Bill Javis took over our village news-agency at a time of life when most of us only want to relax. He just thought he would like something but not too much to do, and the news-agency was ready-made. The business produced little enough for him, but Bill was a man who only wanted the simplicity and order and regularity of the job. He had been a long-serving sailor, and all his life had done everything by the clock.

Every day he opened his shop at six a.m. to catch the early trade; the papers arrived on his door-step before that. Many of Bill’s customers were city workers, and the shop was convenient for the station. Business was tailing off by 10 o’clock, so at eleven sharp Bill closed for lunch. It was hard luck on anybody who wanted a paper or magazine in the afternoon, for most likely Bill would be down on the river bank, fishing, and his nearest competitor was five kilometers away. Sometime in the afternoon, the evening paper landed on the doormat, and at 4 o’clock Bill reopened. The evening rush lasted till seven, and it was worthwhile.

He lived in a flat above the shop, alone. Except in the very bad weather, you always knew where to find him in the afternoon, as I have said. Once, on a sunny afternoon, I walked home along the river bank from a shopping trip to the village. By my watch it was three minutes past four, so I was astonished to see Bill sitting there on his little chair with a line in the water. He had had no luck, I could see, but he was making no effort to move.

“What’s wrong, Bill?” I called out from the path.

For answer, he put a hand in his jacket and took out a big, golden object. For a moment I had no idea what it could be, and then it suddenly went off with a noise like a fire engine. Stopping the bell, Bill held the thing up and called back, “Ten to four, you see, and this is dead right.”

I had never known anyone carrying a brass alarm clock round with him before.

1.Bill Javis became a news-agent when ________.

A. he needed the money.

B. he decided to take things easy

C. he was quite an old man

D. he gave up clock-repairing

2.Bill opened the shop so early in the day because ________.

A. he liked to do as much as possible before he went to work

B. the shop had to be open when the morning papers came

C. he was never sure of time

D. it was then that he did a lot of business

3.On that sunny afternoon, the writer was surprised when he saw Bill because _______.

A. he thought it was late for Bill to be still fishing

B. he thought Bill was ill, since he was not moving at all

C. Bill had not caught anything, and that seemed strange

D. Bill stayed in his flat

4.What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase in paragraph 2?

A. become noisy B. become less

C. become stronger D. become busy

Genetically modified (转基因 ) foods have become a focus point of agriculture throughout the news today. This has an effect on many different aspects of the agriculture world. From the seed dealer, to the farmer that buys the seed, to the workers that the farmer sells to; all are affected by the new technologies that are involved in this part of production agriculture.

Genetically modified foods have come under heavy fire lately. There are some countries that are against buying these types of foods. They are tested for safety by the best scientific experts in Europe, the US and the rest of the world. They are not for sale until they have gone through this complete safety process. Since they are a new product, and any slight problem with them could affect a whole country, these tests are very necessary.

These safety tests are carried out because of the new rules that were made with the Novel Foods Regulation. Begun in May of 1997, the Novel Foods Regulation set up an EU-wide pre-market system for all novel foods. A novel food is described as one that has not been eaten by EU consumers widely in the past. By setting up this program the EU hopes to keep its consumers safe from any possible side effects of any new food products.

There are a variety of ways in which genetic modification has helped food producers. They can improve the nutritional (营养的) value or the storage conditions of the food. Today there are only two genetically modified foods that have been allowed for use, these are GM soybean and GM maize.

Despite any safety checks, many people are still cautious about eating genetically modified foods. By providing these people with the necessary information, we can allow them to make decisions about these foods.

1.What do we know about the novel food?

A. It’s very popular in EU.

B. It’s bad for people’s health.

C. It’s a new kind of food.

D. Its story has been published.

2.Genetically foods are allowed to be sold if they are .

A. tested for safety

B. of high quality

C. more nutritional

D. grown in Europe

3.From paragraph 2, we can learn that genetically modified foods .

A. do no harm to people

B. have caused some problems

C. are well received after being tested

D. are criticized and attacked by many people

4.What’s the writer’s attitude towards genetically modified foods?

A. We should warn people that they are too dangerous to be eaten.

B. We should give people information about them so that they can decide whether to buy them

C. We should encourage people to eat them because they are more nutritional.

D. We should tell people that they are trying to fool the farmers.

In the last few years the popularity of eBooks has exploded. The advantages are clear: You can carry as many books with you as you want. You can simply download even 7 books you like and instantly start reading instead of having to wait for the book to arrive by mail.

However, one thing hadn't changed. If you wanted to rent a book you were still forced to use hardcopy books. Until now that is Amazon. com recently announced the start of a new program where you can rent eBooks.

Where to rent eBooks?

As mentioned before, Amazon. com is the first and currently the only retailer (零售商) that has a program in place for renting eBooks. Luckily, Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world and their eBook assortment (分类) is massive. They are also the producer of the Kindle, the most popular eReader, which means you can be sure that the eBooks you rent will work.

You can currently only rent eTextbooks. But this is likely to change as soon as the word gets out that you can save money by renting eBooks.

Why rent eBooks at Amazon?

● Save money: Save up t0 80% of the normal price of the eBook.

●Decide how long you rent: From 30 days t0 360 days, you decide how long you want it. You can extend the time by as little as a day. Or simply buy the eBook if you want to keep it after all.

●Use any device: If you rent an eBook from Amazon, you can read it on your PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android device, Windows Phone 7. Blackberry. or Kindle. .

●Keep your notes: Do you like to keep annotations (注释) and highlights in your eBooks? Don't worry. You can always revisit your notes and highlights through Amazon. com.

How to rent eBooks?

Simply search for the eBook you want to rent on Amazon. com and select the "Rent eBooks" option. After that, a new page will open where you can select how long you’d like to rent the eBook. You can read eBooks for a period of 30 to 360 days.

You decide how long you need the eBook. If you later find out you need it for longer. you can simply extend the time. Or buy it for the normal price whenever you want.

Once you've chosen the time you want to rent the eBook, you simply go to checkout. Or you can use the "Rent now" button.

1.According to the passage, _________

A. eBooks will be changed into other types by Amazon. com

B. eBooks will replace hardcover hooks in the next few years

C. readers get a discount of at least 20% of the normal price

D. readers are able to rent eBooks only at Amazon. com now

2.To rent an eBook online, which of the following goes last?

A. open a new page

B. select the "Rent eBooks" option

C. choose a rental date

D. press "Rent now" button

3.The main purpose of the passage is to __________.

A. inform and explain B. discuss and assess

C. compare and evaluate D describe and argue

US researchers have found traces of an ancient lake on Mars recently, increasing hopes of discovering evidence that billions of years ago the Red planet hosted life.

The lake, which dates back some 3.4 billion years, appears to have covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1,500 feet deep, said the team from the University of Colorado.

"This is the first clear evidence of shorelines on the surface of Mars," said Boulder's research associate, Gaetano Di Achille, in a study published in the latest edition of Geophysical Research Letters.

"The identification of the shorelines and accompanying geological evidence allows us to calculate the size and volume of the lake, which appears to have formed about 3.4 billion years ago."

Analysis of the images has shown the water carved out the canyon (溪谷) in which it was found, which then opened out into a valley depositing (使淤积) sediment (沉积) which formed a delta (三角洲).

"Finding shorelines is a great discovery to us," said assistant professor Brian Hynek, adding it showed the lake existed at a time when Mars was thought to have been cold and dry.

Scientists believe the oldest surfaces on Mars formed during the wet and warm era known as the Noachan epoch, about 4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago.

The newly discovered lake is believed to date from the Hesperian era and postdates the end of the warm and wet period on Mars by 300 million years, according to the study.

Scientists believe deltas next to the lake may well hold secrets about past life on Mars as such places on Earth have become the natural deposits of organic carbon and other markers of life.

1.The size of the lake found on Mars is ______.

A. 80 square miles

B. 1,500 square miles

C. 3.4 billion square miles

D. 300 million square miles

2.When the lake existed, the weather on Mars was ____.

A. hot and wet B. wet and warm

C. cold and dry D. cold and wet

3.Why do scientists think deltas near the lake may hold secrets about past life on Mars?

A. Because similar places on Earth have become natural deposits of markers of life.

B. Because someone has put secrets about past life on Mars there.

C. Because past life has been found in other deltas on Mars.

D. Because some people are said to have already seen life marks there.

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The Noachan epoch was a wet and warm era.

B. The lake might have existed 3.4 billion years.

C. The discovery can’t fully prove that the Mars once hosted life.

D. The lake traces prove that there exists life on Mars now.

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个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。

Writing A Letter To Your Future Self

Just imagine writing a letter to your future self 5 years from now, then opening it at that exact moment to see how much of it has come true. ____1.____

As you read the letter in the future, you can assess how many things agree with your expectations in the past. _2.______ Often times, the goals we set and our goal achievement process are affected by a lot of changes along the way. The letter lets you recognize how your current idea differs from the past.

In addition to that, at the very moment you are writing the letter, your thoughts are stored right there in those words. When you open the letter in the future, you as your future self gets to compare how you used to be in the past with how you are now. ___3.__. It’s very interesting to do so.

Take out a pen and paper right now and start writing your letter to your future self. Set a time period to write to. ____4.__ Then start writing. Think about the type of person you will be, your place in life, what you will have realized then, and so on.

5._____ Put it in a safe space where no one can find it. When you open this sometime in the near future, you might gain additional insights(了解) about yourself and your journey in the past few years.

A. And you can think about why that’s the case.

B. It is a useful tool to be used in goal achievement.

C. Imagine how you will be like during that time period.

D. If you haven’t, join me in writing a letter to yourself.

E. This lets you see how much things have changed since then.

F. At the end of the letter, write the date to open it on the cover.

G. It wasn’t until we moved into our new house that I found it again.

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

It was still a long way, especially when a wind was blowing in. Trint reached for his jacket and when he saw the box on the passenger seat. His mother had been him spending Christmas on the road and had given him a box filled with . His mom still him like a kid, though he was a driver now. He reached into the stocking and a toy tractor that looked a lot like his truck. He wondered how many stores his mother had to go before she found such a close match. filled his eyes.

He climbed out of his cab (驾驶室) and ran into the all night café, which many truckers were eating and talking. And a family of three were huddled (挤在一起) in a corner, tired and . Trint the boy. No kid should have to spend Christmas Eve in a truck stop.

Trint missed his family. His mom raised four kids by herself, no matter. how life was, she’d always made sure they had a good Christmas. Then he his box in the truck. He looked at the kid again and knew what he had to do. He forced himself into the outside to open his truck. He took the out of the cab and hurried back to the warmth of the café. He walked to the family. “I think left this for you,” Trint said and handed the red stocking to the boy. “Tell Santa… well, tell him , ” the boy’s father said and shook Trint’s hand long and hard. The mother smiled gratefully. The boy reached out and caught the stocking and dug inside.

Trint felt good. He had a job he loved, clear weather and miles of open road ahead. He wasn’t any more, or lonely. He loved this life and he wouldn’t a thing.

1.A. continued B. moved C. left D. stopped

2.A. worried about B. excited at C. satisfied with D. disappointed at

3.A. backward B. alone C. together D. ahead

4.A. flower B. cake C. present D. chocolate

5.A. blamed B. treated C. thought D. respected

6.A. put back B. turned over C. brought out D. sold out

7.A. Tears B. Water C. Blood D. Sweat

8.A. around B. on C. by D. inside

9.A. excited B. unhappy C. enthusiastic D. pleased

10.A. felt proud of B. got tired of C. felt sorry for D .became interested in

11. A. for B. so C. though D. but

12.A. hard B. unfair C. hopeless D. boring

13.A. threw away B. sent back C. thought of D. put down

14.A. cold B. warmth C. snow D. rain

15.A. toy tractor B. jacket C. bag D. stocking

16.A. God B. Santa Claus C. my mother D. someone kind

17.A. yes B. no C. sorry D. thanks

18.A. sadly B. weakly C. eagerly D. seriously

19.A. surprised B. tired C. relaxed D. confused

20.A. improve B. miss C. throw D. change

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当词或使用括号中词语的适当形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为41---50的相应位置上。

Online shopping is coming into fashion in most cities, where people are able to make full use of the rapidly-developed internet technology. Nowadays, can we find a person 1. has not experienced online shopping? Definitely not.

Online shopping 2. (welcome) by most people due to various reasons. From the perspective of consumer, it can save some time for people who don’t have much spare time. Just click the mouse, they can get 3. they want while staying at home. For the retailers, it can cut some costs for those who don’t have much circulating funds. 4.(compare) with the traditional trade mode, they don’t have to spend money in renting a house. 5. , there are still some disadvantages in online shopping. First, a face-to-face deal makes online shopping less 6. (rely) and trustworthy. Second, people will lose 7. fun of bargain.

8. is undeniable that shopping on the internet has become an irresistible trend in modern society. It’s of great urgency that we need to make the relative laws 9.__ the rapid growth of online shopping. Only in this way can we enjoy the pleasure and 10. (convenient) of online shopping without the concern of being cheated.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中有10处语言错误。每句中至多有两处错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（/）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该下面写出修改后的词。

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（从第11处起）不计分。

John, a heavy smoker, once feel bad-tempered. His hands started shaking and he coughed a lot, so he turned to his doctor for help. “Quit smoking,” the doctor advised. Find the advice sensible from several points, such as money, healthy, and cleanliness, John decided to give up smoking. However, for several hour without a cigarette, John was nervous and had a difficulty in concentrating, inability to sleep, what made him more hungry for a cigarette. He said to himself, “One more, I will quit it tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a suitable day of me to break away from the bad habit…” Then he picked up a cigarette which made her relaxed. Again and again John made up his mind to do it “tomorrow”. Today John is still addicted for smoking.

假如你是李华，你的英国笔友Bill 来信询问你家乡是否有雾霾（smog）、情况如何。请按下面提示写一封电子邮件:

1. 感谢他的关心；

2. 简要介绍本地雾霾情况及给人们生活带来的危害；

3. 人们已经认识到雾霾天气的危害，正采取各种措施减少其发生。

注意：1.字数100左右；

2.不要逐字翻译，可适当增加细节以使行文连贯；

3.开头结尾已经给出，不计入总数。

Dear Bill:

I’m glad to receive your letter. Thank you for your caring for the weather and my health.

_______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________

Yours Sincerely,

Li Hua

We may not be aware of it, but ordinary family homes in the U.S. and the rest of the world are not energy-efficient.

Most of their energy goes to heating and cooling, and a lot of it is wasted, as warm air and cool air escape through fireplace chimneys and thin or poorly fitting windows and doors. A passive house loses almost none."Imagine a thermos(保温瓶),"said housing developer Brendan O’Neill."You have insulation(隔绝) everywhere, and it’s basically completely sealed. And so the idea is to build a house like a thermos. So the windows are sealed. There’s insulation completely surrounding the building. We make it as sealed as possible."

A 147-square-meter passive house, presented by O’Neill Development Corp. as a demonstration unit just outside Washington, was brought to the site in two boxes. "Once it’s set and put together, it takes about four weeks to complete the outside construction, to put down carpets," O’Neill said. "If everything is set in place, you put a house like this together in about four months.”The total cost of building it was $325,000, or about 17 percent more than constructing an ordinary house. But its utility(公用事业) bill is only around $20 monthly, or one-tenth the amount for the average house of the same size.

While passive houses have been around for a long time, the idea has never taken root in the U.S. There was no driving force to push it.

However, David Peabody, an architect who designs passive houses said, "I think climate change is now becoming a larger issue. And I think building standards are catching on to that. So people are becoming more aware of energy."Peabody said the cost of building passive houses could come down."What really makes sense for truly affordable housing," he said, "is to build multi-storey buildings."

1.Why aren’t ordinary family homes energy-efficient?

A. Building them wastes much energy.

B. Their energy mainly goes to heating and cooling.

C. Their sealing performance is poor.

D. They have no insulation around at all.

2.What is the feature of a passive house?

A. There’re no windows or chimneys.

B. There’s little space to place furniture.

C. Its building cost is relatively high.

D. It takes about four weeks to build one.

3.What’s David Peabody’s attitude to the future of the passive house?

A. Cautious.B. Optimistic.C. Skeptical.D. Concerned.