Most teens need about 8 to more than 9 hours of sleep each night．The right amount of sleep is necessary for anyone who wants to do well in a test or play sports without tripping over their feet. Unfortunately，though，many teens don’t get enough sleep.

_______________? Early starting time in some schools may play a role in this sleep deficit (不足)．Teens who fall asleep after midnight may still have to get up early for school，meaning that they may only shorten into 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night．A couple of hours of missed sleep a night may not seem like a big deal，but can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time.

Why is sleep important? Sleep deficit affects everything from a person’s ability to pay attention in class to his or her mood．Research shows that more than 20% of high school students fall asleep in class，and experts have been able to tie lost sleep to poorer grades．Lack of sleep also damages teens’ ability to do their best in sports．Slowed responses and less concentration(专注)caused by sleep deficit don’t just affect school or sports performance，though．Lack of sleep slows reaction time，which can be life threatening for people who drive．The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration reports that 1，500 people are killed every year in crashes caused by drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 who are simply tired．Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional troubles， such as feelings of sadness and depression．Sleep helps keep us physically healthy，too，by slowing our body’s systems enough to re-energize us after everyday activities.

How do I know if I’m getting enough sleep? Even if you think you’re getting enough sleep， you may not be．Here are some of the signs that you may need more sleep: (1) difficulty in waking up in the morning；(2) inability to focus；(3) falling asleep during classes； (4) feelings of anxiety and even depression(忧郁)．Recently，some researchers，parents，and teachers have suggested that middle and high school classes begin later in the morning to meet teens’ need for more sleep．Some schools have already tried later starting time．You and your friends，parents，and teachers can call up for later start time at your school，but in the meantime you’ll have to make changes on your own first.

1.Which is the best choice for the blank in Paragraph 2?

A.What does sleep deficit mean

B.How many hours do teens sleep a night

C.Why can’t teens get enough sleep

D.Why do teens now need to sleep more

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A.1500 drivers between ages of 15 and 24 in America are killed a year.

B.Lack of sleep has bad influence on both life and school performance.

C.Sleep helps to keep us healthy by energizing our everyday activities.

D.Poor performance in study and sports has little relation with lost sleep.

3.What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?

A.To explain the reason why teens are lack of sleep.

B.To draw people’s attention to teens’ sleeping problem.

C.To introduce that we have the problem of sleep shortage.

D.To give teens advice on possible ways of having better sleep.

Scientist Stephen Hawking had to work really hard to speak．He chose letters and words from a screen controlled by movements of a muscle in his cheek．However，the slow system he used might soon be replaced．With a very different approach，doctors have found a way to get a person’s speech directly from their brain.

The system uses brain-reading software．It works only for sentences it has been trained on. Doctors at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) set out to create a better product， which allows people who are paralyzed (瘫痪的) to communicate more quickly than Hawking’s device，which uses muscle twitches(抽搐)to control a keyboard.

The Study of Brain Activity

The work was possible thanks to three patients．They had epilepsy(癫痫症)．This is a condition that has something to do with the nerves．It causes seizures(痉挛)．This is when their body suddenly moves on its own．They were about to have surgery(外科手术)for their condition.

Before their surgery，they had a small device placed on their brain for at least a week．It was used to map their seizures.The patients could speak normally，and they agreed to take part in Doctor Chang’s study．The doctor used the devices to record brain activity while each patient was asked nine questions．The patients were also asked to read a list of 24 possible responses.

Using the recordings，Chang and his team built computer models．The models learned to match patterns of brain activity to the questions the patients heard and the answers they spoke．Once trained，the software could identify questions and responses almost instantly．It used only brain signals．It was correct on what question a patient heard 7 out of 10 times．The software identified what response they gave 6 out of 10 times.

Improving Software to Read More Varied Speech

Even with the breakthrough，there are hurdles ahead．One challenge is to improve the software so it can translate brain signals into a variety of speech．This will require software trained on a huge amount of spoken language and matching brain signals．These signals will be different from one person to another.

Another goal is to read “imagined speech”，or sentences spoken in the mind．The system in the study detects brain signals that are sent to move the mouth．However，for some patients these signals may not be enough．More advanced ways of reading sentences in the brain will be needed.

1.From the passage，we can learn that ______.

A.the three patients with epilepsy have difficulty in speaking

B.Stephen Hawking’s system is controlled by his brain signals

C.the patients chose from nine responses to answer 24 questions

D.the brain-reading software can only recognize a few sentences now

2.What does the word hurdles in paragraph 6 mean?

A.Risks． B.Difficulties.

C.Possibilities． D.Disadvantages.

3.The purpose of the last two paragraphs is to _______.

A.tell us the disadvantages of the software

B.present the possible future of the software

C.explain the process of designing the software

D.show the author’s opinion toward the software

4.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A.Different devices to help paralyzed people to communicate.

B.Different ways to develop software that can help paralyzed people.

C.Doctors have started to explore software to read people’s brain signals.

D.The study showed the system could translate brain signals into a variety of speech.

Do you know we are living in the world of mass media? Mass media are tools of communication and allow us to record and pass information rapidly to a large，scattered audience.

However，have you imagined what life would be without the media? Are you a media addict who would go mad after two hours without TV，friend requests，exciting online games and your mobile—or would you easily survive?

Recently，university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged．It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban(禁止)by unplugging all forms of media devices for 24 hours.

Unplugged is being run by Dr. Roman Gerodimos，a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University．The experiment is now over but he doesn’t yet know the full findings. However，during the experiment，Dr. Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers．He said: “They’re reporting withdrawal(孤僻)symptoms，overeating， feeling nervous，isolated and disconnected.”

During their 24-hour ordeal，three volunteers had to endure one intrusion from the media: a BBC reporter plus cameraman who followed them around for the day．They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day offline，but of course，they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops.

Elliot Day wrote: “Today，my whole morning routine was thrown up into the air．Despite being aware of the social importance of the media，I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers.”

From Caroline Scott，we read: “I didn’t expect it，but being taken away from the media for 24 hours resulted in my day-to-day activities becoming so much harder to carry out than usual… I didn’t break out in a cold sweat like Dr. Roman Gerodimos expected us all to，but it’s not something I would like to do again!”

And Charlotte Gay wrote: “I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been my mobile； not only is it a social gadget，it’s my main access point of communication.”

Earlier in the year，a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media，often plugged into several things at once．And a recent study by Nielson found that on average，US teenagers send and receive over 3，000 texts per month—that’s about six texts per waking hour.

So，with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate，how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?

1.According to the passage，what do you learn about the global experiment called Unplugged?

A.The experiment was carried out by US and UK governments.

B.The volunteers of the experiment are all university students.

C.It has been carried out in more than 10 countries for 24 hours.

D.Its findings proved that Dr. Gerodimos’ expectations were true.

2.According to what the three volunteers wrote during the experiment，we can learn that ______.

A.they all feel very surprised and worried

B.all of them feel empty without a mobile

C.it is hard for them to spend the 24 hours without media

D.it makes them realize the social importance of mobile

3.What does the writer think about the mass media?

A.He prefers not to live with it． B.He thinks highly of it.

C.He worries about its influence． D.He is not sure about it.

4.The underlined expression “break out in a cold sweat” probably means _______.

A.losing temper and feeling very angry

B.feeling cold due to sweating a lot

C.feeling empty and wanting to escape

D.sweating because one is nervous

5.What can be the best title of the passage?

A.Hello，technology! B.The young’s lives，a mess?

C.Welcome，information age! D.Mass media，a lifelong partner?

阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。

In the United States, most cities have public libraries. Inside most libraries are hundreds of books－and sometimes more!－many of which are available for taking home. Of course, you have to bring any book you borrow back to the library when you're done.

Libraries help people find information. As the ways people find information change, libraries need to change, too. The Internet is a tool that helps people find information much faster than if they were to look in books, so a lot of libraries have begun using computers and technology to help people keep learning.

The New York Public Library is the most famous library in New York City. When the main branch was opened in 1911, it had a collection of over one million books. Outside this main building, two giant stone lions guard the entrance. Since the library is over one hundred years old, bringing in new technology is not easy.

The New York Public Library now has computers in every building. You can use the computers to go on the Internet or to write a paper. The librarians will help if you have a question and there are even free classes to help people learn how to use new computer programs. But this is only the beginning of how the library wants to use technology.

In the basement of the library, there is a room filled with computer programmers and designers who are bringing new technology to the library. This place is called the NYPL Labs. Ben Vershbow runs the NYPL Labs. He wants to help the library reach more people. Ben runs projects using "crowdsourcing."

"Crowdsourcing" means getting a lot of people involved to help with a project. Ben is currently using the Internet to find people to help with the library's collection of menus. The library has thousands and thousands of old menus. You can see what people ate in the year 1900 and find out how much that food cost.

In the past, only people in New York could use the New York Public Library. Now, the library is online and everyone can enjoy it. Thanks to technology, we have a new kind of library.

1.What do libraries help people find?

2.Which library is the most famous library in the New York City?

3.Why does Ben Vershbow run the NYPL Labs?

4.What can we find with the old menus in the New York Public Library?

5.What does the passage mainly talk about?

题目①

假如你是李华，最近收到你的英国笔友Joe的来信。他通过新闻得知中国为庆祝建国70周年在天安门广场举办了盛大的阅兵仪式，他很想了解你是怎么度过今年的国庆假期的，以及你的感受。

提示词语：Tian'anmen Square, pay a visit to, watch a military parade, watch a movie, proud, excited

提示问题：

1. When is China's National Day?

2. What did you do during the National Day this year?

3. How did you feel about China's National Day this year?

题目②

某英文报纸以“你心中的英雄”为话题征文，请你投稿，介绍你心目中的英雄，谈一谈你为什么认为他或她是你心目中的英雄，以及你对英雄的看法。

提示词语：selfless, meet challenges, take risks, overcome difficulties, ordinary people

提示问题：

1. Who is your hero?

2. Why do you think he or she is your hero?

____________________________________________________________________

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空白处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。

Do you want to be a pilot when you grow 1.？A pilot is a person who flies 2. airplane.In a big airplane，there are always two 3.(pilot)and one engineer. When one pilot 4.(take)a rest，the other one will control(控制)the airplane.The engineer checks the engines and makes sure that they are 5.(work)well.There are many things 6.(help)the pilots fly the airplane.The compass(指南针)lets them know the directions(方向)，7. the radio lets them talk to people at the airport.Radio messages are very 8.(importance)．They let the pilots know the weather and what is happening.They also let the people in the airport know what is happening in the airplane.When there are no radio messages 9. the airplane，the people at the airport will send search planes 10.(look)for it because that may mean an accident.

My life is always filled with sadness and little joy.However，no matter what happens，I can always _____ it bravely.

Last year，I couldn't believe the _____ that I was able to enter(进入)the only key high school in my hometown.Then I rushed to my home and told my _____．But my father didn't seem _____ as I was.He just kept smoking without _____ a word and my mother put her head down and couldn't help _____．

I knew very well what my family was _____．My mom had been ill in bed for 2 years.We lived a _____ life and I couldn't continue my schooling.I felt so upset but I could say _____ to my parents.I ______ to help my father with his work to support the family.

To my surprise，things completely changed ______ the beginning of the new term.My head teacher came to my family with some money，which had been raised by my schoolmates.He encouraged(鼓励)me，“Always have a dream.” ______ tears in my eyes，I stepped into the key high school.

I have been studying hard since I entered the high school.Whenever I meet difficulties，I always ______ my teacher and schoolmates.I have a college dream and I must work hard for it，no matter ______ hard life is.Just as a great man says，“When one door shuts(关)，______ opens in life.”

1.A.solve B.meet C.face D.make

2.A.idea B.story C.news D.thought

3.A.teachers B.parents C.grandparents D.brothers

4.A.nervous B.excited C.interested D.worried

5.A.speaking B.talking C.saying D.telling

6.A.crying B.laughing C.saying D.shouting

7.A.about B.before C.against D.like

8.A.hard B.happy C.nice D.rich

9.A.nothing B.something C.anything D.everything

10.A.disliked B.followed C.advised D.decided

11.A.after B.since C.before D.on

12.A.From B.Between C.With D.Without

13.A.dream of B.think of C.hear of D.talk of

14.A.what B.which C.that D.how

15.A.another B.other C.others D.the others

阅读理解

In the US，parents usually encourage their children to develop their potential(潜能)．They care about what their kids can do，not what they can't do.As a result，US boys and girls hope to be actors，athletes and doctors；many even want to become presidents when they grow up.

US parents often encourage their children to take part in all kinds of activities at school.They believe that joining in these activities can make their children mature(成熟的)．Schoolwork is important，but they think that social skills are important as well.

But things in China are different.Chinese parents often tell their children to study hard and pass exams.They think，for a student，that staying away from schoolbooks means wasting(浪费)time.This puts a lot of pressure on Chinese students，so leaders in Chinese Education Department have called for(号召)less homework at the lower grades.Only healthy kids can become healthy adults.

1.Why do many American children have their dream jobs?

A.Because they start school earlier than Chinese children.

B.Because they study hard.

C.Because their parents encourage them to do less homework.

D.Because their parents usually care about what they can do，not what they can't do.

2.Chinese parents think that ________．

A.taking part in all kinds of activities at school can make their children mature

B.staying away from schoolbooks means wasting time

C.their children should do what they want to do

D.social skills are necessary for the students at lower grades

3.According to this passage the writer thinks ________．

A.China's education is better than America's

B.America's education is better than China's

C.Chinese students at lower grades should have more homework

D.Chinese students have less pressure than American students

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空白处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。

After you have a dream，what do you do with it？Do you try to make your dream real？Andrew Matthews, 1. Australian writer，tells us that making your dreams real is life's biggest challenge.You may think you're not very good at some school subjects，or it's 2.(true)difficult for you to become a writer.Those kinds of 3.(idea)stop you from making your dream come true.

In fact，everyone can make his dream come true.The first thing you must do is to remember 4. your dream is.Don't make it leave your heart.Keep on 5.(tell)yourself what you want every day and then your dream will come true faster.You should know that a big dream is，in fact，made up of many small 6.(one)．

You must also never give up(放弃)your dream.There is going to be difficulties on the road 7. your success.But the first difficulty comes from yourself.You need 8.(decide)what is the most important.Studying，but not watching TV，helps you to get better exam results.Also，saving five dollars，but not buying an ice?cream，means you can buy a new book.When you get 9.(close)to your dream than before，it may change a little.This is good because you are able to learn something more 10.(use)and find new hobbies.