【题目】Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons(神经元)in our brains.

Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate(模仿)it, whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions, they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.

Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains, but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages, and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to (for example：“The hand took hold of the ball”), the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball)．

Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.

Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact(互动)．Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent(相等物)for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does—well, perhaps you'll understand why.

【1】Mirror neurons can explain ________.

A．why we cry when we are hurt

B．why we cough when we suffer from a cold

C．why we smile when we see someone else smile

D．why we yawn when we see someone else stay up late

【2】The underlined word “triggered” in the third paragraph probably means “________”．

A．set off

B．cut off

C．built up

D．broken up

【3】We can learn from the passage that mirror neurons ________.

A．relate to human behavior and interaction

B．control human physical actions and feelings

C．result in bad behavior and social disorders

D．determine our knowledge and language abilities

【4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Ways to find mirror neurons.

B．Problems of mirror neurons.

C．Existence of mirror neurons.

D．Functions of mirror neurons.

【题目】Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.

But holidays are expensive and，for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.

For working parents，the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks，there is a need to spread this across the year.Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some，this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.

The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment.The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in safeguarding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays，much of this is missed.

While teachers are holidaying in the UK，many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure/span> on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.

In setting out its plans for a fiveterm year，Nottingham City Council(委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down to four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a twoweek break.We believe this will give real “down time” for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.

We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff，particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.

【1】The passage is probably written by ________.

A. an experienced teacher

B．a working parent

C．an inspired student

D．a city council member

【2】The underlined word “they” in the second paragraph refers to “________”．

A．environments

B．holidays

C．wages

D．benefits

【3】It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to ________.

A．2 weeks

B．4.5 weeks

C．5 weeks

D．6 weeks

【4】The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students ________.

A．obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs

B．get a chance to spend six weeks a term with teachers in school

C．benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment

D．have more school days to receive free school meals

【5】It can be inferredspan> from the passage that ________.

A．working parents can enjoy a fiveweek break to care for their children

B．the suggested plans for a fiveterm school year can hardly be carried out

C．the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real “down time”

D．some school staff will say “No” to the plans for a shorter summer holiday

【题目】--- Ann, our department may be named the Department of the Year because of the outstanding performance.

--- _______.

A. Good to know B. I’ll say

C. I hear you on that one D. Can’t argue with that

【题目】Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.

A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).

In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.

In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.

The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.

Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.

It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!

【1】 From paragraph 2 we know that __ .

A. animals are as clever as human beings

B. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees

C. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills

D. dogs have similar 'learning abilities as 3-year-old children

【2】 Both experiments show that .

A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right

B. Rico can recognize different things including toys

C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics

D. Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them

【3】 Which of the following statements is true?

A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities.

B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.

C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.

D. Rico is born to understand its owner's commands.

【4】What does the writer want to tell us?

A. To train your dog.

B. To talk to your dog.

C. To be friendly to your dog.

D. To be careful with your dog.

【题目】

【1】Why are these men so______ (愚蠢的)？

【2】Lily now helps in a local school as a(an)______(志愿者).

【3】We set a fire nearby to _______( 保护 ) plants from the cold.

【4】We should _______（探索）new ways to solve the problems that we are facing.

【5】All streets were _______(（装饰；装修）with colorful flags and flowers on National Day.

【6】I would _____ (感激) it if you could give me this chance.

【7】If you can’t show us any ______(证据), we will not be able to believe you .

【8】This kind of change is called _______ (物理的) change.

【9】Many people trust Jack and think highly of him, but _______(就个人而言), I think he is actually dishonest.

【10】They were put inside （木制的）boxes.

【题目】假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的一篇作文。文中共有10处

语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），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；2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不记分。

One night, I went to a store to buy the shirt. The shop assistant showed me several shirts to choose. I had no idea what one would suit me. At last, I made up my mind to buy an expensive shirt, thinking that it might go well with my new trouser. On my way to home, I was very excited. However, before I got up the next day, trying on the shirt and looked at it this way and that, my excitement was gone. I found that was not so nice at home as it is in the store. Knowing that I couldn’t possible change it, I thought I had better put it away and use it in the future.

【题目】根据所给句子的意思，填上合适的单词，并注意其正确形式, 首字母或中文已给出。

【1】Please keep us i_______ of any changes of the address as soon as possible.

【2】Mom cut her finger on a piece of glass and it is b___________ now.

【3】They paid famous artists to paint pictures of themselves, their houses and p___________ as well as.Their activities and achievements.

【4】 There are no p________________ displays in this museum and exhibitions change all the time.

【5】 The poems may not make sense and even seem c____________, but they are easy to learn and recite.

【6】List poems have a f______________ (灵活的)line length and repeated phrases which give both a pattern and a rhythm to the poem.

【7】You see, during adolescence I also smoked and became a_____________ to cigarettes.

【8】If you develop AIDS, your chances of s_______________ are very small/

【9】The problem begins when we add huge q____________ of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

【10】They predict that any warming will be mild with few bad environmental c_________________(结果，影响)

【题目】How to Be a Winner

Sir Steven Redgrave

Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals

“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes （糖尿病） . Believing my career （职业生涯）was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it----the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”

Karen Pickering

Swimming World Champion

“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success—you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. “Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”

Kirsten Best

Poet ＆ Writer

“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological （心理的） tool.”

【1】 What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?

A. Difficulties influenced his career.

B. Specialists offered him medical advice.

C. Training helped him defeat his disease.

D. He overcame the shadow of illness to win.

【2】 What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?

A. Her training schedule.

B. Her daily happenings.

C. Her achievements.

D. Her sports career.

【3】 What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to?

A. Ways that help one to focus.

B. Words that help one to feel less tense.

C. Activities that turn one’s attention away.

D. Habits that make it hard for one to relax.

【4】 According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?

A. Courage.

B. Devotion.

C. Hard work.

D. Self-confidence.

【题目】感恩，是我们生活中永恒的话题。学会感恩，学会热爱生活，我们将会感受到更多快乐。假设你将参加主题为“感恩”的演讲比赛，请你根据以下要点写一篇英语演讲稿。

要点：

1. 感恩对象（父母、老师、朋友…）；

2. 为何感恩；

3. 如何感恩。

注意：

1. 只能选择一个感恩对象；

2. 词数120左右。开头和结尾已写好，不计入总词数。

Good morning, everyone,

It’s a great honor to have the opportunity to be with you today. The topic of my speech is

“Thank you, ___________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for listening.

【题目】---He’s made _________progress that his parents must be pleased with him.

--- __________________. And he also takes great pride in himself.

A. so great; So he has B. such great; So has he

C. so much; So he has D. so much; So has he.