We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop（拖把）. She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors."
"Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them, "the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?"
Mum just pushed harder, each swipe(拖一下) of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.
After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum bowed politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you."
Outside, Mum told me, "Grandma is fine. No fever."
"You saw her, Mum?"
"Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But such floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush."
1.When she took a mop from the small room what Mum really wanted to do was ________.
A. to clean the floor
B. to please the nurse
C. to see a patient
D. to surprise the story-teller
2.After reading the story, what can we infer about the hospital?
A. It is a children's hospital.
B. It has strict rules about visiting hours.
C. The conditions there aren't very good.
D. The nurses and doctors there don't work hard.
3.Which of the following words best describes Mum?
A. naughty B. warm-hearted C. clever D. hard-working
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
In any family with more than one child, children seem to naturally compete for their parents’ love and attention. Parents say they love every child equally. But is that true?
Susan, founder of a consulting firm in Chicago, interviewed 216 women and found that even though none of her questions asked directly about a parent favoring one child over another, about two-third of the women said there was a favored child. And they also remembered their experience when they were young. One of the women said, “My mother always liked my brother better, and he got to summer camp in 1968 and I didn’t.
Plumez, who interviewed parents with both biological children (亲生孩子 ) and adoptive children for an adoption book in 2008, found that what matters most is whether your temperaments (性情 ) are pleasing. “In some cases, parents would say they felt closer to their adopted children, ”she says. “Some parents like the children with characters similar to theirs. Two people who are shy and withdrawn (内向的) might get along well, unless the shy parent doesn’t like that aspect of themselves and they try to push the naturally withdrawn child to be more extroverted.”
It could be a result of gender, birth order or how easy or difficult a child’s temperament may be, but a parent’s different treatment has far-reaching effects. Studies have found that less-favored children may suffer emotionally, with decreased self-esteem and behavioral problems in children. Favoritism (偏爱) is a reason for the next generation not to like each other.
Experts say it’s not realistic to say everyone should be treated equally, because no two people are the same and they related differently to others.
“It does not mean the parent loves or likes one child more. It has to do with which one of them is independent,” says psychologist Lauriet Kramer of the University of Illinois.
1.The study carried out by Susan shows that ________.
A. showing favoritism is common in many families
B. most mothers like their sons better than their daughters
C. only two-thirds of the women interviewed have more than a child
D. it is favoritism that leads to absence of harmony in most families
2.The underlined word “ extroverted” in the third paragraph means ________.
A. independent B. outgoing C. easygoing D. awful
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Favoritism is not beneficial to the development of children
B. Parents’ favoritism to a certain child can’t be avoided in families.
C. Parents may be favorite one of their children and don’t realize it.
D. People are very much shaped by how they were treated by their parents.
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Parents’ favoritism can affect children deeply
B. Why do parents show favoritism to children?
C. Parents should give attention to all their children
D. Building a harmonious family is important to children
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Stubbornness（固执，执着） can push a business to hold on but can also kill your business if it keeps stopping you.
Because I’m stubborn. I chased my dream of creating a pet-food company that sells what it claims to sell and not some unidentifiable substance in a dressed-up bag. Originally we packed our foods in transparent bags, which became our guiding philosophy.
To start the company in 2003, I visited every pet-food store in Manhattan and some outside the city. By 2006 Stella&Chewy’s was sold in 250 stores, mostly in New York City. In 2007 I moved the company to Wisconsin, with our earnings reaching almost $500,000 that year．But getting my product into stores was just the beginning. We were competing against much bigger pet-food companies whose monthly marketing budgets were more than our yearly sales. So we invested in advertisements and a website and even stood on sidewalks giving our samples.
With more customers came more feedback (反馈意见), much of which I ignored, I was also receiving complaints about ice crystals (冰晶) on the food, which form when the air temperature changes during transport. For this reason, most frozen foods are packaged in opaque (不透明的) bags or boxes. Studies have proved that ice crystals have little effect on either the quality or the taste of the food. So I ignored the complaints. After all, we were better than our competitors that wouldn’t even show their products. We didn’t hide anything.
In 2007 our sales kept growing, but not as fast as those of our competitors. We were told that new consumers were choosing products packaged in opaque bags. When I visited the stores and forced myself to consider my products objectively, I had to degree: The ice crystals reduced the look I wanted. The food looked as if a snowstorm had hit the inside of the bag.
We switched to opaque bags and tried to make ice crystals smaller. Customers responded: In 2009 Stella$Chewy’s was sold in 2,500 stores across the country.
1.At the beginning, the author’s company packaged their foods in transparent bags to ________.
A. make their foods seen clearly
B. make their foods look attractive
C. let customers know their guiding philosophy
D. show their foods are environmentally friendly
2.Why did the author have people stand on sidewalks giving out samples?
A. Because advertising and marketing on the website didn’t work.
B. Because no one knew his company’s products in Wisconsin.
C. Because he should use this way to save money due to the limited budget.
D. Because he attempted to use all means to compete with other companies.
3.According to the passage, ice crystals _________.
A. only appear on frozen food
B. may make pets feel uncomfortable
C. won’t form if the foods are transported well
D. almost don’t affect the quality of pet foods
4.The author’s experience mainly shows that ________.
A. stubborn people won’t simply give up
B. stubbornness can make people succeed or fail
C. the road leading to success is full of difficulties
D. meeting customers’ need is important to a company’s success
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
An old woman diverted (转移 ) attention from the book when I was sitting in my car. She walked slowly towards my parked car with a large shoulder bag. She stopped and put a hand out to rest against the car. She gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Was there a way I could do anything to help her? But I wondered if the lady noticed me sitting inside the car, she would feel embarrassed and walk away.
I stilled my body while my mind searched for answers. I turned my head towards my driver, wanting him to ask the lady if we could give her a ride. Because of my head movement, she noticed me and moved her hand away from the car. Her calm expression changed to a cautious one. I grabbed the water bottle next to me, smile, gently opened the door and offered the bottle to her. She looked at me hesitatingly, shook her head with downcast (低垂的) eyes and walked away.
I was so annoyed with myself. I should have been more careful not to move. However, she was back I opened the door and patted the seat next to me. She sat down, opened her bag and offered me a banana. I took it and offered her the water bottle again. She took it. I ate, she drank and we smiled. She rested for a couple of minutes.
Those minutes brought such tranquility (宁静) to me. She took my head in both her hands and kissed my forehead, and then she left. I was trying to help someone in distress(不幸，苦恼). In turn, I became distressed and she took away my distress and replace it with tranquility.
1.What did the author want to do when the old woman rested against her car?
A. She wanted to communicate with the old woman
B. She wanted to let driver warn the old woman off.
C. She wanted to make the old woman notice her existence.
D. She wanted to help the old woman without bothering her.
2.Why did the old woman choose to rest against the author’s car?
A. Because she was too tired to walk further.
B. Because it was a comfortable place to stay.
C. Because she thought there was nobody in the car.
D. Because she could put her large shoulder bag on the car.
3.Why did the author feel blue?
A. The old woman refused her water.
B. The old woman left without saying a word.
C. The old woman suspected the author’s kindness.
D. She interrupted the old woman’s quiet moment of rest.
4.The old woman came back to ________.
A. drink some drink
B. accept and thank the author’s kindness
C. rest for another few minutes
D. offer a banana to the author
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个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。
The Internet has opened up a whole new online world for us to meet, chat and go where we’ve never been before.
But just as in face to face communication, there are some rules of behavior that should be followed when on line. 1. Imagine how you’d feel if you were in the other person’s shoes. For anything you’re about to send: ask yourself, “Would I say this to the person’s face?” If the answer is no, rewrite and reread. 2.
If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct(本能) is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so. 3. If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.
4. Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake, whether it’s a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it’s a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn’t give you license to correct everyone else. 5. At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended（冒犯）. It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex and marital(婚姻的) status. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don’t ask such questions.
A. If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely.
B. It’s natural that there are some people who speak rudely or make mistakes online.
C. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you’d feel comfortable saying the words to the person’s face.
D. Everyone was new to the network once.
E. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated.
F. When you send short messages to a person online, you must say something beautiful to hear.
G. You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages.
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。
I climbed the stairs slowly, carrying a big suitcase, my father following with two more. By the time I got to the third floor, I was ________ and at the same time feeling lonely. Worse still, Dad ________ a step and fell, sending my new suitcases ________ down the stairs. “Damn!” he screamed, his face turning red. I knew ________ was ahead. Whenever Dad’s face turns red, look out!
How could I ever get him to finish unloading the car ________ screaming at me and making a scene(出洋相) in front of the other girls, girls I would have to spend the ________ of the year with? Doors were opening and faces peers out (探出), as Dad walked ________ close behind. I felt it in my bones that my college life was getting off to a(n) ________ start.
“________ the room quickly,” I thought, “ Get him into a chair and calmed down.” But then again, would there be a chair in Room 316? Or would it be a(n) ________ room?
Finally I turned the key in the lock and ________ the door open, with Dad ________ complaining about a hurting knee or something. I put my head in, expecting the ________. But to my ________, the room wasn’t empty at all! It had furniture, curtains, a TV, and even paintings on the walls.
And there on a well-made bed sat Amy, my new ________, dressed neatly. Greeting me with a nod, she said in a soft voice, “Hi, you must be Gori,” Then, she ________ the music and looked over at ________. “And of course, you’re Mr. Faber, “she said, ________. “Would you like a glass of iced tea?” Dad’s face turned decidedly ________ before he could bring out a “yes”.
I knew then that Amy and I would be ________ and my first year of college would be a success.
1.A. lazy B. anxious C. tired D. helpless
2.A. missed B. took C. minded D. picked
3.A. dropping B. rolling C. passing D. turning
4.A. difficulty B. suffering C. trouble D. danger
5.A. while B. after C. without D. besides
6.A. best B. beginning C. end D. rest
7.A. with firm steps B. with difficulty
C. in a hurry D. in wonder
8.A. bad B. fresh C. available D. unfair
9.A. Find B. Search C. Order D. Book
10.A. neat B. small C. empty D. new
11.A. tried B. knocked C. forced D. pushed
12.A. still B. yet C. only D. even
13.A. tea B. worst C. chair D. best
14.A. knowledge B. regret
C. disappointment D. surprise
15.A. companion B. roommate C. classmate D. neighbour
16.A. enjoyed B. turned on C. turned down D. played
17.A. the floor B. Dad C. me D. the door
18.A. guessing B. questioning C. wondering D. smiling
19.A. pale B. red C. less pale D. less red
20.A. colleagues B. sisters C. friends D. students
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。
An old Spanish proverb goes, “Tomorrow is often the __1.____(busy) day of the week.” How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow? Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. It is universally ___2.___(acknowledge) that everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day, or the hour. You can dream about writing a great American play, __3.____ it is never going to happen if you don’t actually put pen to paper. In other words, dreams can’t come true __4.___ you take action. Tomorrow is not ____5.____ (promise). Today is all we have. Therefore, don’t go to your grave (坟墓) __6.____ unfulfilled(未完成的) dreams. One of the biggest dream killers is fear. There are so many people who could have achieved___7.___ （amaze）things if only they weren’t afraid. Just think about all the things you want to do, but never allow fear to convince you __8.____ you weren’t capable（有能力的）or good enough. In the movie After Earth, Will Smith’s character says, “Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create.” Choose not to let fear stop you from __9.____ ( achieve ) your dreams. All in all, make the ___10.____ （decide）to go after every dream, big or small, right now.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
此题要求改正所给短文中的错误。短文中有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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（ ∧ ），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多于的词用斜线（ \ ）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. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（ 从第11处起）不计分。
Jim,
I am pleased to hear from you and I am written to tell you some changes in my school.
You are right. Great changes have been taken place in my school. It is no longer that it used to be three years ago, when there were only one teaching building and a playground. I am happy to tell you two new building have been built and are in use. One of them is a new classroom building, in it there are rooms for music, arts and computer teaching. The other is a library, where there are all kinds of books, newspapers and magazines. Therefore, my school is well equipped about sports facilities and musical instruments. The number of students has also grown from 1,500 to 2,500. What’s more, we had planted a lot of trees and flowers in and around the school.
I believe my school become better and better, and I hope you will visit my school again.
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是中学生李华。在一位名叫Tiger Mom的学生家长的博客上，你看到如下内容。请你根据要点和要求，给这位家长回复。
I’m the mother of a fourteen-year-old girl. I have a rule for my daughter: Be among the top 5 students, or get punished in one way or another. She has been doing very well in school, but some friends of mine keep telling me that I put too much pressure on her. Am I wrong?
写作要点：1. 表明自己的看法；
2. 陈述自己的理由（可举例说明）；
3. 提出至少两条建议。
要求：1. 短文必须写在指定区域；
2. 短文词数不少于100（不含已写好的部分）；
3. 内容充实，结构完整，语意连贯；
4. 书写需清晰、工整。
Hi, Tiger Mom,
What puzzles you is actually a puzzle for many parents in China. My idea is _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Yours faithfully,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析