A boy of 14 has become the youngest student to win a place at Cambridge University. Arran Fernandez, who was  16 at home by his father, Neil, will 17  a mathematics degree at Fitzwilliam College next month and he hopes to have a career as a research mathematician to 18  the Riemann hypothesis(黎曼猜想) that has confused the brightest minds. It will make him the youngest Cambridge student  19 14-year-old William Pitt the Younger studied there in 1773.
Last night the child genius said: “I am looking forward to going to the  20  . I have started the first-year books  21   and it is all right, not too  22  . I can understand it. I am excited about going to Cambridge,  23  I am used to making records about being the youngest in education. It isn’t the youngest moment that is so important to me--  24  I’m more interested in going to Cambridge than comparing   25  with other people who go there.”
But  26 his age he will not be able to    27  many of the alcohol-fuelled festivities(庆典) traditionally  28  to Freshers’ Week. “I don’t think I’m missing too much fun,” he insisted. “Even if I was 18, I wouldn’t want to go out  29 . ”
Arran,  30   plans to join the bird-watching society instead and go boating while at university, was five when he  31  the youngest person to be  32   a GCSE (General Certificated of Secondary Education), after passing maths. He was offered the   33  to learn at Cambridge in 2010, when he was 14, on the condition he gained an A-level in physics, which he  34  with an A+ grade. Arran had already gained an A grade in further maths last year.
Cambridge also asked him to attend three GCSEs in subjects which were not related to maths and physics to  35   his knowledge. He gained A+s in English literature and French and an A in English language this summer.

【小题1】
A.educatedB.equippedC.arrangedD.evaluated
【小题2】
A.runB.operateC.endD.start
【小题3】
A.work outB.make outC.help outD.break out
【小题4】
A.beforeB.afterC.sinceD.but
【小题5】
A.festivitiesB.lecturesC.contestsD.literature
【小题6】
A.especiallyB.alreadyC.hardlyD.gradually
【小题7】
A.difficultB.easyC.interestingD.boring
【小题8】
A.thereforeB.butC.additionallyD.and
【小题9】
A.fortunatelyB.merelyC.actuallyD.mentally
【小题10】
A.itB.themC.themselvesD.myself
【小题11】
A.because of B.instead of C.except forD.as for
【小题12】
A.pick outB.join inC.pick upD.join up
【小题13】
A.addedB.addictedC.relatedD.encouraged
【小题14】
A.smokingB.singingC.drinkingD.dancing
【小题15】
A.whoB.whichC.thatD.he
【小题16】
A.turnedB.seemedC.grewD.became
【小题17】
A.presentedB.awardedC.rewardedD.submitted
【小题18】
A.tendencyB.treatyC.profitD.opportunity
【小题19】
A.improvedB.achievedC.reservedD.represented
【小题20】
A.reduceB.improveC.broadenD.insure

My mother, Marisol Torres, came with her family to Australia in the early 1960s. Then my parents’ marriage ended and Mum began the study of precious stones. Her interest in opals (猫眼石) took her to the New South Wales remote town of Lightning Ridge. There were no luxuries (奢华的享受), but she was closer to nature and had a chance to find black opals and make some money.

My mother was beautiful with dark hair and brown eyes, but she was also quiet and shy. Early in the Ridge years, she kept to herself, but later, she started going to the neighbourhood centre to make friends.

It was her dream to mine, but her get-rich-quick thinking was unrealistic. She was cheated and she was never very successful. But she kept a sense of humour and a charming smile.

Then, just as friendships began to blossom, she was diagnosed with cancer and had to return south for treatment. She had the intention of cooking Spanish food as special treat for her Ridge friends, but died too soon. In her honour, my aunt, Marisa, and I fulfilled her desire when we visited the Ridge in March last year.

People who mine the Ridge come from a cross section of society, from lawyers to travels. Looks don’t mean much: it can be hard to tell who is millionaire and who is poor. Opals attracted Sebastian and Hanna Deisenberger to Lightning Ridge. They planned a two-year stay, but became permanent residents.

Then there’s Neil Schellnegger, 45, who moved to the area with his parents when he was a child. He lives with his son, Luke. Luke is a shy 19-year-old boy who enjoys helping his dad. They haven’t had much luck over the past couple of years, but their passion for opals conquers disappointment. They love the peaceful lifestyle.

Danny Hatcher, 38, is a second-generation miner and president of the Lightning Ridge Miners’ Association. He is an optimistic man, driven by the desire to find the perfect opal. “It’s magic,” he explains. “Once you start opal mining you don’t want to do anything else… There is always the potential for finding a million dollars. Nothing beats it.”

It’s a place where dreams --- spiritual or material --- can be fulfilled; a place, for one last bet in life.

1.What made the author’s mother go to Lightning Ridge?

A.The luxurious life there.                  B.Her new marriage there.

C.Her interest in opals.                     D.Her passion for nature. .

2.After the author’s mother died, she fulfilled her desire by __________.

A.treating her mother’s Ridge friends with Spanish food

B.writing a biography about her whole life

C.decorating her house in Lightning Ridge

D.finding a lot of black opals in Lightning Ridge

3.We know from the passage that _________.

A.the rich and the poor can be distinguished by their looks

B.Luke is a successful miner, just like his father

C.Sebastian is planning to leave Lightning Ridge

D.Danny Hatcher’s parents were miners in Lightning Ridge

4.Lightning Ridge is a place where dreams can be fulfilled because __________.

A.there are precious stones and life is peaceful

B.there are people from all walks of life

C.there are rich people who can help poor people

D.there is a lot of gold hidden in the ground

5.What is the author’s purpose of giving Neil Schellnegger and Danny Hatcher as examples?

A.To show the magic power of opal mining.

B.To tell people it isn’t always hard to mine opals.

C.To warn people not to take up this kind of job.

D.To persuade people to look for more resources for the country.

 

首先请阅读以下宠物的信息:

A. Not named yet: baby, female

It’s a small grey cat with long hair and deep blue eyes. It is very friendly and can get along well with dogs. I can’t keep it because I have too many pets, but I can’t just let it go outside. If you are looking for a cat, please let me know. And I will send it to you, but you’ll have to pay my travel fees.

B. Brooke: orange and white, young, female

She’s a shy cat and likes to be alone at first. Once she gets familiar with you, she is very sweet and loves to be in your lap and play with you. She also loves to talk. The owner shouldn’t be a smoker. For free.

C. Sammi Hammi: adult, male

Sammi Hammi, a blue and gold bird, is looking for his forever home. He loves dogs and likes to sing and dance. He will take your ear off while you cook! He loves delicious food and he is a great boy who loves attention. The new owner will have to pay an adoption fee and for his cage.

D. Buster: black and white, young, male

He will be the sweetest cat you will ever meet. He likes to play and gets along well with other pets. Anyone who gets this guy will love him! For free.

E. Zoey: American Bulldog, adult, female

My dog Zoey is three years old and is very outgoing. She loves the outdoors and she loves kids. She is good at looking after other dogs. She also likes being around people. I need to find her a good home. I would like someone with children and other dogs to take her. For free.

F. Rebel and Maverick: young, male

Both Rebel and Maverick will be 2 years old soon. They’re wonderful dogs, but I can no longer keep them for some reasons. They love children. A home with children would be the best. They also get along well with other animals. The most suitable place for them is a home with a yard because they love to be outside. 600 dollars.

阅读以下人员的信息,然后为他们选择合适的宠物:

1.Alice and her 10-year-old twin sons live in a house with a big yard. She’s looking  for some pets to play with the boys. A pair of dogs is preferred. Money isn’t a problem.

2.Tom, 63 years old, has no children. His wife died last year and he’s very lonely. He would like to have a pet that he can talk to. He used to be a cook and loves birds very much, but he doesn’t like cats.

3.Bruce has a dog and he’s looking for another pet. It must be male and be able to get along well with his dog. Also, the pet has to be free.

4.Neil plans to find a female pet for his daughter. She loves orange and white cats. There are no smokers in the family. Free pets are preferred.

5.Max is looking for an adult dog to join his family. He has 3 children and two baby dogs. He hopes the new pet can help look after the baby dogs and play with his children.

 

Discouraged by reading bad news daily and with his marriage failing, Canadian Neil Pasricha  decided to try to focus on the positive and come up with 1,000 simple, free, awesome things, posting one each day on a blog.

       Pasricha said his blog aimed to highlight life's simple pleasures, which were often taken for granted, such as finding forgotten money in a pocket, or fixing a TV set with a heavy blow.

       Little did he realize his blog would strike a nerve and attract 40,000 people a day to join his discussions on how to enjoy the last triangle of a potato crisp, or the pleasure of laughing so hard that you cry.

       Pasricha, aged 30, was amazed to win two Webby awards, known as "the Oscars of the Internet," something positive at a time when his marriage broke up and one of his closest friends committed suicide.

       "I turned the worst year of my life into my best year by focusing on the positive. " Pasricha told Reuters in a telephone interview. "Every day I try to find something that is happy, free and universal to share, like the smell of a bakery or when a cashier opens up a new line at a store. "

       Pasricha said when he began his blog in June 2008 he thought he might have trouble coming up with 1,000 simple, happy moments in life but now he is more than halfway through and ideas keep flooding in, from himself and from followers of his blog.

       "These moments can start a huge conversation. Most of our life is really about hitting green lights on the way home from, or waking up before your alarm goes off and realizing you have more time in bed. But it is those small moments we forget about."

       Despite the success of his blog, Pasricha does not want to change his daily life. “I travel regularly for an hour a day to work in the suburb. I like work because I like the people in my office. I’m not a writer and I don’t know how to use punctuations correctly. I just like observing the world and putting it down,” he said.

1.Neil Pasricha determined to post positive feelings or things on his blog because          .

       A.daily bad news and broken marriage saddened him

       B.1,000 simple, free, happy things excited him

       C.he wanted to forget his marriage life

       D.he wanted to make his blog successful

2.Which of the following will Pasricha probably NOT post onto his blog?

       A.Coming across an old schoolmate.

       B.Finding his lost dog come back home.

       C.Falling off his bike and getting injured.

       D.Buying his favourite book at a special price.

3.According to the passage, Pasricha         .

       A.gets ideas for 1,000 simple, free, happy things with trouble

       B.gets ideas for 1,000 simple, free, happy things on his own

       C.is on his way to collecting 1,000 simple, free, happy things

       D.has finished collecting 1,000 simple, free, happy things

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the poassage?

       A.Hard life for a Canadian blogger           B.Busy life for a Canadian blogger

       C.Great awards for a Canadian blogger     D.Great success for a Canadian blogger

 

Some fifty years ago , I was studying in a middle school in New York . One day , Mrs. O’Neil gave a maths test to our class . When the papers were marked , she found that twelve boys had made exactly the same mistakes in the test .

There is nothing new about cheating in exams . Perhaps that was why Mrs. O’Neil didn’t even say one word about it . She only asked the twelve boys to stay after class . I was one of the twelve .

Mrs. O’Neil asked no questions , and she didn’t scold us , either . Instead , she wrote the following words on the blackboard : On your way home you find some money and you’re completely sure that you will never be found out . Later someone comes to ask you if you have found some money he lost . What will you do ?

She then ordered us to write down the question , and asked us to take our whole lives to try to find out our own answer to it .

I don’t know about the other eleven children . Speaking for myself I can say : it was the most important single thing of my life. From then on , I have been asking this question to myself when I have to make a decision .

Because of this , Mrs . O’Neil has become the most unforgettable teacher for me in my whole life . I often think of this : if Mrs . O’Neil had scolded us as many other teachers often did , would I go on cheating every day ?

1.Who wrote this story ?

    A.A student in New York who is not interested in maths .

    B.Mrs. O’Neil from New York who found some money on her way home .

    C.An old maths teacher in a middle school .

    D.An old person who once lived in New York when he was young .

2.When did the story happen?

    A.Over sixty years ago .                        B. Over fifty years ago .

    C.Over seventy years ago .                      D.Over eighty years ago .

3.In the sentence “…she didn’t scold us either” , what does “scold” maybe mean ?

    A.表扬      B.批评     C.教育         D.原谅

4.When Mrs. O’Neil found twelve boys made exactly the same mistakes in the test , she      .

    A.became very , very angry and shouted at the children for an hour

    B.thought maybe she made some mistakes in her teaching

    C.tried to find out who made the mistakes first

    D.wanted to teach the twelve boys to stop cheating

5.Why did the writer think Mrs. O’Neil unforgettable ?

A.Because Mrs. O’Neil often gave her student maths tests .

B.Because Mrs. O’Neil taught maths very well .

C.Because Mrs. O’Neil loved her students as she loved her own children .

D.Because Mrs. O’Neil taught a very important lesson to the writer .

 

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