I had the meanest mother in the whole world．While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast．While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich．As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’ too．But at least, I wasn’t alone in my sufferings．My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times．She had to know who our friends were and where we were going．She insisted if we said we’d be gone an hour, then we should be gone one hour or less -- not one hour and one minute．And she always insisted upon us telling the truth．Now you can see how mean she was.

The worst is yet to come．We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning．We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends．So while they slept - my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law．She made us work．We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook．We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath every day．The other kids always wore their clothes for days．We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money．I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

Through the years, things didn’t improve a bit．We could not lie in bed “sick” like our friends did, and miss school．Our marks in school had to live up to expectations．Our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing．My mother, being as different as she was, would be satisfied with nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame．We graduated from high school．With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother．Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education．None of us have ever been arrested or divorced．Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country．She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults．I am now trying to raise my three children．I am filled with pride when my children call me mean．Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world.

1.The author’s mother wanted her children to _________．

A．do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens

B．be top students in school and graduate with honors

C．stop seeing her friends who pretended to be sick to skip classes

D．bring home colored report cards like her friends did

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

A．The author has a deep hatred for her mother.

B．The author’s mother set timetables for her children whenever they went out．

C．Some of the children weren’t able to go to college because of their mean mother．

D．As a parent, the author is following her mother’s example．

3.It can be inferred from the passage that________．

A．All the other kids at school studied better than the author．

B．The author worked hard and usually got good grades in studies．

C．Mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law．

D．The author’s family lived a miserable life．

China’s Tianhe-1 has a computing speed of 2,507 trillion（万亿）calculations a second, making it the fastest computer in the world．It is also 40 percent faster than the world’s second fastest supercomputer, Cray XT5 Jaguar, in the US, kept at a national laboratory in Tennessee, according to the New York Times．Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist, told NYT that the Chinese supercomputer is faster than the existing Number One machine.

Building the fastest supercomputer has become a source of national pride, as these machines are valued for their ability to solve problems in areas like defense, energy and science．These problems are related to national interests．Supercomputing technology is also found in business．Oil and gas companies use supercomputers to find oil and gas．

Obviously, research centers with large supercomputers attract top scientific talents．This adds extra importance to the machines—they’re more than just huge computers．

China’s new supercomputer will be used to speed up greatly scientific calculations, such as hurricane and tsunami modeling, cancer research, car design and even studying stars.

In 2008, two US scientists put together a step-by-step guide on how to build a supercomputer using PlayStation 3 video-game consoles（控制台）．Modern supercomputers are built by combining thousands of small computer servers（服务器）and using software to turn them into one large computer．Really, any organization with enough material and technology can create a fast machine．

The Chinese system follows that model by linking thousands upon thousands of computer servers．But the secret behind the system—and the technological achievement—is China’s own networking technology．“That technology was built by them,” Dongarra said．“They are taking supercomputing very seriously and using a lot of time and money.”

“China is still a developing country,” said Sha Chaoqun, manager at Dawning Company which is the leading supercomputer maker in China．“Maybe one day, China’s total computing power can be greater than that of the US, but there is still a long way to go before we get there.”

A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. “last week,” said he, “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back. ”

“How did you write your advertisement?” asked one of the listeners, a merchant.

“Here it is, said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. ”

“Now, “Said the merchant, “I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one. ”

The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: “If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. ”

This appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colours that had been thrown, and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.

1.The result of the first advertisement was that ______________.

A. the umbrella was found somewhere near the church

B. the man got his umbrella back

C. nobody found the missing umbrella

D. the man wasted some money advertising

2.The merchant suggested that the man should _______________.

A. buy a new umbrella

B. report the police

C. go on looking for his umbrella

D. write another and better advertisement

3.“If it fails, I’ll buy you a new one,” suggested that the merchant ______________.

A. wanted to buy him a new umbrella

B. didn’t know what to do

C. was rich enough to buy one

D. was quite sure of success

4.The story is mainly about _________________.

A. a useless advertisement

B. how to make an effective advertisement

C. what the merchant did for the umbrella owner

D. how the man lost and found his umbrella

Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.

Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.

Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism (新陈代谢) becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.

The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.

To stop this vicious circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.

1.It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.

A. foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit

B. we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods

C. it is essential for people to protect their vital organs

D. giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle

2.Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.

A. destroy body’s cells B. stop body’s metabolism

C. may lead to obesity D. are difficult to digest

3.What is the main purpose of this passage?

A. To warn people of the problem of obesity.

B. To advocate eating more raw and whole foods.

C. To inform people of the harm of processed foods.

D. To tell the differences between raw and processed foods.

4.The underline word “vicious” in the last paragraph probably means ____________.

A. violent B. progressive C. positive D. harmful

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

The Farmer, His wife, and the Open Door

Once upon a time, there lived a poor farmer and his wife. One day, having finished their day’s labor and eaten their simple supper, they were sitting by the fire.1.It was blown open by wind.

“Darling, shut the door!” said the man.

“No way, shut it yourself!” said the woman.

“I will not shut it, and you shall not shut it,” said the man, “but let the one who speaks the first word shut it.”

2.

In the middle of the night they heard a noise, and looking around, they found that a wild dog had entered the room, and that he was busy eating their food. Not a word, however, would either of these silly people say, and the dog, having eaten as much as he wanted, went out of the house.

3.

When she was out, a barber entered, and said to the husband, “Why are you sitting here all alone?” 4. The barber then shaved his head, but still he did not speak; then he shaved off half his beard, but even then the man kept silent. “The man is crazy!” cried the barber, and he quickly escaped out of the house.

At the moment, the wife returned from the shop. 5..

“You spoke the first word,” said the farmer, “so please shut the door.”

A. His words pleased the wife, and so the old couple, well satisfied, went in silence to bed.

B. And then they had a quarrel over who should shut the door.

C. The next morning the woman went shopping by herself.

D. The old couple fell asleep happily at night.

E. The farmer didn’t answer a word.

F. She, seeing her husband in such a strange condition, cried, “Ah! What have you been doing?”

G. The farmer and his wife were stupid.

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和 D）中，选出最佳选项。

One afternoon I was sitting at my favorite table in a restaurant, waiting for the food I had ordered to arrive. Suddenly I that a man sitting at a table near the window kept glancing in my direction, he knew me. The man had a newspaper in front of him, which he was .to read, but I could that he was keeping an eye on me. When the waiter brought my the man was clearly puzzled (困惑) by the way in which the waiter and I each other. He seemed even more puzzled as went on and it became that all the waiters in the restaurant knew me. Finally he got up and went into the When he came out, he paid his bill and without another glance in my direction.

I called the owner of the restaurant and asked what the man had . “Well,” he said, “that man was a detective (侦探). He you here because he thought you were the man he . ” “What? ” I said, showing my The owner continued, “He came into the kitchen and showed me a photo of the wanted man. I say he looked very much like you! Of course, since we know you, we told him that he had made a . ” “Well, it’s really I came to a restaurant where I’m known, ” I said. “ , I might have been in trouble. ”

1.A. knew B. understood C. recognized D. noticed

2.A. since B. as if C. though D. even if

3.A. flat B. cut C. open D. fixed

4.A. pretending B. thinking C. hoping D. continuing

5.A. guess B. find C. see D. learn

6.A. menu B. food C. paper D. bill

7.A. familiar B. direct C. strange D. funny

8.A. looked at B. chatted with C. laughed at D. talked about

9.A. the waiter B. the dinner C. I D. time

10.A. true B. hopeful C. clear D. possible

11.A. restaurant B. washroom C. office D. kitchen

12.A. left B. acted C. sat down D. calmed down

13.A. wished B. tried C. ordered D. wanted

14.A. met B. caught C. followed D. discovered

15.A. was looking for B. was dealing with C. was to meet D. was to beat

16.A. surprise B. care C. worry D. regret

17.A. can B. must C. need D. may

18.A. discovery B. fortune C. decision D. mistake

19.A. a pity B. lucky C. a chance D. natural

20.A. Thus B. However C. Otherwise D. Therefore

假设你叫李华，你的澳大利亚朋友 Peter 来信谈了他最喜爱的体育运动，并希望了解你喜爱的体育运动。请根据以下提示用英语写一封回信。 要点如下：

1. 感谢Peter 的来信；

2. 最喜欢的运动是什么；

3. 为什么喜欢这项运动。

4. 运动给你带来什么好处。。

注意： 词数120。

Dear Peter,

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Yours faithfully

Li Hua

When Armida Armato’s daughter, Alexia, came home from school one day last year keen to go on a school trip to Ecuador, she wasn’t too sure how to feel. She was happy that her daughter could experience something she never did as a teen but was fearful of letting her travel to such a remote part of the world.

Alexia was 16 at the time, a student at Westwood High School. The school sponsored a humanitarian trip for 26 students and two teachers to spend 18 days living in a mountain village to build a one-room school. Even though Armato trusted her daughter, the other students and the teachers, she was worried about the side effects from the travel vaccines, possible accidents, and medical care.

Now that Alexia was home, Armato said she saw her daughter’s new maturity, greater confidence and independence. “This is the best thing I ever did,” Alexia said. “The experience was so eye-opening and life-changing. You’re with people who are not as lucky as you are. They live in very poor conditions but they’re so happy and outgoing. You say, ‘My God. I’m taking everything for granted back home.’”

She said they built a one-room school from scratch with no mechanical cement mixers. They used their hands, shovels and basic tools. She and another student lived with a local family in a small village about eight hours outside the capital, Quito. Despite the initial strangeness and knowing only basic Spanish, she said they grew very close and felt like a family.

Every year, groups of students at Montreal High School like Alexia pack their bags and fly off with classmates and teachers to developing countries where they volunteer for a variety of projects.

“Armato’s worries are very common among parents,” says Bill Nevin, a teacher at St. George’s High School. He organizes a humanitarian rip to India to the Sheela Bal Bhavan orphanage and says the three biggest fears families have are health, security and contact.

1.When hearing the news that her daughter would go on a school trip to Ecuador, Armato was _______.

A． proud and happy

B． supportive but concerned

C． fearful and nervous

D． excited but puzzled

2.The underlined phrase “from scratch” in Paragraph 4 probably means “______”.

A． having great help

B． using high technology

C． ending up in failure

D． starting from the beginning

3.What would be the best title for the text?

A． Volunteering helps students grow and develop.

B． School trips make parents worried about their children.

C． Ecuador is the most attractive travel destination in the world.

D． Brave Alexia dreams to work in Ecuador one day.

Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it．Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people．When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment．Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction．Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are．

Focus on what you are thankful for．Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have．Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be．Focus on what you are thankful for．Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now．

When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being．Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner．What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment．

When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied．Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position．Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more．

When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you．Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you．Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment．Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition．

Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural．

1.How can we live with contentment?

A． To change our lifestyle．

B． To have a motivation in life．

C． To give less attention to what we are grateful for．

D． To realize the difference between needs and desires．

2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A． Make wise decisions

B． Know the present situation

C． Let go of regrets

D． Remember the past

3.The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “______”．

A．enjoy B．change C．create D．neglect

4.What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?

A． Make time for simple pleasures．

B． Learn from successful people．

C． Focus on your future goals．

D． Create chance to learn more．

Mary is digging in the ground for a photo, when along comes John．Seeing that there is no one in sight, John starts to scream．John’s angry mother rushes over and drives Mary away．Once his mum has gone, John helps himself to Mary’s potato．

We’ve all experienced similar annoying tricks when we were young—the brother who stole your ball and then got you into trouble by telling your parents you had hit him．But Mary and John are not humans．They’re African baboons(狒狒)．__1.___

John’s scream and his mother’s attack on Mary could have been a matter of chance, but John was later seen playing the same tricks on others．__2.___

Studying behavior like this is complicated but scientists discovered apes(猿) clearly showed that they intended to cheat and knew when they themselves had been cheated．___3.___ An ape was annoying him, so he tricked her into going away by pretending he had seen something interesting．When she found nothing, she “walked back, hit me over the head with her hand and ignored me for the rest of the day．”

Another way to decide whether an animal’s behavior is deliberate is to look for actions that are not normal for that animal．A zoo worker describes how an ape dealt with an enemy．“He slowly stole up behind the other ape, walking on tiptoe．When he got close to his enemy, he pushed him violently in the back, then ran indoors．” Wild apes do not normally walk on tiptoe．___4.___ But looking at the many cases of deliberate trickery in apes, it is impossible to explain them all as simple copying．

It seems that trickery does play an important part in ape societies．____5.___ Studying the intelligence of our closest relative could be the way to understand the development of human intelligence．

A． In most cases the animal probably doesn’t know it is cheating．

B． An amusing example of this comes from a psychologist working in Tanzania．

C． And playing tricks is as much a part of monkey behavior as it is of human behavior．

D． So the psychologists asked his colleagues if they had noticed this kind of trickery．

E． The ability of animals to cheat may be a better measure of their intelligence than their use of tools

F． This use of a third individual to achieve a goal is only one of the many tricks commonly used by baboons．

G． Of course it’s possible that it could have learnt from humans that such behavior works, without understanding why．