Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic (逻辑) behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”

Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain from now.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

1.What would be the best title for the text?

A. A Way on How to Write.

B. Increase Your Brain Power through Writing.

C. Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing.

D. How to Start Your Writing.

2.According to the text, writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ______.

A. the increase of your brain power

B. the ability to remember

C. the development of your interest in study

D. the better understanding of a topic

3. If a writer writes something, it means that he or she ______.

A. has understood it very well

B. needs to understand it better

C. wants to remember it in his or her mind

D. is exercising his or her “explain power”

4.The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in the fifth paragraph implies

that ______.

A. you are already successful

B. you still need to work hard

C. writing can help you walk half way

D. writing is important to solve problems

5. What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?

A. To advise readers to start their writing.

B. To explain the importance of writing.

C. To persuade readers to become writers.

D. To increase readers’ brain power.

I had my first job at a local diner called the Buttercup Bakery when I was 22. I worked there for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow waitress Helen who had incredible self-respect and did what she loved—serving people. She made everyone smile and feel good, customers and co-workers alike.

Being a waitress changed my life. One of my regular customers was Fred Hasbrook, an electronics salesman. Thanks to the newfound confidence I picked up from Helen, I dreamed of having my own restaurant. But when I called my parents to ask for a loan, they said, “We just don’t have the money.”

The next day, I shared my dream with him and said, “Fred, I know I can do more if somebody would just have faith in me.”

He walked over to some of the other diner regulars and the next day handed me checks totaling $50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, “The only collateral（担保）on this loan is my trust in your honesty as a person. Good people with a dream should have the opportunity to make that dream come true.”

I took the checks to Merrill Lynch—the first time I had ever entered a brokerage（经纪业）house—where the money was invested for me. I continued working at the Buttercup, making plans for the restaurant I would open. My investments soured, though, and I lost the money.

After great deliberation（考虑） I decided to apply for a job at Merrill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was hired and ended up becoming a pretty good broker. Eventually I paid back Fred and my customers the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.

I got a thank-you note from Fred, which will be imprinted on my head forever. He had been sick and wrote that my check had helped cover his mounting medical bills. His letter read, “That loan may have been one of the best investments that I will ever make.”

1. According to the passage, the author thought ______.

A. Helen was full of complaint about her work

B. it was easy for Helen to make everyone happy and comfortable

C. she was lucky to have a job working with Helen

D. it was not acceptable to live in such a bad condition

2.By saying that “Being a waitress changed my life.” the author means that ______.

A. the author got a high pay by working hard

B. the author borrowed $50,000 with no interest from Fred Hasbrook

C. the effort which she had made influenced her a lot

D. the experience working as a waitress was worthwhile for the author

3. Which of the following statements is not true of Fred Hasbrook?

A. Fred Hasbrook was one of the author’s regular customers.

B. Fred Hasbrook lent the author $50,000, together with other customers.

C. Fred Hasbrook’s self-respect had a great effect on the author.

D. Fred Hasbrook’s himself did not have much money.

4.What made the author’s customers lend her money according to the passage?

A. Her maturity.    B. Her honesty.   C. Her faith.     D. Her success.

What do those countries have in common? People are killing each other or drive others out of their homes. Why is this happening? Very simple, in each of these, one group of people believes another group is different from them and dangerous to them. It has been thus through history. How different are humans from each other?

  We come in different colors: red, black, white, yellow and brown; we have a variety of political systems, social systems, religious views or none at all; We are different in mind, have different educational systems, different economic classes. We speak different languages, and have different customs and dresses.

  If we were to break each of these further, we would have quite a long list of qualities and characteristics that make humans appears to be different from each other. I say they appear to be different, because most of what have been listed stand for what we see or hear, not what is true of human. Man is man everywhere. It is only where he lives, when he lives there, with whom he lives there, and al the others that have effect on how he lives, that is, what he believes, what he wears, his customs, his language and so on. These are man-made facts that each group develops over tome, living together, facing the same problems, needing and desiring the same things. They are his culture. The truth is that we are much more same than different. If you wear one type of clothing and I wear another, we both wear some kind of clothing. Our culture demands it. If you speak one language and I another, we both speak so that others will understand us; we must communicate with each other. Nothing is gained by giving too many differences, but much is lost. If we understood our differences as the ones of culture, then we could make our world more peaceful.

  Differences does not mean better or worse, right or wrong. It means only that differences have been made by society. Differences produce variety of thoughts, work out human problems peacefully.

1. Which of the following is the best tile for this passage?

 A. Differences.  B. Humans   C. Cultures.   D. Customs.

2.People in those countries fight each other because______

 A. They have different colors.

 B. They have different customs and dresses.

 C. They have different education systems.

 D. They think that others are different and harmful.

3.If you pay much attention to differences, ________.

 A. we will get something.

 B. we will produce problem.

 C. we will develop further.

 D. Nothing will be lost.

4. From this passage it can be inferred that ________.

 A. Our world would be more peaceful if we understand and communicate with each other.

 B. People don’t know how differences are caused.

 C. It is only differences that can solve man’s problems.

 D. Man is man everywhere but not woman.

以下标有题号的每一行均有一个错误，请找出，并按下列情况改正：

   此行多一词：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉, 在该行右边横线上写出该词，并也用斜线划掉。

   此行缺一词：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）在该行右边横线上写出该加的词。

    此行错一词：在错词的下面划一横线，在该行右边横线上写出改正后的词。

注意：请在答题卡上作答。

I often quarrel about my mother over whether I can watch          1.________

TV after school. She holds the view senior three students           2.________

have to make fully use of every minute to work hard at           3.________

their lessons. It seems to me that once I am allowed to                   4.________

do that, I’ll unable to control myself and forget all                      5._______

about my study. She also thinks it is bad for my eye.              6.________

And I really can’t accept her ideas. In my opinion,                7._______

watch TV can refresh my mind after a day’s hard work.            8._______

Besides, it is important for our students to know what has happened 9._______

at home and at abroad. Thus, we shouldn’t be forbidden to watch TV. 10.________

假设你是重庆朝阳中学学生刘洋，得知2011年香港大学要在大陆进行自主招生的消息后非常的高兴，你有意向香港大学申请，参加自主招生考试。请根据表格信息，用英语写一封自荐信。

注意：1) 词数100左右；

2) 信的开头与结尾以为你写好（不计入总词汇）。

      3）可根据内容要点适当增加细节，使行文连贯。

4) 参考词汇：自主招生independent recruitment英语演讲比赛

English Speech contest

When Captain Cook landed in New Zealand in 1769, he took _____ possession of it in ______name of the British Crown.

A. the; the    B. the; /    C. /; /   D. /; the

I’m afraid you can’t _______ to the village in an hour; you must consider the icy road.

A. get it   B. take it   C. make it    D. leave it

The faces of the four famous American presidents on Mount Rushmore can be seen from a ______ of 60 miles.

A. length    B. distance   C. way   D. space

Lang Ping, who is said to have started her coaching career in Turkey,       volleyball in China for almost twenty years.

       A．played             B．have played         C．was playing        D．had played

People believe that mutual understanding _______ a happy marriage.

A. takes to   B. makes for   C. brings down   D. depends on