How I Turned to Be Optimistic

I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather (继父)and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."

My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

51．How did the author get to know America?

　 A. From her relatives.　　　　　　　　 B. From her mother.

　 C. From books and pictures.　　　　　　 D. From radio programs.

52．Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.

　 A. confused　　　　 B. excited　　 　 C. worried　　　　 D. amazed

53．For the first two years in New York, the author _________.

　 A. often lost her way　　　　　　　　　　 B. did not think about her future

　 C. studied in three different schools　　　　 D. got on well with her stepfather

54．What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A. She worked as a translator.　　　　　　　　 B. She attended a lot of job interviews.

　 C. She paid telephone bills for her family.　　 　D. She helped her family with her English.

55．The author believes that______.

A. her future will be free from troubles　　　　　　　

B. it is difficult to learn to become patient

C. there are more good things than bad things　　

D. good things will happen if one keeps trying

My grandfather lived only half a mile away from where I grew up in New York. Every day, he would walk down to our house and bring my dad newspapers. Along with the papers he would bring a small bag of treats (美食) for my two brothers and me.

Western New York had terrible winter weather: rain, sleet (雨夹雪), or even 3 feet of snow. Even when he was 81, he still walked the half mile every single day. As a child, I looked forward to the daily treats, but now I’m older and I realize he braved the rough weather each day just to see us smile; I now value that more than anything else.

My grandfather touched many lives. A woman who had been in hospital for five years told me her story. She said my grandfather would visit her twice a week at her home: to read to her, play bridge, or just chat. It lasted for years without stop. She had few visitors. Even a hitch-hiker who my grandfather had picked up for free told me of my grandfather’s influence on his life. My grandfather took the traveler to his home. After learning that the man was homeless, my grandfather gave him a place to stay. The man told me that no one had ever been so nice to him. He later found a job in a supermarket.

I was touched, but not surprised to know all of the touching stories from which I understood my grandfather’s selflessness. I have since tried to learn from him to help others. Although he died years ago, we still respect him.

46. The writer’s grandfather walked to his grandson’s home each day in order to ________.

A. bring his son newspapers　 B. give his grandchildren some food

C. take exercise by walking　 D. see his son and grandchildren

47. All of the following can describe the writer’s grandfather EXCEPT ________.

A. kind　 B. selfless　 C. strict　 D. helpful

48. The underlined word “hitch-hiker” in Paragraph 3 refers to ________.

A. a person who gets a free car ride when traveling

B. a person who likes traveling by car

C. a person who is given up by parents

D. a person who travels alone and gets lost

49. From the text we can infer that ________.

A. the writer didn’t know his grandfather’s selflessness until years later

B. the writer’s grandfather went to his house except on snowy days

C. the writer’s grandfather ever looked after a woman in hospital for five years

D. the writer’s grandfather ever helped a stranger find a job in a supermarket

50. After learning about his grandfather’s stories, the writer ________.

A. felt a little surprised at first　 B. followed the example of his grandfather

C. was much sad all the time　　 D. didn’t like his grandfather’s action

There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time set aside for fun. And the best part is that these are the kind of memories a child will remember for a lifetime.

Family game night

Find out any of the games that are already around the house. Kids often get computer games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of your own. “Charades” is a fun game to play that will challenge a child to use his/her imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words that the other has to act out.

________________________

Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own masterpiece. It doesn't need to be just a drawing -- take some old magazines sitting around the house, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own montage. Or, use items from nature. Let them use leaves, pine cones（松果）, twigs and whatever else they can find to create something from their imaginations.

Family Picnic

Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn't cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let the kids have a day of playing. Or, if it is the middle of winter and a foot of snow is on the ground, set up a picnic in the living room.

Family Field Trip

A family field trip doesn't have to cost a dime. Ask a nearby farm if it would be alright to bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park and make a scavenger hunt(寻物游戏) where they need to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work -- you might be surprised at the number of people who would be thrilled to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for the kids.

41. We can learn from the passage that “charades” ________.

A. is a computer game      B. is too difficult for children  

C. involves acting out words D. should be played by more than four people

42 What is the best title to be put in the blank of part two? ____________.

A. Family art time              B. Family gardening time  

C. Family music time         D. Family cleaning time

43. According to the passage, the family picnic____________.

A. should be held in the middle of winter

B. can be held inside your house

C. will be very meaningful if held in offices

D. will cost much money if held on a farm

44. Who might be most interested in this passage? _________.

A. Parents   B. Teachers         C. Farmers     D. Employers 

45. The writer wrote this passage mainly to _____________.

A. encourage children to use imagination.  B. share precious family memories

C. discuss young children’s interests    D. suggest fun activities to families

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31～40的相应位置上。

I have the greatest job in the world. I travel to unusual places and work alongside people from all over the world.  31   my job is occasionally dangerous, I don’t mind because danger excites me and makes me feel alive.

I   32  (appoint) as a volcanologist working for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory twenty years ago. My job is collecting information for a database about Mount Kilauea,   33  is one of the most active volcanoes in Hawaii. Having collected and evaluated the information, I help other volcanologists to predict   34  lava from the volcano will flow next and how fast. Our work has saved many lives because people   35  the path of the lava can be warned to leave their houses _  36   (fortunate), we cannot move their homes out of the way, and many houses have been covered with lava or burned to  37   ground.

Today, I am just   38   enthusiastic about my job as the day I first started.  39    (study) volcanoes now for many years, I am still amazed   40  their beauty as well as their potential to cause great damage.

书面表达

        国外某网站要举办网上讨论活动，向全球中学生征集话题。假设你是新华中学的学生李华，经常访问该网站。现请你根据以下要点用英文给该网站发送一封电子邮件，向其推荐一个话题。

要点：

      1．写信目的；

      2．推荐的话题：对未来的展望；

      3．推荐的理由；

      4．预祝活动成功；

注意：

    1．内容必须包括所有要点，词数120左右；

    2．部件格式已为你给出；

    3．邮件中不能出现本人真实信息。

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am Li Hua，a student from Xinhua Middle School．I often visit your website．I am very glad to know that you are collecting topics from us middle school students．

                                                                                Yours,

Li Hua

短文填词

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示，2）首字母提示，3）语境提示，在每个空格内填人一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确。

When a private plane flew off course some time ago, it crashed in                              

the mountains and its pilot was k        ．A young woman and her                          76．       

two baby daughters, the only _         （乘客） , were unhurt．It was           77．       

the middle of winter．Snow lay        （厚） on the ground．The woman）      78．       

       knew that the nearest village was miles away． L        , she found a                     79．        

       case nearby and turned it             a bed and put the children inside it,          80．           

       c           them with all the clothes she could find．During the night,            81．           

       it got terribly cold．The woman kept as near         she could to the                      82．           

       children．The next day, she h      _ planes passing overhead and                 83．           

       wondered         she could send a signal．Then she had an idea．She            84．           

       stamped out the l         "SOS" in the snow．Eventually, a pilot saw             85．         

       the “SOS” and arrived on the scene to rescue the survivors．

　　 Australians have evidently realized the fact that water means life and we need to he more thoughtful in our use of this rather precious resource．Since the year 2000, Australians have managed to reduce their use of water by 14% ． In the most populous city, Sydney, they've managed to use less water in 2007 than in 1974, even though the city grew by l． 2 million souls in this period．

　　 Across the country nearly 20% of all households have water tanks．That would probably be due, in large part, to the various state governments offering generous rebates． In NSW, for example, where 24,000 households have taken up the offer, you can get $1,500 AUD back if you fix a 7,000 + litre tank and have it attached into your toilet and washing machine．

　　 Creywater use has taken off too． The Australian Bureau of Statistics suggest that it's now the second most common source of water in Australia, with over half of the country's homes reusing water from their washing machines, showers and baths． The state of Victoria leads with 70% using greywater, and Queensland, coming close behind with 63%．

　 Up in the northern state of．Queensland, some of their dams have been below 20%． Sydney's main dam is only at 56% of its potential capacity．

　 The country's ongoing drought（干旱） has seen more than 95% of the length of the Murray- Darling Basin （ the two major river systems that supply the nation's 'food basket' ） regarded as ' degraded', Supply of water has become such an issue that hydro-electric power（水力发电） output has dropped 7% in a recent 9 year period for the states of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania．Not good for promoting our uptake understanding of renewable energy in these climate changing times．But at least the message is getting through about making every drop count．

72．The underlined word "rebate" in paragraph 2 probably means　　　　　　 ．

A． discount or allowance　　　　　 　　　　　 B． water tanks for free

C． agreements or payment　　　　　 　　　　 D． washing machine of high quality

73． Which of the following statements is TRUE?

　 A． The state of Victoria is playing a leading role in greywater use．

　 B． More water has been used in Australia with the growing population．

　 C． The state of Queensland gets its water mostly from the north of its state．

　 D． Some of the dams in Queensland are too weak to hold potential water．

74． We can learn from the last paragraph that　　　　　 ．

A． the country's water shortage is partly due to continuous drought

B． large quantities of water are being used to produce electricity

C． the author hopes water resource could be used to the fullest

D． the author disagrees with the use of renewable energy

75． The passage is likely to appear in　　　　 ．

　 A． a scientist's diary B． a history paper

C． a travel guidebook　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D． a newspaper

　　 A study by St． Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents． The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents（居民）．

　　 Dr． Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team出at built a home-assistance robot． "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said．

　　 To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis.

　　 One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog．The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits．

　　 After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached． Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.

　　 "He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago．

　 Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him． He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing（发出声音）, and blinking his lights．

　 "AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr． William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy． He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot． "

68． Before the new study, it was known that　　　　　　　　　 ．

A． dogs could help get rid of old people's loneliness

B． robots could build close connection with humans

C． robots were more effective at reducing people's loneliness

D． dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness

69． The first time those who contacted with the robotic dog　　　　　　 ．

A． accepted it immediately　　 　　　　　　　　　 B． found it easy to interact with it

C． were not quite comfortable with it　 　　　 D． were confused by its behavior

70． The findings of the researchers tell us that　　　　　 .

　 A． robots are actually attractive sorts of guys

　 B． robots could make a good companion of the old　　　 ．

　 C． it's easy for people to become close with robots

　 D． the elderly will have a robot assistant in no time

71． What would be the best title for the passage?

　 A． Robots Serve People Better Than Thought

　 B． No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots

　 C． Dogs equipped with robots to Help the Elderly

　 D． Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly

　 For incoming freshmen at western Connecticut's suburban Brookfield High School, lifting a backpack weighed down with textbooks is about to give way to tapping out notes and touching electronic pages on an iPad, A few hours away, every student at Burlington High School near Boston．will also start the year with new school-issued iPads, each loaded with electronic textbooks and other online resources in place of traditional texts．Apple officials say they know of more than 600 districts that have launched what are called "one-to-one" programs．

　　 At Burlington High in suburban Boston, Principal Patrick Larkin says the $500 iPads is better than textbooks in the long term, though he said the school will still use traditional texts in some courses if suitable electronic programs aren't yet available." Lark/n said of textbooks, "but they're pretty much outdated the minute they're printed and certainly by the time they're delivered"．

　 But some experts warn that the districts need to ensure they can support the wireless infrastructure （设施）, repairs and other costs that accompany a switch to such a tech-heavy approach． Mark Warschauer, an education and informatics professor said, "I think people will like it． I really don't know anybody in high school that wouldn't want to get an iPad," he said． "We're always using technology at home, then when you're at school it's textbooks．so it's a good way to put all of that together．" Districts are varied in their policies on how they police students' use．

　 And the nation's textbook publishing industry, accounting for $ 5.5 billion in yearly sales to secondary schools, is taking notice of the trend with its own shift in a competitive race toward developing curriculum （课程） specifically for iPads． Jay Diskey, executive director of the Association of American Publishers' schools division, said all of the major textbook publishers are moving toward electronic offerings, but at least in the short term, traditional bound textbooks are here to stay．"I think one of the real key questions that will be answered over the next several years is what sort of things work best in print for students and what smt of things work best digitally, "

64．The first paragraph is mainly about　　　　　　 ．

A． a program to promote iPads marketing in new school year

B． a program to spread electronic learning in new school year

C． a plan of how to use iPads in the coming school education

D． a plan of how to use IT technique in die coming school teaching

65．What's the problem for iPads to be used in schools at present?　　　　 ,

　 A． Some students wouldn't like to have iPads in schools．

　 B． The iPads are too expensive for school students to buy．

　 C． Most experts oppose the idea that iPads replace paper textbooks．

　 D． The iPads may be unavailable for some traditional courses．

66． The underlined sentence in the passage implies that　　　 _．

　 A． traditional textbooks are behind the times before they are printed

　 B． traditional textbooks possibly need to he printed again before delivered

C． contents of traditional textbooks can't be renewed in time as electronic ones do

　 D． the iPads can deliver information much more rapidly than printed textbooks

67． From the passage we can draw conclusion that　　　　 ．

　 A．more students tend to use printed textbooks rather than electronic ones

　 B．textbook publishing houses will develop more electronic textbooks of their own

　 C．it is impossible for the iPads to be widely used in schools in the future

　 D．electronic textbooks will take the place of printed ones in new school year