If you’re shopping around for a new laptop to start the year off right, consider one of these following picks for budget-conscious students.

For Chatty Cathys

Sony’s 15.5” VAIO E Series laptop ($399.99) has a second-generation Intel Core i3-2370M processor, 4GB of system memory (RAM) and 500 GB hard drive. Built into the machine is an HD webcam to make it easy to have a video chat with family and friends. And while the camera has a microphone, integrated Bluetooth means you can also wear a headset for even clearer audio. This Windows 7 Home Premium laptop also includes a DVD burner, ACID Music Studio and more.

Math blaster

Students studying math or statistics or business might appreciate a laptop with a dedicated numeric keypad along the right-hand side of the keyboard. That’s what you’ll find in Toshiba’s satin black 15.6-inch Satellite laptop ($399.99). You’ll also find one USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports. This entry-level PC has a second-gen Intel Core i3-2370M processor, 4GB of system memory and 500 GB hard drive.

Personalize that PC

If you’ve got a bit more cash to spend, the newest Dell Inspiron 15R ($499.99) delivers a lot of bang for the buck. You get 6GB of system memory, 500GB hard drive. But students might also like the option to change up its look. While the laptop comes standard in silver, you can personalize it with additional lids for $30 a piece (e.g. red, blue or pink). Other highlights include Bluetooth.

Bigger is better

Especially if it’s going to be used primarily as a desktop replacement, a larger screen laptop is the way to go. For $449.99 you can pick up a 17.3-inch HP Pavilion laptop, with a good-looking LED-backlit high-definition widescreen display (1600 x 900 resolution) ideal for movies, games and photos. This computer houses a second-gen Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of system memory, 500GB hard drive, DVD burner, and more.

1.If you often have video chats with others, you’d better buy ________.

A. Dell Inspiron 15R

B. 17.3-inch HP Pavilion laptop

C. Toshiba’s 15.6-inch Satellite laptop

D. Sony’s 15.5”VAIO E Series laptop

2.Toshiba’s satin black 15.6-inch Satellite laptop is different from others in that ________

A. it has three USB ports

B. its hard drive is 500GB

C. its system memory is 4GB

D. it has a larger keyboard

3.What would be the best title for this passage?

A. The development of technology.

B. Several school laptops for students

C. The changes of the modern computers

D. The future laptops for the young generation

Alex Elman runs a big business --- something hard to imagine after she lost her sight in her twenties. But Elman says that losing her sight helped her focus on finding success.

Elman’s father planted a hillside vineyard in western Massachusetts in 1981. It’s where Elman fled during the darkest period of her life. When she was 27 years old, she went blind due to complications from juvenile diabetes (幼年型糖尿病) 17 years ago. She recalled, “I hid in my home. I hid in the place, to me, that was the safest place in the world.”

Elman is now the founder of Alex Elman Wines, a growing portfolio (股份) of organic wines from all around the world: Chianti from Italy, Torrontes from Argentina. Elman doesn’t work alone. Her assistant, a guide dog named Hanley, is something of a wine snob, and quite a beggar. Hanley travels to all of the wineries that Elman does, from South America to Europe.

At first, Elman resisted the idea of a seeing-eye-dog. Now it’s hard to imagine her life, or her business, without him. She said. “When someone tells me something is organic and I don’t really believe it because I taste something funny on it, I’ll put it in front of his face and if he likes the wine, he’ll actually go in and sniff it. If it’s not right, he’ll turn his head away…He gets in the dirt with me. He scratches around. He makes sure that we see earthworms and butterflies. That’s how we know that the soil is actually organic, that there are no chemicals.”

Elman told CBS News she believes the loss of her vision was a gift. She said, “It allowed me to pay attention to what I thought was important and also to be able to teach people that the broken hang nail is not a big deal, you know what I mean? Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t sweat the big stuff either.”

1.Elman hid herself in her father’s vineyard probably because she ________.

A. suffered from juvenile diabetes

B. was extremely painful for her blindness

C. would like to help her father with the work

D. expected to recover her sight sooner or later

2.We can learn from Paragraph 3 that Elman ________.

A. has earned a large amount of money

B. plans to operate organic wine companies

C. has become successful with Hanley’s help

D. has travelled around the world with Hanley

3.Whenever Elman couldn’t judge the wine exactly, she would ________.

A. turn to Hanley for advice

B. have another taste in person

C. order Hanley to head away

D. make Hanley to drink it

4.The underlined phrase “the broken hang nail” (in Paragraph 5) probably refers to ________.

A. a nail which is of no use

B. a disadvantage you have in your life

C. a person who is hard to deal with

D. a task that is not easy to accomplish

Ever since you were born, you’ve probably celebrated the anniversary of that day once each year. Would you believe that some people actually celebrate TWICE each year? Not only do they celebrate the anniversary of the day they were born, they also celebrate six months later on their half birthday!

First let’s take a look at how half birthdays are calculated. The first --- and earliest --- is simply to keep the same number of the birth date and add six months to it. For example, if your birthday is January 13, then your half birthday would be on July 13.

Of course, this easy method doesn’t always work, because not all months have the same number of days. For example, an August 30 birthday would become February 30 --- a day that doesn’t exist!

If you want to be really precise, you need to add half the number of days in a year to your birth date. For example, in a normal year, this means adding 182.5 days. In a leap year, you would add 183 days. If this sounds too complicated, don’t worry. There are plenty of websites that will do the work for you!

For starters, consider kids. As they grow, six months can mean huge milestones. It can be a special time to celebrate with them as they grow up, because they grow up all too fast!

Half birthday celebrations can also be great for those people whose regular birthday might be overshadowed by a nearby holiday, such as Christmas. Likewise, kids whose birthdays fall in the summer might enjoy celebrating their half birthday, so that they can share their joy with their friends at school.

Half birthdays aren’t the only special “birthdays” that some people celebrate, though. Adopted children sometimes celebrate both their actual birthday (the day they were actually born) and the day they were adopted. Do you have any other special “birthdays” that you and your family celebrate?

1.The author’s purpose of writing this passage is mainly to tell us ________.

A. what birthday means

B. what half birthday is

C. the kinds of birthdays

D. the history of birthday

2.The author shows us how to calculate half birthdays by ________.

A. offering some practical examples

B. making a list of different numbers

C. comparing a normal year and a leap one

D. telling the difference between birthdays and half birthdays

3.Who are most likely to celebrate half birthdays?

A. People who are not young any longer.

B. People whose half birthday falls in summer.

C. People whose birthday falls near a holiday.

D. People who don’t like their birthdays at all.

4.This passage is taken from a website; which section does it belong to?

A. Science. B. Politics.

C. Hobby. D. Culture.

It is amazing to note that the Internet is still such a new device, and yet it is one of the fastest and most powerful media tools. But think about it for a moment. On the Internet, a big online company can be run by two guys out of their garage. So it is only reasonable that people shopping on the Net would be a little leery of the security levels.

Internet giants such as Microsoft knew consumer confidence was the key to getting virtual(虚拟)shopping off the ground, and they work hard to make people feel safe to shop online.

Credit card companies, too, quickly saw the potential for Internet shopping, and have installed things like online shopping insurance for people. If you ever have a problem with your online credit purchases, many credit card companies will happily refund(返还) your money and then set their claws on the company that wronged you. Now that’s buying power!

There are other bonuses for online shoppers, of course. No line-ups, for one. No annoying mall shopping carts with broken wheels and kids crying because their parents won’t get them what they want.

When shopping online, consumers can sit down, have a coffee, and wear their slippers, not have to worry about their hair or parking and just click through sale after sale. Comparison shopping couldn’t be any easier. And thanks to courier companies（速递公司）getting in on the act, you never need wait longer than a day or two to get those all important purchases delivered right to your door.

No wonder so many companies are shaking their heads at traditional advertising and instead looking to the “virtual” world to attract online shoppers.

1.The underlined word “leery” means ________.

A. satisfied B. distrustful

C. hopeful D. sad

2.________ leads to consumers’ trust in online shopping.

A. Shopping law B. Shopping convenience

C. Internet access D. Shopping security

3.Which group of words would the writer use to describe current Internet shopping?

A. Adventurous, enjoyable, fast, unreal. B. Unsafe, cheap, slow, convenient.

C. Reliable, popular, convenient, slow. D. Safe, convenient, fast, comfortable.

4.The following are thought to have made contributions to the popularity of online shopping EXCEPT_________.

A. Internet companies B. courier companies

C. advertising companies D. credit card companies

Have you ever wondered how to stop being shy? Shyness and social anxiety go together, because someone who is shy may be uncomfortable being around people --- even though they very much wanted to be. 1.

Figure out why you’re shy.

It can help you if you figure out why you’re shy in the first place. 2. But if you can figure out why you’re shy, you may be able to figure out a way to stop being shy as a result.

3.

Once you realize why you’re shy, you can’t care about the past too much. You may have old reactions in place from those old situations, but you can change those. Remember that what happened years ago doesn’t have to affect you when it comes to how to stop being shy.

Accept yourself first.

People who don’t suffer from shyness are comfortable with themselves, first and foremost. 4. Accept yourself first, and you have a lot easier time when it comes to how to stop being shy in social situation, too.

Go for “real”.

There are a lot of people out there who are interested in being “social”. If you’re going to work hard at how to stop being shy, what you’ll really want to do is to develop lasting friendships with people who care about you. 5.

When you become more comfortable, you’ll find that your shyness simply melts away around those people you care about most.

A. Make friends with people.

B. Realize the past doesn’t matter.

C. Sometimes it’s not absolutely necessary.

D. Here are some ways on how to stop being shy.

E. These people will want to make you feel comfortable.

F. You’ll never succeed in your whole life because you are shy.

G. So what you’ll need to work on is getting comfortable with you.

Two brothers --- one a bachelor, the other married --- owned a farm whose rich soil yielded (生产) a lot of grain. _______ of the grain went to one brother and half to the other.

All _______ well at first. Then every now and then, the married man began to wake from his sleep at night and think: “This isn’t ________. My brother isn’t married, he’s all _______, and he gets only half the produce of the farm. Here I am with a wife and five kids, _______ I have all the security I need for my old age. But who will _______ my poor brother when he gets old? He needs to _______ much more for the future than he does at the present, so his need is _______ greater than mine.”

_______ that he would get out of bed, _______ over to his brother’s place and pour a sackful of grain into his brother’s granary(粮仓).

The bachelor brother _______ began to get the same _______. Every once in a while he would _______ from his sleep and say to himself: “My brother has a(n) _______ and five kids and he gets only half the produce of the land. Now I have no one except myself to _______. So should my poor brother, whose need is clearly greater than mine, receive _______ as much as I do? ” Then he would get out of bed and pour a sackful of grain into his brother’s granary.

One night they got out of bed at the same time and ______ to meet on the way, each with a sack of grain on his _______!

Many years later, after their death, the _______ leaked out(泄露). So when the townsfolk wanted to build a church, they _______ the spot at which the two brothers met, for they could not think of any place in the town that was better than that one.

1.A. Some B. Much C. Half D. Most

2.A. left B. went C. ended D. changed

3.A. fair B. true C. fine D. easy

4.A. rich B. strong C. honest D. alone

5.A. or B. so C. and D. but

6.A. know about B. depend on C. talk with D. care for

7.A. spend B. earn C. save D. accept

8.A. obviously B. finally      C. slowly D. luckily

9.A. For B. On C. With D. At

10.A. turn B. steal C. jump D. look

11.A. even B. still C. never D. too

12.A. worry B. award C. result D. chance

13.A. suffer B. hear C. wake D. return

14.A. classmate B. wife C. friend D. uncle

15.A. blame B. persuade C. encourage D. support

16.A. hardly B. nearly C. exactly D. almost

17.A. happened B. agreed C. refused D. decided

18.A. way B. head C. hand D. back

19.A. joke B. story C. humor D. history

20.A. avoided B. designed C. chose D. enjoyed

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you get a closer look you will notice one of them is blind. Instead of 1. (abandon) him, his owner has made him a safe and comfortable barn to live in. And if you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell 2. (come) from 3. smaller horse. Attached to 4. (it) halter (缰绳) is a small, copper-colored bell assisting the blind friend to follow him,

5. you watch them, you'll find the horse with the bell always checking on the blind one, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to 6. the other one is, trusting he will not 7. (lead) astray (迷路地). When the horse with the bell returns to the barn each evening, he will stop 8. (frequent) to look back, making sure that the 9. isn't too far behind to hear the bell．

Life does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of our acquaintances; 10. other times, we are the guide horse, who helps others to find their way.

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短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号(∧), 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：在错的词下画一横线, 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 Big Bang Theory, one of the most popular comedy in America and even around the world these days, tell stories about four male scientists and a beautiful waitress.

These scientists are smart in their fields, especially Sheldon. He has a real high IQ in physics and he is very bad at getting along with others. Fortunately，his roommate Leonard was very tolerant and always forgives him at every time Sheldon makes a mistake. The waitress, naming Penny, is a very easy-going and nice girl whom has a dream of becoming an actress.

The comedy has gained popularity among people aged from 18 to 49. Its special and funny stories make people falling in love with it in short time.

手机本来是方便联系的，但是很多年轻人却将手机当成消磨时间的娱乐工具。他们整天低头发微信、玩游戏，被人们戏称为“低头族”。请为Campus Life写一篇文章，对这种情况进行分析，并发表你的看法，文章中需包括下面的要点：

1.人们对手机产生依赖，疏远家人和亲友；

2.低头玩手机甚至引发交通事故，给家人带来痛苦。

注意：1.词数120～150；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

3.参考词汇：低头族Smartphone Addicts

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Below are some of London's must-see museums.

Science Museum

The Science Museum features seven floors of educational and entertaining exhibits, including the Apollo 10. The Wellcome Wing shows developments in modern science, medicine and technology. The Medical History Gallery in the museum contains a large collection of medical history treasures. Exhibits in the Exploring Space galleries include models of the Huygens Titan probe(探测器) and Beagle 2 Mars Lander. Tickets to the museum’s in-house IMAX cinema cost extra.

Natural History Museum

The handsome Alfred Waterhouse building houses a collection that contains some 70 million plant, animal, fossil, rock and mineral samples. The Natural History Museum’s Life Galleries are devoted to displays on animal life. The Earth Galleries explore the natural forces that shape our planet, the treasures we take from it, the effect we have on it and its place in the universe. The museum’s wildlife garden attracts urban wildlife such as dragonflies and blackbirds and highlights inner-city wildlife conservation.

London Transport Museum

Among the vehicles on display at the London Transport Museum is the first underground electric train, which had no windows because there was nothing to see underground. The trouble was that no one could tell which stop they were at, a small problem solved by employing an athletic announcer who ran to each carriage at every station, shouting out the stops. Dating from 1890, this is one of the several museum exhibits you can board. The design gallery is in memory of Frank Pick, the man responsible for rolling out the London Underground brand and giving each line its own character.

Museum of London

The history of London, from prehistoric times to the present is told in the Museum of London through reconstructed interiors(内部) and street scenes, alongside displays of original artifacts found during the museum’s archaeological digs. Check the website before your visit as a packed program of temporary exhibitions, talks, walks and children’s events is central to the life of the Museum of London.

1.The main purpose of the passage is to ________.

A. report the opening of four latest museums of London

B. present a brief introduction to the history of four museums

C. introduce four famous museums in London

D. show the significance of visiting the museums

2.What can visitors do in the Natural History Museum?

A. Design plant, animal, fossil, rock and mineral samples.

B. Watch displays on plant life.

C. See some urban wildlife.

D. Learn about the history of London.

3.Why was an athletic announcer employed for the first underground electric train?

A. To show tourists around the train.

B. To guide passengers to the train.

C. To remind passengers of train delays.

D. To inform passengers of the stops.

4.At which museums can visitors watch films?

A. Science Museum B. Natural History Museum

C. London Transport Museum D. Museum of London