—Look! This is__________ .

—Very beautiful. When did she take it?


  1. A.
    mymother’spicture
  2. B.
    mymotherinthepicture
  3. C.
    apictureofmymother
  4. D.
    apictureofmymother’s

Last year I applied to Princeton University. I ________ they would say yes — but they did, and now here I am．


  1. A.
    never think
  2. B.
    am never thinking
  3. C.
    have never thought
  4. D.
    never thought

Insurance companies provide a service to the community by protecting it against expected and unexpected disasters. Before an insurance company will agree to insure anything, it collects accurate figures about the risk. It knows, for example, that the risk of a man being killed in a plane accident is less than the risk he takes in crossing a busy road. This enables it to quote(报价) low figures for travel insurance. Sometimes the risk may be high, as in motor-racing or mountaineering. Then the company charges a much higher price. If too many climbers have accidents, the price rises further. If the majority of climbers fall off mountains, the company will refuse to insure them.
An ordinary householder may wish to protect his home against fire or his property against burglary(入室行窃). A shopkeeper may wish to insure against theft. In normal cases, the company will check its statistics and quote a premium(保险费). If it is suspicious(可疑的), it may refuse to quote. If it insures a shop and then receives a suspicious claim, it will investigate the claim as a means of protecting itself against false claims. It is not unknown for a businessman in debt to burn down his own premises so that he can claim much money from his insurance company. He can be sure that the fire will be investigated most carefully. Insurance companies also accept insurance against shipwreck or disaster in the air. Planes and ships are very expensive, so a large premium is charged, but a reduction is given to companies with an accident-free record.
Every week, insurance companies receive premium payments from customers. These payments can form a very large total running into millions of dollars. The company does not leave the money in the bank. It invests (投资) in property, shares (股票) ,farms and even paintings and stamps. Its aim is to obtain the best possible return on its investment. This is not as greedy as it may seem since this is one way by which it can keep its premiums down and continue to make a profit while being of service to the community.

  1. 1.

    The main idea of the first paragraph is that      .

    1. A.
      insurance companies protect the community against disasters
    2. B.
      insurance companies often collect accurate figures about the risk
    3. C.
      insurance companies base their decisions on the risk involved
    4. D.
      insurance companies charge different prices in the same cases
  2. 2.

    The insurance company will usually investigate a suspicious claim to    .

    1. A.
      refuse to quote the insurance fee
    2. B.
      make sure that the claim is reasonable
    3. C.
      decide how much the company should pay
    4. D.
      find out when the accident happened
  3. 3.

    The underlined word "premises" in Paragraph 2 most probably means"     "

    1. A.
      land and buildings
    2. B.
      insurance contract
    3. C.
      debt papers
    4. D.
      financial papers
  4. 4.

    The author’s attitude towards customers’ premium payments being used by insurance companies is __

    1. A.
      critical
    2. B.
      doubtful
    3. C.
      neutral
    4. D.
      positive
  5. 5.

    The purpose of this passage is to __

    1. A.
      explain how insurance companies operate
    2. B.
      encourage people to invest in insurance companies
    3. C.
      persuade people to insure against unexpected disasters
    4. D.
      advise people how to insure their life and property

Thinking

·Some   scientists claim that we humans are the only living things that are   conscious(有意识的)—we alone are aware that we   are thinking.
·No   one knows how consciousness works—it is one of science’s last great mysteries.
·All   your thoughts take place in the cerebrum(大脑皮质),which is at the top of your brain,and   different kinds of thought are linked to different areas,called association   areas.
·Each   half of the cerebrum has four rounded ends called lobes(脑叶)—two at the front(frontal and   temporal lobes)and two at the back(occipital and parietal lobes).
·The   frontal lobe is linked to your personality and it is where you have your   bright ideas.
·The   temporal lobe is where you hear and understand what people say to you.
·The   occipital lobe is where you work out what your eyes see.
·The   parietal lobe is where you record touch,heat and cold,and pain.
·The   left half of the brain controls the right side of the body.The right half   controls the left side.
·One   half of the brain is always dominant(in charge).Usually,the left brain is   dominant,which is why 90% of people are right-handed.


  1. 1.

    Which part of your cerebrum is most active when you are making a telephone call?

    1. A.
      The frontal lobe.
    2. B.
      The temporal lobe.
    3. C.
      The occipital lobe.
    4. D.
      The parietal lobe.
  2. 2.

    Which of the following statements is true?

    1. A.
      One’s personality has something to do with the frontal lobe.
    2. B.
      Bright ideas come from the parietal lobe.
    3. C.
      The occipital and temperal lobes are at the back of the cerebrum.
    4. D.
      The occipital lobe is in charge of sound.
  3. 3.

    From the passage,we know the reason why around 10% of people are left-handed is that_______.

    1. A.
      their frontal lobe is usually dominant
    2. B.
      their temporal lobe is usually dominant
    3. C.
      their right brain is usually dominant
    4. D.
      their left brain is usually dominant

In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide acts rather like a one-way mirror or the glass in the roof of a greenhouse which allows the sun's rays to enter but prevents the heat from escaping.
According to a weather expert' s prediction, the atmosphere will be 3℃ warmer in the year 2050 than it is today, if man continues to burn fuels at the present rate. If this warming up took place, the ice caps in the poles would begin to melt, thus raising sea level several metres and severely flooding coastal cities. Also, the increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to great changes in the climate of the northern hemisphere (北半球), possibly resulting in an alteration of the earth's chief food growing zones.
  In the past, concern about a man-made warming of the earth has concentrated on the Arctic because the Antarctic is much colder and has a much thicker ice sheet. But the weather experts are now paying more attention to West Antarctic, which may be affected by only a few degrees of warming, in other words, by a warming on the scale that will possibly take place in the next fifty years from the burning of fuels.
  Satellite pictures show that large areas of Antarctic ice are already disappearing. The evidence available suggests that a warming has taken place. This fits the theory that carbon dioxide warms the earth.
  However, most of the fuel is burnt in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures seem to be falling. Scientists conclude , therefore, that up to now natural influences on the weather have gone beyond those caused by man. The question is: Which natural cause has most effect on the weather?
  One possibility is the variable behavior of the sun. Astronomers at one research station have studied the hot spots and "cold" spots (that is, the relatively less hot spots) on the sun. As the sun rotates (使旋转), every 27. 5 days, it presents hotter or "colder" faces to the earth, and different aspects to different parts of the earth. This seems to have a considerable effect on the distribution of the earth's atmospheric pressure, and consequently on wind circulation. The sun is also changeable over a long term: its heat output goes up and down in cycles, the latest trend being downward.
  Scientists are now finding shared relations between models of solar weather interactions and the actual climate over many thousands of years, including the last Ice Age. The problem is that the models are predicting that the world should be entering a new Ice Age and it is not. One way of solving this theoretical difficulty is to assume a delay of thousands of years while the solar effects overcome the inertia (惯性) of the earth's climate. If this is right, the warming effect of carbon dioxide might thus be serving as a useful opposed balance to the sun's fading heat .

  1. 1.

    It can be concluded that a concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would_________.

    1. A.
      mean a warming-up in the Antarctic
    2. B.
      raise the temperature of the earth' s surface
    3. C.
      prevent the sun's rays from reaching the earth's surface
    4. D.
      explain the cause of great changes in the climate in the northern hemisphere
  2. 2.

    The article was written to explain ___________.

    1. A.
      the greenhouse effect
    2. B.
      the solar effects on the earth
    3. C.
      the causes affecting weather
    4. D.
      the models of solar-weather interactions
  3. 3.

    Although the fuel consumption is greater in the northern hemisphere, temperatures there seem to be falling. This is__________.

    1. A.
      mainly because the levels of carbon dioxide are rising
    2. B.
      partly due to changes in the output of solar energy
    3. C.
      possibly because the ice caps in the poles are melting
    4. D.
      only due to the effect of the inertia of the earth' s climate
  4. 4.

    On the basis of their models, scientists believe the opinion that__________.

    1. A.
      the climate of the world should be becoming cooler
    2. B.
      the new Ice Age will be delayed by the greenhouse effect
    3. C.
      the man-made warming effect helps to increase the solar effects
    4. D.
      it will take thousands of years for the inertia of the earth's climate to take effect
  5. 5.

    If the assumption about the delay of a new Ice age is correct, ____________.

    1. A.
      ice would soon cover the northern hemisphere
    2. B.
      the greenhouse effect could work in favor of the earth
    3. C.
      the best way to overcome the cooling effect would be to burn more fuels
    4. D.
      the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could warm up the earth even more quickly

Criticism is judgement.A critic is a judge.A judgement study and think about the material presented to him, accept it, correct it, or reject it after thinking over what he has read, watched or heard.
Another word for criticism is appreciation.When I criticize or appreciate some objector another, I look for its good points and bad points.In reading any printed or written matter, I always have a pencil in hand and put any comments in the book or on a separate paper.In other words, I always talk back to the writer.
That sort of critical reading might well be called creative reading because I am thinking along with the author, asking him questions, seeing whether he answers the questions and how well he answers them.I mark the good passages to store them in my memory piece of writing; where, how and why could or should I improve upon it?
You might think that doing what I suggested is work.Yes, it is, but the work is a pleasure because I can feel my brain expanding, my emotion reacting and my way of living change.
Reading exercises is a great influence on a person.If pictures, still or moving, accompany the reading, the memory will retain the material for a long time.
Just as evil books can corrupt, so also can good books gradually work a change on a corrupt person.
Let's get back to the beneficial effects of thinking while reading.It helps us to enlarge our minds.We understand more about the universe, its people and many of its wonders.We learn to think and observe in new ways.We certainly do get a feeling for the language we are reading.All good writers in any language have been readers who read critically and continuously.

  1. 1.

    The writer says a critic________. 

    1. A.
      asks what he does not understand
    2. B.
      talks back to the author
    3. C.
      understand the background on which the works are based
    4. D.
      looks for the good and bad points of the material he has read
  2. 2.

    According to the writer, creative reading is________.

    1. A.
      raising questions and answering them for the author.
    2. B.
      reading and giving comments on the materials one has read.
    3. C.
      thinking in the same line with the author.
    4. D.
      storing up facts in one's memory.
  3. 3.

    By the phrase “thinking along with” in the third paragraph, the writer means________.

    1. A.
      following one's thought closely
    2. B.
      accepting
    3. C.
      considering
    4. D.
      agreeing
  4. 4.

    According to the writer, critical reading________.

    1. A.
      makes a person rich
    2. B.
      enables a person to write fluently
    3. C.
      broaden a person's horizons
    4. D.
      gives a person extra work.
  5. 5.

    We can learn from the passage that all good readers ________.

    1. A.
      understand more about their surrounding than others.
    2. B.
      have a thorough insight to the problem in life.
    3. C.
      have the feeling of the language they read.
    4. D.
      have read extensively(广泛地)and critically

A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift—＄7,000，a legacy from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident . “It really made a difference when we were going under financially.” says Dave. 
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in others, it was more than ＄100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than ＄3 million—they were am elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm . 
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving, They thrived own comparison shopping and  would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase .
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it. “Ish and Arlene never asked you needed anything,” says their friend Sand Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do go make you happier, and they would do them.
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed. It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cent —should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come.
Neighbors helping neighbors ——that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.

  1. 1.

    According go the text, the Fusses___________.

    1. A.
      were employed by a truck company
    2. B.
      were in financial difficulty
    3. C.
      worked in a school cafeteria
    4. D.
      lost their home
  2. 2.

    Which of the following is true of the Hatches?

    1. A.
      They had their children during the Great Depression
    2. B.
      They left the family farm to live in an old house
    3. C.
      They gave away their possessions to their neighbors
    4. D.
      They helped their neighbors to find jobs
  3. 3.

    Why would the Hatches routinely go from store to store?

    1. A.
      They decided to open a store
    2. B.
      They wanted to save money
    3. C.
      They couldn’t afford expensive things
    4. D.
      They wanted to buy gifts for local kids
  4. 4.

    According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were ___________.

    1. A.
      understanding
    2. B.
      optimistic
    3. C.
      childlike
    4. D.
      curious
  5. 5.

    What can we learn from the text?

    1. A.
      The community of Alto was poor
    2. B.
      The summer camp was attractive to the parents
    3. C.
      Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches
    4. D.
      The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example

Holidays

Holiday   News
Vacancies(空位) now and in   the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly   home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive   away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are   welcome. Reduced prices for low season.

 

The   snowdonia Centre
The Snowdonia Centre for young   mountain climbers has a mountain climbing lesson. The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week,   including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which   can be hired at a low cost.
You must be in good health and   prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the   beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.

 

The   World Sea Trip of a Lifetime
Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be   unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after   another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and traveling, you just   go to bed in one country and wake up in another.
On board the ship, you will be well   taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home.
During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy   yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and   watch our wonderful play.
You will visit all the places most   people only dream about — from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokoy and Hong Kong.
For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped   for can be yours.

  1. 1.

    What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?

    1. A.
      Choose the holiday in Devon
    2. B.
      Go to the Snowdonia Centre
    3. C.
      Join the World Sea Trip of 2008
    4. D.
      Visit Acapulco and Hawaii
  2. 2.

    In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?

    1. A.
      It provides chances of family gatherings
    2. B.
      It provides customers with good food
    3. C.
      It offers a sports lesson
    4. D.
      It offers comfortable rooms
  3. 3.

    What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?

    1. A.
      You can have free meals on deck every day
    2. B.
      You can sleep on a ship and tour many places
    3. C.
      You will have chances to watch and act in a play
    4. D.
      You have to do your own packing and unpacking

During my elementary school years，I used to compare my mom with my best friend  Tiffany’s mom.
Tiffany’s mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food.Her morn allowed her to do anything she liked.I really admired Tiffany.My mom didn’t give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave my self.1 was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn’t get what 1 wanted，1 would complain to my mom，Tiffany’s mom would give her that!1 wish she were my mom.”Every time，my mom would calmly say “Poor Tiffany”.
I couldn’t understand her.“She shouldn’t be feeling sorry for Tiffany!”I thought.“She should be feeling sorry for me.”
One day，I couldn’t help saying to Morn，”Poor Tiffany？Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her？”I burst into tears.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly , “Yes，I do feel sorry for her.I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught.”
I looked up at her.“What are you talking about？”
Mom said with care，“One day she will really want something.Maybe she’11 find out that she can’t have it.Her mother won’t always be around to give her money，and what’s more，money can’t buy everything.”
She continued，“I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want.You’11 know how to look for bargains and save money，but she won’t.You’11 under stand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won’t.When Tiffany is a grown woman，she’11 wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you’ve got.Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food.’’
It took some time，but I eventually understood my mom’s words.Now I am a happy and successful woman.

  1. 1.

    During the author’s elementary school years，she       .

    1. A.
      wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany’s
    2. B.
      went to school with Tiffany every day
    3. C.
      usually compared her lesson with Tiffany’s
    4. D.
      sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany
  2. 2.

    Why did the author’s mom always say “Poor Tiffany”？

    1. A.
      She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor.
    2. B.
      She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author.
    3. C.
      She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother.
    4. D.
      She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany.
  3. 3.

    What do we learn about the author’s mother？

    1. A.
      She was strict and taught the author to be independent.
    2. B.
      She cared for other people’s children more than her own.
    3. C.
      She thought that life lessons were as important as money.
    4. D.
      She was so poor that she couldn’t give the author much money.
  4. 4.

    What can we infer from the passage？

    1. A.
      The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past.
    2. B.
      The author’s mother felt sorry for Tiffany.
    3. C.
      Tiffany’s mother took the author’s mother’s advice.
    4. D.
      The author is thankful to her mother now.

Jean Francis Grander was perhaps the most daring man who ever lived and perhaps the craziest.His greatest desire was to entertain and amaze people.He measured his success by the number of people who fainted dead away after witnessing his death-defying（极其惊险的）feats.
Grander，a blond Frenchman，toured North America in 1850，billing himself as “Blondin”.Blondin’s gift was excellent balance.This talent.coupled with a great desire to surprise and shock his audiences，made Blondin an incomparable performer.
His most famous feat was walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.Blondin’s “stage” consisted of a rope tied 1，100 feet across the falls.The rope hung some 160 feet above the rocks and boiling water below the falls.
Simply walking across the falls was not exciting enough for Blondin；he later had to ride across on a bicycle.Then，in another performance，he calmly walked across blindfolded（被蒙住的眼睛）.At still another time，he carried his terrified manager on his back and walked over the falls before thousands of breathless audience.
But Blondin was undoubtedly his own worst critic.He was never satisfied with hfs act and always tried to attract his audience with his balancing feat.One of his most daring walks was made in the darkness of night.Blondin became so famous on his tour through North America that his last performance was attended by an admiring Prince of Wales.

  1. 1.

    Why does the author think that Grander may be the craziest man in the world？

    1. A.
      Because he enjoyed entertaining people by terrifying them.
    2. B.
      Because many people died after seeing his feats.
    3. C.
      Because his greatest desire was to entertain people.
    4. D.
      Because he was an incomparable performer.
  2. 2.

    What does the underlined word “feat” in this passage mean？

    1. A.
      excellent performance                                
    2. B.
      tour
    3. C.
      famous event                                             
    4. D.
      victory
  3. 3.

    What can we infer from the first sentence in the last paragraph？

    1. A.
      Blondin was very content with his own performance.
    2. B.
      Blondin was not very very good at criticism.
    3. C.
      Blondin never thought that his performance was satisfy.
    4. D.
      Blondin didn’t like criticism.
  4. 4.

    The author’S attitude towards“Blondin”is       .

    1. A.
      critical                  
    2. B.
      admiring                
    3. C.
      negative                 
    4. D.
      depressed
  5. 5.

    Which of the following can NOT be drawn from the passage?

    1. A.
      Blondin’s success had something to do with his character.
    2. B.
      In order to be Successful，one should be a critic of himself.
    3. C.
      Blondin conquered his audience simply by his talent.
    4. D.
      People can get pleasure from a terrifying experience.
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