How to improve our life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They’ll say, “This is my destiny(命运). I cannot change it.”

Of course not! You don’t have to suffer needlessly. Your life depends on you, not on other factors.

I know a woman who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, and then goes to sleep. Next day, the same routine cycle follows.

Huh! Is this what she calls “doing her best”? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that has been intended for her and that her luck can only change if God wills it. She hasn’t realized that we have to do our share of making the effort to live the life of our dreams.

Remember that you harvest what you sow. You have to get off the sofa, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone (unless it’s helpful to your success), and get your mind and body to work! Don’t expect your luck to change, unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don’t just regard it as a temporary(暂时的) problem; Instead, learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It’s not enough to think positively; you also have to act positively.

If someone’s life is in trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don’t just stand (or sit) there, do something to improve your life.

1.According to the woman mentioned in Para.3, her life________.

A. doesn’t need improving

B. couldn’t be improved

C. will be better some day

D. will be worse in the future

2.What does the author think of the woman’s life?

A. Positive. B. Passive.

C. Disturbing. D. Colorful.

3.In Para.5, the author emphasized the importance of ________.

A. positive action B. positive thinking

C. hope for the best D. intention to succeed

4.The text is mainly written to advise you to _________.

A. understand yourself B. believe in yourself

C. improve your life D. change your normal way

Yasuda is 95 years old. Looking for easier ways to search the Web and send email, he bought Apple’s iPad. The company has sold 3.27 million iPads since they entered the market in April. Although it’s impossible to know with certainty how many seniors (老年人) are buying them, evidence suggests that it’s a hit with seniors.

The iPad’s intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to seniors around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo. “The iPad is a good tool for seniors because it’s very easy to use,” he says. “Unlike the PC, it doesn’t require former knowledge.”

James Cordwell, a researcher in London, says the iPad’s popularity with seniors is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of young customers. “The world’s population, especially in developed markets, is getting older. It’s probably a market where Apple has least entered,” Cordwell says. Senior users are “a key source of growth for them in the future.”

Seniors make up about 22 percent of the population in Japan. They may prove that seniors are willing to accept the iPad. Besides the customer group under 30, they spend more than any other group in the country, according to a report. Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent him from experiencing some of the mental problems that sometimes come with getting older. “Trying new things like that is good mental exercise,” he says.

1.Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the iPad?

A. It has intuitive interface.

B. It is easy to operate.

C. Beginners can use it without similar experiences.

D. People can use it as a way to do mental exercise.

2.What can we learn from the text?

A. People above thirty are Apple’s largest customer group in Japan.

B. The traditional customers of Apple’s products are usually the young.

C. Seniors will soon grow into Apple’s largest customer group.

D. Seniors in Japan are fond of buying latest hi-tech products.

3.What is the text mainly about?

A. iPad leading Apple to seniors.

B. iPad influencing the customer group.

C. iPad’s arrival causing Japanese to think.

D. iPad beating the traditional PC

A good book can be satisfying. If reading is a habit you’d like to get into, there are some ways to develop it.

Realize that reading is enjoyable if you have a good book. If you have a difficult book and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a task. 1.

Set time. You should have some time during every day when you’ll read for at least 5 to 10 minutes. 2. For example, make it a habit to read during breakfast and lunch and even dinner if you eat alone.

Always carry a book. 3. When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my car keys and one book at hand. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and to appointments and pretty much everywhere I go.

4. Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair. Don’t lie down unless you’re going to sleep. There shouldn’t be a television or a computer near the chair, and no music or no noisy family members/ roommates. If you don’t have a place like this, create one.

Reduce television/ the Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on time on TV or the Internet. 5. Still, every minute you reduce of the Internet/ TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.

A. Wherever you go, take a book with you.

B. Go to bookstores.

C. Have some good tea or coffee while you read.

D. Find a quiet place.

E. This may be difficult for some people.

F. If this happens, give up the book and find another one that you’ll really love.

G. It means you will read no matter how busy you are.

For most, getting your first car opens up a new world of freedom and allows you to go wherever you want, whenever you want. Getting a car did this for me, and it also brought my best friend and me . But then it tore us apart.

My best friend lives three minutes from my . Since her is in late summer, seven months behind mine, I basically became her when I turned 16 in December.

And so I her up for school and took her home. We made ice-cream , went shopping and to the movies ---- all in my car. I would drive to her house just to sit on her bed, read magazines and have a good laugh. I went to her house so that she gave me a to her house.

A week after I got my license，she was with me I had my first accident. She was there and me and we kept it a , since I didn’t want people to . From then on, through thick and thin, it was just me, my car and my best friend.

High school is a time of , but I couldn’t for a long time we became so distant(疏远) after being so close. My friend waited three months after her birthday to get her dream car：a green 2004 Beetle. With its , the passenger seat of my car became . Our car trips became less frequent I didn’t even drive down her street.

It’s funny how a car can change a relationship so much. I had wanted her to g a car, but once she did, I 60 it. I wanted her friendship back, even if it couldn’t be the same.

1.A. some B. any C. none D. all

2.A. closer B. farther C. luckier D. happier

3.A. neighbor B. school C. home D. family

4.A. holiday B. birthday C. course D. job

5.A. driver B. follower C. partner D. guide

6.A. picked B. woke C. called D. hurried

7.A. parties B. trips C. plans D. classes

8.A. happily B. often C. hardly D. seldom

9.A. phone B. door C. address D. key

10.A. while B. but C. after D. when

11.A. saved B. suggested C. advised D. comforted

12.A. favorite B. secret C. pride D. joke

13.A. help B. see C. know D. laugh

14.A. change B. disappointment C. excitement D. friendship

15.A. understand B. answer C. imagine D. believe

16.A. when B. where C. how D. what

17.A. beauty B. dream C. return D. arrival

18.A. broken B. crowded C. empty D. different

19.A. however B. until C. as D. before

20.A. enjoyed B. received C. regretted D. Lost

Some say that madness and genius often come hand in hand. This is especially true 1. the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.

Van Gogh is famous for his 2. (amaze) use of color and shape. Born in 1853, he was painting at a time when art was changing. A long time ago, artists tried to make their 3. (paint) look real like photographs. But later on, art became more about the artist’s own ideas. If you see 4. Van Gogh, it won’t look like the real world. It will look even more beautiful.

Some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings are of natural scenes and flowers, such as sunflowers. He also painted many wonderful self-portraits, which 5. (bring) him a lot of fame. Van Gogh had a gift for painting; however, he was a troubled man. At one point, he cut off 6. own ear.

Van Gogh is now one of the world’s most famous artists. But he died at the age of 37, alone 7. poor. Almost nobody knew or cared about his art at that time. Although he was a great genius, he suffered 8. (great). Some say that his madness was 9. he paid for his art.

Actually, if Van Gogh had died at the age of twenty, no one would have connected him with failure or mental illness. 10. , he would have been remembered by those close to him as a dutiful son.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。

修改：在错的词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不计分；

3. 错误类型不涉及单词拼写。

Zhou Kai, a senior school student, is very fit. He takes a lot of exercises. He is crazy in football and is captain of the class team at school. His mother always make sure his family eat very healthy. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a very important part of their diet. Live near the sea, they often have fish. He is not too heavy, so he never has to diet, and anything like that. Zhou Kai is such healthy a boy that he rarely gets a cold or flu. But in last week, he fall ill. That was because he was stupid enough play football in the rain.

假定你是李华，你的美国笔友Tom，来信询问关于你的英语老师的情况。请你按照下列提示用英语写一封回信，介绍你的英语老师。

注意：1. 不得简单翻译所给提示；

2. 适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 词数120左右。开头和结尾已写好，不计入总词数。

Dear Tom,

You’ve asked about my English teacher in your letter, and I’m writing to tell you about her. ____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes.

Yours,

Li Hua

In February 2006, Lydia Angyiou and her two sons were walking through their village in northern Canada. The sound of children shouting made her turn around. To her horror, Lydia saw a 700-pound polar bear behind her eyeing her seven-year-old son. Getting between the bear and her child, Lydia yelled at the children to run away. She then began hitting and kicking the animal as hard as she could. A neighbor who heard all the noise came and shot the bear. But everyone agreed it was Lydia who had saved her children’s lives. A local policeman described it this way: “… I guess when your back is up against the wall, we come up with super-human strength.”

Where does this “super-human strength”, courage and quick thinking come from? Experts say it comes from stress! In stressful situations, the body releases chemicals that prepare it to take action. These chemicals give people the speed and strength they need to fight danger or run away from it.

When we think of stress, we usually think of its negative effects. Studies, though, show that moderate levels of stress are actually helpful. In fact, the way we perform is usually affected by the amount of stress we feel.

Stress causes the brain to release adrenaline(肾上腺素) which in turn increases our energy and excitement. The chemical gives us clearer minds and helps us to do more. This is why some people say they work better under a deadline.

Adrenaline that is not released for long periods of time can cause us to increase and strengthen our abilities instead of weakening them. We sometimes turn out our very best work when we push ourselves to the limit. Stress can also make us more confident. Handling small amounts of stress now prepares us for handling serious situations in the future. Who knows? Today’s stress may even prepare for the next polar bear that comes along!

1.In the first paragraph, the case of Lydia Angyiou is mentioned to______.

A. introduce the topic to be followed

B. remind us of the unexpected danger of life

C. praise Lydia Angyiou for her bravery

D. show the importance of super-human strength

2.What does the policeman probably mean by saying “your back is up against the wall”?

A. You are helped. B. You are inspired.

C.You are confident. D. You are cornered.

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

A. Brave Mother

B. The Cause of Stress

C. The Benefit of Stress

D. Super-human Strength

Are you a problem shopper? The answer is “Yes”, if you or someone else thinks that you sometimes get carried away with shopping. In other words, do you or does someone else think you are occupied in extreme shopping? If people have regrets later about their shopping, or have an “out-of-control” feeling about the quantities of what they buy or the amount of credit they use, they may be considered to be problem shoppers.

Extreme shopping can lead to a more serious problem — addictive shopping. Addictive shoppers feel driven by the desire to shop and spend money. They experience great tension which drives them to shop and spend money and they feel a “rush” during the time they are occupied with the shopping activity.

Extreme or addictive shopping may result from long-time unpleasant feelings, of which anxiety, pain and shame are common ones. When we feel bad inside, we often do something to make ourselves feel better. In this case, we often go shopping.

A few people shop to relieve their boredom or emptiness. For some people, the motivation is a desire for status, power, beauty or success. Some love to shop as it makes them feel valued in the eyes of the shop assistants. Others shop simply because it makes them forget, at least temporarily, tension, fear or unhappiness in their life.

Besides, shopping malls are designed to encourage continual shopping. For instance, there are some malls where you can’t see clocks displaying the time because they don’t want you to become too aware of the time you spend there. What’s more, food courts, coffee shops and restrooms are provided, so you don’t have to leave the mall because of your physical needs.

Therefore, once you become aware of how market forces work, you will certainly come to control your shopping behavior. For example, how much time you will spend and what areas you will visit can be decided before you enter the mall. Keep a written account of what items you will buy and how much money you will spend. Make a plan for what you are going to buy before you feel the urge to shop and then stick to it. That is vital for gaining self-control.

1.Which of the following people may not be problem shoppers?

A. Those who cannot control the amount of credit they use.

B. Those who just walk around the shopping malls.

C. Those who are occupied in too much shopping.

D. Those who feel sorry for their shopping.

2.According to the passage, what may not result in addictive shopping?

A. The awareness of how market forces work.

B. The desire for status, power, beauty or success.

C. Boredom, emptiness, tension, fear or unhappiness in people’s life.

D. Long-time bad feelings of anxiety, pain and shame.

3.What does the author suggest to control our shopping behaviour?

A. Never going to the shopping malls because there are many tricks.

B. Applying for a credit card before we go shopping.

C. Making the shopping time as short as possible.

D. Making a shopping list before we go shopping.

4.The author writes this passage to _______.

A. inform the shopping malls how to attract more shoppers

B. scold the problem shoppers

C. provide solutions to the problem shopping

D. tell a shopping story

In a class this past December, after I wrote some directions on the board for students about their final examination, one young woman quickly took a picture of the board using her smart phone. When I looked in her direction, she apologized: “Sorry. Was it wrong to take a picture?”

“I can’t read my own handwriting,”the young woman explained. “It’s best if I take a picture of your writing so I can understand the notes.”

That remark started a class-wide conversation about taking a picture instead of taking notes. For those in the photo-taking camp, motivations extended beyond their inability to comprehend their own handwriting. Some took pictures of notes because they knew their phone was a safe place to store material. They might lose paper, they reasoned, but they wouldn’t lose their phones. Some took photos because they wanted to record exactly the manner in which I had noted information on the board. Others told me that during class they liked to be able to listen to the discussion attentively.

Yet the use of cameras as note takers, though it may be convenient, does raise significant questions for the classroom. Is a picture an effective replacement for the process of note-taking?

Instructors encourage students to take notes because the act of doing so is more than merely recording necessary information—it helps prepare the way for understanding. Encouraging students to take notes may be an old-fashioned instructional method, but just because a method has a long history doesn’t mean it’s out of date. Writing things down engages a student’s brain in listening, visual, and kinesthetic(触觉的)learning—a view supported by a longstanding research. The act of writing down information enables a person to begin committing it to memory, and to process and combine it, establishing the building blocks of learning new concepts.

Taking a picture does indeed record the information, but it deletes some of the necessary mental engagement that taking notes employs. So can the two be equally effective?

I’m not sure how to measure the effectiveness of either method. For now, I allow students to take notes however they see fit—handwritten or photographed—because I figure that some notes, no matter the method of note-taking, are better than none.

1.The woman apologized in the class because she____.

A. took a picture of the board

B. missed the teachers’ directions

C. had the bad handwriting

D. disturbed other students’ learning

2.Students refuse to take notes by hand because_____.

A. they are unable to take notes

B. they are more likely to lose notes

C. they are interested in using their phones

D. they have a good memory of teachers’ instructions

3.According to the passage, taking notes by hand_______.

A. requires students to think independently

B. is unsuitable for students to learn new ideas

C. helps students actively participate in learning

D. proves to be an old and useless learning method

4.What’s the author’s opinion towards taking notes by phones?

A. Supportive. B. Neutral.

C. Doubtful. D. Disapproving.