My cell phone rang while I was working on my computer. I looked at the phone and saw it was my 17-year-old son, Tom. I quickly picked it up.“Mom,I got a 71 on the test.I did it.”With those few words,I could feel my heart start to pound.
Living in New York State. Students cannot graduate from high school unless they pass at least five exams: one in English, one in science, two in history and one in math. For most students, who work hard, attend class, and do their homework like my son, it isn't that hard. But for Tom, who is dyslexic(朗读困难）, it is such a real challenge that some teachers have feared he would never be able to even attempt, never mind achieve.
We were honest with him about his trouble, letting him know that there was nothing to be ashamed of. Some people learn differently. If he was willing to work,we would help him find a way to do as much as he could in his academic career. All that was standing in his way was this math test. He had taken it three times and did better each time, but he continued to fail. He was starting to get a bit tired of me saying this was a marathon not a sprint(冲刺). My heart broke each time we would get the failing results.
“Mom,thanks. I love you. Thanks for believing I could do this.”
For one of the few times in my life, I really had nothing left to say. For that one brief moment I knew, really, really, knew that everything we did to help our son achieve what he wanted was worth it.
1.What does the underlined word “pound” in Paragraph l probably mean?
A. Sink suddenly. B. Beat wildly.
C. Ache violently. D. Break totally.
2.According to the text, Tom was weak in _________.
A. English B. science C. history D. math
3.How did the writer feel when she wrote this text?
A. She felt proud and satisfied.
B. She felt surprised and bitter.
C. She felt grateful and relaxed.
D. She felt worried and anxious.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. A Mother's Love That Made the Grade
B. A Student Who Struggled for a Diploma
C. Failure Is the Mother of Success
D. Life Is Not a Sprint but a Marathon
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Hunter Bliss, like more and more American students, left the United States to go to college. In the 2011-2012 school year, 46,571 U.S. students registered for degree programs in 14 countries. The top destination countries were the U.K. and Canada, followed by France, Germany, Italy and some other European countries. Germany, in particular, has attracted many more American students in recent years, like Hunter Bliss.
In 2012, there were more than 4,000 American students completing bachelor's, master's and doctor's degrees in Germany. The Institute of International Education (IIE) says that the number of U.S. students completing college degrees in Western Europe increased by about 5 percent from 2010 to 2012. American students choose to study in another country for two main reasons. First, international experience is becoming more important in the modern job market. Second, the cost of higher education has continued to rise in the United States. Rising tuition (学费) costs make education abroad—particularly in countries that charge no tuition-attractive to American students, says the IIE.
Many American students choose Germany because of the low cost of education there. German public universities do not charge tuition fees. And many universities in Germany offer courses in English, too. College education in the US is seen as a privilege and expected to cost money but in Germany it is seen as an extension of a free high school education where one expects it to be provided.
The German government has been eager to encourage students to come to Germany for another reason. Like many countries in Western Europe, German's population is becoming older, and fewer young people are entering college and the job market. The German government hopes to attract skilled foreign students who will stay in Germany.
1.Which country attracted American students most in the 2011-2012 school year?
A. Germany. B. France. C. Britain. D. Italy.
2.The main reason why US students choose to study in Germany is that ________.
A. many universities there offer courses in English
B. the cost of education is relatively low there
C. studying abroad matters in their job hunting
D. it is much easier to find a job than in the USA
3.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Overseas education. B. High school education.
C. College education. D. Public education.
4.What does the text mainly talk about?
A. More and more US students choose colleges overseas.
B. Reasons why more students study in foreign countries.
C. Western Europe manages to attract foreign students.
D. Advantages and disadvantages of German education.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Imagine picking apples on Christmas or going skating on May Day. What about going for a swim on Thanksgiving? Without Leap Day(闰日）,which takes place every four years, that could happen.
Our calendar is normally 365 days long. It was created to match the cycles of the seasons. But Roman ruler Julius Caesar noticed a problem: The earth doesn't circle the sun in exactly 365 days. It actually cakes 365 and one-quarter days. He figured out that the extra part of a day would cause the calendar to grow apart from the seasons over time. Over 100 years, the seasons would shift (推移）about 24 days. Spring would start on April 13 instead of March 20.
Caesar used math to figure out a way to stop the calendar from shifting. He decided to add an extra day to the month of February every four years. His idea helped keep the seasons and calendar matched up. Even so, it still wasn’t perfect—his calendar was adding too many days.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII worked on Caesar's idea. His calendar, called the Gregorian calendar, declares that every year that is equally divided by 400 is a leap year. Turn-of-the-century years, or years ending in “00”, would not be leap years unless they could be divided equally by 400. These complicated equations(等式）help keep the calendar in balance with the orbit of the earth. Today, we still use the Gregorian calendar. In about 3，000 years, the calendar will be only one day out of step with the seasons, It's still not perfect, but mathematicians decided it was as close as we could get.
1.Why was Julius Caesar's calendar not good enough?
A.Spring would start twenty-four days later than usual
B.It would be only one day out of step with the seasons.
C.There would be too many days on the calendar.
D.Leap Day would take place every other year.
2.It can be inferred from the text that ________.
A.the earth circles the sun in exactly 365 days
B.Gregorian calendar is more scientific than Caesar's
C.Pope's calendar has been used for 3，000 years
D.Caesar added an extra day to every February
3.Which of the following years is a leap year according to Pope?
A.The year 2100.
B. The year 2200.
C. The year 2300.
D. The year 2400.
4.In which section of a website can you probably read this text?
A. Opinion. B. Policy. C. Entertainment. D. Science.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The task of Books For Africa is to end the book shortages in Africa. Books For Africa appreciates all book donations. It costs 50 cents to ship each book to Africa. Consider making a financial donation to cover the costs of shipping the books you donate. Please send financial donations separately in an envelope to the BFA office:Books For Africa,253 East 4th Street, Suite 200. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Or make a donation online.
If mailing books, please send book donations to or drop off books at the St. Paul warehouse, 635 Prior Ave. N, Suite 100, St. Paul. Minnesota. Warehouse book drop-off hours in Minnesota are as follows: Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; First and third Saturdays of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Books For Africa accepts:
popular fiction and nonfiction reading books
books that are 15 years old or newer
primary, secondary, and college textbooks with a 2000 or newer publish date
reference books such as dictionaries published in 2005 or later
medical, nursing, IT, and law books with a 2000 or newer publish date
Books For Africa does NOT accept:
magazines or journals of any kind, including academic journals
home decorating or wedding books
cookbooks
foreign language books except for French books American history or civics (市政学）
After dropping off or mailing your books, please send an email to bfa@.booksf.orafrica.org with your full name, address, and the number of books you donated. We will email you a thank-you letter for your records.
1.How can you make your financial donation to BFA?
A.By mailing it to the St. Paul warehouse.
B.By sending it to the BFA office in Minnesota.
C.By paying it to bfa@.booksf.orafrica.org.
D.By giving it to BFA on the phone.
2.Which of the following books will be accepted by Books For Africa?
A. The Secret of Making French Dishes
B. The Oxford Dictionary of 2004
C. The Old Man and the Sea
D. Home Decorators
3.Whom is the text mainly written for?
A. Wealthy booksellers. B. Learned journalists.
C. Generous officials. D. Helpful readers.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短义内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中宥两项为多余 选项。
Health Mistakes to Avoid Making When Traveling
Everyone is talking about amazing travel experiences. However, there is always the other side of the coin. If you want to add more wonderful travel experiences to your life, make sure you avoid these health mistakes during your next trip.
Refusing injections
At times you are asked to have an injection in order to avoid a certain disease before traveling to your destination. 1._________ In many cases, mosquito bites lead to malaria(疟疾） and there are many other health risks that you may face during your trip. Refusing injections is the worst thing you can do to your health.
Eating out in the street
2._________. Yes, it is cheaper and tastier than restaurant meals. However, when visiting a country where clean food and dishes arc not priority (优先)，your stomach may not survive this experiment. Just because locals eat street food and feel healthy does not mean you will feel the same.
Drinking tap water
Staying hydrated(吸入水分）is necessary, so is the water choice. Even if locals tell you that their tap water is safe to drink, it is best to choose bottled water. 3._________. it is at least clean. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
4._________. Google maps make our travel experiences easier since you can check out the place you are going to visit before you even book the ticket. Unfortunately, not all tourists take advantage of them. This is a successful way to really relax and enjoy the trip.
Even an expert traveler is guilty of making most of these health mistakes.5._________, you will probably not commit any of them during the trip, will you?
A. Eat lots of good nutritious food
B. Although it is not the healthiest choice
C. Budget travelers are all guilty of eating street food
D. Being unaware of surroundings
E. Make sure you get it
F. Now that you know some health mistakes to avoid
G. Having a good knowledge of map details
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。
When I was in school, I could always tell when my class was about to take a test. You could feel fear and ________ in the air. A few students were trying to joke to ________ their worries. Some were trying unsuccessfully to act ________ they hadn't cared.
Every once in a while, a teacher would ________ that this test was going to be an open book one as the test papers were being ________. As soon as the teacher said chat, you could feel the sigh of ________ from the class. A few students would laugh and you even heard a ________ or two. As we look out our ________, all of us knew ________ that the answers would be ________ in front of us. All we had to do was to ________ them.
A lot of people say that life is one long series of tests that we have to ________. This is true.
________ most people don't realize, though, is that they are all open book ones. The answers are ________ right there in front of you and they are so ________. You just have to open the book of your soul to any ________ and you will see the words:“JUST LOVE”. Just love yourself. Just love everyone as yourself.
Face all of life's tests with a smile on your face. Use the ________ they teach to learn and to grow. When you do this, you will ________ every test that life throws ________ you. When you do this, you will make the world a ________, better, and happier place.
1.A. sorrow B. loneliness C. desire D. anxiety
2.A. convey B. calm C. express D. add
3.A. even if B. if only C. as if D. in case
4.A. announce B. remind C. demand D. clarify
5.A. handed in B. handed over C. handed back D. handed out
6.A. relief B. pity C. tiredness D. disappointment
7.A. cheer B. scream C. word D. shout
8.A. dictionaries B. papers C. textbooks D. cellphones
9.A. briefly B. clearly C. generally D. roughly
10.A. slightly B. right C. almost D. merely
11.A. check B. discuss C. find D. analyse
12.A. solve B. discover C. defeat D. face
13.A. That B. Which C. When D. What
14.A. always B. once C. seldom D. occasionally
15.A. complex B. interesting C. simple D. puzzling
16.A. place B. page C. point D. line
17.A. answers B. methods C. lessons D. skills
18.A. review B. miss C. fail D. pass
19.A. at B. into C. over D. beyond
20.A. farther B. brighter C. safer D. quieter
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面衫料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
How can a person stand out in a country of 1.35 billion? One safe, inexpensive and relatively stress-free way is to choose a(n) 1.____ (usual) English name.
Chinese people usually get 2.____English name in high school or college English class.Others get one once they start working and regularly deal with 3.____ (foreign), who often have trouble 4.____ (pronounce) their Chinese names.
Many students 5.____ (give) traditional English names by their teachers, or end up with common ones that sound like their Chinese names (for example, David for Dawei and Tracy for Cui Li).
The rest go with whatever word appeals to them, 6.____ (include) adjectives (Vivid), verbs (Happen), animals (Dolphin), brands (KFC) and common nouns (Tears).
Then there are the creative types like Cereal, a kind of main food more commonly7.____ (find) on breakfast tables than business cards, but 8.____ is no doubt that an English name makes an impression.
What's more special, the parents of 3-year-old Arwenry came up with the name of a character in the novel The Lord of the Rings (Arwen) with part of 9._________ (they) daughter's Chinese name(Rui).
But nothing screams unique like Uniqueen. The combination of'“unique”and “queen” comes from a Beijing teenager who wanted a name more unforgettable 10._________Angel.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
假定英语课上，老师要求冋桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有10处错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
刪除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下面画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注息：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词：
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last Christmas my friend invited me to watch skating show. Inspired by the wonderful show, and I decided to be a good skater. I started taking the basic training course a few days after. It was not easy at first. I often fall down on the ice, and it hurt indeed. However, by no mean would I give up. I even learned how to fall with properly techniques to avoid being injuring. Finally, I was able to feel like a bird flying on the sky when it was skating at high speed. I was glad what I had made a difference between good and great by practising.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假定你是李华，你的英国网友Peter对你上传在QQ空间中的湿地公园照片很感兴趣，他想了解更多信息。请根据以下要点给他回复：
1. 位置与交通（市区东部，离市中心20公里)：
2. 设施与环境：
3. 休闲活动。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾己为你写好。
参考词汇：湿地公因wetland park
Dear Peter,
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hu
难度: 中等查看答案及解析