk with longer steps． |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Text message or e-mail only? |
| B．Ways to avoid falls |
| C．Mobile phones for entertainment |
| D．Safety or text message? |
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