If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: there are four skills in learning English. They are reading ,listening, speaking and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.

Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentences, the meaning of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammar or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passage or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.

As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.

For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.

If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.

1.According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?

A. Reading and listening.

B. Reading and writing.

C. Writing and speaking.

D. Speaking and listening.

2.To improve your reading, when you read you should ________.

A. look up all the new words in the dictionary

B. think about what you are reading actively

C. spend more time studying grammar

D. copy as many words and sentences as possible

3.The author seems to agree with the view that _________.

A. everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day

B. You needn’t practice listening if you keep on reading every day

C. being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening

D. you should take notes of whatever you are hearing

4.The passage is mainly about how to _________.

A. choose suitable listening materials

B. deal with new words in reading

C. improve your English as quickly as possible

D. become fluent in speaking and writing English

Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.

Sometimes, the word “green” means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience. In the 15th century, a greenhorn was a young cow or an ox whose horns(角)had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18th century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.

Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well.

Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling , jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster （怪物）is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants. For example, a young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if you get a pay rise and he does not.

In most places in the world, a green light means to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means agree to continue with a project.

1.A greenhorn now refers to ____________.

A. a person who is new in a job

B. a new soldier.

C. a young horse

D. a cow without horns

2.A person with a green thumb is a person _______.

A. who is good at growing plants

B. whose thumbs are of green color

C. whose garden is greener than others’

D. who is younger than his neighbors

3.A man may meet the green-eyed monster if ____.

A. he sees a dangerous animal

B. he reads a sad play

C. his friend gets a prize that he wants

D. he can't get something

4.The main idea of the passage is ________.

A. a greenhorn

B. a green thumb

C. the Green Revolution

D. the word “green” and its story

Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the 2000 Olympic games put it on the map as one of the most lively and modern cities in the world. Any trip to Sydney is an adventure and with some of the world’s beautiful beaches, this city has so much to offer. Sydney is so large an area that choosing a hotel is something you need to do very carefully. Public transport is good, but it can be slow and being close to where you want to be is probably the most important factor.

The first and most obvious choice is hotels around Circular Quay. Circular Quay is the heart of the city and one of the major interchanges where trains, buses and ferries meet. It’s also where Sydney’s two most famous landmarks are located — the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. This area is active and offers some of the best views you will ever get from a hotel room.

The farther hotels in the city are much more suited to business travelers and they are usually less expensive. Daring Harbor is a great choice as it mixes a great view with being right in the centre of the city. Darling Harbor has hundreds of pubs, clubs and restaurants along the water’s edge.

If you don’t feel like dealing with the hustle and bustle of the city and are looking for something a bit quieter, why not head out to the Northern Beaches? It’s only a short ferry ride over to Manly where you can find two major hotels on the beach with a number of smaller boutiques (时装店，精品店).

1.What made Sydney famous as one of the most lively and modern cities in the world?

A. Its traditional culture. B. its beaches and hotels.

C. The traffic system. D. The 2000 Olympics.

2.If you want to live in a quiet hotel and buy some fashionable clothes or expensive gifts, you should choose one in __________ .

A. Circular Quay B. Darling Harbor

C. Manly D. Sydney Harbor Bridge

3.The underlined part “hustle and bustle” in the last paragraph may refer to _________.

A. hot climate B. serious pollution

C. busy noisy activities D. slow-moving traffic

It can be difficult to make friends when you don’t know many people. Over years of experience and studying social skills, I discovered that it’s possible to make friends without even trying. 1. .

Be seen without trying to get attention.

You don’t have to say anything witty or interesting to get people’s attention..2. . This can be done anywhere you go, such as the supermarket or your yoga studio.

Use the power of listening.

When you listen to other people, they’ll keep talking. 3.. Just keep giving them good eye contact and show with your body language that you care.

Think about what you can give to the other people.

So often we think about what we can get out of others when we try to make friends, but that thinking needs to be flipped around. 4. .

Always have 3 good stories to tell other people.

When you have at least a few stories to share with others, you’ll never run out of things to talk about.

5..

A smile is one of the most attractive things that someone can display when they’re meeting new people. Try to smile when meeting with someone will help you a lot.

A. A faint smile is also useful

B. Smile like there’s no tomorrow

C. Listening is a mechanism to build trust and likeability

D. There are just a few strategies that you have to use on a consistent basis

E. All you have to do is place yourself in environments where people will see you

F. These five strategies are always available if you want to develop true relationships

G. Try offering a piece of helpful advice or invite someone you just met to grab coffee

A _________ thing happened __________ me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day _________ I drove to go for a look in the country. On the way back home, my _________ stopped. It was out of gas on a _________ road far from a town! I decided to walk until I found someone ________ could sell some gas. I had walked almost a mile ________ I finally found a house near the __________. I was glad to see it because it was getting dark.

I knocked at the door and a little old lady with long white hair ___________. She said, “ I’ve been ___________ for you here for a long time. Come in. __________ is almost ready. “ But I only came for some gas,” I answered. I couldn’t ___________ what she was talking about. “ Oh, Alfred! Gas? You ____________ tea, ” said she. I quickly __________ that my car was out of _________, but she didn’t seem to listen to me. She just kept ____________ me Alfred and talking about how long it had been __________ she had seen me. She was acting very strangely and I was anxious to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I __________.

Fortunately, there was another house down the road and I was able to buy the gas I needed. When I told the man about my __________, he said, “ Oh, that’s Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She’s strange, but she wouldn’t ___________ anybody. She is still waiting for the man she was going to marry thirty years ago. The day before their wedding he left home and never came back because of the war.”

1.A. happy B. strange C. common D. bad

2.A. on B. in C. upon D. to

3.A. and B. so C. but D. that

4.A. car B. bus C. bike D. truck

5.A. narrow B. lonely C. crowded D. busy

6.A. what B. whom C. who D. how

7.A. before B. after C. while D. as

8.A. street B. path C. way D. road

9.A. came B. answered C. opened D. appeared

10.A. asking B. looking C. calling D. waiting

11.A. Gas B. Coffee C. Tea D. Lunch

12.A. consider B. understand C. accept D. think

13.A. like B. love C. used to like D. liking

14.A. answered B. explained C. refused D. promised

15.A. gas B. tea C. strength D. energy

16.A. calling B. call C. to call D. called

17.A. until B. before C. since D. when

18.A. could B. can C. would D. wanted

19.A. accident B. incident C. experience D. surprise

20.A. hit B. injury C. hurt D. frighten

As 1.(teenager), you have many dreams. These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize, or they can be very small, for example, you may just want to become the best student in your class. Once you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try 2. (make) your dream come true?

Andrew Mathews, 3. Australian writer, tells us that making our dreams come true is the biggest challenge (挑战) in our life. You may think you are not very good 4. some school subjects or it is 5. (possible) for you to become a writer. These kinds of thoughts stop you6. (realize) your dreams. In fact, everyone can realize his dream. Keep telling yourself 7. you want. Do this step by step and your dream will come true earlier because a big dream 8. (make) up of many small dreams.

You must also never give up your dream. There will be many 9. (difficult) on the road to your dreams. But the biggest one comes from10. (you). You need to decide what is the most important.

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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号()，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l0处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

This morning my friend Mary and me went shopping. She thought it is a good chance to practice Chinese. Mary was happy to talk to the salesgirls, and so did they. She wanted to buy some chicken, so she asked for a salesgirl, “ How much is the cock?” Gentle, the salesgirl answered, “ I’m not sure whether it’s a cock or a hen.” Mary became embarrassing and realized she had made a mistake. All of us laughed include Mary. Then we went to buy some eggs. I asked Mary, “ Do you want buy hens’ sons and daughters?” Mary shouted, “ I can say eggs.” We laughed again. How an interesting shopping experience!

没有感恩就没有真正的美德( No thanksgiving would be no virtue)。如今社会上一些人缺乏感恩之心，少数人甚至在父母年老体弱时都不愿意赡养。

请结合自己的实际，谈几点父母值得你感恩的地方，以及将来你会做些什么来报答父母的养育之恩。

1.短文的开头已给出，但不计入总词数。

2.100词左右。(感恩: thanksgiving)

Not only do our parents give us life, but they also give us endless love and support, always sharing our happiness and sorrow.

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I wandered into the small store where I usually buy milk, when the store owner received a call from a customer. The customer and his wife had shopped there several months earlier. He noticed that his wife really liked one thing in the store, so he wanted to buy it as a surprise.

But the customer was in Tennessee, far away from the store which was in Maine. What’s more, he had been to the store several months earlier, and it was difficult to believe that the store owner would remember him, or what he was looking for.

The store owner took a few close-up photos with her camera, and e-mailed them to the customer on the computer. The customer looked at the photos, decided which one he wanted. They talked and discussed a price over the phone. She took care of the credit card transaction (交易) online, and promised the gift would be shipped out that afternoon.

The store owner was really smart. She was willing to push herself to find new ways to make the transaction actually happen. And it did work. However, it was the first time she had ever done it.

I was amazed that the store owner discovered a creative solution that could lead to a new way of doing business. I was impressed by what she did—so easily, but how difficult it is for many of us to make that leap(飞跃，跳跃). I’m not just talking about technology, but about learning how to adapt to change. Most people hate or fear change unless they get to know exactly what change needs to be made. However, we should realize that challenge and opportunity go hand in hand.

1.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. The gift was sent out by train that afternoon.

B. The customer had ever been to the store before.

C. The owner often did business by using her camera.

D. The owner and the customer discussed the price on the computer.

2.The author was impressed by the store owner because .

A. she was always ready to help others

B. she told the writer how to run a store

C. she was a successful businesswoman

D. she managed to find a new way when facing change

3.What’s the correct order of the store owner’s solution?

a. taking a few close-up photos with her camera

b. taking care of the credit card transaction online

c. talking about the price of the gift with the customer

d. e-mailing the photos to the customer on the computer

A. abcd B. adcb

C. bcda D. bacd

4.Which of the following words can best describe the store owner?

A. Honest. B. Creative.

C. Confident. D. Humorous.

According to the latest survey by the Asian Development Bank, Asian parents are spending billions of dollars on private tutors (家庭教师) for their children and the practice is growing despite doubts about its effectiveness.

“Shadow education” is an expanding business not only in wealthy countries, but also in some of the region’s poorer nations as parents try to give their children the best start in life, the study saiD. Nearly nine out of 10 South Korean elementary pupils receive private tutoring, while the figure for primary school children in India’s West Bengal state stands at six out of 10.

The study estimated that the costs of private tutoring in South Korea were equivalent (相等的) to 80 percent of government spending on public education. Japan spent $ 12 billion on extra teaching in 2011, while the figure for Singapore stood at US $ 680 million in 2009.

Extra academic work aims to help slow learners and support high achievers. Many Asian parents view it as a constructive way for adolescents (青少年) to spend their spare time. However, it can also reduce the students’ time for sports and other activities important for their overall development as well as cause social tensions as richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring, the study said.

The study calls for a review of educational systems to make such extra teaching less attractive.

1.Why is “Shadow education” an expanding business?

A. Because parents want to spend their money.

B. Because children don’t want to go to school.

C. Because parents want their children to stay with teachers.

D. Because parents want to give their children the best start in life.

2.According to the article, what is the purpose of extra academic work?

A. To aid slow learners and support high achievers.

B. To prepare children for all kinds of academic contests.

C. To gain the most knowledge students can’t get in class.

D. To increase children’s hobbies and interests in many fields.

3.Which disadvantage of extra academic work is NOT mentioned?

A. Causing social tensions.

B. Spending more extra money.

C. Lacking the chance to communicate with others.

D. Reducing the students’ time for sports and other activities.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. The government policy on educational systems.

B. How to provide the best education for children.

C. The importance for children’s overall development.

D. The reasons for the popularity of private tutors for children.