Look at the clock! It's time ______ work.

     A) we started      B) we'll start           C) we're starting     D) we have started

      Apple iPad Mini Wi-Fi 16 GB - Black & Slate   $329 online    71 reviews  

    October 2012 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 7.9 inch - With Camera - 10.9 ounces（1 pound =16 ounces）

With a touch screen and the ability to take an awesome 360-degree picture from the top of a mountain, its 7.9-inch display more than measures up to the complete iPad experience. View web pages. See where you are and what's around you using online maps. Flick（浏览） through your photos and watch videos in vivid detail. And wave hello to the family on a video call. With the same LED backlight technology and the same fast, fluid performance that the iPad is known for, the iPad Mini doesn't disappoint customers. And with automatic shake-resistant video, your videos are instantly ready to share.

         Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16 GB – Black       $350 online     2,564 reviews

    March 2011 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - With Camera - 10 hour battery -1.32 pounds

    This device has two cameras, a dual-core（双核） A5 chip, and the same battery life – all in a thinner, lighter Multi-Touch design. It makes surfing the Web, checking email, watching movies, and reading books feel natural. LED backlighting makes everything you see remarkably vivid and bright. With every turn of the device (even upside down), the display adjusts to fit. It has a wide, 178° viewing angle.

         Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi 32 GB        $600 online     454 reviews       

May 2010 - Apple - Handheld - 32 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - 1.5 pounds  

Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi is a magical and revolutionary product and the best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video. Taking advantage of the large multi-touch screen and advanced capabilities of the iPad, you can do things that you can't do on any other device. The high-resolution（分辨率）, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display on the iPad is remarkably vivid. Thin and light and with a wide viewing angle, it automatically locates available Wi-Fi networks.

1.According to the advertisement, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The Apple iPad 2 has a single core and 360-degree viewing angle.

B. The Apple iPad Mini can store as much information as the Apple iPad 2 can.

C. The Apple iPad Mini’s performance is disappointing compared to that of others.

D. The Apple iPad 1 is the oldest, the most expensive and the smallest of all three.

2.According to the advertisement, which one probably attracts most attention?

A. Apple iPad 2    B. Apple iPad Mini

C. Apple iPad 1   D. Dual-Core A5

3.We know from the advertisement that____________

A. we can’t voice chat with friends using the Apple iPad Mini.

B. we need to locate available Apple iPad 1Wi-Fi networks ourselves.

One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的)to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat untidy. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.

We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,

“May I get you something ?”

“A coffee would be nice.”

Then I bought him a cup of coffee. We talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee. Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,

“How did you get to know Mr. Gal breath?”

“Who?”

“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”

I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!

My few minutes with Mr. Gal breath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and to meet another human being with kindness and sincerity.

The author bought coffee for the old man because     

A. he thought the old man was poor     B. he wanted to start a conversation

C. he intended to show his politeness    D. he would like to thank the old man

How did the author probably feel after he talked with his friend?

A. Proud.    B. Pitiful.    C. Surprised.    D. Regretful

What is the message mainly expressed in the story?

A. We should learn to be generous.

B. It is honorable to help those in need.

C. People in high positions are not like what we expect.

D. We should avoid judging people by their appearances.

When was the last time you were late and expected someone to understand? How about the time you left your dishes on the table for someone else to clean up? Or perhaps you left the lid on the peanut butter jar loose, and the person after you opened the jar to find it dry and not fresh.

  Often, we are eager to ignore our own faults. But we have higher standards when it comes to our expectations of someone else who has the same expectations. We need to as equally understand the weaknesses of others and excuse them just as we excuse ourselves.

  Two of my strengths are punctuality(准时) and organization. I like to meet deadlines when they are due and keep the space around my computer neat and orderly. But sometimes things happen, and I slip from being perfect. When this happens, I show myself mercy and lower the standard for myself. However, if someone else makes a mess around my computer, I might not show them as much mercy as I show myself. If it can happen to me, then I should be willing to realize that it can happen to someone else as well.

  I am not suggesting that we should not work on improving our faults, or that it should be right to be late or leave a mess behind us. Although we should always be working towards self-improvement, we shouldn’t have a double standard that says we are excused from our own mistakes but we cannot excuse someone else. If we are not 100-percent perfect, we shouldn’t expect others to be.

  Mercy shows an understanding heart. If we are blind to our own faults, we will not be very merciful towards others. Showing a little mercy goes a long way when life’s little mistakes take place. When the tables are turned, showing mercy towards someone’s shortcomings could cause us to receive some in return.

1.From the first paragraph we can learn that________________.

A. we all make a mess sometimes

B. we all need private space

C. we should accept others’ help with gratitude

D. we should not open the lid on the peanut butter jar

2.How does the author develop the third paragraph?

A. By raising questions.                                           B. By giving examples.

C. By analyzing opinions.                                         D. By showing research findings

3.The underlined part,       “When the tables are turned” in the last paragraph, can be best replaced by____________.

A. “When good luck comes”                                  B. “When benefits increase”

C. “When our mistakes happen”                           D. “When the situation is changed”

4.What would be the best title for this passage?

A. Changing Bad Daily Habits                                  B. Excusing Our Own Faults

C. Being Merciful Toward Others                          D. Working Toward Self-improvement

When I was a little girl, my father loved to play catch(接球) with me. I wasn’t very good at it,   16   we would play anyway. He was always telling me “Keep your eye on the ball” as I would not be able to catch even the   17   of throws.

As I got   18  , we didn’t play catch as much. If I had a problem and would go to my father to ask for his   19  , he would try to   20   with me and say “Keep your eye on the ball”. We would both laugh   21   usually that advice was not useful to the problem, but he would try to make me   22  .

My father became   23   in 1995 when I was 23. There weren’t any more conversations, as he suffered from a stroke(中风).   24   could not speak. He could only give   25   words, which were sometimes hard to understand. I seemed to be pretty good at   26   his lips(唇) after a while, even better than the   27   who were caring for him there.

During one of our last conversations, I was telling him about a problem I was having with my boyfriend.   28  , I could read his lips: “Keep your eye on the ball.” We both smiled.

That was the last time I saw my father   29   he passed away.

Sometimes, all these years later, when I get in trouble, I just   30   myself “Keep your eye on the ball”.

1.A. so                            B. and                                    C. but                                   D. or

2.A. fastest                          B. easiest                             C. slowest                            D. highest

3.A. taller                            B. heavier                            C. younger                          D. older

4.A. words                           B. advice                    C. answer                            D. thought

5.A. joke                     B. play                                  C. discuss                             D. stay

6.A. because             B. when                               C. since                                D. though

7.A. cry                       B. sad                                   C. shout                               D. smile

8.A. tired                             B. ill                                      C. angry                               D. free

9.A. We                      B. I                               C. He                                    D. They

10.A. throat                        B. finger                     C. body                                D. mouth

11.A. feeling                       B. reading                            C. hearing                            D. keeping

12.A. children           B. nurses                             C. parents                            D. friends

13.A. However                   B. Therefore                       C. Once again            D. Many times

14.A. after                           B. before                             C. as                                      D. until

15.A. comfort            B. believe                            C. tell                                    D. enjoy