John sent his mother expensive presents on his mother's birthday every year. He liked to show her how rich he was. "I must find something wonderful for her, and it must be the only one in the whole world. Then my mother must be very happy.” John thought. He advertised (登广告) in the newspapers. “Wanted—the best present for the woman who has everything. "
For many days his telephone did not stop ringing. People phoned him from all over the world. They wanted to sell him "the best present". But they did not have anything that was the only one in the whole world.
Then less than a week before his mother's birthday, a man came to his office. He was carrying a cage, and in the cage there was a large bird.
"This bird, "the man said, "can speak ten languages and sing any pop song. There is no other bird like it in the world. "
"I will listen to it, "John said. “If what you said is true, I will buy the bird from you.”
The man spoke to the bird. "Talk to me in French, " he said. The bird spoke to him in French. "Tell me a joke in Japanese, " he said. The bird told him a joke in Japanese. "Sing a famous pop song, "he said. The bird sang a famous pop song.
"I'll buy it, "John said. "How much do you want?"
"One hundred thousand dollars, "the man said. This was a lot of money but John paid him. Then he sent the bird to his mother with a birthday card.
The day after his mother's birthday he phoned her. "Well, mother, "he said, "Is the bird wonderful?"
"Oh, it was delicious, dear, "she said.
1.Why did John send her mother expensive presents for her birthday every year?
A. Because he loved his mother very much.
B. Because his mother needed these presents.
C. Because he wanted to show he had a lot of money.
D. Because he was the richest man in the world.
2.How did people know John wanted the best present in the world?
A. They rang John up.
B. They knew it from the newspapers.
C. John phoned them one by one.
D. They knew it on TV.
3.Why did John pay the man a lot of money for the bird?
A. Because it was such a beautiful bird.
B. Because he wanted to help the poor man with the bird.
C. Because the bird could look after his mother.
D. Because he thought the bird could make his mother happy.
4.What does the sentence "It was delicious, "really mean in the story?
A. His mother ate the bird.
B. His mother let the bird fly away.
C. His mother began to learn languages from the bird.
D. His mother thought it was the most expensive present in the world.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea—until you have to pack. The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack.
Organize Yourself
Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes. When you’ve done this once, it’ll be easier next time.
Start Small
Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local store. Make sure they are all sealed tightly.
In an emergency, you can purchase them at your destination. But remember that the time you spend buying things at your destination will reduce your visiting time.
The Clothing Dilemma
Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe — hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you’ve picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine. Don’t try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag.
Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it’s cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Layering up will keep you warm and it will leave more room in your bag. Roll up your casual clothes instead of folding and laying them flat. This leaves more room to pack other things, and keeps your clothes fairly wrinkle-free.
Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag!
1.This text would be most helpful to a reader who is _______ .
A. going on a vacation B. shopping for luggage
C. moving to a new home D. hosting relatives for a visit
2.If you buy things at your local store ahead of time, you can _______ .
A. lighten your load
B. save a lot of money
C. have more visiting time
D. have more room in your bag
3.What should one plan to do if going somewhere in the winter?
A. Pack an extra sweater for the trip.
B. Put on several layers of clothing.
C. Mix and match clothing outfits.
D. Roll jackets so they fit in the bag.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty (强大的) forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you are sure you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet (子弹) — and stopped him cold.”
Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities — and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.
1.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
A. He faced huge risks.
B. He lacked mighty forces.
C. Fear prevented him from trying.
D. Failure blocked his way to success.
2.What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
A. Swallow more than you can digest.
B. Act slightly above your abilities.
C. Develop more mysterious powers.
D. Learn to make creative decisions.
3.What was especially important for Tim’s successful defense in the football game?
A. His physical strength.
B. His basic skill.
C. His real fear.
D. His spiritual force.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A. To encourage people to be courageous.
B. To advise people to build up physical power.
C. To tell people the ways to guarantee success.
D. To recommend people to develop more abilities.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Recently I have discovered it’s often easier for me to do something every day than to do it just some days. I post to my blog six days a week. I take notes every day. I write in my one-sentence journal every day. Many people have told me that they find it easier to exercise when they exercise every day. If I try to do something just four days a week, I spend a lot of time arguing with myself: Is today the day, or is it tomorrow, or the next day? Does the week start on Sunday or Monday?
If you do something every day, you tend to fall into a routine. Routine has a bad reputation for lacking excitement. It’s true that novelty and challenge bring happiness and that people who break their routines, try new things, and go to new places are happier, but I think that some routine activities also bring happiness. The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn’t be overlooked. By repeating, you can find happiness in activities like doing dishes or sweeping the floor as well as in your beloved morning coffee-and-news routines.
Two geniuses whom I know of also wrote about the power of doing something every day. Andy Warhol wrote, “Either once only, or every day. If you do something once it’s exciting, and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it’s not good any more.” Gertrude Stein made a similar point, “Anything one does every day is important and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful.”
So if there’s something that you wish you did more regularly, try doing it every day; if you do something every day, take great pleasure in it.
1.In the first paragraph, what does the author try to tell us?
A. It’s easier to do the same thing every day.
B. It’s important to do the same thing every day.
C. He has a good habit of following routines.
D. He enjoys the habit of following routines.
2.People usually tend to break their routines because they________.
A. hope to have a better reputation
B. would like to get rid of the old habit
C. want to have fun and excitement
D. are willing to face new challenges
3.Which of the following statements does Andy Warhol probably agree to?
A. Doing something that is exciting.
B. Doing something almost every day.
C. Doing something every day, not only once.
D. Doing something every day or only once.
4.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A. A Way To Form A Habit B. Do Anything Every Day
C. Repeat Regularly D. Power Of Everyday Repetition
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。
If you're looking for a challenging situation to practice your English, pick up the phone. Not being able to see the other person and the body language can make the chatting difficult. 1. Here are some tips to guide you through an average phone conversation in English.
1．Greetings
Every phone call should begin with a polite greeting such as “Hi, how've you been?” or “Nice to hear from you”. Even if you're calling a business contact for a specific purpose, it'd be rude to jump right into business. 2.Getting to the point
There always comes the point where you want to move on from friendly chatting and get down to business. What should you do in this situation? 3. However, if you are waiting to find out why someone called you, you can guide the conversation by saying “So what can I do for you?”
3．Interrupting without offence
Sometimes you may happen to be speaking with a very talkative person. 4. Keep in mind when you'd like to interrupt, and be sure to do it politely. For example, begin with “I'd like to say something here”．
4．Closing the call
This can be the trickiest part of the conversation! It may be the time to offer good wishes if it's appropriate. 5. Sometimes it's easiest to just say you enjoyed speaking to the other person. Also remember cleverly saying the word well at the beginning of a sentence can indicate you're ready to end the conversation.
A．Use the phrase “I'm just calling to...” to change to the topic at hand.
B．Additionally, you may want to confirm any plans you've made.
C．You should make a little small talk at the beginning.
D．You'd better greet him or her in a friendly way.
E．So it may be difficult to get a word in.
F．Practice English through phone calls.
G．Never fear, though!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读短文， 然后根据短文内容从A、B、C、D四个选项中选择最佳答案。
Jane’s mother worked on the farm from dawn till dark, which just could make ends meet. To make Jane live a life. Mother was very careful about spending money. ， Jane didn’t understand her. Every day Mother was busy with her while Jane was studying at school, so they had little time to enjoy themselves.
One day, Mother realized Jane was unhappy and even to her, so she decided to go with Jane to make Jane happy.
On Sunday morning they went happily to the snowfield. Since they were in white clothes, the manager advised them to buy ski clothes. He said there was an accident, they might be easily________ in their ski clothes. Mother couldn’t them, so she refused.
Then they went skiing in their white clothes. They were skiing happily on the when suddenly the snowfield began to . It was the snow slide(雪崩). They ran a long way and the snow slide finally, but they couldn’t find their way. Later, a helicopter was flying above, people on it couldn’t see or hear them. Jane was because she had hurt her head seriously and ________ dropped on the snow. Just then an idea struck Mother. She pierced (刺破) her wrist________ and then bright red blood dropped down on the snowfield. A red SOS was on the snow. At last Jane ________ , but Mother died.
Every time I ________ the blood dropping onto the snowfield, I feel ________ . I believe anyone who hears the tragedy will ________ Mother for her selfless love to her daughter.
1.A. healthy B. happy C. busy D. meaningful
2.A. Moreover B. However C. Anyway D. Though
3.A. writing B. housework C. research D. work
4.A. unfriendly B. loyal C. kind D. cruel
5.A. skating B. dancing C. skiing D. hiking
6.A. all B. both C. either D. every
7.A. in case B. now that C. as though D. even if
8.A. searched B. examined C. found D. caught
9.A. pay B. manage C. stand D. afford
10.A. mountain B. farmland C. playground D. snowfield
11.A. change B. melt C. shake D. jump
12.A. passed B. escaped C. experienced D. overcame
13.A. but B. so C. since D. while
14.A. in despair B. in danger C. in peace D. in ruins
15.A. blood B. hair C. tears D. jewels
16.A. carefully B. slowly C. immediately D. hardly
17.A. cried B. died C. survived D. woke
18.A. find out B. think of C. suffer from D. come across
19.A. satisfied B. curious C. anxious D. painful
20.A. envy B. admire C. reward D. thank
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（不多于3个词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Once a farmer's donkey (驴) fell into a deep well. The animal cried loudly for hours, but the farmer couldn't figure out how to deal 1.________it. Finally, he decided that the animal was old and that the well needed to be covered anyway, so he 2.________ (think) the donkey wasn't worth saving. Then, he invited some of his neighbors to come over and help 3.________ . They all took a shovel (铁铲) and began to put dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried 4.________ (sad). Then, to everyone's surprise, the donkey became quiet. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished at 5.________ he saw.
Each shovel of dirt hit its back, but the donkey was doing something 6.________ (amaze). It was shaking the dirt off and taking a step up. 7.________ the neighbors continued to put more dirt on top of the animal, it would shake the dirt off and take one more step up.
Pretty soon everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of 8.________ well and ran off happily!
When life sometimes 9.________ （put) dirt on you, the best way of getting out of the well is to shake the dirt off and take a step up. Each of your troubles is a stepping stone. You can get out of die deepest well just 10.________ never giving up!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错, 格式错误不得分
假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的一篇作文。文中共有10处语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2．只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不记分。
Life is full of ups and downs but it is never too easy to achieve success. As the old English say goes “Failure is the mother of success.” I was asked to play in a table tennis match last term. After the match, I was confident I would win. Therefore, I failed. How sadly I was! Luckily, my P.E. teacher helped me out. He told me not to lose my heart. He also helped me my skills. With his help, my confidence returned and I come up with several new idea. The next day, though I had to play against another more experience boy, I beat him. So don’t be afraid of failure. If we can deal with it well, failure can be the mother of success.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
书面表达
假定你是李华，你的表兄李东是一名高一年级的学生。他对学好高中英语感到很困惑，希望你给他一些建议。请你给他回复一封电子邮件，提供一些学好英语的建议。要点包括：
1. 邮件已经收到。
2. 课前预习，课上认真，课后复习；
3. 多花时间练习英语。
注意：1. 词数100左右，可适当增加内容，使得文章语篇流畅。
2. 参考词汇：预习 preview
难度: 中等查看答案及解析