Tick, tock, tick, tock. I’m sitting here, watching the movements of my existence pass slowly away. My house has been  36  for such a long time,and I’m lonely and forgotten. Sitting here, by myself, all that I can do is   37    and think about my past. I could tell you stories that only  38  would know. But walls can’t speak.

    I came to this place many years ago,along with an old man….  39  , he was with me for on1y three short years before he passed on….

For a time, I was left alone, while people came and  40  the house….  Then, one day a nice couple moved in with a young son.   41  , their son Danny liked to stay with me, and I was completely  42   with him. He always looked as if he loved the stories I told, most of which began with. ‘‘Back in my day…” and ‘‘When I was  43  .…” I sometimes had the kind of idea that he didn’t really understand what I was saying, but it felt good to be  44 .  When Danny went off to college,my heart broke. Soon afterward,   45   sold the house.…

    New owners came and  46  . Then, One day it so happened that I was in when a new family was moving into the house. You can’t even imagine my  47   when, unexpectedly, Danny walked through the front door. He had a  48   and kids now. I was so overjoyed when I saw him that I put all my  49   into my daily activities. ... I spent the next twenty years watching his kids grow up, with a mixture of pride and  50   about what would happen next.

    The kids finally became  51    and Danny sold the house. That was about five years ago…. Some of the local kids have started the rumor that the house is haunted(闹鬼的)--- and, in a way, it is. It is haunted by   52  of all the people who have lived in it. Every second has  53   me so much. I have been   54  them all day and they are almost up for me.... I hope that someday somebody will  55   me, and drop in on me again. Maybe then I’ll get a new home and an opportunity for a whole new set of memories.

A. crowded                   B. empty              C. painted           D. sold

A. look back              B. enjoy food       C. have a dream          D. chat with friends

A. friends               B. learners          C. neighbors        D. walls

A. Luckily               B. Happily          C. Sadly                   D. Surprisingly

A. looked at              B. settled in         C. bought in        D. sold out

A. At last               B. At one time              C. In the end       D. From the beginning

A. tired                  B. friendly          C. taken             D. fond

A. older                 B. healthier            C. better                D. younger

A. loved               B. told                  C. disliked             D. believed

A .Danny               B. I                       C. his parents         D. the old man

A. settled                B. went                 C. lived                 D. greeted

A. pity                  B. pride                 C. surprise             D. sadness

A. friend                 B. daughter            C. son                   D. wife

A. energy                B. time                  C. life                   D. ideas

A. happiness             B. dream               C. anxiety              D. disappointment

A. old                   B. impatient           C. adults                D. tired

A. families               B. furniture           C. houses               D. memories

A. impressed             B. surprised          C. encouraged        D. inspired

A. putting              B. copying             C. recalling            D. taking

A. call                       B. remember          C. visit               D. attend

China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.

    Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.

    The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?

     At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.

What is the average housing price per square meter in China?

     A. 8000 yuan      B. 10000 yuan       C. 7000 yuan      D. It’s not mentioned here

Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China

  is even higher than in the United States?

    A. Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality,

  environment and supporting facilities.

    B. American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese

 people.

    C. The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property

 developers do when they sell their houses.

    D. There are more people who need houses in China.

What is the main idea of this passage?

    A The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to

 prevent it.

    B. There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market

    C. The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States

    D. Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.

How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing

 prices?

    A. Four               B. Three                C. Five                  D. Two

In the age of reality television, success isn’t the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.

Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled “The True Idol” on April 6.

The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version(改写本)of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” on the television show “American Idol 3”, on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act.

Hung’s response? “I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: the off-key singing; the blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high; the terrible dancing; the hips jerking(摇摆)to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad. But, it was this very bad act that sold well.

Marc Juris, president of Fuse, explained it this way: “Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That’s what William did and immediately won the hearts of America. ”

Whatever it is, for the moment it’s big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.

So, what does Hung think of this?

“There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn’t have much respect for me and some were kind of mean ”

Now, he says he’s not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour(魅力)or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn’t been easy.

What is the main idea of this passage?

       A.Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.

       B.Hung’s performance attracted the public eye.

       C.How an unsuccessful person became famous.

       D.Success sometimes does not require hard work.

Hung was popular in America for all the following reasons EXCEPT ________.

       A.his shirt and pants           B.his off-key singing

       C.his hips jerking        D.his excellent version

What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 6 refer to?

       A.William Hung.        B.Hung’s bad act.

       C.Hung’s website.              D.The public’s opinion.

Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?

       a.The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.

       b.The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.

       c.Hung became popular among Americans.

       d.Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.

       e.Three websites put Hung’s funny performance on the Internet.

       A.d, b, e, c, a     B.a, c, d, b, e      C.a, d, b, c, e      D.d, b, a, e, c

Why was Hung able to win the hearts of America?

       A.His success was based on his own hard work.

       B.He attracted people’s attention in the contest.

       C.He was good-looking though he didn’t sing well.

       D.His character was completely different from other idols”

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根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

       What is a yawn(哈欠) and why do people yawn? A yawn is often associated with a person being tired.    People yawn for many reasons including stress, boredom, emotion and overwork.

      Have you noticed that yawning seems to be contagious (会传染的)? If one person yawns, this appears to cause another person to yawn.Researchers have found that 40-60% of people who see a picture of someone yawning will yawn themselves.

      Some people think that yawning is rude and suggests that you are bored or uninterested.Maybe a yawn is a signal to a group that it’s time to go to sleep, or if someone yawns when they're bored, it may be a sign to change the topic of conversation. Animals of all types yawn.If you have a dog or cat, you've probably seen your pet yawn several times.Even some birds yawn such as cockatiel parrots, Adelie penguins and Emperor penguins.

      Some of the scientific explanations of why we yawn claim it is caused by physical needs.One likely explana??tion is that the yawning reflex happens when our blood needs more oxygen.The deep breath helps supply the levels of oxygen in our blood. It is also thought that the same chemicals in our brain that affect our moods and emotions cause us to yawn.

       Superstitions about yawning have been around for hundreds of years and can date back to the ancient Greeks.A common superstition says that a person must cover his or her mouth when yawning so that the soul does not escape through the mouth.  Today most people do not believe these superstitions and know that a yawn is a physical reflex.

       A.Did you yawn while reading this article?

       B.Yawning is not limited to humans.

       C.It will make you lose interest in your work.

       D.But this is not always the cause for a yawn.

       E.Even reading the word YAWN can make people yawn.

       F.However, it doesn't mean that you need rest or relax??ation.

       G.Other people believe that yawning is a sign that danger is near.

       H.Another common theory is that a yawn helps regulate our body temperature.

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