My daughter has been crazy about raising a pet for a long time. Last spring I bought two newly-hatched(孵化) chickens for her. She got and took good care of them. , a few days later, both chickens died. She burst into tears because of .I helped her the two birds under a tree behind our house. I thought it would be the of her ideas.

, I was wrong . Children are children . The failure hasn’t my daughter in any way. She still tried to keep a small animal or even a snail.

One day last winter, I noticed under the eaves(屋檐) of the house a family of sparrows(麻雀). My daughter and I could the sparrows as our “pets”, but we didn’t.

So I told her to the grains on the windowsill（窗台）. A few minutes later, the sparrows came to land on the windowsill and pecked(啄) at the rice. Suddenly my daughter asked me, Mum, can we catch and the sparrows, and let them live with us in the room？ How it is for them to live outside？

“Oh, my dear. I do not think it’s a good idea. You know,” I explained to her, “the sparrow is a bird who loves .No one can keep them in a cage. If they are caught, they will quickly. They are to living outside. Moreover, they have warm nest under the eaves.

From then on, we have set up a kind of with the sparrow family. We feed them frequently and them as pet birds. However, we do not need to them. We seeing these little birds flying and jumping among branches, leaves and flowers in the spring morning.

1.A. exciting B. excited C. disappointed D. encouraged

2.A. Naturally B. Suddenly C. Unfortunately D. Finally

3.A. leaving B. their death C. the chickens D. them

4.A. Bury B. put C. dig D. set

5.A. end B. beginning C. wish D. reality

6.A. Thus B. Then C. However D. Therefore

7.A. at all B. in all C. after all D. for all

8.A. encourage B. upset C. help D. impress

9.A. look B. act C. feed D. catch

10.A. throw B. pour C. pile D. scatter

11.A. one after another B. one another C. every other D. each other

12.A. stay B. love C. cage D. watch

13.A. free B. happy C. cold D. warm

14.A. freedom B. spring C. flying D. trees

15.A. please B. starve C. suffer D. die

16.A. safe B. used C. proud D. happy

17.A. neighbor B. understanding C. friendship D. relationship

18.A. think B. treat C. dream D. appreciate

19.A. hurt B. possess C. belong to D. hatch

20.A. enjoy B. would like C. want D. consider

I am a manager who is in charge of taking care of the elderly and many of my clients live out of state.

This year, a very sweet old lady that I care for, Alice, had gone through a particularly rough time. She had been in hospital twice. In November I was finally able to get her back to her “home” into an “assisted living facility”（养老院）.

Alice has dementia(痴呆症) and thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that the happy moment was not going to happen， she was so tearful. Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to cheer her up, I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday!

On Christmas Eve, I gave her a surprise by asking if she would like to go to a candlelight service at church that night. Instead of taking her to my church, I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got each of us a seat where her friends could see her as they came in. The plan worked out very perfectly. All of her friends seemed to be there and rushed over to greet her and sit with her. The candlelight service was a beautiful, tearful affair and Alice got a lot of hugs and love from her old and new friends there.

The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift:the smile on Alice’s face and the feeling that I made a difference.

1.What does the underlined word “tearful”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. surprised B. Hateful

C. Moved D. Sad

2.From the text we know that Alice_____________.

A. had been operated in the hospital twice

B. didn’t remember her daughter at that time

C. preferred to live alone especially at Christmas

D. expected to spend Christmas with her daughter

3.Where did Alice spend her Christmas Eve？

A. Alice’s old house

B. Alice’s old neighborhood church

C. A church in the author’s neighborhood

D. A church in Alice’s daughter’s neighborhood

4.What was the best gift that the author got on Christmas Eve?

A. Holding the party

B.the praise given by Alice’s friends

C. Alice’s happiness

D. His concern for Alice

5.What is the best title for this text?

A. An Extra Special Candlelight Christmas Eve

B. My Experience With an Old Lonely Lady

C. Alice’s Special Time on Christmas Eve

D. A happy moment on Christmas Eve

Welcome here! The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will be held at The Park Expo and Conference Center. This show will last from Wednesday (March 2) to Sunday (March 6,2012).

Admission : Adults $10.00. Teenagers under 15 free with a paying adult.

Join Lincolnton’s own Tammie Davis as she performs her original country songs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday,March 5th.

Special Days: The Spring for Kids First Night Gala benefiting the Council for Children’s Rights will take place from 7 p.m. to 10p.m. on Wednesday, March 2,2012. Tickets are $50 and include an access to Freedom Hall, where you can enjoy delicious food, beverage(饮料)and entertainment free of charge.

Seniors Day(55+):Wednesday is for them. Cost is $7.00 but without coupons(减价优惠).

Hours :Wednesday,Thursday &Sunday :10 a.m.---5p.m.;Friday &Saturday :10 a.m.----9 a.m.

Wheelchairs are available on a first come first served basis for you. The cost is $1.00 and you are required to leave a valid driver’s license or ID.

Parking :All Day Parking: $6.00;Half Day Parking:$3.00; Every Hour Parking:$1.00

For more Information: Come to visit Mardee Woodward in person.

E-mail: mwoodward@southernshows.com

Telephone:704-376-4085

1.We can learn from the text that the show will ___________.

A. last only five days

B. offer a free parking

C. have the only one singer

D. take place in a private house

2..How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and a child aged 16?

A.$ 10 B. $ 30 C.$ 20 D.$40

3.When can we visit Southern Spring Home& Garden Show?

A. At 9 p.m. Thursday B. At 8 a.m. Wednesday

C. At 8 p.m. Friday D. At 6 p.m. Sunday

4.How many ways can visitors get more information for this show?

A. One B. Two C. Three D. Four

5.We can infer from the text that______________.

A. old people can visit the show only on Wednesday

B. the disabled can use the wheelchairs free of charge

C. there are not enough wheelchairs for the disabled

D. kids’ tickets on Wednesday don’t include beverage

My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.

If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN （个人身份号码）to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.

Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.

The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.

I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've put in today.

I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, "How will I live without them?"

1.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. How to develop a new system.

B. The function of the PIN.

C. A home for the future.

D. Easy life in the future.

2.What's the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?

A. To let readers know why his ideas are new.

B. To let readers know how special his house is.

C. To explain the importance of the PIN and the console.

D. To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are.

3.The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.

A. it has been controlled by computers

B. you can make a telephone call anywhere

C. it has your favorite music following you

D. the writer is able to change his new idea into practice

4.What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?

A. An IT expert. B. A famous doctor.

C. An idealist D. An experienced teacher.

When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners’ good luck didn’t last.

Then, I realized I was not alone after all.

A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.

Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug(地毯) on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The joy in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said affectionately, “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”

One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. “She always does that,” he explained, “It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child’s hair after she has brushed it. I don’t know why I do it. I just do it.”

As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. The man stared at the picture. “Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday,” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.”

That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.

Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you mustn’t do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so.”

Saturday finally came.

I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.

Henry’s friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. “Drop that! Take the other.” he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew paler and paler. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.

In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go, gentlemen. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, “She? Poor thing, she’s been dead nineteen years!” “Dead?” I whispered. “That or worse.” he said.

“She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry went insane. He thinks she is still alive. When June comes, he thinks she has gone on her trip to see her parents. Then he begins to wait for her to come back. We drop in here, three days before she’s due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. On Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We’ve done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he’s all right for another year.”

The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau.

1.You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.

A. Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislau.

B. There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor.

C. There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers.

D. A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman.

2.Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.

A. he was getting older and older

B. he was moved by the loving messages in the letter

C. he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife

D. he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late

3.Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because ______.

A. there was not enough whiskey for Henry

B. he didn’t want me to get drunk

C. that glass of whiskey was drugged

D. it was for Henry’s wife

4.The underlined phrase “went insane” probably means “lost his______”.

A. hope B. mind

C. heart D. temper

5.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen

B. Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times

C. the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost

D. the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories

6.The story is mainly about ______.

A. ever-lasting love

B. lifelong friendship

C. an unforgettable experience

D. charming Stanislau

A long job search can affect your attitude, especially if you're out of a job. If it's taking you longer than expected to find a job, the following tips can help you concentrate and stay positive, as well as reducing your depression.

1.___________

When you no longer have a job to report for every day, you can easily lose motivation. Treat your job search like a regular job, with a daily "start" and "end" time. Following a set schedule will help you be more efficient and productive while you're out of a job.

2.__________

Avoid getting overwhelmed by breaking big goals into small manageable steps. Instead of trying to do everything at once, first put something ahead. If you're out of luck in your job search, take some time to rethink your goals and work out another job search plan.

3.___________

Make a list of all the things you like about yourself, including skills, characters, achievements and successes. Write down projects that you're proud of, situations where you excel and things you're good at. Review this list often to remind yourself of your strengths.

4.__________

Being out of a job can decrease your self-esteem and make you feel useless. However, volunteering can help you maintain a sense of value and purpose. Helping others can put you in a good mood. Volunteering can also provide career experience, social support and networking opportunities.

5.___________

You can't control how quickly a possible boss calls you back or whether or not he decides to hire you. Rather than wasting your energy and time on things that are out of your hands, turn your attention to things you can control during the time when you are out of a job, such as writing a great cover letter and resume to the company you want to work for, setting up meetings with your networking contacts and so on.

A.Do voluntary work

B.List your positives

C.Create a job search plan

D.Keep a regular daily routine

E.Break big goals into small ones

F.Concentrate on the things you can control

G.Keeping Positive During a Long Job Search

假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中有10处错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写上该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。

2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从11处起)不计分。

I love camping. It’s my favourite way to spent the summer vacation. Last year, my family and I went camping in the countryside. It was one of the most excited experiences I had never had. We slept in a tent and went on a long walk every day. We cook over a fire and the food always tasted wonderfully. For a whole week, I saw lovely mountain views or breathed fresh air. At night, I heard the gentle wind blowing in the tree, and I felt so peaceful. It doesn’t cost many to camp, and what I believe it’s the best way to get close nature and enjoy its beauty.

假如你是李华，你的笔友Mike 从媒体上得知前段时间全国多地包括宁波等地出现雾霾，非常担心，写E-mail询问有关情况，请你回复。回复应包括以下要点：1/实况描述 2.影响和成因 3.生活启示

注意：1.词数：100-120词。 E-mail的开头与结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

2.生词：雾霾 haze

Dear Mike,

Thank you very much for your concern.

Yours,

Li Hua

When Nancy Lublin got $5,000 from her grandpa in 1996, she never once considered taking a vacation or paying off student loans .Instead, the 24-year-old New York University law student began thinking about helping low-income women get better jobs. "If a woman goes for a job interview poorly dressed, she won't get the job." Lublin says. “ But without a job, she can't afford suitable clothes."

So with the money Lublin founded "Dress for Success” and began collecting women's clothes which were still in good condition but which their owners no longer needed. "So many women have clothes lying around that they will never wear again," one of Lublin's assistants says "Nancy's idea is so simple and yet so important to women."

Many women come to Lublin's office before going to a job interview. Here, they receive a suit, shoes and any other things they need, Since it was set up, more than 1,000 women have turned to "Dress for Success" for help. Many of them have won jobs. Some have round jobs after being out of work for many years. Jenny, a 32-year-old woman who was recently hired as a law-firm office manager says, "I made a good impression because of “Dress for Success”

1.What can we learn from the text?

A. Nancy's grandfather lent her the money to set up the office.

B. Nancy set up "Dress for Success" to make money

C. Low-income women can get jobs at "Dress for Success"

D. Nancy's office gathers used clothes from women

2."Dress for Success" attracts many women because they_______

A. need to look smart when looking for a job

B. like the design of the dresses

C. prefer buying clothes at a low price

D. like to wear different clothes.

3.From what Jenny says, we know that ______.

A .clothes from Nancy's office helped to get her a job.

B. she is working happily at her present job

C. she got a lot of good ideas from Nancy

D. "Dress for Success" has a good business relation with her firm.

4.What would be a good title for the text?

A. Keep Your Old Clothes

B. A Successful Clothing Business

C. Nancy: A Successful Law Student.

D. A Helping Hand for Women

A new research of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression . The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.

The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.

Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.

Parents should watch for signs of depression—eating or mood changes —and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.

1. Which of the following is more likely to have depression?

A. Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness.

B. Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.

C. Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.

D. Careless parents whose children are deep in love.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.

B. The older a woman is，the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.

C. Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.

D. Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.

3.What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?

A. Confused. B. Disinterested.

C. Scared. D. Disapproving.

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

A. Parents should forbid their children’s love.

B. Puppy love may bring young people depression.

C. Romance is a two ? edged sword for adults.

D. Romance is good for young people.