【题目】May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States．This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall．But according to a recent report，there is a great change．Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever．【1】．

These days，college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier．【2】On the other hand，deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time．Students may not like being put on waiting lists．Also，common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them．Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight．Some universities send gifts． 【3】

For many families，the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money， especially this year；the weak economy makes parents nervous．【4】．The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student’s loans．So lately，top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students．

【5】The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down．This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finish high schoo1．The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015．

A．Besides，top colleges are facing changes in the population．

B．What contributes to it?

C．But a mistake can be costly if it happens．

D．But top colleges ignore them．

E．They have international students who know English．

F．It can mean several acceptances to choose from．

G．They cannot afford college as planned．

【题目】Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．

The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．

Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．

Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．

Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．

span>Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．

【1】Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain．

B. Bee population has been increasing．

C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine．

D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers．

【2】After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel________.

A．annoyed B．angry C．nervous D．excited

【3】Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?

A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination

B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination

C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar

D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory

【4】What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?

A．Science B．Education

C．Culture D．Sports

【题目】-$ 100，but that is my last offer.

-__________.

A. OK, it, s，a deal.

B. What did you say?

C. Oh, it's up to you.

D. Good idea!

【题目】Kenji Croman has broken his bones，his shoulder and elbow, and nearly drowned several times．He’s also had three close encounters with sharks over the years．A 10-foot wave landed directly on top of him five years ago，bending his body to the point that he actually kicked himself in the head．”I literally heard every bone in my body crack．”he said．

Croman has been photographing ocean waves since 2008，sometimes risking his life to get that perfect shot at the surf break．Despite the risks and certain injuries that come with wave photography, the Hawaii resident，body surfer and former competitive swimmer wouldn’t do anything else．The 36-year-old photographer loves the thrill of meeting breaking waves head on，shooting waves as his interest and shooting surfers to pay the bills．

The process of photographing waves requires more than just swimming out to where the surf breaks and waiting，he says．The night before a photo shoot Croman checks Surfline.com，a website and the coastal camera network that provides live and predicted ocean weather information，to see what the winds，waves and tide will be like at certain times．Croman has both a primary camera and a backup for emergencies．He goes without a wetsuit and uses heavy duty underwater housing to protect his camera．There is no great way for him to protect himself．He admits there are probably protective clothes he should be wearing，but there is little he could have done to decrease the impact of the 10-foot wave that crashed on top of him．

The hardest part of Croman’s job is staying calm in the face of breaking waves when his initial reaction is to panic and swim away．At most．Croman will take two to three shots of a single wave．”I've shot waves for so many years now that I see the wave in slow movement，”he said．

【1】What do we know about Kenji Croman’s job from the first paragraph?

A．It is a game of death．

B．It is full of mysteries．

C．It requires patience．

D．It calls for courage．

【2】How does Kenji Croman make a living?

A. By taking swimming races．

B．By teaching photography．

C．By shooting surfers．

D．By surfing waves．

【3】Why does Kenji Croman check the websites like Surfline.com?

A．To get better prepared for shooting．

B．To predict something about weather．

C．To learn more about surfing waves．

D．To buy better equipment for safety．

【4】What would be the best title of the text?

A．Taking adventures around the ocean

B．Risking his life for the perfect wave

C．Making preparations for life risks

D．Appreciating breaking waves in danger

【题目】One effective way of destroying happiness is to look at something and focus on even the smallest fault. It's like looking at the tiled (铺瓦的) ceiling and concentrating on the space where one tile is 【1】

Once I heard a bald man said, "whenever I enter a room 【2】 I see is hair. " Once you've 【3】 what your missing tile is, explore whether acquiring it will 【4】 make you happy. Then do one of the three things: get it, replace it with a different 【5】 , or forget about it and 【6】 the tiles in your life that are not missing.

We all know people who have a relatively 【7】 life, yet are essentially unhappy while people who have suffered a great deal but 【8】 remain happy.

The first 【9】 is gratitude. All happy people are 【10】 Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to 【11】 , but it's truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy.

The second secret is 【12】 that happiness is a byproduct (副产品) of something else. The most obvious 【13】 are those pursuit (追求) that give our lives purpose—anything 【14】 studying insects to playing baseball. The more passions we have, the more happiness we are 【15】 to experience.

Finally, the belief that something permanent goes beyond us and that our 【16】 has some larger meaning can help us to feel happier. We 【17】 a spiritual faith, or a philosophy, it should 【18】 this truth: if you choose to find the 【19】 in every situation, you will be blessed, and if you choose to find the awful, you will be cursed. As with happiness itself, this is 【20】 your decision to make.

A. different B. missing C. short D. broken

A. nothing B. none C. all D. anything

A. determined B. predicted C. assumed D. imagined

A. completely B. naturally C. hopefully D. really

A. tile B. brick C. ceiling D. house

A. look on B. focus on C. count on D. focus on

A. peaceful B. difficult C. easy D. ordinary

A. certainly B. merely C. hardly D. generally

A. secret B. factor C. rule D. key

A. wealthy B. grateful C. proud D. generous

A. upset B. quarrel C. complain D. depress

A. admitted B. assuming C. proving D. realizing

A. sources B. results C. answers D. goals

A. among B. from C. through D. for

A. probable B. possible C. likely D. capable

A. value B. destination C. survival D. existence

A. need B. lack C. demand D. expect

A. involve B. include C. absorb D. mean

A. worst B. best C. positive D. negative

A. absolutely B. totally C. exactly D. largely

【题目】As a new boss in the foreign company, Mr Zhang has to __________ the respect of his workers.

A. show

B. feel

C. earn

D. find

【题目】Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．

Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．

Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”

Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．

The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．

Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．

While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．

“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．

【1】It can be inferred from the text that_______．

A．many children lack love from parents

B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand

C．robots are the most useful to children

D．robots do better than people in healthcare

【2】It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.

A．Japan is suffering economy depression

B．the robots are of poor design

C．the production of robots costs a lot

D．the future market is worrying

【3】What is the author’s attitude towards the robots referred to?

A．Unsatisfied． B．Doubtful．

C.Favorable． D．Regretful．

【题目】-Why are you so late?

-We were __________ by the terrible traffic.

A. set up

B. put up

C. brought up

D. held up

【题目】No first lesson is more important than the one on personal safety for kids. The First Lesson of the New Semester, a TV documentary about how to protect oneself in times of emergency, is meant to provide school students with the knowledge on self-protection. It will help students in case of natural disasters, snowstorms or floods.

There are times when one can be helpless and hopeless in many life-threatening situations. But that does not mean we __________ the end of life at that time. Many examples show that enough knowledge about self-protection along with enough courage and determination can help many survive.

The most recent example is from May earthquake in Sichuan Province. When thousands of school kids were killed by collapsed (坍塌的) school buildings, all students from a middle school survives even without a single one being hurt. That's because of their timely and orderly escape, which they had been drilled in every semester.

Japan has set a good example for us in safety lessons. Survival exercises are held in Japanese schools every year. With different kinds of competitions and training, schools help the students be aware and capable of surviving disasters.

It's good to see this program is the core (核心) of a national campaign to warn students the importance of personal safety. Chinese Education Ministry has called on all schools nationwide to give lessons on self-protection knowledge in times of emergency every semester.

Life is weak but can be strengthened when one is armed with enough knowledge on how to best survive.

__________________________________________________

【2】 Fill in the blank in paragraph 2 with a proper phrase or words. (Please answer within 2 words.)

__________________________________________________

【3】 What is the purpose of the passage? (Please answer within 15 words.)

__________________________________________________

【4】 Which sentence in the text is the closest meaning to the following one?

Students will be more keen and determined in face of disasters if they have got much knowledge and experience about self-protection.

__________________________________________________

【5】 Translate the underlined sentence of the last paragraph into Chinese.

__________________________________________________

【题目】Nothing evokes(唤起)Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river .Combine these images with high mountains，brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day excursion(远足)to the last frontier!

Highlights：

JUNEAU：Juneau, the state capital，is rich in culture and scenic beauty．It is here that we start and end our trip．

HAINES：Haines is a small community located along the fjords(海湾)．The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska. ALASKA INDIAN ARTS：Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes．We spend a few hours learning carving, native beading(玻璃珠)and culture from these master artists．

SKAGWAY：Skagway is a lively town，which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colorful shops．In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway．

GUSTAVUS：Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park．We’II stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights．This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay．

DATES／PRICES：

May 15，June 17，July 16，August 14．

7 days—＄3500，including lodging，all meals，excursions，guides，park fees，sales taxes，and transportation between Juneau，Skagway, Haines，and Gustavus．Not included：Alcohol，personal items，airfare to and from Juneau．

Contact：

E-mail：info@alaskamountainguides．com

Call：800—766—3396

Write：Alaska Mountain Guides &Climbing School

P.O．Box 1081，Haines AK 99827

【1】According to the advertisement, the participants of the excursion________．

A．will spend one day experiencing the local culture at Alaska Indian Arts

B．can contact Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School by email or fax

C．are able to experience some adventurous activities in Haines

D．can get lots of traditional native artworks free of charge

【2】You can feel the history of the local place at______．

A．Juneau B．Skagway C．Haines D．Gustavus

【3】You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at______．

A．Glacier Bay National Park

B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park

C．the White Pass Yukon

D．the Northwest Native Tribes

【4】Which of the following is a participant required to pay additional fees?

A．Going from Gustavus to Juneau by train．

B．A full day cruise in Glacier Bay．

C．Having the last supper at Juneau．

D．Flying from Juneau to his hometown．