Choose the best answer to complete the passage.

You've just finished with middle school and you may start wondering, “What is high school like? Is high school a lot  32  middle school? Is it going to be hard to start out in a new place?"

Most high schools in America hold a freshman class  33  school actually starts. When you talk to people in the freshman class, you  34  that a lot of them are feeling just like you are, excited, maybe  35  afraid. Talking about a question of common interest with your classmates could start a new   36  .

The work in high school builds on what you  37  in middle school, and gives you more knowledge of many subjects. So you  38   feel that it's a bit more challenging. But these challenges can make you feel   39  . And there are many resources (资源）to use if you feel that the work is too much.

At the beginning of high school, you'll get to know it has more activities than middle school, such as clubs, music groups, and sports teams. These activities may      40   before or after school, or during your free time. 41  this, time management is an important skill in your 42  year.

Middle school teaches you the  43  of study and social skills while high school gives you the chance to learn 44  to be more independent (独立的).It's all right if you're nervous 45  . Just be patient and keep  46  . Once you've got used to your new independence, you can go farther than you ever imagined.

1.A. the same as       B. different from      C. helpful to

2.A. before           B. after              C. since

3. A. found           B. will find           C. have found

4. A. too             B. so                C. a little

5. A. hobby           B. friendship         C. topic

6.A. are learning      B. will learn          C. have learned

7.A. have to          B. should            C. may

8.A. more bored       B. less bored         C. less excited

9.A. take part         B. take up           C. take place

10.A. Because of       B. Thanks to         C. Instead of

11.A. first             B. second           C. third

12.A. aims           B. pleasure           C. ways

13.A. what           B. how              C. whether

14.A. at first          B. at last             C. at that moment

15.A. doing           B. studying           C. trying

Chris Jones recently completed a very unusual journey. Our reporter Mary Owen met him at his home in the south of London and be told her all about the trip.
Reporter: What gave you the idea to make a trip around India on an elephant, Chris?
Chris: Well, it all started the idea two years ago when I was planning a trip to India. I visited a photo exhibition of elephants and I realized that the only enjoyable way to make a trip around India was on an elephant.
Reporter: What did you do next?
Chris: I flew to New Delhi and started looking for an elephant, I needed an elephant trained to carry people. I didn’t know anything about elephants, so I asked an expert(专家) for help. He taught me how to ride an elephant. He also helped me find an elephant.
Reporter: How long did it take you to find a suitable elephant?
Chris: Not too long. I bought a famale elephant called Tara for about 6.000 dollars.
Reporter: Can you tell me about the journey?
Chris: Tara and I set off from New Delhi a week later. We were going to Sonepur in northern India. There is a big elephant market there and I could sell Tara easily. And what a ride! Elephants can travel at about 6 miles an hour and Sonepur is more than 1,200 km away. It took us 64 days to complete the journey.
Reporter: Did you have any problems on your journey?
Chris: Yes, a few. But nothing serious. On the third day. Tara hurt her foot. But that got better quickly. Also, there was a lot of heavy rain during the first week and we got very wet!
Reporter: What happened when you reached Sonepur?
Chris: My plan was to sell Tara. But I was very fond of her. I couldn’t take her back to Britain and I didn’t want to sell her at the market. I happened to meet some people who wanted an elephant for their national park in southern India. I knew that Tara would be safe with them, so I gave her to them. I was very sad to say goodbye.
【小题1】Chris got the idea to make a trip around India on an elephant from ______

Choose the words or expressions to complete the passage(选择最恰当的单词或词语，完成短文)
For many years the United States and the other countries used gold and silver as money. Paper money was used to stand for the holdings(储备)of both gold and silver. The value of silver was limited to that of gold. Fifteen ounces(盎司) of silver had the same value of one ounce of gold. These values did not change until after 1860 when mines(银矿)in the west of the United States began to  1 large amounts of silver. This extra amount of silver caused the price of silver to 2    . Then fifteen ounces of silver would no longer buy one ounce of gold. In 1871 Germany declared(宣布)that it would not support its paper money with silver any more. Instead, it would use only gold. Other countries of Europe quickly  3 the same. The United States passed a law in 1973 that prevented the government from using silver as money. Western silver producers protested(抗议)loudly and put much pressure on the  4 makers. Five years later a new law was 5 . It said that the government must buy four and half million ounces of silver each month. The new law increased the amount of silver money. The country had two kinds of quite different views on the issue(发行)silver money. Businessmen, bankers and other rich men wanted to 6  the use of silver money because it made the dollar less valuable. But farmers, laborers and the others who owned the money not only wanted silver money but also wanted an unlimited supply of it.