Nearly 50% of all workers in the United States have jobs they aren’t happy with. Don’t let this happen to you! If you want to find the right job, don’t rush to look through the ads in the newspaper. Instead, sit down and think about yourself. What kind of person are you? What makes you happy?
According to John Holland who studies personalities, there are six types. Nobody is just one personality type, but most people are mainly one type. For each type, there are certain jobs that might be right and others that are probably wrong.
Six Types of Personalities
★The Realistic type is practical and likes working with machines and tools.
★The Investigative（研究的） type is interested in all the new things and likes to learn, study situations, and solve problems.
★The Artistic type is imaginative and likes to express himself or herself by creating.
★The Social type is friendly and likes helping or training other people.
★The Enterprising（有进取心的） type is outgoing and likes to lead other people.
★The Conventional（传统的） type is careful and likes to follow routines and details.
Considering your personality type can help you make the right job decision. Liz was one of the people who were not sure about their jobs. She knew she wanted to do something for children, so she thought she could help children as a school counselor（顾问） or a lawyer. She took counseling and law courses—but hated them. After talking to a career counselor, she found that these jobs didn’t suit her. She is more interested in films, so she studied film and she now produces children’s TV shows—and loves it.
1.What is the author’s advice for looking for the right job?
A.Ask your parents or friends for help or advice.
B.Think about what you can do for your family.
C.Look through the ads in the newspapers at once.
D.Think about what kind of person you are at first.
2.If Jack is a policeman and he likes to find out what happens actually, what type of personality is he?
A.The Social type. B.The Investigative type.
C.The Enterprising type. D.The Conventional type.
3.The writer organizes the last paragraph by_____________ .
A.giving examples B.using numbers
C.listing opinions D.telling a story
4.Which part of the magazine is the passage most probably from?
A.Advertisement part. B.The job planning part.
C.Chicken soup part. D.Game and puzzle part.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
It is well known that twins are closer to each other than most brothers and sisters; after all, they probably spend more time with each other. In Britain there was the famous case of the silent twins, June and Jennifer Gibbons, who refused to talk to anyone but each other.
However, these special relationships are the result of lives spent almost completely in each other’s company. What happens when twins do not grow up together? Are they just like any other strangers, or are there still special similarities between them? Professor Tom Bouchard who works in the University of Minnesota set out to find the answer to this question. He followed sixteen pairs of twins, who lived in different families. Each twin was then interviewed about their life.
The results were surprising. Many of the twins were found to have the same hobbies or habits, and some have suffered the same illnesses. A large number of the twins have had children at almost the same times; sometimes they have even given them the same names. But the most surprising similarities are to be found in the case of Jim Springer and Jim Lewis. The story of the “Jim Twins” made headline news across USA, and they even appeared on national television. Born in 1939, and brought up by different families at birth, both babies were named Jim by their new parents.
So what can be the explanation for these similarities? Research into the lives of twins makes us believe our personalities may be at least partly due to nature. On the other hand, some surprising coincidences（巧合） do happen all the time, not just in the lives of twins.
1.What did Professor Tom Bouchard want to find out?
A.How many kinds of similarities are there in the twins?
B.What makes the twins have similar hobbies or habits?
C.Do the twins influence each other when they are young?
D.Are the twins alike if they are brought up in different families?
2.What can be learned about Jim Twins?
A.They got married nearly at the same age.
B.Their story even appeared on TV in the USA.
C.They had children almost at the same time.
D.They refused to talk to others but each other.
3.What does the author want to tell us by writing the last paragraph?
A.Surprising stories between twins brought up in different families.
B.Some examples of similarities in twins brought up in different families.
C.The interesting relationship between twins brought up in different families.
D.The possible reason for the similarities in twins brought up in different families.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
On the first day tutoring students from low-income families at an after-school program in New York City, Alyssa Kapasi noticed how many kids were lining up for free sandwiches and fruit in the cafeteria. One teacher explained that many of these students don’t get enough to eat at home, so school lunch or an after-school meal might be the most food they would get all day.
Kapasi, who attends private school, was shocked. What’s more, she decided to help. “I want other kids to understand that if you see a problem, you don’t have to wait to be an adult to fix it,” says Kapasi. She and a group of friends are now putting their programming skills to work to create an app called Food for Thought, which will allow parents, students, and even kind-hearted strangers to donate（捐款） to a lunch account（账户） for a student in need at a nearby school.
About 20 million American kids receive free lunches. Also, they can buy foods with more quality at lower prices; that is to say, those students’ families just pay for part of their food. When they don’t have the money on any given day, the students might accept a free meal, such as a cheese sandwich.
One smart feature of the app is that it is donated by people from different areas. Some are teachers and doctors, and some are bosses in big companies. To receive help, a family will need only a recommendation（推荐） from a school headmaster, and no one else has to know who you are.
“I want to make my platform an application that all users feel no shame in using,” says Kapasi. She hopes to test the app in a school district（地区） this fall.
1.Kapasi decided to build the app when she_____________ .
A.attended private school B.saw kids line up for free food
C.finished her school lunch D.learned some programming skills
2.What is Kapasi’s opinion towards the problems?
A.Wait for the adult to solve it. B.Solve it when you grow up.
C.Try to solve it right now. D.Ask a school teacher for help.
3.What help can some poor families get by using the app?
A.They can learn how to solve problems.
B.Their children can get free lunch.
C.They can get some money from the app.
D.Their children can learn some skills.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The app protects and shows respect for kids who are helped.
B.The app has worked well in all school districts since this fall.
C.People that give money will know who they are helping.
D.People can get a free meal if they know how to use the app.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The United States has always been a country of many cultures. Before Europeans came to North America, many groups of Native Americans lived here. Different Native American groups had different cultures. The first Europeans in the United States were from England and Holland, but immigrants（移民） came from all European countries. Many people also immigrated from Asia and Africa. Sadly, many Africans were brought to the United States to serve the Americans. The life there was hard for them. Many immigrants come from Latin America too. Today, the United States has people from more cultures than ever.
In the 19th century, people thought of the United States as a “melting pot”. People thought that all immigrants should forget their native cultures and languages and become English-speaking Americans. They felt that people should assimilate cultures. However, not everyone wanted to assimilate completely. Many people tried to keep parts of their cultures, such as foods, customs, and languages. However, their children often forgot their parents’ or grandparents’ language. But most Americans, even those whose families have been here for a long time, can tell the countries their relatives came from. And of course, new immigrants take great pride in their cultures and languages.
For all of these reasons, melting pot is no longer a good way to describe the United States. Instead, people now call the United States a “salad bowl”. They say salad bowl because in a salad, you can still see all of the individual parts （lettuce, tomato, and so on）, but all the different parts are mixed together and begin to take on the taste of one another.
1.The first paragraph mainly talks about_____________ .
A.how many immigrants the United States has
B.where the immigrants live in the United States
C.what culture and language the immigrants keep
D.why the United States is a country of many cultures
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Before Europeans came to North America, nobody lived there.
B.People spoke of the United States as a “melting pot” in the 19th century.
C.All the Africans were brought to the United States to serve the Americans.
D.The immigrants in the United States are only from England, Holland and Africa.
3.The underlined word “assimilate” in the second paragraph means “ ”.
A.make something similar B.make something special
C.make something different D.make something interesting
4.Why do people call the United States a “salad bowl” now?
A.Because Americans can make all the cultures into one culture.
B.Because Americans all want to eat salad to be healthy very much.
C.Because Americans want their country to be as “green” as “salad”.
D.Because Americans can make different cultures go together in one country.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Tips for Being a Smart Shopper
Supermarket is a good place for us to go shopping. But are you a smart shopper? Do you always shop in a wise way? There are 5 ways to help you to save at the supermarket.
1.
It’s the first thing you should do at the store—and the first way to help yourself save. Unless you’re doing a week’s shopping, choose a small shopping cart（推车）. In an experiment, shoppers bought 40 percent more things when given a cart doubled the size they usually used.
2.
When you’re buying bags of apples, don’t just buy the first bag you grab. Make sure to pick a heavy one. In a price comparison, a Consumer Reports reporter found that “3-pound” bags of apples ranged in weight from 3.06-3.36 pounds—that’s 10 percent more apples for the same price.
3.
Stores put the most popular—and often the most costly—items at eye level. In fact, factories often pay more money for the best place in the supermarket. To find the cheaper things, look up and down to the higher and lower shelves. McCue advises managers to put store brands and big items on the bottom shelves.
4.
People who shop with a list spend far less time in the store and also make fewer extra buys. If you are not good at remembering a paper list, keep one on your phone. You can use one of many free apps or just keep your list in your phone’s built-in Notes app.
5.
While the smallest packages are often the worst deals, the biggest size isn’t necessarily the biggest value. The key is to look for a unit price below the item on the shelf—the price per ounce or liter or whatever. In some cases, the medium-sized package might be your winner.
A. Buy the right size when shopping.
B. Look high and low on the shelves.
C. Consider using the shopping apps.
D. Choose the right shopping cart.
E. Compare apples to apples.
F. Make a shopping list before shopping.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Thanksgiving was almost here. The menu had been set. The shopping list had been made. ____ seemed perfect. I could taste turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes. Pictures of strawberry sauce and pumpkin pie flashed through my______. I licked my lips. There would also be sweet potatoes, apples, vegetables and mushrooms. I couldn’t_____ !
The day_____Thanksgiving my dad called a family meeting. He said we needed to practice being _____ . “Therefore, on Thanksgiving Day we are going to_______at a homeless shelter（避难所）.” I couldn’t believe this was happening. So we wouldn’t cook our own Thanksgiving dinner. The holiday wouldn’t be the same. I thought the______would be ruined（毁掉）. My heart sank.
The next morning, we woke up early to go to the shelter. I had ______ great expectations. As soon as we arrived, we got to work. There was so much to be done. ______all I could think about was the dinner I couldn’t enjoy, I was so disappointed.
Those thoughts _____disappeared. Over the next few hours, I watched hundreds of people ____ the shelter. For some, this was the only hot meal they would eat that week. For others, it was their first time to eat a Thanksgiving meal. People were so_____. Laughter filled the shelter.
Through this experience I _____that it is more meaningful to give than to receive. When I gave up what I wanted, I discovered how much I______. Finally, I got to understand Thanksgiving is a time to look for _____ to bless（祝福） others. In the end, that Thanksgiving became a memorable experience.
1.A.Nothing B.Something C.Everything D.Anything
2.A.mind B.mouth C.eye D.nose
3.A.understand B.help C.wait D.stand
4.A.after B.before C.on D.from
5.A.hopeful B.helpful C.relaxed D.pleased
6.A.give out B.come out C.work out D.help out
7.A.week B.month C.year D.day
8.A.some B.many C.more D.no
9.A.Because B.So C.But D.Although
10.A.quickly B.hardly C.luckily D.probably
11.A.come into B.break into C.drop by D.pass by
12.A.proud B.happy C.nervous D.easy
13.A.learned B.told C.showed D.heard
14.A.lose B.have C.expect D.forget
15.A.people B.ways C.love D.aim
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（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Have you ever shared a room with someone, perhaps a brother, sister, or roommate? How did you get along with the other person? Did you always have arguments 1. did you work out a way to share the space without arguments?
Astronauts say that one of the most difficult 2.（part） of space exploration（探测） is sharing a tiny area with other people for a long time. Spaceships 3.（design） to make the best use of every bit of room. There is no more area that you can escape to have 4. quiet time all alone. Nor can you decide to get away and go for a walk. It’s even 5.（difficult） when you share the small area with astronauts from other cultures. These astronauts are usually the people 6. may have different lifestyles and customs.
7. do astronauts manage to have good relationships with their partners? First, astronauts are 8.（careful） chosen for their experience, physical fitness, and ability to get along with other people. They decide to finish the task successfully, even that means giving up some 9.（person） needs for the time being. Each member of the space team does research, so that takes up a lot of time. Then there are “spacing” skills such as listening 10. music on headphones or writing that can be done alone. Perhaps some of these will help you with your roommate.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假如你是张华，请对你的美国笔友Peter的邮件进行回复，词数：80左右。
| To | Zhang Hua |
| From | Peter |
| Hi Zhang Hua, How are you? I hope you’re fine and not too busy! I heard you’ve changed a lot as a Grade Nine student. How have you changed? What is your biggest change? You mentioned that you’ve made great progress in learning English. How did you do that? I am looking forward to your reply. Yours, Peter |
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析