One very cold day，a snowstorm blew into our area. Needing firewood，I quickly set out with my best friend，Bruce，to look for a tree to cut down. I was glad to have Bruce along with. Cutting down a tree in a snowstorm can be dangerous. So it was important to have a friend who could warn me of danger.

When I chose a big tree about 23 meters tall and prepared to cut it down，my best friend suddenly warned me，“Don’t cut down that tree！It’s too close to the power line！﹙电线﹚”I wasn’t sure about it. So I decided to disregard his warning. I wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. So I began cutting down the tree. When the tree fell，there was no longer any doubt that my friend was right.

The tree caught the power line，bringing it to the ground. I considered cutting the tree off the line. After all，electricity can’t travel through wood，so I could safely remove the tree. As I reached out my finger to touch the tree，pain ran up my arm and through my head. I was shocked!

After I returned home and told my mother what had happened，she quickly called the power company. The workers from the power company soon arrived on the scene. One of them asked if I had touched the tree，and when I told him I had，his face turned pale.

“You should have been killed，” he said.

So why am I still alive？It was my boots that saved my life.

Within two hours，the workers removed the tree. Soon the snowstorm calmed down—but not my mother.

Even though she was glad I wasn’t hurt，my mother was still serious. After all，I shouldn’t have brushed off my friend’s warning.

Through this experience，I learn it’s important to listen to people who offer a different perspective. Taking time to listen might actually save a lot of time and trouble. It certainly would have kept me from getting the “shock” of my life.

1.The underlined word “disregard” in the second paragraph means “________”．

A．pay no attention to             B．take notice of      C．consider              D．follow

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．But for his boots，the author would have died.

B．The author regretted having brushed off his friend’s warning.

C．The author knew nothing about electricity.

D．When the tree was cut down，the author realized his friend was right.

3.The underlined part “the snowstorm calmed down—but not my mother” means “________”．

A．my mother was still angry with me for not listening to my friend’s warning

B．my mother was still in fear of the terrible accident

C．my mother was still comforting me

D．my mother was still worried about my safety

4.The author wrote the passage mainly to________.

A．give an account of one of his terrible experiences

B．make us know it’s important to listen to people who offer a different perspective through his experience

C．tell us not to cut trees down any more

D．remind us to be careful while we are working

Not only ______ in photography, but _____ an amateur courses to update my skills.

A．I am interested; I took                    B．interested I am; did I take

C．I am interested; did I take                 D．am I interested; I took

Some people argue that the pressures on international sportsmen and sportswomen kill the essence(本质) of sport-seeking for personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. A single person’s representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself; he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for an entire nation’s hopes, dreams and fame.

A good example is the football World Cup. Football is the world’s most important sport. It is even more important now that the United States is seriously taking it up. Winning the World Cup is perhaps the greatest of international sporting success. Mention “Argentina” to someone and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup “put Argentina on the map”.

Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational(失去理性的) about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won in 1996. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses and spent all their money traveling to Argentina where the finals were played.

So am I arguing that international competition kills the idea of sports? Certainly not! Do the Argentineans really believe that because eleven of their men proved that most skillful at football, their nation is in every way better than all others? Not really. But it’s known that you won, and that in one way at least your country is best.

1.What is the writer’s main purpose in the passage?

2.According to the passage, Argentina is world famous because of its ____.

3.According to the passage, if a sportsman thinks about winning, he will ____.

4.What is the writer’s attitude towards international games?

5. From this passage, we can infer that ____.

假定你是中学生李华。在一位名叫TigerMom的学生家长的博客上，你看到如下内容。请你根据博客内容、写作要点和要求，给这位家长回复。

I’m the mother of a sixteen-year-old. I have a rule for my daughter：be among the top 5 students or get punished in one way or another. She has been doing very well in school，but some friends of mine keep telling me that I put too much pressure on her. Am I wrong?

写作要点：

1．表明自己的看法；

2．陈述自己的理由(可举例说明)；

3．提出至少两条建议。

4．短文词数不少于100(不含已写好的部分)。

Hi，TigerMom，

What puzzles you is actually a puzzle for many parents in China.

______________________________________________________________

The teacher was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry. The miller at Cresscombe lent him the small cart and horse to carry his goods to Christminster, the city of his destination, such a vehicle proving of quite enough size for the teacher's belongings. For his only article, in addition to the packing-case of books, was a piano that he had bought when he thought of learning instrumental music. But the eagerness having faded he had never acquired any skill in playing, and the purchased article had been a permanent trouble to him.

The headmaster had gone away for the day, being a man who disliked the sight of changes. He did not mean to return till the evening, when the new teacher would have arrived, and everything would be smooth again.

The blacksmith, the farm bailiff and the teacher were standing in confused attitudes in the sitting room before the instrument. The teacher had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he should not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster, since he was only going into a temporary place just at first.

A little boy of eleven, who had been assisting in the packing, joined the group of men, and said, ‘Aunt has got a fuel-house, and it could be put there, perhaps, till you’ve found a place to settle in, sir.’

‘Good idea,’ said the blacksmith.

The smith and the bailiff started to see about the possibility of the suggested shelter, and the boy and the teacher were left standing alone.

‘Sorry I am going, Jude?’ asked the latter kindly.

Tears rose into the boy’s eyes. He admitted that he was sorry.

‘So am I,’ said Mr. Phillotson.

‘Why do you go, sir?’ asked the boy.

‘Well—don't speak of this everywhere. You know what a university is, and a university degree? It is the necessary hallmark (标志) of a man who wants to do anything in teaching. My scheme, or dream, is to be a university graduate. By going to live at Christminster, I shall be at headquarters, so to speak, and if my scheme is practicable at all, I consider that being on the spot will afford me a better chance.’

The smith and his companion returned. Old Miss Fawley's fuel-house was practicable; and she seemed willing to give the instrument standing-room there. So it was left in the school till the evening, when more hands would be available for removing it; and the teacher gave a final glance round.

At nine o'clock Mr. Phillotson mounted beside his box of books, and waved his friends good-bye.

1.It seemed that the teacher _____.

A．was not getting on well with the headmaster

B．had lived a rather simple life in the village

C．was likely to continue to practice playing the piano

D．would get help in the city on arriving there

2.The motivation of the teacher’s moving lay in his _____.

A．ambition          B．devotion          C．admiration         D．inspiration

3.The boy named Jude may be described as _____. 

A．polite, generous and cheerful              B．active, modest and friendly

C．kind, bright and helpful                   D．calm, confident and humorous

4.In the passage the writer describes both the teacher’s _____.

A．love for music and his dislike for musical instruments

B．hard work in the village and his strong interest in city life

C．friendship with some villagers and also conflicts with others

D．eagerness to go to the city and his affection for the village