The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame others, and you play the role of victim, chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.
1.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. A friend in need is a friend indeed
B. How to make friendship last for ever
C. You are who your friends are
D. Friends are the most important in one’s success
2.The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show ________.
A. the musicians’ living conditions are quite poor
B. people have poor taste in music
C. people have different attitudes towards the same thing
D. young people have greater chances of succeeding
3.By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7(underlined), you can ________.
A. improve a lot in making more friends
B. come to the right way of making friends
C. develop a better relationship with your friends
D. arrange the time with your friends properly
4.The passage is mainly written for ________.
A. musicians B. managers
C. negative people D. people wanting to succeed
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
If you are a traditional traveller who believes cameras are irreplaceable，here are some things you should pay attention to when looking for the perfect camera.
Sensor size
Along with the megapixel (百万像素) count，the size of the sensor dictates the general image quality as well as the camera's performance in low light. It also determines whether the camera can electronically put the details it captures bigger enough to see—which is what makes the pictures not clear enough to see when you view the photos on a bigger screen.
Portability
“The important thing is that the camera isn't too big or heavy，and that you have a good zoom (变焦距镜头) range for both wide－angle and telephoto shots (远距摄影照片)，”Atherton told CNN.A good choice would be a slim，light pocket camera with a high－qualified built－in optical zoom. “These are very popular for travel as they are light，but built with a telephoto lens that can zoom up to 60 times，” Atherton said.
Zoom and shutter (快门) speed
For action or crowd shots，a fast shutter speed is a key factor. “When dealing with anything that's active—wildlife or people in action on the street—faces change within a tiny part of a second，” said Arnold，“a fast shutter speed is helpful in shooting the several hundred photos you might need to get that single winning shot.”
1. According to Atherton，what isn't a requirement for an ideal camera?
A．Portable shape.
B．Wide－ranged zoom.
C．Good telephoto lens.
D．Reasonable sensor size.
2.What will contribute to a satisfactory photo of a running lion in the wild?
A．The sensor size. B．The zoom range.
C．The shutter speed. D．The megapixel.
3.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A．How to choose ideal travel cameras?
B．How to put a camera into good use?
C．A fashionable camera—up for sale
D．A high－quality camera—a modern life's must
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Japanese Students Suffer from Pressure
Last April,15-year-old Rei Iwasaki stopped her piano and flute lessons and began to study every day of the week. Her parents paid to send her to a "cram school(灌输式教学模式的学校)." She wanted very much to pass her exams.
In February she did pass an all-day, five-subject examination and entered the high school she hoped to enter.
Thirteen-year-old Akio Yoshiwara wasn't so lucky. Unable to take the pressure of the exams, he hanged himself in February. He left a suicide（自杀） note which said, "I did my best in this dear life, but it's no good."
Suicides are now a common part of life among students in Japan. The cause is the incredible pressure of the "examination hell."
Even a number of teachers are committing suicide each year. When some students broke windows in a school near Tokyo, the principal blamed himself and wrote the following note: "The incidents were due to the lack of appropriate measures by the principal and I apologize. I am very tired. "
The Japanese educational system is much different from the American system. It is perhaps the most regimented(严密组织的) school system in any of the industrialized nations.
Boys and girls wear uniforms and go to school six days a week — 240 days a year compared to 180 in the U.S. Ninety-five percent graduate from high school compared to seventy-five percent in the U.S.
Students don't ask questions in class but only listen respectfully to the teachers. And every few year’s students are tested to see which school they will enter next. There is stiff competition for the "best" schools.
The result is a well-informed, disciplined student, ideal for factory and company work and excellent at learning specialized skills. But there is little fun in education, little creativity and the incredible pressure of "examination hell."
1.It's because ________ that many Japanese students committed suicide.
A. they didn't do their best in their lives
B. they were sent to a "cram school"
C. of the most regimented school
D. they were unable to take the pressure of the exams
2.Why did the principal kill himself?
A. He thought it was his fault that some students broke the windows.
B. He was very tired.
C. He couldn't stand the pressure of the "examination hell".
D. He blamed himself and wrote a note.
3.Which of the following ideas agrees with the title of the passage?
A. The Japanese students love to study under pressure.
B. The Japanese students do well under pressure.
C. The exams give the Japanese students much pressure.
D. The exams make the Japanese students commit suicide each year.
4.Which of the following is Wrong?
A. The American educational system is much different from the Japanese system.
B. To enter a high school, a student must pass an all-day, five-subject examination.
C. The Japanese graduates from high school are much less than the American graduates.
D. In Japanese education, there is little creativity as well as little fun.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Autumn means different things to different people. “It all depends on your personality，” said British naturalist Richard Mabey. “Personality shapes your view of the season，” he said. “You may see it as a fading-away，a packing-up (结束)，or as a time of packing in another sense—the exciting gathering of resources before a long journey.”
If this is true，perhaps it tells us a little about，for instance，Thomas Hood，the 19th Century English poet. About November，he wrote：
No warmth，no cheerfulness，no healthful ease
No shade，no shine，no butterflies，no bees
November!
On the other hand，another English poet John Keats，already sensing he was seriously ill，was inspired by a late September day to pen one of the most famous poems in the English language—To Autumn. He wrote to a friend afterwards that there was something comforting and healing about it.
According to Richard Mabey，Keats has the biological evidence on his side. Autumn is not a time of slowing down，but a time of new beginnings and great movements of creatures. For example，just at the moment that Keats's “gathering swallows” (in To Autumn)are departing for Africa，millions of creatures are fleeing from the frozen north like Iceland，Greenland and Russia to winter along the east and south coasts of Britain. According to scientists，before falling，the leaves transfer their chlorophyll(叶绿素) and carbohydrates into the woody parts of the tree for safe keeping over winter. What remains is the natural antioxidants (防老剂) in the leaves: the yellow and orange carotenoids (类胡萝卜素)，and another protective chemical specially produced for autumn，the bright-red anthocyanin (花青素)．High colour is not a signal of deterioration (退化) and decline，but of detox (排毒的) ability and good health.
A century after Keats，the American poet Loren Eiseley wrote in his journal: “Suppose we saw ourselves burning-like maples in a golden autumn. And that we could break up like autumn leaves...dropping their substance like chlorophyll. Wouldn't our attitude towards death be different？”
1.From Thomas Hood's poem，we may infer that ________.
A．he suffered a lot from cold November
B．he missed the shining summer days very much
C．he had a negative attitude towards autumn
D．he enjoyed butterflies and bees very much
2.In autumn，leaves turn yellow before falling because ________.
A．they can't bear the freezing
B．they can't get enough water from the wood part
C．chlorophyll and carbohydrates have been lost through leaves
D．chlorophyll and carbohydrates have come back to the wood part
3.From the passage we can learn that ________.
A．autumn has different faces in different people's eyes
B．John Keats was a good biologist as well as a poet
C．all creatures move from the cold north to Britain for winter
D．the three poets were only known for their poems about autumn
4.Which word can best describe Loren Eiseley's attitude towards autumn?
A．Fearful. B．Optimistic. C．Doubtful. D．Realistic.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。
Nowadays, more and more parents are using a new technology, home security systems, to keep an eye on their “home-alone” children. In the early days of home security, the systems were basically designed just to keep the bad guys out. ___1.___ But be sure, when no adult is present, he or she knows how to do so safely.
Every child should memorize his or her own full name and address, and home, work and cellphone numbers of each parent. ___2.___If your child is too young to memorize the information, he or she may be too young to be home alone — for any time.
____3._____If a door or window is slightly open, the child has any reason to suspect someone has been in the house that shouldn’t be, have him or her call you, then wait at the nearby home of a neighbour who’s agreed to act as a safe house...
____4.__Besides, set a rule that he or she must never play outside the house when no one else is at home.
Be sure your child knows how to disarm (解除) and arm your home security system. Program your control panel (控制板) to give you a message when your child enters or leaves the house, and arms or disarms the system. __5.____
If you want to learn more about home security systems that can help parents protect their “home-alone” children, you can visit www.ProtectAmerica.com.
A. Warn your home-alone child never to answer the doorbell or telephone.
B. You and your child should work together to use the home security systems.
C. At present, the systems are only intended for home-alone children.
D. Teach your child to observe things when returning to the house.
E. Also keep this information posted next to the phone at home.
F. Now, many parents are also using them to make their home-alone children safe.
G. If your child forgets to rearm the system, you can call him or her with a personal reminder.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One fine afternoon I was walking along the Fifth Avenue, when I remembered that it was necessary to buy a pair of socks. I ________ the first sock shop that caught my eye, and ________, not more than 17, came forward. "What can I do for you, sir?" "I wish to ________ a pair of socks." ________ glowed. "Did you know that you had come into ________ in the world to buy socks?" I had not been ________ that, as my entrance had been accidental．"Come with me, "said the boy happily．He began to ________ down from the shelves box after box．
"________, boy, I'm going to buy only one pair!" "I know that, but I want you to see how beautiful these are. Aren't they wonderful?" There was ________ an expression of joy, ________ he were revealing(透露） to me the ________ of his religion．I became far more interested in him than in the socks．"My friend, "said I, "if this is ________ the enthusiasm from freshness, and you can keep it up ________, in ten years you’ll own every sock in the United States."
My amazement at his pride in ________ will be understood by all who read this article．In many shops the customer has to wait for someone to ________ him．When ________ some clerk does notice you, you are made to feel as if you were interrupting him. ________ possibly that very clerk who is now so ________ began his career with enthusiasm．The freshness ________; He became a mechanical salesman.
I’ve observed such change in the lives of so many men in so many occupations that I've come to the ________ that the fastest road to failure is to do things mechanically.
1.A．turned into B．broke into C．came across D．met with
2.A．a female clerk B．a boy clerk C．a girl clerk D．an old man
3.A．buy B．find C．see D．have
4.A．His face B．The room C．His eyes D．The fire
5.A．the worst B．the right place C．the wrong D．the best place
6.A．curious about B．aware of C．sensitive to D．attached to
7.A．push B．force C．look D．drag
8.A．Hold up B．Just you wait C．Hold on D．Hang up
9.A．on his face B．to my surprise
C．for some reason D．to some degree
10.A．when B．as if C．even if D．while
11.A．beliefs B．stories C．values D．mysteries
12.A．hardly B．only C．no more than D．not merely
13.A．day after day B．day by day
C．the other day D．to this day
14.A．passion B．salesmanship C．enthusiasm D．job
15.A．serve on B．care for C．wait upon D．deal with
16.A．accidentally B．occasionally
C．finally D．disrespectfully
17.A．Yet B．So C．Then D．For
18.A．enthusiastic B．unconcerned C．different D．responsible
19.A．wore of B．wore on C．wore over D．wore off
20.A．response B．realization C．conclusion D．circumstance
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
On keeping a Diary in English
Keeping a diary in English is one of the 1.__ __ (effect) ways to improve our English writing ability.
2._____ (compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes 3.____ time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. 4._____ we persist in this practice, gradually we’ll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many 5.__ __（difficult）. In the first place, 6.___ often happens that we have trouble 7._______(find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly.
As far as I 8._ __ (concern), my suggestion is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is 9._____ great use to keep a diary in English for 10._____ development of our writing skills.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
1.The history students hoped to compare the ________(文明) of ancient China and Japan.
2.What a ________(巧合)！I wasn't expecting to see you here.
3.Animals can become unusually ________(好斗的) when they are upset by a sudden environmental change.
4.The company has been ________(转变) from a family business to a multimillionpound operation.
5.________(担着) with the necessities, we made it convenient for our travel.
6.Everyone in my office likes Smith, because he is very ________(灵活的) in dealing with relations.
7.The heating system in the hotel has an __________(自动的) temperature control.
8.It's __________(不合法的) to read other people's private letters without their permission.
9.It's a pity that there were only more than one hundred ________(幸存者) in the earthquake that happened in Lushan country.
10.In nature，there are lots of violent ______(现象) which man is still unable to deal with.
11.Countless people have made great ______(贡献) to the development of our nation.
12.Large quantities of money were ________(捐助) to the drought-hit areas in the south of China in the spring of 2010.
13.There are three ________ (候选人) standing in the election of the director.
14.Interest is the best teacher, so a lack of interest is a(n) ________ (保证) of failure.
15.A number of ________ (潜在的) buyers have expressed interest in the company and placed an order for some of its products.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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. 每处错误及其修改仅限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My four-year-old son ran down the stairs very excitedly in Christmas morning and went straight for the gifts under the tree. And, to my surprise, the first gift he grabbed was a gift he had been made for his father and me. He stood there with joys and patience as we opened our gift. When I saw the gift, that was a hand-made wreath made his small handprints, I started to cry. My husband leaned over and asked how I was crying. I said I can not believe the thoughtfulness of this child. My son was most exciting about giving us the present he had made for us. I felt proud for him. That is actually the best gift I received for Christmas.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你叫李华，你的一个朋友John刚从美国归来，邀请你参加本周日在他家举办的朋友聚会，但你不能参加，请你根据以下要点给他写一封电子邮件:
1. 表达想参加的意愿；
2. 忙于准备高考；
3. 由于感冒，身体不适；
4. 表示歉意并另约时间。
注意：可适当添加细节以使行文连贯；词数100左右，开头和结尾已给，不计入总字数。
Dear John,
I’m extremely sorry to tell you that _______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes,
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析