【题目】In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animals. This sometimes happens with humans as well. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.

From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don‘t get to see this soft side of others. Often, we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we‘re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that‘s in them.

Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty-four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.

No more angry shouts and no more horns!

When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, ―I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can. And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.

Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don‘t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don‘t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.

【1】The author feels sad sometimes because ______.

A. he has a soft heart

B. he relies much on others

C. some people pretend to be kind

D. some people fail to see the kindness in others

【2】What did the other drivers do when they saw the flashlights?

A. They speed up to pass.

B. They waited with patience.

C. They tried their best to help.

D. They put on their flashlights too.

【3】In this passage, the author advises us to ______.

A. handle problems by ourselves B. accept help from others

C. admit our weakness D. show our bravery

【4】What is the passage mainly about?

A. A Wheelchair Experience. B. Weakness and Kindness.

C. Weakness and Strength D. A Driving Experience

【题目】下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加，删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写上该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下面划一横线（_），并在该词下面写上修改后的词。

注意：1 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Dear John,

How time flies! It’s two weeks after the beginning of our winter vacation. How are you going along recently? I’ve been staying with my uncle. I find interesting to live in the countryside. However, I feel a bit of lonely, because I have no friends to play with but my seven-years-old cousin. My uncle has permitted me to invite you here. Otherwise, I send the email to you and hope you shall come here. Please write to me as quickly as you make up your mind. If you want to come here, and you can take the bus from the sixth station. It will spend you about an hour to get here. I’ll meet you there...

【题目】 We all know that "Chances favor the prepared mind"． Only if you are well prepared, will you be able to seize them.

注意： 1．无须写标题，不得照抄英语提示语。

2．除诗歌外，文体不限。

3．文中不得透露个人姓名和学习名称。

4．词数不少于120词。

【题目】Marjorie Baer used to joke about her retirement plans．She wasn't married and had no kids, but she didn't intend to be alone—she and all her single friends would move into a fictional home she called Casa de Biddies．Instead, Baer developed terminal brain cancer when she was 52．But just as she'd hoped, her friends and family provided her with love and care to the end．

Ballance was only the first of Baer's friends who became her unofficial caregivers．With her brother Phil Baer from Los Angeles, they worked out a system to watch over their friend and allow her to keep some of the privacy and independence she cherished.

Baer's good friend Ruth Henrich took Baer to doctors' appointments and helped her deal with all the aspects of life —answering machines, TV controls, and even phone numbers．After Henrich sent out an e-mail request, a group of volunteers signed up to ferry Baer back and forth to radiation therapy（放疗）．Others in Baer's circle offered up particular talents: A nurse friend helped Baer figure out how to get what she was due from Social Security and her disability insurance; a lawyer pal helped Baer with her will; a partner who was an accountant took over her bills when she could no longer manage them．"There was this odd sense that the right person always showed up," says Ballance．Their arrangement worked remarkably well．

Unmarried women are one of the fastest-growing groups in America; experts are concerned about how care-giving will be managed for them as they age．If the experience of Baer's friends is a guide, the Internet will play a role．It's already making it possible to create communities of caregivers who may have only one thing in common: the person who needs their help．On personal "care pages" set up through services such as Lotsa Helping Hands, friends and family members can post a list of tasks that need to be done, volunteer to do them, and keep updated on the person's condition．As Baer's cancer progressed, for example, her friends set up a page on Yahoo! where people could sign up to deliver meals or do errands（差事）.

Catherine Fox, one of the friends who were present when Baer died, was deeply affected．"It was so comforting to know that if you're willing to ask for help, the generosity of family and friends can be phenomenal（显著的）．It makes me feel secure and hopeful to know that help is there when you need it．"

【1】The most appropriate title of this passage should be ______．

A．On her own, but not alone

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed

C．A new practice of American government

D．A phenomenal advantage of the Internet

【2】Who helped Marjorie Baer get her disability insurance?

A．Ruth Henrich. B．Her brother.

C．A nurse friend. D．Ballance.

【3】The underlined part in paragraph four suggests that the Internet will ______.

A．play a role in American future pension system

B．provide online medical care for aged unmarried women

C．help manage care-giving for unmarried women as they age

D．help those aged unmarried women to kill their spare time

【4】The writer tells us the story of Marjorie Baer for /span>the purpose of ______．

A．reminding us to be kind and make as many friends as we can

B．informing that there will be a new trend of care-giving for the single elderly

C．persuading us that we can enjoy our retirement even if we don’t have a child

D．introducing the convenience that will be brought by the Internet after we retire

【题目】Plastic is everywhere because plastic is an extremely useful material．It is cheap, strong and lightweight．What’s more, it can take on nearly any form or shape, from soft and stretchy （有弹性的） to hard and glasslike.

Plastic, however, is far from perfect．It may even be bad for us．Studies now suggest that poisonous chemicals can get out of some types of plastic, get into our bodies, and cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, birth defects and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （注意缺陷障碍）.

Two types of chemicals in particular have raised special concern lately．They are called phthalates （邻苯二甲酸盐） and Bisphenol-A （二酚基丙烷）, BPA for short． Not all plastic products contain them．But the ones that do are surrounded by controversy （争议）．That’s because experts disagree on how dangerous these chemicals are.

Plastic is a single word, but plastic isn’t just one thing．What all plastics share in common are plasticizers -- special chemicals that allow the material to be changed into nearly any shape or texture．Plasticizers （塑化剂） are added to plastic during the manufacturing process.

Phthalates and BPA are two types of plasticizers that work in different ways．Phthalates add softness to things like shampoo bottles, raincoats and rubber．They are also used in perfumes and makeup．BPA, on the other hand, gives a hard, clear, almost glasslike feel to products such as infant bottles．BPA also appears in food and soda cans, DVDs and other unexpected places.

How do these chemicals get into us? When plastic is heated in the microwave or dishwasher, chewed on or scratched, the chemicals can seep （渗透） out of the plastic．Even though we can’t see them, we eat them, drink them and breathe them in.

Scientists and parents are especially worried about young children, who tend to chew on everything, including plastic．Dozens of countries, including the European Union, Japan, Canada and Mexico have already banned phthalates from products made for children younger than three．California and Washington have done the same．And a number of other states are considering similar rules．As for BPA, Canada became the first country to ban the chemical from baby bottles．A dozen states are considering it.

【1】What can we know about the plastic from the first paragraph?

A．Its characters and effects．

B．Its wide use and bad points.

C．Its importance and chemicals．

D．Its popularity and advantages.

【2】Which of the following products contains BPA?

A．A soft plastic cup． B．A pencil eraser.

C．A baby milk bottle． D．A new perfume.

【3】Phthalates and BPA can get into us __________．

A．through mouth or nose

B．through blood transfusion

C．by feeling plastic products

D．by heating in the microwave

【4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．A new ban on plastic products．

B．Problems caused by the plastic．

C．Good points of the plastic．

D．The use of plasticizers.

【题目】Dear Reader,

I receive many letters from children and can’t answer them all—there wouldn’t be time enough in a day．That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter．I’ll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.

Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte’s Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse．That’s how the story of Stuart Little got started.

As for Charlotte’s Web, I like animals and my barn（谷仓）is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours．One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die．This made me sad．So I started thinking of ways to save a pig’s life．I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving．Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation（拯救）on a farm．Three years after I started writing it, it was published．（I am not a fast worker, as you can see.）

Sometimes I’m asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write．I started early—as soon as I could spell．In fact, I can’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t busy writing．I don’t know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures．I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead．As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.

Some of my readers want me to visit their school．Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book．And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets．Much as I’d like to, I can’t go visiting．I can’t send books, either—you can find them in a bookstore or a library．Many children assume that a writer owns （or even makes） his own books．This is not true—books are made by the publisher．If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it．That’s why I can’t send books．And I do not send signatures—I leave that to the movie stars．I live most of the year in the country, in New England．From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains．I live near my married son and three grandchildren.

Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events．In real life, a family doesn’t have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn’t spin words in her web．In real life, a swan doesn’t blow a trumpet．But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination．And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too—truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.

Yours sincerely：E.B．White

【1】The author wrote the letter because _________.

A. he is not a fast worker

B. he was invited to answer the questions

C. he didn’t have enough time to answer all the letters

D. he felt sorry for not being able to send books to his readers

【2】What probably caused the writer to get interested in writing children’s book?

A. Writing can be a way to earn his living．

B. The fact that he was not good at drawing．

C. His mother influence on his childhood.

D. The instinct of children.

【3】From Para.5, we can learn that ＿＿＿＿.

A. many famous people like to visit schools

B. movie stars will send autographs to readers

C. many people think authors have copies of their own books

D. the author lives with his married son and three grandchildren

【4】In the last paragraph, the author is trying to tell us ____ .

A. we only have one kind of life

B. there is no truth in imaginary tales

C. imaginary tales are based on our true life

D. fantastic characters and events only exist in imaginary tales

【题目】Three Japanese tourists taking a holiday in Australia got stuck when their GPS told them they could drive from the mainland to an island, failing to mention the 15 kilometres of water and mud in between.

As they drove their hired car from Moreton Bay in Queensland to nearby North Stradbroke Island, they started to notice the firm gravel（沙石）surface they were driving on giving way to the renowned bay mud．However, being confident that their GPS would direct them to a road soon, they decided to plough on, managing to travel around 500 metres before their Hyundai Getz（现代汽车）was up to its axles tires in mud．To make matters worse, the tide started to come in and soon forced them to seek help and abandon the vehicle．Just four hours later the car was trapped in two metres of water —— to the great amusement of onlookers on the shore and passengers on passing boats and ferries.

Yuzu Noda, 21, said she was listening to the GPS and “it told us we could drive down there．It kept saying it would navigate us to a road．But we got stuck…there’s lots of mud.” She and her travel companions Tomonari Saeki, 22, and Keita Osada, 21, instead had to give up their plans for a day trip to the island and headed back to the Gold Coast of a lift from the RACQ tow truck（吊车）driver who was called to the trapped car．No such luck for the hired car though – after assessing the situation, no attempt was made to recover it．The students from Tokyo, who are due to return home tomorrow, said the experience would not put them off returning to Australia for another visit．“We want to come back to Australia again．Everyone is very nice, even today.” Ms Yuzu said.

Remaining excited, Mr. Tomonari joked that the car may have got stuck because it was built in Korea．“Maybe if it was Japanese it would be okay,” he said．He added, “It has rained every day on our six day holiday．Hopefully next time we come back it will be sunny.” The car was covered by insurance, but the tourists will have to pay up to about $1500 in extra charges.

【1】The three Japanese tourists got stuck because ______.

A. there was no way to the island

B. their GPS was broken during their journey

C. their GPS had given the wrong information

D. their car was made in Korea instead of Japan

【2】They didn’t abandon their car until ______.

A. there came the tide

B. they got stuck in the mud

C. some onlookers went to save them

D. they managed to travel around 500 metres

【3】How did these Japanese students get back?

A. They had to walk back to their living place.

B. They had to repair their GPS and drove back.

C. They had to take a lift from the tow truck driver.

D. They had to turn to passengers on passing boats and ferries.

【4】According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. The car was left where it was trapped.

B. The passengers saved these students in the end.

C. Mr. Tomonari got very frustrated after the journey.

D. The car was covered by insurance so they didn’t have to pay any money.

【题目】Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy study at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that does research on many public topics. He says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.

Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? In a summer vacation, millions of children spend valuable time sending messages, watching TV, playing video games and doing shopping in the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.

Summer vacation once made sense in the past when you didn’t need an education to get a good job. But now things have changed. For today’s students, academic skills are important to students’ future success, but such skills are affected in the summer time. Many other countries don’t give children an American style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive (连续的) weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to thirteen weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.

Summer vacation also causes challenges for today’s families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stayathome Mum. Now, two thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more a burden than a break. Someone must watch the kids.

But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose ground in the summer time.

Any good suggestion? Yes. A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to hard boring work. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Students would have more time to devote to sports, music and the arts.

To conclude, a long summer vacation can be a great thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated. （313 words）

Title：About 【1】

【题目】For 52 years my father got up at 5:30 am every morning, went to work, and returned home at 5:30 pm. I never saw my father stayed home from work ill, nor did I ever see my father lay down to take a nap. He had no hobbies, other than taking care of his family. All he asked from me, his daughter, was to help him while he was repairing something, so we could have some time to talk.

For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me at 9:00 am every Sunday. Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea. Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swing set for my daughter.

On the morning of January 16, 1996, my sister telephoned me; my father was in the hospital with an aneurysm（动脉瘤） in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way I realized that I hadn't communicated with him as much as I'd always wanted to. I vowed（发誓） that when I arrived, I would have a long talk with him. I arrived in Florida at 1 am, only to find that my father, at the age of 76, had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.

【1】From the first paragraph we can infer that the author's father ______.

A. was a good driver B. was in good health

C. sometimes fell ill D. had no hobbies

【2】The underlined phrase "other than" in the first paragraph can be replaced by "______".

A. except B. including

C. without D. due to

【3】According to the last paragraph, we can know that the author's father was born in ______.

A. 1916 B. 1918

C. 1920 D. 1922

【4】The author wrote the article in order to ______.

A. praise her father B. remember her father

C. show her father loved her D. let her father be known

【题目】

【1】The problem with Bill was that he never had a ________(确切的) aim in life.

【2】They are now ______(呼吁) to the public for donation for the homeless .

【3】Mistakes due to carelessness may have serious _________(后果).

【4】I like cats but unfortunately I’m _________（过敏） to them.

【5】She felt ______（尴尬）about her body shape, so she decided to go on a diet.

【6】It is a big company and it has ________ (分支机构) all over the country.

【7】This heating system has a(an) __________ ( 自动 ) temperature control.

【8】When it comes to dancing, I must say I’m always a(an) __________(笨拙)dancer .

【9】A rainbow is one of the most beautiful ________（现象）of nature.

【10】As he grew older, his __________(欣赏) of art grew.