“ Although ,” the boy said , “ _______ over and over , the maths problem remained confusing to me ” .

A. explained                                               B. explain                

C. explaining                                                  D. having explained

 The detective, ________ to read a newspaper, glanced at the man ________ next to a woman.

A. pretending; seat                                            B. pretended; seated      

C. pretended; seat                                           D. pretending; seated

——They say that my new car is a ____________ of money.

——Don’t you think those words are just sour grapes?

A. lack　　　 　　　　　　 B. waste　　　 　　　C. question　　　　 　 D. load

——What do you think of ________ lecture given by Professor Thomas?

——Great. I quite agree to his idea that every one can make ______ difference to society.

A. the, a　　　　　　　　　　　 B. a, a　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. the, the 　　　　　　　　　 D. a, the

假如你是Jerry的朋友Bruce，Jerry写信给你讲述了他最近的一件烦心事：由于自己平时顽皮，老师对他比较头疼。不久前一节班会课上, 就某件事情，他提出了和老师不同的看法, 老师却认为他心存不敬，进而发生争执。请根据下表内容给Jerry写回信开导他。

注意：

1．对以上要点进行陈述，可适当发挥。

2. 词数150左右。开头已写好，不计入总词数。

3. 作文中不得提及考生所在学校和本人姓名。

Dear Jerry,

According to your description, I realize that you and your teacher both are to blame for the conflict.                                                                   

        ▲                                                         

                ▲                                                 

                       ▲                                                                                                            

                               ▲                                  

                                      ▲                               

                                              ▲                                

Best wishes,

                                                                          Bruce

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。  

  Back to School: Why Grit(毅力) Is More Important than Good Grades?
       The back-to-school season is upon us, and once again, parents across the country have loaded their kids’ backpacks up with snack packs and school supplies. It’s a good moment to reflect on what else we should be giving our kids as they head off to school.

American parents are feeling particularly anxious about that question this year. The educational process feels more than ever like a race, one that starts in pre-preschool and doesn’t end until your child is admitted to the perfect college. Most parents are more worried than they need to be about their children’s grades, test scores and IQ. And what we don’t think about enough is how to help our children build their character—how to help them develop skills like perseverance, grit, optimism, conscientiousness, and self-control, which together do more to determine success than S.A.T. scores or I.Q.

There is growing evidence that our anxiety about our children’s school performance may actually be holding them back from learning some of these valuable skills. If you’re concerned only with a child’s G.P.A., then you will likely choose to minimize the challenges the child faces in school. With real challenge comes the risk of real failure. And in a competitive academic environment, the idea of failure can be very scary, to students and parents alike.

But experiencing failure is a critical part of building character. Recent research by a team of psychologists found that adults who had experienced little or no failure growing up were actually less happy and confident than those who had experienced a few significant setbacks in childhood. “Overcoming those obstacles,” the researchers assumed, “could teach effective coping skills, help engage social support networks, create a sense of mastery over past adversity, and foster beliefs in the ability to cope successfully in the future.”

By contrast, when we protect our children from every possible failure—when we call their teachers to get an extension on a paper; when we urge them to choose only those subjects they’re good at—we are denying them those same character-building experiences. As the psychologists Madeline Levine and Dan Kindlon have written, that can lead to difficulties in adolescence and young adulthood, when overprotected young people finally confront real problems on their own and don’t know how to overcome them.

In the classroom and outside of it, American parents need to encourage children to take chances, to challenge themselves, to risk failure. In the meantime, giving our kids room to fail may be one of the best ways we can help them succeed.

Joanne Rowling, born on 31 July 1965, is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained international attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 375 million copies worldwide.

JK Rowling’s new novel arrives with the high drama and state secrecy of a royal birth. Its due date is announced in February, and in April the disclosure of its title, The Casual Vacancy, makes international news. The release of the cover image in July commands headlines again, and Fleet Street(英国媒体) commissions (委托) a “design guru” to analyze its mysterious artistic beauty, in search of clues as to what might lie within. Waterstones(英国连锁书店) predicts the novel will be “the bestselling fiction title this year”. Literary critics begin to publish preliminary (初步的) reviews, revealing what they think they will think about a book they have not yet even read.

I am required to sign more legal documents than would typically be involved in buying a house before I am allowed to read The Casual Vacancy, under tight security in the London offices of Little, Brown. Even the publishers have been forbidden to read it, and they give me the manuscript carefully, religiously, as though handling a priceless Ming vase. Afterwards, I am instructed never to disclose the address of Rowling’s Edinburgh office where the interview will take place.

In the 15 years since she published her first Harry Potter, Rowling has become both universally known and almost unrecognizable. The untidy redhair who used to write in the cafes of Leith has slowly transformed into a shiny fashionable lady, one who is beyond recognition behind wealth and control. Once a penniless single mother, she became the first person on earth to make $1billion by writing books, but her rare public appearances suggested a faint ice maiden quality.

Rowling is completely relaxed about this arrangement. Warm and energetic, quick to laugh, she chatters so freely that her publicist gets nervous and tells her to lower her voice. “Am I speaking too loud?” She doesn’t look a bit concerned. “Well, I can’t get passionate and whisper!” When I tell her I loved the book, her arms shoot up in celebration. “Oh my God! I’m so happy! That’s so amazing to hear. Thank you so much! You’ve made me incredibly happy. Oh my God!” Anyone listening would take her for a debut author, meeting her first ever fan.

In a way, that’s what she is. Rowling has written seven Harry Potter books, and sold more than 450m copies, but her first novel for adults is unlike them in every respect.

“Obviously I need to be in some form of vehicle to have a decent idea,” she laughs. Having dreamed up Potter on a train, “This time I was on a plane. And I thought: local election! And I just knew. I had that totally physical response you get to an idea that you know will work. It’s a rush of adrenaline (肾上腺素), it’s chemical. I had it with Harry Potter and I had it with this. So that’s how I know.”

66. The “design guru” in Paragraph 2 is probably ________.

A. a publisher　 B. a reader　 C. a writer　 D. an expert

67. Why was the author required to sign so many legal documents before reading the book?

A. Because it’s a commercial secret before the book is published.

B. Because publishers are afraid the author is a commercial spy.

C. Because the author is so dishonest that publishers can’t trust him.

D. Because the author is involved in buying a house.

68. From the passage, we can learn the following facts about Rowling EXCEPT that________

A. she used to write stories in the cafes.

B. she often makes public appearance after she is famous.

C. she was very poor before she became well-known.

D. she has become a wealthy lady with good quality.

69. According to the interview with Rowling, we can infer that she is ________.

A. aggressive and energetic　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. quiet and easygoing

C. enthusiastic and lovely 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. modest and shy

70. The author writes the passage mainly to ________.

A. introduce JK Rowling and her new book　　 B.describe great changes in JK Rowling

C. advocate readers to buy Harry Potter D. tell readers the contents of the new book

A new oral medication to treat patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis(多发性硬化) has shown considerable promise in two clinical trials, researchers announced on Wednesday.

The medication is on track to become just the third oral drug available to M.S. patients, and potentially the safest and most effective, experts said. The second oral drug, called Aubagio, was approved just last week.

The new trials, published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that the drug BG-12, developed by Biogen Idec, reduced relapsing M.S rates(旧病复发率)in patients by about 50 percent. The drug also obviously reduced the frequency of new brain damage , and slowed the progression of disease compared with a placebo(安慰剂).

In the two clinical trials, called Define and Confirm, patients were divided into two groups at random, taking 240 milligrams of BG-12 either twice or three times a day. Patients in a third group took a placebo. The combined results showed that the drug reduced the relapse rate by about 50 percent.

Taking BG-12 twice a day reduced the number of newly enlarging brain damages by 71 percent to 99 percent. The Define trial found a statistically significant 38 percent reduction in the progression to disability. The most frequent side effects were a temporary flushing(脸红)and warm feeling and other symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, cramping and vomiting. Though both types of side effects were common, they tended to reduce after the first few weeks of use and were tolerated by most patients.

However, Interferons, the drugs most commonly used in relapsing M.S., reduce relapses by about 30 percent, and have not been shown to slow the progression of the disease and disability. The newly approved Aubagio also reduces relapses by about 30 percent, and it has the advantage of being an oral drug.

BG-12 is an anti-inflammatory that works by protecting nerves against injury. “The safety track record is well known and appears to be very strong,” said Dr. Robert Fox, lead author of one of the new studies and medical director of the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment.

“It’s a bright day for M.S. patients, but there is a gray cloud in that we still don’t have anything for those with progressive M.S.,” he added.

63. Which of the following is NOT the function of BG-12? 

A. It can slow the progression to disability significantly.

B. It can reduce relapses rates in patients with relapsing M.S.

C. It can decrease the number of brain damages caused by M.S.

D. It can make patients excited and ensure patients have a warm feeling.

64. What can you infer from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph? 

A. BG-12 can relieve the pain from the patients suffering from M.S.

B. There is hope but still a long way to find a cure for progressive M.S.

C. Scientists can not invent medication for patients with progressive M.S.

D. Patients in the early stages of M.S will still suffer a lot in the future.

65. Which can be the best title for the text?

A. Advantages of BG-12               B. Good news for the patients

C. Comparisons between three drugs           D. A new oral medication for the early M.S.

Froli Cat Dart

While cats require less attention compared to dogs, that doesn’t mean you can just leave them at home all day long. No sir, they too, need some level of attention and will have to keep themselves occupied mentally and physically too. Well, FroliCat Dart makes it possible. Just what is the FroliCat Dart all about? Well, for starters, this device delivers 360° rotation (旋转) that will project laser patterns on the floor, letting your feline (猫科动物) friend chase after it.

Portable USB Power Supply

With modern gadgets, running out of juice happens to some of us more often, simply because today’s devices seem to suck up more juice than before. That’s why the Portable USB Power Supply comes in handy, being a best emergency charger for cell phones and other devices. Capable of holding a charge for up to three months when in standby，it will ship with adapter tips that cater for a certain variety of cell phone brands.

Battery Powered Gloves

For those living in the northern hemisphere，we are pretty sure that you have already stocked up on your winter supplies to make sure you remain nice and warm throughout the upcoming freezing months. Well, wearing a pair of the Battery Powered Hand Warming Gloves is necessary so as to keep your palms and fingers warm. These gloves come with battery-powered integral (不可或缺的) heating elements which is capable of keeping your hands nice and warm for up to eight hours. It requires a quartet of AA batteries in each glove, and since both gloves are fully lined with a waterproof, breathable material, they might just come in handy during your next snowball fight. Too bad it comes only in one color-black.

60. How does FroliCat Dart work?

   A. It can make cats run around your house.

   B. It can project laser patterns to make cats chase.

   C. It can make cats much sleepier than before.

   D. It can provide food and drink for cats.

61. From the second paragraph, we know that________

   A. Lack of power happens to some of us less often than before.

   B. The adapter tips cater for all kinds of cell phone brands.

   C. The Portable USB Power Supply can charge for some phones.

   D. The Portable USB Power Supply can only last for three months.

62. Where do the Battery Powered Gloves sell well?

   A. Iceland        B. India        C. Australia      D Singapore 

Almost anyone who has read a travel brochure about Africa has heard of elephants getting drunk from the fruit of the marula tree. It is said that elephants can get drunk by eating the fermented (发酵) fruit rotting on the ground. Books have even been written to prove the truth of the phenomenon.

But a study published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology tells a very different story.

Steve Morris, a biologist at the University of Bristol in England and an author of the study, says there is nothing in the biology of either the African elephant or the marula fruit to support the stories. Morris says, “ people just want to believe in drunken elephants.”

The marula tree, a member of the same family as the mango, grows widely in Africa. Its sweet, yellow fruit is used for making jam, wine and beer. “The first mistake of the drunken-elephant theory is that it’s unlikely that an elephant would eat the fruit if it were rotten, ” Morris says. “Elephants eat the fruit right off the tree, not when it’s rotten on the ground, ” he explains.

Other experts add that if an elephant were to eat the fruit on the ground, it wouldn’t wait for the fruit to ferment. Michelle Gadd, an African wildlife specialist, says that elephants and many other animals, including birds and monkeys, are too fond of marula fruit to let it rot.

If fermented fruit on the ground is out of the question, so is the notion that the fruit could ferment in the stomach of elephants, according to the study authors. Food takes between 12 and 46 hours to pass through an elephant’s digestive system, the authors point out, which is not enough for the fruit to ferment.

Supposing that this happened, it’s still highly improbable that the food would produce enough alcohol to make an elephant drunk. Through calculations of body weight, elephant digestion rates, and other factors, the authors conclude that it would take about 1.9 litres of ethanol(乙醇) to make an elephant drunk.

56. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A. it is not easy to find marula fruit in the wild in Africa

B. African elephants don’t like to eat marula fruit at all

C. marula fruit can be made into food or drink consumed by people

D. birds and monkeys in Africa like to eat rotten marula fruit

57. According to Paragraph 6, marula fruit is likely to ferment ________.

A. in about 12 hours　　　　　　 B. in about 34 hours

C. between 12 and 46 hours　　　 D. in more than 46 hours

58. According to Mr. Morris, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Elephants just eat the fruit right off the tree.

B. Elephants will not eat the fruit which is rotten.

C. The marula tree and the mango belong to different families.

D. There are several connections between Elephants and the marula fruit.

59 . What does the underlined word “this” in the last paragraph probably refer to ?
A. Elephants getting drunk.　　　　

B. Marula fruit fermenting in elephants’ stomachs.

C. Elephants eating rotten marula fruit.

D. Elephants eating marula trees directly.