According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS),the U.K.has about 7.7 million families with dependent children,of which 3.7 million have just one child,compared to 3 million with two and 1.1 million with three children or more.The number of families today with just one dependent child is now 47 percent and will likely rise to more than 50 percent in a decade.As the ONS confirms,“It appears that families are getting smaller.”

One obvious reason for this could be that women are putting off having children until they have established careers when they are bound to be less fertile.But it could just as well be a matter of choice.Parents must consider the rising cost of living,combined with economic uncertainty and an increasingly difficult job market.And this trend may continue growing as having an only child becomes more normal,which seems to be the mood on the mothers’ online forum Mumsnet,where one member announced that she “just wanted to start a positive thread about how fab it is to have an only child”.

She had received 231 replies,overwhelmingly in the same upbeat spirit.Parents of only children insist there are plenty of benefits.Nicola Kelly,a writer and lecturer who grew up as an only child and is now a married mother of one,says her 15 year old son seems more grown up in many ways than his contemporaries.

Not all products of single child families are as keen to repeat the experience.In a moving recent account journalist Janice Turner wrote about her own keenness to “squeeze out two sons just 22 months apart”as a reaction to her only child upbringing.

She was placed on a pedestal by her doting parents,whom she punished with a “brattish,wilful” rejection of everything they stood for.Desperate for a close friend she was repeatedly shattered by rejection and refers to her childhood as being “misery”.

Writer and clinician Dr.Dorothy Rowe,a member of the British Psychological Society,says that we all interpret events in our own individual way and there are some children who no matter what their circumstances feel slighted,while other children see the advantages of their situation.

However,the one part of life that is unlikely to get any easier for only children is when they grow up and find themselves looking after their own parents as they become older.

1.The passage is written with the purpose of ________.

A.illustrating the strength and weakness of having an only child

B.analyzing the reasons why having an only child becomes popular

C.presenting us with different opinions about having an only child

D.guiding people to look at the same issue from different perspectives

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?

A.Nearly half of families intend to have just one child.

B.All people don’t stand for the idea of having an only child.

C.Some people fail to recognize the advantage of having an only child.

D.People brought up in an only child family resist downsizing the family.

3.From what Dr.Dorothy Rowe said,we know that ________.

A.journalist Janice Turner experienced a miserable childhood

B.she has a positive attitude towards Janice Turner’s reaction

C.it’s necessary for us to look at the event from our own angle

D.some are unable to make an objective assessment of their conditions

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A.It’s normal to see the imperfection in character in only children.

B.Mumsnet is an online forum which promotes having an only child.

C.Economic development plays a determining role in the family size.

D.Only children will have difficulty in attending to their parents.

Simon Sinek is naturally shy and doesn’t like speaking to crowds.At parties,he says he hides alone in the corner or doesn’t even show up in the first place.He prefers the latter.Yet,with some 22 million video views under his belt,the optimistic ethnographer also happens to be the third most watched TED Talks presenter of all time.

Sinek’s unlikely success as both an inspirational speaker and a bestselling author isn’t just dumb luck.It’s the result of fears faced and erased,trial and error and tireless practice,on and off stage.Here are his secrets for delivering speeches that inspire,inform and entertain.

Don’t talk right away.

Sinek says you should never talk as you walk out on stage.“A lot of people start talking right away,and it’s out of nerves,” Sinek says.“That communicates a little bit of insecurity and fear.”

Instead,quietly walk out on stage.Then take a deep breath,find your place,wait a few seconds and begin.“I know it sounds long and tedious and it feels excruciatingly awkward when you do it,” Sinek says,“but it shows the audience you’re totally confident and in charge of the situation.”

Show up to give,not to take.

Often people give presentations to sell products or ideas,to get people to follow them on social media,buy their books or even just to like them.Sinek calls these kinds of speakers “takers,” and he says audiences can see through these people right away.And,when they do,they disengage.

“We are highly social animals,” says Sinek.“Even at a distance on stage,we can tell if you’re a giver or a taker,and people are more likely to trust a giver — a speaker that gives them value,that teaches them something new,that inspires them — than a taker.”

Speak unusually slowly.

When you get nervous,it’s not just your heart beat that quickens.Your words also tend to speed up.Luckily Sinek says audiences are more patient and forgiving than we know.

“They want you to succeed up there,but the more you rush,the more you turn them off,” he says.“If you just go quiet for a moment and take a long,deep breath,they’ll wait for you.It’s kind of amazing.”

Turn nervousness into excitement.

Sinek learned this trick from watching the Olympics.A few years ago he noticed that reporters interviewing Olympic athletes before and after competing were all asking the same question.“Were you nervous?” And all of the athletes gave the same answer: “No,I was excited.” These competitors were taking the body’s signs of nervousness—clammy hands,pounding heart and tense nerves—and reinterpreting them as side effects of excitement and exhilaration.

When you’re up on stage you will likely go through the same thing.That’s when Sinek says you should say to yourself out loud,“I’m not nervous,I’m excited!”

Say thank you when you’re done.

Applause is a gift,and when you receive a gift,it’s only right to express how grateful you are for it.This is why Sinek always closes out his presentations with these two simple yet powerful words: thank you.

“They gave you their time,and they’re giving you their applause.” Says Sinek.“That’s a gift,and you have to be grateful.”

Passage outline

Supporting details

1.to Simon Sinek

·He is by 2.shy and dislikes making speeches in public.

·Through his 3.effort,he enjoys great success in giving speeches.

Tips on deliveing speeches

·Avoid talking 4.for it indicates you’re nervous.

·Keep calm and wait a few seconds before talking, which will create an 5.that you are confident.

·Try to be a giver rather than a taker because in 6.with a taker, a giver can get more popular and accepted.

·Teach audience something new that they can 7.from.

·Speak a bit slowly just to help you stay calm.

·Never speed up while speaking in case you 8.the audience.

·Switch nervousness to excitement by 9.the example of Olympic athletes.

·Express your 10.to the audience for their time and applause to conclude your speech.

Maurice Mountain is a retired lawyer in Washington, D.C. He developed a prototype(原型机) for a device he calls the Presto Emergency Boat Ladder. His invention is a small folding ladder that attaches to the side of a boat to help people who fall into the water. Mr. Mountain plans to mass-produce his boat ladder.

He created his invention at a workshop called TechShop. Mr. Mountain says, “I think it encourages innovation. I think people who probably have had ideas rolling around in the back of their minds for years but have never had the opportunity to actually put them into production or even experiment with them would find this place wonderful. Members of TechShop use high-tech equipment to develop and produce ideas they have for inventions.” Isabella Musachio manages a TechShop in Arlington, Virginia. She says the shop has many different kinds of equipment.

“TechShop is a do-it-yourself maker space. So when you come in we have all these different areas of the shop, and we have a metal shop, wood shop, lasers, 3D printers, electronics. I mean, we have so many different areas and we have all the equipment that is availahle to anybody above the age of 12.”

Membership costs for TechShop start at just over $ 100 per month. Members are able to use costly machines including 3D modeling tools and laser cutters. Isabella Musachio says TechShop helps its members build their dreams.

“Our motto is ‘build your dreams here’ because you can really come in with just an idea, and then with the help of TechShop make that leap from an idea to building your project o, your prototype or even your business.”

Jim Newton is the founder of TechShop. He first introduced the idea for the technology workshops at an arts and sciences event called Maker Faire in San Mateo, California in 2006. His idea attracted hundreds of members during that event, Now, there are eight TechShop locations in the U. S. In all, there are more than 6,000 members. Two more-TechShop locations in the cities of St. Louis and Look Angeles will be set up.

1. The invention Mr. Mountain invented will be used to____ .

A save the drowning people

B. help people climb the ladder

C. make the boat safer

D. let the boat float safely

2.What can be inferred from what Mr. Mountain says in Paragraph 2?.

A. People with imagination can achieve their dreams.

B. TechShop can help turn some people’s ideas into reality.

C. TechShop is a place where people can put forward their new ideas.

D. It's hard for people to put their ideas into practice.

3.From the last paragraph, we can know _____.

A. Jim Newton is a very great invention

B. people didn't like TechShop at first

C. TechShop will become more and more popular

D. TechShop greeted with bad reviews in 2006

4.What can we know about TechShop from the passage?

A. TechShop is founded by Maurice Mountain.

B. TechShop puts high-tech dreams within reach.

C. TechShop is a non-profit organization.

D. TechShop offers its members more ideas.

I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke (唤起) an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.

Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But I feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than“broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions(认识)of the limited English speaker.

I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken” ; and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal (内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure. I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show: her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.

1.The author used to think of her mother’s English as .

A. impolite B. amusing

C. imperfect D. practical

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A. Americans do not understand broken English.

B. The author’s mother was not respected sometimes.

C. The author’s mother had positive influence on her.

D. Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts.

3.The author gradually realizes her mother’s English is .

A. well structured

B. in the old style

C. easy to translate

D. rich in meaning

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The change of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English.

B. The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother.

C. The author’s misunderstanding of “limited” English.

D. The author’s experiences of using broken English.

While astronauts in space get to do many exciting things, they miss out on ordinary things that we all take for granted—being able to walk on firm ground, hanging out with family and digging into a slice of hot steaming pizza. Though not much can be done about the first two things, there may soon be a solution to the third one, thanks to this cool 3-D pizza printer!

About a year ago, NASA offered $125 ,000 to Anjan Contractor, a 3-D technology expert, to build a device (设备) that would allow astronauts to make pizza on demand. The mechanical engineer promised that his invention would produce pies in large quantities that looked, tasted and even smelled like pizza made in common ovens.

Late last year, the engineer presented a video of his first prototype (原型) that begins by creating a single slice of dough (面团) that is cooked and printed at the same time. Then comes the tomato “sauce” — a mix of tomato powder, oil and water and finally, a protein slice that resembles cheese. While the video doesn’t show the baking process, the inventor says that once the pizza is printed, it can be ready to be consumed in 7 seconds.

While the pie in the video looks delicious enough to attract any pizza lover, Anjan Contractor is far from ready for astronauts. That’s because he still has to find a solution to make the food container in the printer last for 30 years. Though that may sound unrealistic, actually it is not.

Anjan Contractor believes that the only way that is possible is that the water is removed from all the ingredients (配料) and then they are reduced to the powder form. This, as you can imagine, will not be so easy. But, while the printer may not be ready for space, it certainly looks ready enough for people on earth. Hopefully, NASA and Contractor will consider selling it to those not fortunate enough to go to Mars!

1.Why does the author mention the things that astronauts in space cannot do?

A. To ask us not to take common things for granted.

B. To show they live a difficult life there.

C. To show their life is boring in space.

D. To introduce the topic of the text.

2.NASA offered $ 125, 000 to Anjan Contractor mainly to _______.

A. create some new type of 3-D printer

B. attract more companies to work for NASA

C. help astronauts in space enjoy fresh pizza one day

D. produce pizza in large quantities to earn great profits

3.The biggest challenge that Anjan Contractor is faced with now is probably that _______.

A. he has no money left to go on with his research

B. the pizza doesn’t seem appetizing to pizza lovers

C. he has no way to make pizza that can last for thirty years

D. he cannot make the food container last for decades

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. NASA is trying its best to help astronauts eat better

B. Astronauts may soon be able to enjoy steaming hot pizza

C. NASA is working on making pizza for common people

D. A 3-D pizza printer has been used to make pizza

书面表达(25分)

As more and more Chinese tourists travel abroad, some of their behavior is raising eyebrows.

According to the latest 2012 LivingSocial survey, Chinese tourists were recently ranked second behind US citizens in a global poll of the worst travelers.

Liu Deqian, researcher and deputy director of the Tourism Research Center at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Chinese visitors often lack an awareness of being polite or behaving appropriately. “On their first or second time abroad, Chinese visitors tend to forget that they are visiting other people’s homeland and overlook the manners of their hosts,” he said.

Zhang Guanren, 28, who helped organize package tours to Australia, observed that on international flights, the first passengers to stand up and reach for luggage while the plane is still landing are often Chinese. “Our compatriots (同胞) seem to lack patience, and they’re forever in a rush to do things and fear lagging behind others.”

Some disregard (漠视) rules in local wildlife parks: They disturb koalas in their natural habitats by touching them, even though the local guide has warned them against doing so. “This is far from being eco-friendly,” said Zhang.

1、以约30个词概括短文的内容要点。

2、然后以约120个词谈谈你对“文明旅游”的看法,内容包括:

(1)你在旅游时遇到过不文明的行为吗?请举例说明;

(2)请你谈谈“文明旅游”的重要性;

(3)呼吁大家积极践行“文明旅游”。

作文中可用亲身经历或虚构的故事,也可参照阅读材料的内容,但不得直接引用原文中的句子。

John was waiting for the girl whose heart he knew,but whose face he didn’t,the girl with the rose.Thirteen months ago,in a Florida library he took a book off the shell and found himself interested in the notes in the margin(页边).The soft handwriting showed a thoughtful soul and insightful(有洞察力的)mind.

In front of the book,he discovered the name,Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he got her address.He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to keep in touch.

During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail.A romance started.John requested a photograph,but she refused.She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.Later they agreed on their first meeting—7:00 pm at Grand Central Station in New York.

“You’ll recognize me,” she wrote,“by the red rose I’ll be wearing my coat.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for the girl with the red rose.

A girl in a green suit was coming toward him,her figure long and slim and her eyes were blue as flowers.Almost uncontrollably came to her,and just at this moment he saw Hollis Maynell—a woman well past 40.The girl was walking quickly away.

He did not hesitate(犹豫),saying,“I’m John,and you must be Miss Maynell.I am so glad you could meet me. May I take you to dinner?”

The woman smiled, “I don’t know what this is about,son,” she answered,“but the young lady in the green suit begged me to wear this rose on my coat.And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner,I should tell you that she is waiting for you in the restaurant across the street.She said it was some kind of test!”

It’s not difficult to admire Miss Maynell’s wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.

1.John was attracted by Miss Hollis Maynell because ________.

A.John believed her one of her old friends

B.she took good notes with a soft handwriting

C.John thought her a considerate and thinking lady

D.she was beautiful with a slim figure and blue eyes

2.Why did John uncontrollably go up to the young girl in the green suit?

A.Because he knew it was Miss Hollis Maynell.

B.Because she was the very lady he was waiting for.

C.Because he was drawn to her beautiful appearance.

D.Because John didn’t want to meet Miss Hollis Maynell

3.We can find John was a person who ________.

A.was easy to change his mind

B.was casual and independent

C.judged a person by his looks

D.valued a person’s inner spirit

4.What’s the theme of the story?

A.The wisdom is shown in one’s action.

B.Love can be met by chance if you like.

C.You should never judge a book by its cover.

D.A noble heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.

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