A little boy invited his mother to attend his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. When she said she would go, he was disappointed as he had always been ashamed of his mother’s scar that covered nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar.

At the meeting, the people were impressed by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother in spite of the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, overhear a conversation between his mother and his teacher.

The teacher asked carefully, “How did you get the scar on your face?” The mother replied, “When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, but I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked senseless but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She touched the burned side of her face. “This scar will be lasting, but to this day, I have never regretted what I did.” At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears of regret in his eyes.

【写作内容】

1. 以约30个词概括上文的主要内容

2. 以约120个词讲述一个关于你(或你的朋友)的父母对子女无私的爱的故事。内容包括：

（1）讲述一个体现父母无私的爱的故事；

（2）父母无私的爱对你（或你的朋友）带来的影响；

（3）你认为作为儿女要如何回报父母的爱。

【写作要求】

1. 作文中可使用自己的亲身经历或虚构故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得直接引用原文中的句子；

2. 文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。

【评分标准】概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。

I had worried myself sick over Simon’s mother coming to see me. I was a new teacher, and I gave an honest of the students’ work. In Simon’s case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn’t read his own handwriting. But he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his .

So when Simon’s mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心) were sweating. I was completely for her kisses on both my cheeks. “I came to thank you,” she said, surprising me beyond speech. Because of me, Simon had become a different person. He talked of how he loved me, he had began to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had spent an afternoon at a friend’s house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the I had nurtured(培养) in her son. She kissed me again and left.

I sat, stunned (惊呆), for about half an hour, what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without even knowing it? What I finally came to was one day, several months before, when some students were reports in the front of the class, Jeanne spoke , and to encourage her to raise her voice, I had said, “Speak up. Simon’s the expert on this. He is the only one you have to , and he can’t hear you in the of the room.” That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, smiled more, and became happy. And it was all because he to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed was the one who took the last seat that day.

It taught me the most lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I’m thankful that it came and positively. A small kindness can indeed make a difference.

1.A. account B. talk C. explanation D. consideration

2.A. courage B. abilities C. feelings D. dream

3.A. desperate B. responsible C. unprepared D. unsuitable

4.A. gradually B. constantly C. recently D. obviously

5.A. self-respect B. self-doubt C. self-pity D. self-defense

6.A. imagining B. observing C. wondering D. regretting

7.A. expect B. remember C. believe D. accept

8.A. writing B. reviewing C. editing D. giving

9.A. quietly B. repeatedly C. quickly D. firmly

10.A. persuade B. convince C. advise D. approve

11.A. entrance B. middle C. front D. back

12.A. intended B. pretended C. refused D. happened

13.A. change B. praise C. thanks D. visits

14.A. difficult B. painful C. valuable D. enjoyable

15.A. early B. slowly C. frequently D. occasionally

Have you ever asked yourself why children go to school? You will1. (probable) say that they go to learn languages, arithmetic, history, science and some other knowledge. That is quite true; but why do they learn these things?

We send our children to school to prepare them for the time2. they will be big and will have to work for3. . Nearly everything they study at school has some practical use in their life. But is that4. only reason why they go to school?

There is more in education than just5. (learn) facts. We go to school to learn how to learn, so that when we have left school we can continue to learn. A man6. really knows how to learn will always be successful, because when he has to do something new, he will not only be able to do it well himself, he will also be able to teach others7. to do it in the best way. The8. (educate) person, on the other hand, is either unable to do something new, or just9. (do) it badly. The purpose of schools, therefore, is not to teach languages, arithmetic, history, science, etc., 10. to teach pupils the way to 1eam.

People aren’t walking any more---if they can figure out a way to avoid it.

I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in any hurry, either. I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.

It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune, for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced –and beat—a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty.

Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrahams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercise. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise--- the most familiar and natural of all.

It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world. He cannot learn in a car.

The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.

1.What is the national sickness?

A. Walking too much

B. Traveling too much

C. Driving cars too much

D. Climbing stairs too much.

2.What was life like when the author was young?

A. People usually went around on foot.

B. people often walked 25 miles a day.

C. People used to climb the Statue of Liberty.

D. people considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship.

3.The author mentions Henry Thoreau to prove that________.

A. middle-aged people like getting back to nature

B. walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind

C. people need regular exercise to keep fit

D. going on foot prevents heart disease

4.What is compared to “a steel river” in Paragraph 6?

A. A queue of cars B. A ray of traffic light

C. A flash of lightning D. A stream of people

5.What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

A. To tell people to reflect more on life.

B. To recommend people to give up driving

C. To advise people to do outdoor activities

D. To encourage people to return to walking

Most employers say that they wish to employ the right person for the right job. A recent report by Britain’s Independent Institute of Manpower Studies, however, disagrees with this. The report states that most employers wish to avoid employing the wrong person. Rather than looking for the right person, they are looking for applicants to turn down.

The report also suggests that in Britain and in many other parts of the world the selection methods used to pick out the right person for the job certainly do not match up to those used to judge a piece of new equipment. Employers used three main selection methods: interviewing, checking resume or application forms and examining references. Most of the employers asked in this survey stated that these selection methods were used more for weeding out unsuitable applicants rather than for finding suitable ones.

Interviews were considered to be more reliable than either resume checks or references from past employers. Research, however, proves otherwise. Interviewers’ decisions are often strongly influenced by their earlier judgment of the written application. Also different employers view facts differently. One may consider applicants who have frequently changed jobs as people with broad and useful experience. Another will see such applicants as unreliable and unlikely to stay for long in the new job.

Some employers place great importance on academic qualifications whereas the link between this and success in management is not necessarily strong. Some employers use handwriting as a standard. The report states that there is little evidence to support the value of the letter for judging working ability. References, also, are sometimes unreliable as they are not very important while checks on credit and security records and applicants’ political opinions are often the opposite.

The report is more favorable towards trainability tests and those which test personality and personal and mental skills. The report concludes by suggesting that interviewing could become more reliable if the questions were arranged in a careful, organized system and focused on the needs of the employing organization.

1.According to the passage, when most employers want to hire workers, .

A. they will try to find suitable people

B. they will look for the right applicants

C. the wrong applicants are to be turned down

D. to turn down the wrong people is what they say they aim to do

2.It is implied that .

A. to evaluate a right person is more difficult than to evaluate equipment

B. employers are more successful in selecting the right equipment than the right persons

C. criteria will be set up according to the real situation of the applicants

D. resumes means application forms

3.Most of the recruiters (招聘人员) .

A. consult the applicants

B. can find suitable people

C. prefer resumes or references

D. use different ways to sort out the unsuitable applicants

4.Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Employers get different conclusions from the facts.

B. Changing jobs frequently will reduce the chance to be recruited.

C. Academic qualifications will guarantee the applicant managing ability.

D. Handwriting is a valid way to evaluate an applicant.

5.It can be inferred from the passage that successful employees will be those who .

A. have outstanding references

B. are strong in emotional quotient

C. take interviewing seriously

D. have strong political leanings

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till without stopping, and continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.

The outlines were: in a commonplace(普通的) environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

1.Few people stopped to listen to Joshua Bell playing because____________.

A. people were in a hurry

B. they were not interested in music

C. it was too cold in the subway

D. the performance was not good enough

2.When children stopped to look at the violinist, their parents ____________.

A. would give him some money

B. would stop to enjoy the music

C. would applaud for the performance

D. would urge them to continue walking

3.Which of the following is true about Joshua Bell’s performance?

A. Nobody gave him money

B. Nobody recognized him.

C. Nobody appreciated it

D. Nobody organized it

4.Joshua Bell played in the metro station in order to ____________.

A. make more money

B. practice his skills in playing music

C. made an advertisement for his concert

D. find out people’s reaction under such a circumstance

5.The purpose of the passage is to _________.

A. set us to think about our life

B. show us how to play music

C. tell us the importance of music

D. report a subway performance

Sometimes people come into your life and they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be-----a roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a friend, a lover or even a complete stranger------but when you lock eyes with them, you know at the very moment they will affect your life in some profound(深刻的) way.

Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection(反思中), you find that without overcoming those obstacles(障碍), you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. Every thing happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, lost moments of true greatness, and pure stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you want to become. Even the bad experience can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones. If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

_________________________________. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they say. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

1.From the first paragraph, we can know that ______________.

A. we are bound to be affected by your friends

B. we should love everyone we meet in the life

C. it’s impossible for us to know in advance who can help us

D. we can’t become who we want to be without others’ help

2.The author may agree that ____________.

A. sometimes things may happen because of luck

B. with tests in life, we shape our personalities

C. we shouldn’t let other people affect us

D. life with those small tests can be dull

3.If someone betrays you and hurts you, you should _________.

A. just let it go

B. forgive them and learn from the lesson

C. teach them how to love

D. give them a lesson

4.Which sentence in the following is probably the beginning of Paragraph 4?

A. Make every day count.

B. Walk your own road.

C. Listen to others modestly.

D. Keep optimistic whatever happens.

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. How to face obstacles

B. Love those around you

C. Learn to forget and forgive

D. Create your own life

请阅读伦敦博物馆将要举行的系列讲座的基本信息：

A

Lecturer: Professor Jennifer Jenkins The Million Women Study

Wednesday, 28 May 2014 - 6:00 pm Museum of London

Subject: Health, Medical science

B

Lecturer: Professor Catherine Fisk Women in Red

Tuesday, 4 March 2014 -6:00 pm Museum of London

Subject: Art and literature, History, Religion

C

Lecturer: Professor Michael Carroll How modern scientific knowledge helps to prevent blindness

Wednesday, 26 February 2014 - 6:00 pm Museum of London

Subject: Medical science, Vision and the eye

D

Lecturer: Professor Justin Hughes Designing IT to make Healthcare Safer

Tuesday, 11 February 2014 - 6:00 pm Museum of London

Subject: Disease history, Health

E

Lecturer: Professor Arti Rai How the Earth Moves

Wednesday, 2 April 2014 - 1:00 pm Museum of London

Subject: Astronomy, Science

F

Lecturer: Professor Koleman Strumpf What’s Happened to Childhood?

Thursday, 6 February 2014 - 6:00 pm Museum of London

Subject: 20th century history, Heritage, History

以下是上述系列讲座的简介。请将讲座的简介与讲座的基本信息匹配起来。

1.This lecture about women in red considers the visual representation of the fallen women, whose fashionable dress in the nineteenth century had a moral dimension. It introduces the theme of the morality and modernity of fashion.

2.This lecture will draw on a national study of millions of women’s health in cooperation with Cancer Research UK and the National Health Service, aiming to answer many outstanding questions about the factors affecting women’s health.

3.This lecture focuses on computer and IT systems in hospitals, the sixth biggest killer ahead of road accidents, including mobile devices, what’s wrong with them and how they can be improved. Such problems are common, and by no means limited to health care.

4.This lecture focuses on our spaceship. Earth is in constant motion. This is a story of our evolving understanding of the geography of Earth’s position in space-a story of astrometry from the ancient Greeks to the most modern satellite, Gaia.

5.The new exciting technologies are likely to play an increasing role in eye-care. What they are likely to achieve will be discussed in this lecture. Gene treatment and other ways have all been studied as potential treatments for a variety of eye diseases.

假设你是李华，请根据以下信息，为英语校报写篇短文，介绍你寒假参加兼职工作的情况。

【写作内容】

[写作要求]：只能使用5个句子表达全部内容。

[评分标准]：句子结构准确，信息内容完整，篇章结构连贯。

阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。

As a kid, I was a little fat. In college, I was less active, and I started blowing up. It got out of control when I went to law school. At the age of 30, I weighed 414 pounds. I was always tired. I have a family history of heart disease, and I was scared. I also wanted to look better. So a few weeks after my birthday, in the spring of 2006, I started to lose weight.

Walking was all I could do at first. I started by walking to a subway stop a few blocks away instead of the one closest to my apartment. I gradually increased the distance. A year later, I started to run. At first I could run for only two minutes, but I kept on.

I made a difference. I was losing nine or ten pounds a month, and I had a lot more energy. I started to think about the New York City Marathon, which goes right past my apartment building. For years, I thought I could never do that. But now I realized that maybe I could…

By my 33rd birthday, in the spring of 2009, I was down to 180 pounds. That summer, I started formally training for the marathon. And on the morning of November 1, I stood on the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island with more than 40,000 other runners, waiting for the event to start.

When we started moving, it was an amazing feeling to have people cheering me on, handing me cups of water. In Harlem, my mom and brother stood on a street corner, waving. And then I crossed the finishing line in Central Park, and somebody put a medal around my neck. I was in tears from being so happy.

[写作内容]

1．以约30词概括上文的主要内容。

2．以约120词就“持之以恒”这个话题发表你的看法，内容包括：

(1) 你读后的感受；

(2) 用你自己或他人的经历说明持之以恒的重要性；

(3) 呼吁大家坚持就是胜利。

[写作要求]

1. 作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事．也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子。

2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。