It’s not unusual for us to be together with our relatives on the weekends. But you know that holidays can be the chances for families to get together. Also, it may be a time to break your relationship because of some improper conversations. Now, Deborah Tannen, a Georgetown University professor, offers suggestions to improve communication at the holiday table. Let’s take a look.

A round dinning table is best for promoting a lively conversation because everyone faces one another. So, avoid seating grandparents at the ends of a rectangular(长方形的）table, even though it is the traditional place of honor. The old may feel lonely there because they will be unable to hear or keep up with a conversation. So do female family members because they prefer to face each other when they talk. However, Men might look around at other things. “Guys may be more relaxed looking at the TV or other interesting things.” says Tannen.

When talking, you should notice the people who are not involved in it. If you feel you are doing all the talk, wait to give others a chance to start. If you feel you can’t get a chance to speak, try to make yourself to start talking.

Besides, Some families find that gatherings will go better if they take part in an outdoor activity. Going to a park for a walk may be more enjoyable than sitting around talking.

1.According to the passages, seating the old at the ends of a rectangular table _______.

A. might stop them from talking

B. may make them feel uncomfortable

C. is a good way to show them honor

D. allows them to follow a conversation

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

A. Men like to make more eye contact than women.

B. Women prefer outdoor activities over sitting around talking.

C. Men may be more relaxed while watching TV.

D. Women always want to doing all the talk.

3.The main purpose of the text is to _______.

A. introduce Deborah Tannen

B. give us some advice on how to spend holidays

C. suggest how we can talk and act properly when families are getting together

D. look at the person and listen to him when you are talking with others

How to make a successful apology. Have you done something that you feel bad about? Is there a person who you have treated badly? Do you need to say “I’m sorry” to someone? Here are five things you can do to have a successful apology.

● Make your apology real. 1.People can tell if you take responsibility for what you did or if you are lying.

● Do not make excuses. 2.It is saying that you were wrong to do it.

● 3. An apology should show that you have learned from what you did. Show that you mean what you say.

● Make it clear that you are apologizing. Just saying “I’m sorry” is not enough. Talk about what you did and then say that you feel bad about doing it. 4.

● Be prepared for the unexpected. Be prepared for it to take some time for your apology to be accepted. This may be a long moment, a few minutes, or even days or weeks. The person may stay angry with you. 5.

A. Be patient and hopeful.

B. Make a promise to change.

C. Choose the right time to apologize.

D. An apology will be better accepted if it is sincere.

E. An apology is not explaining why you did something.

F. You can give your apology to the other person as a letter.

G. It is important that the person knows you are apologizing.

When is the last time you took a nap(小睡)？Is a nap part of your culture? Many people in the United States think naps are a waste of ____. But recently, companies are seeing the ____ of a short afternoon nap.

For hundreds of years, an afternoon nap has been common for people of all ages and jobs. After a short nap, people wake up feeling more ____. They feel more alert(机敏的),and ready to go back to work. In Spain and Latin America, most businesses____ for several hours in the afternoon. _____ go home for lunch and a nap. In the late afternoon, they _____ their jobs. But in most _____ , an afternoon nap is very _____. In the United States, most people work 8 or 9 hours a day with a lunch break and one or two short coffee breaks. If you are_____ in the afternoon, have another cup of _____ !

Generally, naps are not _____ in today’s workplace. But now more than ever, a nap may be a good idea. Scientists report that most people have much less energy(精力)_____. During this time, workers and students _____ less clearly.

Research _____ that after a short(30—45 minute) “power” nap, most workers feel more awake, more creative, and are better at solving problems. Managers say that after a _____, workers can get more _____ in less time.

Some major companies see that naps help their employees, _____ they are taking napping seriously. These companies are _____ breaks for naps. Some companies _____ have nap rooms. In the future, a nap break may be as _____ as a coffee break. But until then, it’s still not a good idea to get caught “sleeping on the job”.

1.A. time B. space C. money D. effort

2.A. solutions B. points C. warnings D. benefits

3.A. careful B. pleased C. fresh D. confident

4.A. hurry B. close C. exist D. fail

5.A. Workers B. Students C. Farmers D. Teachers

6.A. forget B. choose C. return to D. give up

7.A. cities B. villages C. countries D. schools

8.A. unusual B. strange C. important D. frequent

9.A. boring B. sleepy C. busy D. hungry

10.A. water B. milk C. tea D. coffee

11.A. remembered B. accepted C. discussed D. discovered

12.A. at noon B. at night C. in the afternoon D. at midnight

13.A. think B. speak C. listen D. watch

14.A. expects B. corrects C. suggests D. shows

15.A. trip B. nap C. meeting D. holiday

16.A. destroyed B. removed C. planned D. done

17.A. but B. and C. for D. or

18.A. offering B. welcoming C. taking D. changing

19.A. once B. never C. soon D. even

20.A. short B. long C. common D. interesting

I was born in 1642 in France. After I was programmed by an operator 1. used cards with holes, I could “think” 2.(logical). In 1936, my real father, Alan Turing, wrote a book about how computers could be made 3.(work) to solve any mathematical problem by 4.(build) a universal machine. People were surprised at my artificial intelligence.

At first, I was as large 5. a room. As time 6.(go) by, I was made smaller and smaller. It was in the early 1960s 7. I got a family connected by a network. My memory became 8.large that even I couldn’t believe it! I could share information 9. others and since the 1970s, my family and I have been used by millions of people. I am now filled with 10. (happy) that I am a good helper of the human races.

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。作文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。 增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词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。

The modern Olympic Games are the biggest sports meeting in the world, it include 2 sets of Games, the Winter and the Summer Olympics. Both held every 4 years. All countries can take part in. Only athletes who have reached the agreeing standard for their events will be admitted into competitors.

Women are not only allowed to join in and play a very important role in many events. A special village is built for the competitors to live in. The great number of buildings such like stadiums, swimming pools and gymnasiums are built for competitions. It’s a great responsible and honor to host the Olympics. The olive wreath has been replaced by medals, but the motto of the Olympics is still “Swift, Higher, and Stronger”.

众所周知，学生使用手机越来越普遍，但是学生使用手机的消极作用也日渐凸显，请你根据所给信息，以“The negative(负面的) effects of using cell phones on students”为题目写一篇英语短文：

内容要点：

1. 长时间使用手机危害身体健康，特别是视力（eyesight）

2. 依赖于手机、网络，学生与亲友很少面对面交流并且没有时间进行体育锻炼

3. 上课玩手机游戏，聊微信（Wechat), 看视频(video)导致学生成绩下降

4. 不仅家长老师应该限制学生在学校用手机而且学生在学校也不应该玩手机。

注意：1. 词数100词左右； 2 可适当增加细节，以使行文更连贯

As we know, more and more students use cell phones in school nowadays.

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I’ve just got to talk about this problem I’m having with my postman. It all began a year ago, after the birth of his first child. Not wanting to appear rude, I asked him about the baby. The next week, not wanting him to think I had asked out of mere politeness the week before, I asked all about the baby again. Now I can’t break the habit. I freeze whenever I see him coming. The words “How’s the baby?” come out on their own. It holds me up. It holds him up. So why can’t I stop it? The answer is that I want him to like me. Come to think of it, I want everyone to like me.

What about at work? Richard Lawton, a management trainer, warns: “Those managers who are actually liked by most of their staff (员工)are always those who are honest with staff, treating them as human beings and following common politeness like saying hello in the morning.” To explain the point, Richard told the story of the company chairman who especially wanted to be liked. One day, after making one of his employees fired, the employee replied: “If you were that sorry, I wouldn’t be leaving.” The lesson is that if you try too hard to be liked, people won’t like you.

The experts say it all starts in childhood. “If children feel they can only get love from their parents by being good,” says Zelda West-Meads, a marriage adviser, “they develop low self-confidence.” But is there anything wrong in being a giver? Anne Cousins believes there is. “Sometimes giving becomes unhealthy,” she says. “It comes when you do things for others but feel bad about it.”

I am now trying hard to say to people “I feel uncomfortable about saying this, but…” and tell myself “Refusal of a request does not mean Refusal of a person” and I find I can say almost anything to almost anyone.

1.Why does the author ask the postman about his baby?

A. He is interested in the baby.

B. He wants to be always polite to him.

C. He wants to leave a good impression to him.

D. It’s a way to start a chat with great politeness.

2.Managers are more likely to be popular if they ______.

A. help the staff with their problems

B. make sure the staff do not lose their jobs

C. encourage the staff to be polite to each other

D. do not make too much effort to be liked

3.What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

A. To show how to let others like you more.

B. To encourage people to have more self-confidence.

C. To prove how to create a harmonious atmosphere.

D. To suggest ways of dealing with difficult people.

A Shanghai shopping center recently opened a “husband nursery”. Men who are pulled around the shops by their wives or girlfriends can relax and rest there from shopping. Do most men hate shopping with women? Forum(论坛)readers share their opinions.

YinsXZ (US)

Hey, that is a nice idea. I like it. It also makes it easier for women who have lots of bags to be able to drop them off at the nursery for boyfriends to watch over while they return to shop for more! Set it up with wifi too and you have a perfect hang out spot. And most importantly, I don’t have to wait for complaints from the woman when I stop to look at computers to tools!

Sunnylin01(China)

Most women like shopping while most men don’t. Men generally don’t spend hours deciding color, comparison shopping or finding the sale prices. They know what they want, get in, buy them and get out. 10-15 minutes and they’re done. This is quite different from how a woman shops. Going from store to store, trying to find the best ones. The trying will spend hours.

Seneca(a foreigner in China)

Many women view shopping as an entertaining way to get down from high stress levels. My wife is one of those. Stress comes too naturally to her; driving a car, doing her job ,dealing with workmates all lead to some rising of her stress level. So shopping ideally happens every day. For me, that amount of shopping is stressful.

Blonde Amber(Ireland)

Some men take hours comparing products, trying things out, finding sales prices. They don’t always know what they want but enjoy just looking. Men can shop the same as women for things they are interested in and spend hours doing it. Equally not all women like shopping and go in, 10-15 minutes and they are done. People are not black and white, and don’t fit into boxes.

1.According to forum readers, which is not the benefit of opening a “husband nursery”?

A. Men can escape the complaints from women

B. Women can enjoy shopping more with bags left in men’s care

C. Women can finish their shopping in a shorter time

D. Men can relax themselves when women are shopping

2.Which saying below can best describe Sunnylin01 and Seneca’s opinion?

A. One man’s meat is another man’s poison

B. Joy and sorrow are next-door neighbors

C. A good wife make a good husband

D. Experience is the mother of wisdom

3.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that_____.

A. black people and white people are different in size

B. people with different skins have different opinions

C. people shouldn’t draw general conclusion blindly

D. shopping is not suitable for any kind of people

I had five hours in the company of First Great Western(FGW) last weekend, on a train full of passengers, all the way from Cornwall to London. I got to know some of my fellow passengers rather well. Not through talking to them, you understand.

There was the youth who was explaining to his friend exactly how he enjoyed a party with his friends last night. Opposite him was a young woman who was very excited to be going to Lanzarote for her summer holiday. And then there was the man who I took to be a car mechanic(汽车修理工); so detailed and technical was his conversation about a second-hand Audi. Everyone had a different, noisy ringtone, and none of the mobile phone conversations I was forced to hear was interesting.

By the end of the journey, I was silently complaining about the modern world, and feeling mad with FGW who, at the very moment when our carriage fell silent, would make an announcement about the buffet car (a carriage where food and drinks are sold) either opening or closing.

FGW seems to be campaigning against peace and quietness, having removed quiet carriage spaces where passengers were requested not to use mobiles so that their trains could carry more passengers. How so? I cannot understand why FGW takes no notice of passengers like me, who have suffered a lot from hearing endless telephone conversations. I have no interest in the smallest details of others’ lives. Making people listen to boring mobile phone conversations should be regarded as a rude act.”

Every train carriage should, in theory, be quiet. Why can’t that be the standard? It is possible to change public custom and practice. It was not so long ago that sidewalks were littered with dog waste：now it’s a general rule that dog owners clean it up after their pets. And once we restore peace and quietness to trains, we can then move on and stop people bringing fast food onto them, too.

1.How did the author get to know the three passengers?

A．From their phone conversations.

B．Through introductions.

C．In informal conversations.

D．By using a mobile phone.

2.At the end of the journey, the author ______.

A．became satisfied with FGW’s service

B．felt uneasy about the silence

C．was filled with anger

D．went to the buffet car

3.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．He is in support of the decision of FGW.

B．He believes FGW will have more passengers.

C．He dislikes hearing others’ phone conversations.

D．He thinks it’s rude to listen to others’ conversations.

4.The author mentioned the rule of cleaning up dog mess to show ____.

A．dog mess has become a serious problem

B．quiet carriages can become the standard

C．noise in carriages is as troubling as dog mess

D．changing public custom and practice is difficult

Family traditions are things that families do together regularly. 1.They can be repeated daily, weekly, monthly or once a year. It is important for families to follow their traditions even as their children get older. Here are reasons:

Family traditions create good feelings and special moments to remember. They are fun things to do. 2.And they are the memories that will last a lifetime.

3.Being a part of a family is more than living in the same home or having the same last name. It is about relationships and family bonds. Since family traditions are something you do together, they create a stronger sense of belonging to the family.

Family traditions help teens a lot when they are trying to figure out who they are, which job teenagers often do. A family encourages a teen to be a part of it and its traditions provide a strong base for teens to stand on.4.

5.Every day teens face some very difficult issues. Knowing that they are secure and have a family to turn to is a powerful tool to use when they are in trouble.

A. Family traditions give teens a sense of security.

B. Family traditions help parents inform their children of the family’s values.

C. These things can be enjoyable activities or a certain food that a family likes

D. Family traditions give every member of the family a strong sense of belonging.

E. Enjoying them together as a family will create positive feelings in each member.

F. Old family traditions are important but easily forgotten in today’s society.

G. It’s very important when they’re looking for their sense of self.