I IMCKKD up the phone. Without so much as a hello ,a voice said: “What’s new? We have an eagle in the backyard.
It look me three second* lo recognize my nephew’s a voice. He was excited.
“He’s sitting on top of a dead tree in the backyard .He’s been there a long lime. We’re tilling in the sunroom watching him."
But actually, my nephew is blind.
Ketinitis pigmentosa（色素性视网膜炎）brgan stealing his sight when he was 12. He’ s in his 20s now.
“It’s a big thing. Dad said it must have a wingspan of 6 feet (1.88 meters). We’ve got an eagle out hack!"
I could believe they had the rare pleasure of spotting an eagle. What I couldn’t believe was that my nephew, without sight, was giving the comment. It shouldn’t have been that surprising,really?
His sight might be gone, but he sees plenty. From memory, mostly; from conventions around him; from listening to television and radio. He has an amazing memory. We took him into town with us when we were visiting his parents once. Our GPS wasn’ t working, so he gave us directions turn by turn, complete with landmarks, approximate distances and cautions on curves（拐弯处）in the road. He knew exactly where we were and got us to where wanted to go.
Second to his family, there are two things that have been important in this young man’s life: a guide dog and a job.
The guide dog gave him the confidence he didn’t know he had.
The job, “well” as his dad said: “Having a job makes him like everybody else. Now, he has something to come home and complain about at the end of the day."
I never have a conversation with my nephew without asking about his job in case lie wants to complain. But I know-and I know that he knows work is a gift.
We were created to work. We were made to produce goods and services, to invent and solve problems. Work is what drags us out of bed in the morning.
Work gives us something to do and somewhere to go. If that doesn’t I sound like a big deal, talk to someone who’ s unemployed. It is working hard that enhances the lime that you don’t work, from kicking back and reading a book to watching an eagle in your backyard.
1.What surprised the author when she received her nephew’s phone call?
A. An eagle remained in her nephew’ s backyard for a long time.
B. The sight of an eagle made her nephew so excited.
C. Her nephew regained his sight after he had been blind for several years.
D. Despite being blind, her nephew described the eagle as if he could really see it.
2.By mentioning her nephew lending her amend when site visited his parents, the author intends to .
A. show that she got along well with her nephew and his family
B. fell us of her nephew’s good sense of direction
C. show how good a memory her nephew has
D. prove that her nephew had no trouble living by himself alone
3.According lo the article, a job is very important lo the author's nephew mainly because .
A. a job make* him confident and slops him from complaining
B. a job enables him lo feel normal
C. with a job he can afford to raise his guide dog
D. with a job he can help his parents support I he family
4.What can we conclude from the lust two paragraphs?
A. Everyone has to work, so make sure to play.
B. The hander you work, the more successful you w ill lie.
C. Work enriches our lives, so we should appreciate it.
D. Work is just a way for us to kill time and make a living.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
ARE you a dog person or a cat person?
With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it’s easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you?
In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling , a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted（外向的）agreeable and serious than cat people.
“Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown lull, for hours at a lime," said Modem Dog magazine.
Just on the basis of dogs' nature being more sociable than cats’, you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Cosling’s study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are associated with social altitude.
In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people.
“Conscientiousness" is a tendency In show self-discipline（自律）,to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This quality also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous （一时冲动的） behavior.
In comparison, cat people an; about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more “open” than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs.
Despite vast differences, there an some things that cat people and dog people have in common. “Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and generally optimists. ” noted Mother Nature Network.
1.What does the article mainly talk about?
A. Differences between dogs and cats in their personality qualities.
B. Factors that influence people’s preference for dogs or cats.
C. How raising a pet helps shape your personality.
D. What your preference for dogs or cats reveals about you.
2.The underlined phrase “engage in ”in the fourth paragraph probably means .
A. get involved in B. benefit from
C. take little interest in D. perform well in
3.According to the study done by Sam Costing, dog owners tend to than cat owners.
A. be more imaginative and creative
B. live a more organized life
C. love to get close to nature more
D. be more easygoing and adventurous
4.According to the article, both dog people and cat people .
A. are generally self-disciplined
B. are usually positive and care about nature
C. are likely to hold unconventional beliefs
D. like to wear animal-print clothing;
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Northern Lights Tour
Located in the middle of the northern lights belt, Troms can offer some of the highest level* of northern lights activity on earth. Perhaps Tromso is the world's best place for a Northern Light? Tour.
Join one of our Northern Lights Holidays this winter. It could become one of the greatest experiences in your life.
DESTINATION Troms county. Norway.
PRICE $450 per person
WHEN 2th September until 31st March.
PICK-UP Each evening at 6PM outside your hotel.
DROP-OFF Earliest at 12AM. When we have a sighting we often stay out later, at no extra cost. t
SIZE OF GROUP Maximum 8 participants is recommended and normal, but not absolute A small group allows more freedom in terms of chasing the northern lights.
INCLUDED
-Transportation each day in a comfortable car
-A meal each day
-All necessary equipment such as snowshoes , flashlight, water-filled bottle. woolen
underwear, a warm hat, warm shoes. warm stockings, and reindeer skin In lie on. if needed.
-A guide who will do anything necessary to find the northern lights.
EXCITING CHASE
A Northern Lights Holiday means an intense and exciting chase to the coast or deep into the wild, perhaps even to the Finnish holder. Each day on a Northern Lights Tour we contact meteorologists shortly before departure to get accurate information. In order
to find out where we will have best chances to see the northern lights.
WE GUARANTEE A GREAT TRIP
The northern lights are unpredictable, but we guarantee that we’will do everything to find it. Patience is a keyword on Northern Lights Tour.
ECO-TOURISM
We offer ecologically sustainable and responsible tours Travelling in small groups is an essential part of the ecotourism concept, as small groups have lesser impact on nature and will not disturb the wildlife unnecessarily.
1.A small group is preffcrrd for the following reasons EXCEPT that .
A. a small group is free to run after thr northern lights
B. a small group has less effect on cost
C. a small group can serve the travel < ost
D. a small group will not disturb wildlife
2.The underlined word “it” refers to “ ”.
A. the northern lights tour B. patience
C. equipment D. the northern lights
3.We can infer that .
A. if tourists stay out late, they have to pay more
B. every tourist group is not sure to see the northern lights
C. every tourist group get the money back if they don’t see the northern lights
D. the northern lights can be seen every day from 20th September to 31st Marth
4.The passage is most likely to be taken from a(n) .
A. advertisement B. news report C. science textbook D. tourist brochure
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
DAVID Beckham. Cristiano Ronaldo and Rnfacl Nadal while you watch sports and admin* the players’ skills, do you ever notice how handsome the players are?
Yes, sportsmen tend to be handsome. And they haven’t only attracted the interest of the audience even scientists are now studying their good looks.
In a recent study, Erik Postma, a biologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, collected the headshots（头像）of 80 professional athletes from I hr 2012 Tour He France, a bicycle race held in Franco. The race, which covers 3,200 kilometers in 23 days, is often considered to In* one of the hardest endurance（耐力）events, according to The Telegraph.
Postma then asked female participants to score the cyclists’ attractiveness.judging them only based on their facial appearances. So, if a participant recognized any of the cyclists, meaning she knew how good he was at the sport, her score wouldn’t count.
After comparing all the scores with the cyclists’ performances in the 2012 race, Postma was surprised to find that the best riders were rated on average 25 percent more attractive than the worst ones. For example, one of the cyclists, Maxime Monfort , came third in terms of attractiveness and sixth in terms of performance, reported Discovery News.
But where did women get the ability to single out a good rider by simply looking at his face?
According lo Postma, evolution (进化) seems to be the answer. In ancient times, women preferred to marry strong men because they would provide good genes for their children. A man with great endurance was also able to cover long distances to hunt for food, which would allow him to better feed the family. “That’s why endurance performance was a key evolutionary factor.” Postma told Discovery News.
As you can see, it’s not that sportsmen ate more attractive themselves, women were just born to think of them that way.
Perhaps surprisingly, when Postma did the same test with male participants, he found that men actually had a quite similar view on which riders were handsome. Even
though most men aren’t aware of it. they inherited (继承) this ability from their ancient past, when it was necessary to “spot potential competitors” , explained Postma.
1.What did Erik Postma ask female participants to do in his study?
A. To help collect the headshots of professional cyclists from the Tour de France.
B. To pick out the cyclists whom they are familiar with or appreciate most.
C. To rate the cyclists’ attractiveness according to facial appearance.
D. To predict the cyclists ’ performances based on facial appearance.
2.What did Postma discover from his study?
A. The more attractive a cyclist was, the better he performed in the race.
B. Generally, a cyclist’s endurance had nothing to do with his attractiveness.
C. Attractive cyclists proved to have less endurance than those who were less attractive.
D. Those who performed best in the games were considered more attractive than those who performed worst.
3.What can we conclude from the last three paragraphs?
A. Women and men hold quite different views on male attractiveness.
B. Men with good looks tend to lie less popular than men with great endurance.
C. A man with great endurance appealed to women in ancient times and this remains the same today.
D. Most men don* t have the same ability as women to single out a good sportsman by simply looking at his face.
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。
Some Simple Key* to Transform Your Life
The Power of choice
Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. 1. When hunger strikes, we con reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the* Sugar high of junk food. The more important the decision,
the greater its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or :<mall, affects us in some way.
2.
If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you. This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all .Imagine
a world where every parent, friend, teacher, business person, and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more raring, supportive world.
It's the intention.
3. The answer is simple. It doesn't matter. The matter itself is not the choice you make, hut rather the intention behind your choice. The key is that what decision you make. You an* dear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all. If it later turns out that you seem to have made a bad choice, there's no need for guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all, your conscience stays clear and open. 4.
What's best for me, too!
Choosing what’s best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others. Another example .a very exhausted mother can lose her temper easily and then she may become ill so that she can't support her family without earning any money. 5. So as we move through each day of our lives, let us learn to care about ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for others.
A. How do you make choices?
B. Discuss them together to choose your project.
C. But how do I know what is really best?
D. What is important is that we should pay attention to this presence.
E. So it is very important for you to take good care of yourself.
F. Even small or unimportant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel.
G. This then allows you to improve your decision, and make a right one.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的各题的四个选项（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。
As soon as I saw the cat in our yard, I knew he was a stray（流浪儿）.He looked
-a wounded warrior with a badly scarred body.
I started putting out food for him each day, but he wouldn’t come near me if other people were . Winter came, and he still wouldn’ t us. Then, one day, a car hit him so we took him to the vets.
After a week, we were eager to bring him home to our family. But when we went to take the cat home, the vet told us we should put him to immediately because the cat was so fierce and mean that he would become tame, let alone a pet.
But I have always had in love’s power to even the wildest beasts. I told the vet, "I want to take him home.” We him Paws.
Three days went by, and we only knew Paws was the bed because when we walked past it we heard deep growling.
1 wanted to somehow let him know he was and loved. So I put on a hard hat and a pair of welding gloves. 1 under the bed toward Paws, with my face to the
and only the top of my head facing him. 1 out to stroke (抚摩) him gently over and over again.
He growled and tried to and bite me. It was scary but I knew he couldn’t me, so I just kept going. Slowly, he began to . Then I slid out from under the bed and left the room.
Several hours later. I noticed a cat on the bed. It was Paws all on the pillows! I couldn’t believe it.
That dear cat became the of our household. Although Paws finally died of cancer, his legacy (馈赠)-my and firm belief in the power of love lives on.
1.A. cute B. strong C. fierce D. smart
2.A. around B. in C. out D. away
3.A. love B. attack C. refuse D. trust
4.A. please B.join C. see D. satisfy
5.A. death B. sight C. observation D. sleep
6.A. simply B. hardly C. easily D. gradually
7.A. sense B. interest C. faith D. feeling
8.A. comfort B. convince C. protect D. tame
9.A. named B. appointed C. accepted D. made
10.A. on B. beside C. under D. inside
11.A. hopeful B. pitiful C. careful D. safe
12.A. hid B. slid C. sheltered D. slept
13.A. bed B. sky C. floor D. feet
14.A. turned B. picked C. pulled D. reached
15.A. play B. scratch C.lick D. push
16.A. hurt B. bother C. avoid D. betray
17.A. get angry B. give up C. run away D. calm down
18.A. stepped out B. stood out C. stretched wit D. stuck out
19.A. hope B.love C. support D. comfort
20.A. normal B. noble C. strange D. continued
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面对话，在空白处填入适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。每空不得多于3个单词，出现拼写、大小写、词性错误都不给分。
David and Jack art* talking about cyber-relationships in their dorm.
David：Jack, you spend a lot of lime on the Internet everyday. What do you mast frequently use it for?
Jack: 1 usually surf 1. net. read news and anything I am interested in, cheek emails or chat with other people. Sometimes 1 order online too. Maybe I can find a
girlfriend online like a fairy tale.
David: Well. I see. That' s 2. you are so stuck to it.
Jack: I know dozens of websites provide dating service. Curiosity and the need for companionship make them a sure-fire business. I recommend that you 3. (try) Baihe.com.
David: To be 4. ,1 really can’t understand how 5. people depend on that way lo make friends. It’s kind of risky.
Jack: Yes. hut it s also one of the easiest and fastest ways lo meet new people.
David: Sounds good. But it » full of imps on the Internet, and some people have really 6. (please) experiences about online dating.
Jack: It’s s true, but some people did find their better-half through online dating.
David: 7. I won’t try that wav lo make my girlfriend.
Jack: Don* I be so sure. If you happen 8. (meet) a girl online who is intelligent, kind, honest, and you gel a good feeling of her. Won’t I you have the desire lo gel lo know her 9. person?
David: I won’t have such a chance in the first place, for I never enter the chatroom.
Jack: Maybe 10. man’s meat is another’s poison.
David: Thai’s right.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My grandmother is a village woman. She is already in her seventy. Although she received little school education, but she is aware that knowledge is of great important lo young people. When my father was young, my grandmother took care him so that my father could cast more time on his studies. Now, she often encouraged me to study hard. This summer she was bad ill in bed. When I visited her during the summer holiday,I found her silting in bed, made new shoes for me!
I was so deeply moving that tears came to my eyes. My grandmother is so a kind and hardworking woman. I’ ll respect and love her forever.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
微博（micro blog）已成为时下学生常用的交流方式。人们对此褒贬不一。请根据以下要点提示，用英语写一篇短文，描述人们对学生使用微博的符法。
学生：记录生活，交流思想。
家长：了解孩子想法.过渡关注博客.影响学习。
教育人士：开阔视野，但需要适当引导。
注意：词数100左右。
参考词汇：开阔视野broaden one’s horizon 引导guide
难度: 中等查看答案及解析