B

In Britain and other countries,young people sometimes take a “gap year,” a year off between high school and college.This idea never gained a big following in America.Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing,though there are no official numbers.

Charles Deacon,Dean of Admissions at Georgetown University in Washington,D.C.,estimates that in the current first-year class of 1,600 students,only about 25 decided to take a year off.He says this number hasn’t changed much over the years.

Mr.Deacon says the most common reason for taking a “gap year” is to have a chance to travel,but he says international students may take a “gap year” to meet requirements at home for military duty.

Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education,but it can also give students a chance to explore their interests.Students hoping to be doctors,for example,could learn about the profession by volunteering in a hospital.

Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission.Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy.

The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation.” It praises the idea of taking time off to step back,think and enjoy gaining life experiences outside the pressure of studies.It also notes that students are sometimes admitted to Harvard or other colleges partly because they did something unusual with that time.

Of course,a gap year is not for everyone.Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college,and parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off.Another concern is money.A year off,away from home,can be costly.

Holly Bull’s job is to specialize in helping students plan their gap year.She notes that several books have been written about this subject.She says these books along with media attention and the availability of information on the Internet have increased interest in the idea of a year off,and she points out that many gap-year programs cost far less than a year of college.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A.If you want to go to an American university,take a gap year first.

B.More and more American students are choosing to take a year off.

C.It is likely that taking a “gap year” is becoming popular in America.

D.Americans hold different opinions towards students’ taking a “gap year”.

2.How many reasons for students’ taking a “gap year” are mentioned in the passage?

A.2 B.3 C.4 D.5.

3.The essay “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation.” suggests that ______.

A.every student must take a“gap year”before applying for a famous university

B.some famous universities encourage students to gain more life experiences

C.taking a‘gap year’can make students free from life learning

D.the stress of studies does harm to the students’ health

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Charles Deacon doesn’t support the idea of the students’ taking a “gap year”.

B.Books and media have contributed to the students’ interest in school learning.

C.Parents might disagree with the program,concerned about their children’s future.

D.Experts agree taking a year off will benefit the students emotionally and physically.

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 Internet has opened up a whole new online world for us to meet,chat and go where we’ve never been before.

But just as in face to face communication,there are some rules of behavior that should be followed when on line.1. Imagine how you’d feel if you were in the other person’s shoes.

For anything you’re about to send,ask yourself,“Would I say this to the person’s face?”If the answer is no,rewrite and reread.2. .

If someone in the chat room is rude to you,your instinct (本能) is to fire back in the same manner.But try not to do so.3. If it was caused by a disagreement with another member,try to fix the situation by politely discussing it.Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.

4. Offer advice when asked by newcomers,as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate.When someone makes a mistake,whether it’s a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer,be kind about it.If it’s a small mistake,you may not need to say anything.Even if you feel strongly about it,think twice before saying anything.Having good manners yourself doesn’t give you license to correct everyone else.5. At the same time,if you find you are wrong,be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended.

It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as age,sex,and marital status.Unless you know the person very well,and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information,don’t ask such questions.

A.Everyone was new to the network once.

B.If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake,point it out politely.

C.It’s natural that there are some people who speak rudely or make mistakes online.

D.The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated.

E.You should either ignore the person,or use your chat software to block their messages.

F.When you send short messages to a person online,you must say something beautiful to hear.

G.Repeat the process till you feel sure that you’d feel comfortable saying words to a person’s face.

ORTOTROT? I heard that word while studying in Australia. It is a local language for “Are you ready (to go)?”. And at Sydney Airport, I asked the way to the train station and a man told me“Go ask that “bloke” over there.” “Bloke” is used in Australia and refers to a person. “Day” and “die” sound almost alike and since “a”, “i” and “o” all sound almost the same, I have always told my Australian friends, jokingly, that they only need 24 letters, and not 26 like the rest of us do.

Australian English began to be different from British English in 1788 and has many words that some consider unique (独特的) to the language, such as outback, meaning a remote, sparsely-populated (人口稀少的) area. Early settlers from England brought other similar words, phrases and usages to Australia. “Bonzer”, which was once a common Australian word meaning “great” or “beautiful”, is thought to have been an American term. The American influence on language in Australia has come from pop culture, the mass media (books, magazines and television programmes) and the Internet. Australian English is most similar to New Zealand English for their similar history.

Words of Irish origin are used, some of which are also common elsewhere in Irish, such as “tucker” for “food”. Some native English words whose meanings have changed under Irish influence, such as “paddock” for “field”, which has exactly the same meaning as the Australian “paddock”are still in use.

1.According to the passage, we know Australian English .

A. has special characters

B. is a kind of old language

C. is very difficult to learn

D. is the same as British English

2.Why did the writer tell his Australian friends they only need 24 letters?

A. Because Australians never use “a” or “i”.

B. Because Australians speak very easy English.

C. Because there are 3 letters having similar pronunciation.

D. Because there are some different ways to call the same thing.

3.Australian English is most similar to New Zealand English because .

A. they learn from each other

B. they have similar history

C. the two countries have the same political system

D. people from the two countries often travel to each other’s country

4.The American influence on Australian English comes from the following EXCEPT .

A. pop culture B. the Internet

C. computer software D. the mass media

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. One day he asked God, “They tell me you are ________ me to the earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so ________ and helpless?”

God replied, “Among many angels(天使), I ________ one for you. She will be waiting for you and will ________you. What’s more, your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel’s love and be ________.But here in heaven,I do nothing else but sing and smile!That’s enough for me.”

“And how am I going to be able to ________ when people talk to me?”the child ________ .“I don’t know the language.”

God answered gently,“Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet ________ , and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to ________.”

“I’ve heard that on the earth there are bad men, Who will ________me?”

“Your angel will shelter you even if it ________risking(冒险) her life!”

“But I will always be sad because I will not ________you any more,”the child continued. God smiled at him.“Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the________ for you to come back to me, and as a matter of fact I will ________ be next to you.”

At that moment it was ________ in Heaven, but voices from the ________could be heard. The child ________he had to start on his journey very soon. He asked God one more question softly,“Oh God, if I am about to ________ now, please tell me my angel’s ________ .”

God touched the child on the shoulder and answered,“It’s easy to remember. You will simply call her ________ .”

1.A. driving B. sending C. calling D. lifting

2.A. hungry B. strong C. small D. thirsty

3.A. choose B. help C. borrow D. visit

4.A. make fun of B. take care of C. pay attention to D. get along with

5.A. famous B. patient C. rich D. happy

6.A. refuse B. explain C. understand D. work

7.A. stopped B. advised C. replied D. continued

8.A. words B. stories C. feelings D. eat

9.A. walk B. speak C. teach D. request

10.A. protect B. advises C. considers D. serve

11.A. misses B. allows C. minds D. means

12.A. pay B. thank C. see D. serve

13.A. energy B. power C. method D. way

14.A. again B. only C. always D. sometimes

15.A. cold B. windy C. dark D. quiet

16.A. earth B. air C. men D. parents

17.A. joked B. knew C. promised D. forgot

18.A. leave B. fall C. return D. rest

19.A. secret B. number C. name D. place

20.A. sister B. Mommy C. friend D. aunt

My family moved around a lot when I was growing up.In 2nd grade,I lived here in Washington D.C,where I made an amazing group of friends.I was upset when my parents told me we were moving again and I would have to leave all my best friends behind.

In 7th grade.we moved back to Washington D.C.And I could not have been more excited and I felt like I was finally home again.But things had changed.There were two new girls,who decided that they didn’t like me,which meant no one else could,not even all my former best friends.

And then one day during school,I opened my locker,only to find a note lying on the floor.The note said:Die.Nobody likes you.

My heart started beating faster and I felt the blood rushing to my face.I had no idea what to do.The note wasn’t signed and I had no idea who had written it,but I figured the new girls were behind it.I had to sit in class all day with my head down,wondering who else knew about this shame.I felt horrible and sure that nothing would ever be good again.

I decided that the perfect way to end all of this was with another note,left on the bathroom mirror at school.

It’s sad for someone to bully(欺负)other classmates to make themselves feel better or look cool.Bullying others is a way to impress others.It’s common,but that doesn’t mean it's okay.Looking cool is not worth making others feel bad.Obviously I’m very happy now,but it doesn’t mean I’11 ever forget about that note or how it made me feel.And to those of you that are current victims(目前的受害者) of bullying—know that you are NOT alone.It will get better.I promise.

1.Why was the author unhappy when she left Washington D.C.?

A.She couldn’t adapt herself

B.She had to leave best friends.

C.She was growing up there.

D.She hated traveling a lot.

2.When the author opened the locker,she felt .

A.satisfied B.cheerful C.amused D.ashamed

3.In the end,the author turned things around

A.under her teacher’s guide

B.by compromising to others

C.with her best friends’ help

D.through her own efforts

4.What suggestion does the author give to the teenagers?

A.Meet friends whenever possible.

B.Make efforts to fight back hard.

C.Be optimistic and let a thing slide.

D.Go on well with others.

The latest fashion in kitchen is the food steamer. All the stores are selling them; everyone wants one. Steaming is one of the simplest and healthiest ways of cooking food.However, that cooking time is usually longer than with other methods. In case you’re thinking of buying a steamer, I've done a survey about the steamers available on the market to help you decide which will suit you best.

●Folding Steamer

The simplest and least expensive is the folding stainless-steel (不锈钢)version.

Advantages: This is a good, basic design which sits inside a variety of different shapes of pans with the water under it; a ring in the center allows for easy lifting and it's easy to clean.

Disadvantages: It only holds small dishes. Also, if you put too much water in the pan, it will boil up through the vegetables and they will be watery. If you put too little water in and let it get dry, you will burn the pan and get strange-smelling vegetables.

●Steaming Pan

This is a three-layered black Teflon-coated version with a lid and two double-handled steamers, which sits on the oven ring. The brand I bought is called Nutritious Living.

Advantages: This is an excellent steamer, lightweight, easy to clean, and of all the steamers I've tried, this cooks the fastest. Fish and chicken can be cooked on the bottom with rice or vegetables on the top. It's easier to store.

Disadvantages: Water can boil away until the pan is dry, but if you make sure you fill the pan up to the suggested level and do not overcook the food, this should not happen.You cannot see the food cooking from the top. It doesn't supply a dish for cooking rice.

For serious users of steamers, I recommend having one of each version. If you just want to try it, get the folding stainless-steel type.

1.Why did the author carry out the survey________.

A.To inform people of different steamers

B.To run an advertisement for steamers

C.To find out a suitable steamer to buy

D.To learn how to cook with steamers

2.What can we learn about the folding steamer________.

A.It comes in different kinds of shapes and sizes.

B.It is designed for large families.

C.It is able to clean itself.

D.It is easy to take out.

3. The Nutritious Liuing steamer________.

A.is more difficult to store

B.provides a dish to cook rice with

C.cooks different foods at the same time

D.cooks fish and chicken faster than vegetables

4.According to the author, you should________.

A.use steamers to save cooking time

B.buy a steamer with dishes supplied

C.do a survey before choosing a steamer

D.buy a folding steamer if you want to try

阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

Make the Most of What You Have Got

For Nick Vujicic, life was going to be difficult from the day he was born. When Nick arrived into this world, he________everyone. He was not like the other babies and it was ________obvious to his parents and to the doctors in the hospital.

There was no ________or answers for his condition. Nick was born without any limbs—that is he was born without any arms or legs. But despite being physically ________, he was mentally________ and the rest of his body was functioning fine.

________he had loving parents, Nick would find school hard as he would often be looked down upon by the other children and at the young age of 10, he considered ________his life by drowning himself in a bathtub. These dark thoughts were ________by his negative attitude to being disabled and at the time, he thought that he would never be able to do________by himself, that he would never have a job and that he would always have to ________on his parents for help.

Nick was wrong.

As an adult, Nick is a successful public speaker and is famous for his motivational ________which focus on life with a disability, hope and finding meaning in life worldwide. He ________so many people with the story of his life, how he has________so many difficulties and most importantly how he is happy every day.

Despite having no arms or legs, Nick lives________, even finding ways to do almost ________things like brushing his teeth on his own and swimming. He has to work harder than a full bodied person and he achieves his goals.

At the first impression, you may look at Nick and feel________. You may feel sad that this man has no arms or legs and you might feel his________ and upset that he could find everyday situations difficult. But we should ________Nick, as he is extremely positive and he gets on with life. He ________ every day and makes the best of what he has: a positive attitude, a creative mind and a powerful ________. He also has a very kind and very beautiful wife and they are truly happy and in love.

1.A. shocked B. pleased C. inspired D. accepted

2.A. nervously B. painfully C. hopefully D. cautiously

3.A. surprise B. worry C. explanation D. apology

4.A. active B. sick C. disabled D. abused

5.A. disturbed B. challenged C. calm D. normal

6.A. Since B. If C. Although D. Unless

7.A. changing B. ending C. risking D. sharing

8.A. expressed B. collected C. given D. driven

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

10.A. call B. rely C. cheat D. look

11.A. lessons B. poems C. speeches D. posters

12.A.assists B. touches C. puzzles D. judges

13.A. fought with B. live with C. come across D.get over

14.A.independently B. comfortably C. hopelessly D. lonely

15.A. impossible B. dangerous C. crazy D. regretful

16.A. pain B. guilt C. panic D. pity

17.A. anger B. selfishness C. courage D. confidence

18.A. encourage B. admire C. comfort D. correct

19.A. cries B. shouts C. smiles D. struggles

20.A. voice B. body C. family D. position

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