There is a common ,usually round object that you can see every day and it appears in many expressions—buttons! Buttons, which are made of metal or plastic, are found on all sorts of clothing. They fasten or connect one piece of clothing to another to make sure your clothes don’t fall off.

To be cute as a button is an old saying, which means to be attractive or sweet, but in a small way. Babies are often described as cute as a button. Language experts don’t know why. But they do say the expression dates from the late 1860s.

Here is another expression associated with button: button-down. People often wear button-down shirts to the office. Button-down as an adjective means to be conservative. People described as button-down stay as close as possible to the normal way of dressing and behaving.

When buttoning a button, you slip it into a buttonhole. A buttonhole traps the button. So, to buttonhole someone means you have trapped him in a spoken conversation. Now, let’s say you find yourself buttonholed in a conversation at a party. Someone just keeps talking and talking and talking! Finally, you can’t stand it any longer. You tell him to button it! This is a direct, but a little rude way of saying “Stop talking!”Button your lip is another equally rude way to stop a person who talks too much.

Another kind of difficult person is someone who pushes one’s buttons. To push one’s buttons means to know how to get that person annoyed or upset. People who like to push other people’s buttons usually do it for selfish reasons.

1.What do you think of someone who wears a button-down shirt to the office?

A. Crazy. B. Traditional.

C. Funny. D. Fashionable.

2.What will you probably say to get rid of a long and boring talk?

A. Be cute as a button.

B. Push your button.

C. Button your lip.

D. Be button-down.

3.How does the fourth paragraph mainly develop?

A. By giving examples.

B. By making contrasts.

C. By listing figures.

D. By analyzing cause and effect.

4.What does the underlined phrase in paragraph mean?[

A. Shouts loudly.

B. Learns of one’s secret.

C. Gets someone to lose his temper.

D. Argues with someone.

As we all know ,trees are important to our life. They provide us with food, wood and most importantly, oxygen. Now there is one more thing we can add to this list—blocking out harmful bacteria in water.

The discovery was made by some scientists and high school students who were seeking for a natural water filter(过滤器)—one that could help people in developing countries that don’t have access to modern water systems.

The researchers, led by Rohit Karnik, a professor ,decided to turn to trees for help because they were able to allow liquid to flow through while blocking out air bubbles(气泡）.

They began by cutting 1.5-inch-wide sections of tree bark from the branch of a white pine tree. The researchers then tested the wood’s filtering ability by pouring water containing red dye particles(染料颗粒)of different sizes through. To their surprise, they found it was effective in trapping all the particles. Encouraged, the team did another experiment, this time with water containing bacteria. Sure enough, the bark held back 99%of the bacteria, allowing only 1% to flow through.

Mr. Karnik said the bark was able to filter water containing much smaller particles. This means that it can be used to get rid of most of the bacteria. However, what troubles them is that tree bark cannot hold back viruses, which tend to be much smaller.

Though the experiment is successful, we must remember one thing—the bark only works when damp. This means that before this natural filter can be put to practical use, the researchers will have to figure out how to keep the bark damp, or find a way to keep the bark’s great filtering ability even when it’s dry.

But the study is not done. The researchers plan on testing other types of trees, including those flowering trees. They think those may be more effective in trapping smaller particles and even viruses.

1.How will the discovery affect the world?

A. No harmful bacteria will be found in water.

B. There will be no water pollution around the world.

C. More pine trees will be planted around the world.

D. Clean water will be more accessible in developing countries.

2.What problem troubles the researchers when using the trees bark as a water filter?

A. Viruses cannot be prevented.

B. Tree bark should be wet.

C. It’s hard to remove air bubbles.

D. Not all bacteria can be held back.

3.Why does the team plan to do other experiments?

A. To find other natural water filters.

B. To improve the filtering ability of other trees.

C. To find a way to keep the bark wet.

D. To test the filtering ability of other trees.

4.In which column of a newspaper can we read this text?

A. Culture. B. Science.

C. Lifestyle. D. Society.

We usually don’t mind when people call us by positive nicknames.1.But when people call us by cruel nicknames, it can be difficult to get them to stop. So what should you do?

Ask your friends to stop. Maybe you tripped(绊倒）over your feet a few times, and your friends started calling you klutz, thinking that you don’t really mind.2.

Leave a nicknames behind. Sometimes, life gives us a chance to start fresh3.If you’re moving from elementary school to middle school, let your friends know that don’t want to go by your old nickname.

Ignore those who call you by a nickname. If the kids calling you by a bad nickname aren’t your friends, you should do your best to ignore them.4.It may be hard to pretend that it doesn’t hurt, but if you get angry or obviously upset, it will just encourage them to use the nickname all the time.

5.Remember that if you have a bad nickname now, you probably won’t be stuck with it. Just look at Elvis Presley! When he first started singing on stage, he wiggled(摆动）his hips so much that cruel critics and the audience nicknamed him Elvis The Pelvis. He never stopped wiggling. People soon found it impossible to ignore his talent and began to call him The King of Rock & Roll.

A. If it does bother you, tell them.

B. Believe that things will change.

C. If the kids refuse to stop, talk to your teacher.

D. It feels good when these nicknames are repeated.

E. Although words can be hurtful, they can’t change who you really are.

F. The chance can be a good time to get rid of a nickname that you don’t like.

G. If you act like they aren’t hurting you, they’ll eventually get bored and stop.

Recently, I questioned the work I was doing. I found myself wondering whether all my time and effort was______. Will my new business provide the income I need? Is my service good enough for others to want to______my products? These are only a few of the______that ran through my mind. With every question, my self-confidence were_______! As my doubts swirled（纷乱）in my mind, I could feel my attitude changing. I doubted whether it is really worth the_______or not.

Realizing that these______thoughts were affecting my attitude, I went to the website to read quotes on______.I found I did not have a category of “self-confidence”. I then searched the wow4u website and found______quotes on self-confidence. So I______establishing a category on self-confidence.

As I worked on the web page, my self-confidence was being______.I could feel my outlook changing, and gave myself a(n)______adjustment. Many times in my life I have found the quotes have______changed my outlook. The quotes I was reading reassured(使消除疑虑)me, and provided me with the______to realize that what I was doing in fact what I______to do. Like everything else in life, it takes time;_____does not happen overnight. Then my attitude has become_______

As I was reading a quote from Rosalyn Carter, “If you_____whether you can accomplish something, then you can’t accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your______, and then be______enough to follow through,” I realized I do have confidence in my ability, but what I was______was the persistence and determination to follow it through!

1.A. limited B. endless C. small D. worthwhile

2.A. do B. purchase C. refuse D. quit

3.A. jobs B. chances C. suggestions D. questions

4.A. decreasing B. forming C. improving D. continuing

5.A. trust B. effect C. effort D. praise

6.A. negative B. proper C. normal D. final

7.A. dream B. career C. self-control D. self-confidence

8.A. honest B. wonderful C. strict D. comfortable

9.A. ended up B. gave up C. made up D. put up

10.A. tested B. ignored C. restored D. forgotten

11.A. life B. work C. study D. attitude

12.A. hardly B. actually C. slightly D. normally

13.A. wealth B. promise C. condition D. motivation

14.A. loved B. disliked C. advised D. remembered

15.A. honor B. tragedy C. success D. friendship

16.A. angry B. positive C. patient D. nervous

17.A. know B. wonder C. doubt D. check

18.A. ability B. knowledge C. experience D. background

19.A. clever B. skilled C. tough D. curious

20.A. considering B. lacking C. expecting D. gaining

The Tower Bridge is one of the twenty-seven bridges over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from1.the Tower Bridge got its name. It is a symbol of London.

It is recorded that the Tower Bridge2.(build) in 1894 and now it is one of the3.(famous) bridges in the world. It’s interesting that its middle part can be raised4.(let) big ships pass. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but now it is raised only 4 to 5 times a week. If you are lucky enough to see the bridge with its two arms open high in the air, you’ll never forget it.

People often think the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge are5.the same age.6.in fact, the Tower of London was built 1000 years ago, while the latter only7.(have) a history of over 100 years.

The Tower Bridge was first painted chocolate brown. Later, it was painted red, white and blue. Its picture also appeared in the opening of the Summer Olympic Games8.(hold) in London in 2012.So come to visit the famous bridge. You’ll9.(sure) have a wonderful experience and it’ll leave you a lasting10.(impress).

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。文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有2处.涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加:此行缺一个词在缺词处加一个漏字符号（/\），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，在该词下面写出改正后的词。

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 。

Last weekend, there was art festival in our school. Our headmaster plan to make it a feature of our school. I was so excited, for it was the first time for me to join in it.

Early in the morning, I saw such many people come to our school, made it so lively. The students gave a warm welcome to the guest. I walked around or appreciated the paintings. All of the works were from the students and I was very impressed by it. There were also some handcrafts, that were so creative. Though they were busy with their study most of the time, some students still managed to develop their hobbies. I should learn to them and develop a hobby as well as.

假定你是李华，是某外语特色高中的一名学生。下个月，来自世界各地的中学生将到你校参加一个国际交流活动，学校将选拔一批志愿者参与接待工作，请根据以下提示用英语给校长写一封申请信：

个人情况：年龄、性别和性格等；

申请原因：英语口语好、有责任感、擅长沟通和团队合作；

希望获准。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 开头语已为你写好；

3. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear headmaster,

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

The Colony, TX

Median home price: $135,863

Median family income: $89,308

Set on the shores of Lewisville Lake, The Colony is ideal for outdoor types. There’s boating and swimming on the lake, as well as hiking, picnicking and golf in the parklands around it. The Colony also enjoys a wealth of housing options, from one-bedroom apartments to lakeside mansions(大厦),Cute two-bedroom starter homes are available for less than $100,000and nice four-bedrooms can cost as little as $135,000

Gladstone, MO

Median home price : $96,690

Median family income: $64,745

With the nickname of “Happy Rock”, Gladstone must be a cheerful place to live. Among its charms: This Kansas City suburb recently opened a new community center that has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness center and basketball courts. More reasons for residents to smile : A nearby Ford Motor plant is set to expand, which is expected to bring in new jobs. A four-bedroom, 2.5bath house was recently on the market for just $129,000

Irmo, SC

Median home price: $99,000

Median family income : $67,999

This September, Irmo celebrates its 40th annual Okra Strut. The Strut started small, as a fund raiser for a new library ,but now up to 100,000,people attend the two-day event. When the festival first started , Irmo was a sleepy town of just 500.It’s grown rapidly since, with 12,000 residents today. The average three-bedroom 1,300-square-foot home costs about $99,000

Powder Springs, GA

Median home price : $85,000

Median family income: $68,168

Families love Powder Spring’s charming downtown and pleasant quality of life .They also appreciate its reasonable real estate prices : Three-bedroom homes are on the market here for $85,000 and less . Another big draw is McEachern High School, which used to be a college campus. The school is supported by a large endowment , according to city manager Brad Hulsey . “People really want their kids to attend,”he said.

1.Which of the following describes the Colony, TX properly?

A. Modern and magnificent

B. Entertaining and optional

C. Cheap and very attractive

D. Expensive but fashionable

2.If you want to buy a house, you have to spend about $76.00 for every square foot in ______.

A. Powder Springs, GA

B. Irmo, SC

C. Gladstone, MO

D. The Colony, TX

3.By saying, “people really want their kids to attend” , Brad Hulsey means that ______.

A. Parents encourage their kids to go to school

B. people now pay more attention to education

C. kids usually enjoy themselves in Powder Springs

D. people buy the house in Powder Springs for the School

4.Who are most likely to be interested in the passage?

A. Students who are at school

B. Parents who have a low income

C. People who want to buy affordable houses

D. Builders who have just lost their jobs.

When I was about 10, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr Lee. I knew I could see Mr Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable, "You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street." That sentence sounds simple but it made me become who I am.

At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the cafe? and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no mater how humble (卑微的)they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.

I've become vice president, but that hasn't changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too. The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.

1.What is the best title of this passage?

A. The Power of Being Talkative

B. My Mother's Influence on Me

C. The Power of Saying Hello

D. My Way to Become Vice-president

2.What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A. The writer didn't say hello to everyone in the company.

B. The writer made a very good impression on the president of the company.

C. The president of the company thought the writer was much better than him.

D. The president of the company actually didn't like the writer at all.

3.For the writer, saying hello to others ________.

A. is a way to get what he wants

B. has become a habit and a way of life

C. is a way to show respect for his mother

D. is important in making him remembered

4.According to Paragraph 3, in the writer's opinion, speaking to others can ________.

A. make our world much better

B. make people much happier every day

C. help people understand each other better

D. help people work much better

To this day, I don’t remember what the argument was about .I just remembered that it was a good one.

I really loved my parents .I gave them no trouble and in turn they helped me a lot. Best of all, I mostly had free use of our second car that I called The Dragon. But sometimes she needed it. And that’s what Mom and I were arguing about as we stood there at the front door of the condo(公寓租房) It was really the only thing she and I ever argued about .

That would explain why we were standing at the front door. I almost never used it because the back door was closer to where the cars were parked. So if I was it the front door, that meant I was coming in front having walked. But I’m not much of a walker .

Whatever we were arguing about, the words got heated enough to attract Dad’s attention, and he wandered over to the front door and stood behind Mom .That was sort of how it worked in our family .Mom was the one who would discipline the children and I don’t remember him ever refusing anything Mom had decided.

So mom and I was arguing and during argument I called my Mom a …No sooner had that word escaped, my lips but I felt the strong hand of my father against my cheek . It was the only time I can remember my father striking me. We all stood there ,staring at each other . Finally I looked my Dad directly in the eye.” I deserved that ,”I said.

I really believed that. Mom had kept telling me before : “You can choose your actions, but you can’t choose the results of your actions.” We make choices, which affect others, and they react. Recognizing that our choices have consequences is a good lesson that life teaches us.

1.Generally speaking, the author and his parents_____.

A. often had words with each other

B. got along well with each other

C. didn’t respect his mother at all

D. fought each other over the car

2.Who used The Dragon most of the time?

A. The author’s father.

B. The author’s mother

C. The author himself.

D. The author’s brothers.

3.The main purpose of Paragraph 3 is to mean that _______

A. the author hated outdoor activities

B. why the author stood at the front door

C. the author never used his walking machine

D. why the author was not much of a walker

4.What did his father often do when the author’s mother disciplined him?

A. He supported the author’s mother

B. He didn’t care about their argument

C. He worked as a fair judge

D. He had to protect the author