It was blazing hot, just like most July days. I stepped into a tiny ice-cream shop to cool off with a
chocolate ice-cream. It was an old woman bent over a table near the door. Her back was so badly twisted that her face nearly touched the tabletop. I sat down facing her a couple of tables away.
“Poor woman,” I thought, “What does she get out of life? Why God let people live so long past their prime?”
As I thought, another aged lady entered the shop and sat down with her. Soon the two of them were talking about childhood days. They talked of how little the shop had changed in 70 years... In minutes, the two of them were trembling with laughter.
I looked again at the first woman, then in the mirror on a nearby wall, catching a picture of myself. I was wearing a dirty shirt. She was well dressed in white, her hands sparking with gold rings. I was sad. She was laughing, smiling. I was putting the pieces of my life together. She had millions of wonderful memories to recall. I sat alone. She was sharing the day with a good friend. I was secretly worried about getting old. She was old, but it wasn’t hurting her.
As I left the shop, I thought of my foolish question about God letting people live past their prime. Why, that woman was more alive, more sensitive to life than I was. Age has not bent her spirit

  1. 1.

    From the passage we know that the ice-shop _________

    1. A.
      changed a lot in the past
    2. B.
      had only a couple of tables
    3. C.
      started its business 70 years ago
    4. D.
      had only women shoppers
  2. 2.

    What is the meaning of the underlined word “prime” in this passage?

    1. A.
      miserable life
    2. B.
      wonderful experience
    3. C.
      long career
    4. D.
      time of great strength, beauty, vigor(活力)
  3. 3.

    The writer implies all of the following except that _________

    1. A.
      the old lady had lived a full and satisfying life
    2. B.
      the writer had more problems than the old lady
    3. C.
      the old lady was very lonely and sad
    4. D.
      the old lady had learned to enjoy the simple things in life
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is the conclusion the writer made about the old lady?

    1. A.
      She was more alive and sensitive to life than the writer
    2. B.
      She considered the young man pitiable
    3. C.
      She was to be pitied for her old age
    4. D.
      People should not be allowed to live when they are too old
  5. 5.

    Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

    1. A.
      To tell us the life of old people
    2. B.
      To show that old age does not mean being short of spirit
    3. C.
      To show the difference between the old and the young
    4. D.
      To make the reader have a pity on the old people

BRITAIN is a popular tourist place．But tours of the country have advantages and disadvantages.
GOOD NEWS
Free museums．No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities（文物）.
Pop music．Britain is the only country to compare with the US on this score.
Black cabs．London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never
enough of them at weekends or night.
Choice of food．Visitors can find everything from Ethiopian to Swedish restaurants.
Fashion．Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.
BAD NEWS
Poor service．“It’s part of the image of the place．People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced,” says Professor Tony Seaton, of Luton University’s International Tourism Research Center.
Poor public transport．Trains and buses are promised to defeat the keenest tourists, although the overcrowded London tube is inexplicably (难以理解的) popular.
Rain．Still in the number one complaint.
No air-conditioning．So that even splendidly hot summers become as unbearable as the downpours.
Overpriced hotels．The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.
Licensing hours．Alcohol (酒) is in short supply after 11 p.m. even in “24-hour cities”

  1. 1.

    What do tourists complain most?

    1. A.
      Poor service．
    2. B.
      Poor public transport
    3. C.
      Rain
    4. D.
      Overpriced hotels
  2. 2.

    What do we learn about pop music in Britain and the US through this passage?

    1. A.
      Pop music in Britain is better than that in the US
    2. B.
      Pop music in Britain is as good as that in the US
    3. C.
      Pop music in Britain is worse than that in the US
    4. D.
      Pop music in Britain is quite different from that in the US
  3. 3.

    When are people not able to get alcohol?

    1. A.
      At 12: 00 p.m
    2. B.
      At 10: 00 p.m
    3. C.
      At 11: 00 p.m
    4. D.
      At 9: 00 p.m
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is True according to the passage?

    1. A.
      You have to pay to visit the museums
    2. B.
      It’s very cheap to travel by taxi there
    3. C.
      You cannot find Chinese food there
    4. D.
      The public transport is poor there

Perhaps the most extraordinary (奇特的) building put up in the nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace (水晶宫) which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all the other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all the time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. Plenty of goods were sent to the exhibition from all parts of the world. There was also a great deal of machinery on show. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steamboats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the money from the exhibition was used to build museums and colleges. Later the Crystal Palace was moved to the South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936

  1. 1.

    The Crystal Palace was built up              

    1. A.
      in the 1950s
    2. B.
      in the 1900s
    3. C.
      shortly before 1851
    4. D.
      before 1951
  2. 2.

    People from many countries came to the Crystal Palace mainly to            

    1. A.
      buy goods
    2. B.
      visit an exhibition
    3. C.
      travel around
    4. D.
      enjoy the Crystal Palace itself
  3. 3.

    What happened to the Crystal Palace in 1936?

    1. A.
      It caught a terrible fire
    2. B.
      It disappeared suddenly
    3. C.
      It went to the South of London
    4. D.
      It was rebuilt
  4. 4.

    The Crystal Palace was famous to all because            

    1. A.
      it is the biggest building in the world
    2. B.
      so many visitors had been there
    3. C.
      it was made of iron and glass
    4. D.
      it was burnt down at last
  5. 5.

    The writer              

    1. A.
      thought the Crystal Palace very useful
    2. B.
      sang high praise for the Crystal Palace
    3. C.
      wanted the Crystal Palace to be rebuilt
    4. D.
      was one of the visitors to the Crystal Palace

Become a confident speaker. How to improve your English speaking skills and make you able to communicate more easily and effectively? The following tips will help you to become a more confident speaker.
Practice where you can and when you can. And practice is good — whether you speak to someone who is a native English speaker or not.
It’s important to build up your confidence. If possible, use the simple sentence structure that you know is correct, so that you can concentrate on getting your message across.
Try to experiment with the English you know. Apply (应用) words and phrases you know to new situations. Native English speakers are likely to correct you if you use the wrong word. They usually don’t mind if you use wrong grammar.
Try to respond to what people say to you. You can often get clues to what people think by looking at their body language. Respond to them in a natural way.
Never translate everything into your own language. It takes you much time and you’ll find it difficult to find an English answer right away. You don’t know how to do well. The more you want to act well, the more slowly you act. This will make you hesitant.
If you forget a word, do what native English speakers do all the time, and say things that ‘fill’ the conversation. This is better than remaining completely silent. Try using ‘um’, ‘er’, if you forget the word.
Don’t speak too fast! It’s important to use a natural rhythm (节奏) in speaking English, but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you.
Try to relax when you speak, and you’ll find that your mouth does most of the pronunciation work for you. Speak English at a normal speed.
Final tips: Try to become less hesitant. Don’t be shy to speak — the more you do it, the more confident you’ll become. Remember to be polite — use “please” and “thank you” if you ask someone to do something for you

  1. 1.

    What is the text mainly about?

    1. A.
      Good ways of studying English well
    2. B.
      Suggestions on becoming a confident speaker
    3. C.
      Things to pay attention to when speaking English
    4. D.
      How to correct your mistakes as you speak English
  2. 2.

    How many tips does the author offer in this text?

    1. A.
      9
    2. B.
      10
    3. C.
      11
    4. D.
      12
  3. 3.

    In this passage, the underlined word “hesitant” in the sixth paragraph means “________”

    1. A.
      sure about what to do
    2. B.
      fast to make a good decision
    3. C.
      successful in answering questions
    4. D.
      uncertain about how to express yourself
  4. 4.

    This text is most probably written for ________

    1. A.
      English beginners
    2. B.
      native English speakers
    3. C.
      English teachers
    4. D.
      language experts

The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted, and shoulders bent forward he leaned on his trusty stick with each unhurried step. His torn cloth jacket, patched trousers, worn out shoes, and warm personality made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. He stopped, turned with his whole body, and winked at a little girl seated by the door. She flashed a big smile right back at him.
A young waitress named Mary watched him walk toward a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.” She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she moved the table up close to him, and leaned his stick against the table where he could reach it.
In a soft, clear voice he said, "Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your kind gestures."
“You're welcome, Sir.” She replied. “And my name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment, and if you need anything at all in the mean time, just wave at me!”
After he had finished a hearty meal, Mary brought him the change from his ticket. He left it on the table. She helped him and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!” He turned and nodded a thank-you. “You are very kind.” he said softly, smiling.
When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted. Under his plate she found a business card, and a note scribbled on a napkin. Under the napkin was a one-hundred-dollar bill.
The note on the napkin read, “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”
The man she had waited on was the owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees had ever seen him in person

  1. 1.

    The old man left $ 100 under the napkin because he ________．

    1. A.
      was grateful for Mary's kindness
    2. B.
      wanted to encourage Mary to do more good deeds
    3. C.
      appreciated Mary's kindness and work attitude
    4. D.
      thought highly of the tasty meal in the restaurant
  2. 2.

    What do we know about Mary and the old man?

    1. A.
      Mary knew who the old man was from the note．
    2. B.
      Mary recognized the old man when she served him．
    3. C.
      The old man intended to have Mary as his secretary．
    4. D.
      Mary had never seen her boss face to face before．
  3. 3.

    It can be inferred that the old man went to the restaurant to ________．

    1. A.
      have a good meal
    2. B.
      enjoy good service
    3. C.
      have an on-site visit
    4. D.
      show his generosity
  4. 4.

    The passage is developed mainly by________．

    1. A.
      following the order of space
    2. B.
      following the order of time
    3. C.
      making comparisons
    4. D.
      providing examples
  5. 5.

    The best title of the passage would be ________．

    1. A.
      Employer and Employee
    2. B.
      The Secret of Happiness
    3. C.
      A Gift from the Manager
    4. D.
      Good Service in the Restaurant

When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect(尊敬) elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
By Jack

  1. 1.

    Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______

    1. A.
      the manager asked him to do so
    2. B.
      he respected the elderly
    3. C.
      the couple wanted him to do so
    4. D.
      he wanted more pay
  2. 2.

    When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______

    1. A.
      nervous
    2. B.
      satisfied
    3. C.
      unhappy
    4. D.
      excited
  3. 3.

    In Jack’s hometown, _______

    1. A.
      people dislike being called “old”
    2. B.
      people are proud of being old
    3. C.
      many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
    4. D.
      the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is TRUE?

    1. A.
      The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got
    2. B.
      Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience
    3. C.
      The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple
    4. D.
      From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture

Nearly a thousand people laugh heartily together for half an hour every morning in a park in Shenzhen. Guangzhou Daily took a closer look at those happy people.
They are members of a group named Laughing Club, and when they get together, all they do is laugh.
Zhang Lixin, the founder of the club and regarded as the ‘laugh leader’, told the paper that laughing does him a lot of good. He started after he read some advice in a book and tried giggling after quarrelling with his wife to relax.
After laughing for a few days, Zhang found himself more outgoing and relaxed. Soon his wife joined him, bringing the family more laughter and less bickering.
When he got to know a kind of “laughing yoga” is good for the health, Zhang went to Bombay to learn from the locals and developed what he learned into more than 30 ways of laughing.
The “lion bellow (吼)”is to shout with the fingers outstretched near the ears. There is the “open mouth laugh”, the “bow-pulling laugh”, the “welcoming laugh” and even the “quarrelling laugh”, with different arm movements of laugh style.
The “laugh movement” swept over Shenzhen in a few of months, attracting tens of thousands of people to join, and has been followed in nearby cities such as Guangzhou.
Every morning at the lake front and at 8 pm on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at the mountain peak square in Lianhua Mountain Park, club members gather to laugh and shout loudly

  1. 1.

    From the first paragraph we know that______.

    1. A.
      Guangzhou Daily is the source of the information
    2. B.
      those happy people come from Guangzhou Daily
    3. C.
      there is a Guangzhou Daily office near Laughing Club
    4. D.
      Guangzhou Daily supported the laugh movement
  2. 2.

    The people in Laughing Club laugh because they______.

    1. A.
      live a happy life
    2. B.
      always feel happy
    3. C.
      just can’t help it
    4. D.
      want to relax themselves
  3. 3.

    Which of the underlined words has a meaning similar to “laughing”?

    1. A.
      Giggling
    2. B.
      Quarrelling
    3. C.
      Outgoing
    4. D.
      Bickering
  4. 4.

    According to the passage, when cannot you see club members practicing laughing in Lianhua Mountain Park?

    1. A.
      At 8 pm on Sunday
    2. B.
      At 8 pm on Monday
    3. C.
      At 8 pm on Friday
    4. D.
      At 8 pm on Wednesday
  5. 5.

    What’s the idea expressed by the last two paragraphs?

    1. A.
      The members of Laughing Club are increasing
    2. B.
      The laugh movement is becoming popular
    3. C.
      The laughing is done only in parks
    4. D.
      Laughing Club is practicing laughing hard

UGG boots have been a winter-weather fashion for several years now, combining function, comfort, warmth and even some style. What many UGG enthusiasts don’t know is that their boots are a breeding ground for bacteria and causes foot problems.
Doctors believe the boots, which are particularly popular among young teenage girls, are leading to a rise in the number of people suffering pains in their feet and knees.
Dr. Ian Drysdale, head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, believes because the foot does not get the proper support on the inside, it will lead to more ankle, knee, hip and back problems. “ These boots are not designed for outside wear. Just because something becomes a trend or fashionable doesn’t mean it’s good or right,” he said. “ The particular problem with this type of footwear is that it is unsupported. It is a slipper. You wouldn’t normally expect to be doing outdoor activities from something that’s indoor. If you decide to wear your pajamas outside all the time, someone will come up and say it’s not a good idea.” Dr. Drysdale explained that the feet issues become a particular problem among young teenage girls, whose bones are “plastic” and developing when they are growing. “ If that structure is developing in an inappropriate way,” he said, “then the ultimate structure will be deformed.”
UGG Australia, who makes the designer version of the boots, told The Daily Mirror that their boots are “comfort” rather than “performance” footwear and consumers should be aware of “knockoffs(仿制品)” which lack reinforce heels in their boots

  1. 1.

    Teenage girls prefer to wear UGG boots because of the following except______.

    1. A.
      design
    2. B.
      comfort
    3. C.
      quality
    4. D.
      warmth
  2. 2.

    According to Dr.Ian Drysdale,______.

    1. A.
      there is a possibility that bacteria will multiply in UGG boots
    2. B.
      wearing UGG boots will lead to more ankle and toe problems
    3. C.
      it’s not a good idea to wear boots like UGG outside all the time
    4. D.
      teenage girls’ bones are plastic enough to wear UGG boots
  3. 3.

    The underline word “deformed” is closest in meaning to______.

    1. A.
      shaped
    2. B.
      strengthened
    3. C.
      reformed
    4. D.
      damaged
  4. 4.

    Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

    1. A.
      Potential Harm of UGG Boots
    2. B.
      The Popularity of UGG Boots
    3. C.
      The Unique Design of UGG Boots
    4. D.
      Benefits of UGG Boots

D
Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone manufacturers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. Voice calls - Americans chat on cell phones 2.26 trillion(万亿)minutes annually - earn $109 billion for the wireless carriers.
Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.
Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.
“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid（易吸收的液体）. No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen（腹部）

  1. 1.

    Why is the warning in the small print?

    1. A.
      They think people will not care about it
    2. B.
      There is not enough space for the warning
    3. C.
      They don’t want the users to pay attention to it
    4. D.
      The warning is not important at all
  2. 2.

    What does the underlined word in sixth paragraph probably mean?

    1. A.
      acceptable
    2. B.
      valuable
    3. C.
      accessible
    4. D.
      easily affected
  3. 3.

    What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

    1. A.
      Pregnant women should keep cell phones away
    2. B.
      People should use cell phones in the correct way
    3. C.
      If you are a child, you’d better text than make phone calls
    4. D.
      When you use a cell phone, use a wired headset or the phone’s speaker
  4. 4.

    What does the passage mainly talk about?

    1. A.
      Be careful when using cell phones
    2. B.
      Don’t hold your cell phone against your ear
    3. C.
      Rats exposed to radiation have damaged DNA in their brains
    4. D.
      Low-energy radiation could damage cells that could lead to cancer

Believe it or not, there is always something nice to do on weekends. If you take some time to think about your weekends and plan them carefully, they may become more exciting, refreshing and as a result more rewarding.
Throughout weekends, you can join in endless activities. You may attend a weekend course to increase your knowledge, for example, listen to a lecture on ancient Egypt. You may also try various activities, such as short countryside trip, or you may want to go skiing on a cold winter weekend.
You may invite your best friend to a picnic, tell each other jokes and enjoy each other’s company or you may invite more friends to your weekend party and have one another give a talent show.
You can help out in a local library or nursing home and do some voluntary (义务的) jobs.
You can go to a sports ground or amusement centre to play various ball games and others. You may do weekend shopping alone or with somebody. Whatever you do, I hope you have a good weekend

  1. 1.

    The passage mainly tells us ______

    1. A.
      why to plan weekends well
    2. B.
      how to have a nice weekend
    3. C.
      when to attend weekend activities
    4. D.
      where to have a picnic with friends
  2. 2.

    The author suggests doing all the activities EXCEPT ______

    1. A.
      going skiing
    2. B.
      doing some shopping
    3. C.
      holding a party
    4. D.
      going over lessons
  3. 3.

    According to the passage one can go to ______ as a volunteer

    1. A.
      a nursing home
    2. B.
      a sports ground
    3. C.
      a big company
    4. D.
      a shopping centre
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