Three Apple engineers and three Microsoft employees are traveling by train to a conference. The Microsoft engineers each buy tickets but the Apple engineers buy only a ________ ticket.
“How are three people going to travel on only one ________?” asks a Microsoft employee. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers an Apple engineer.
They all board the train. The Microsoft employees take their ________ but all three Apple engineers cram(拥挤) into a restroom and close the door behind them.
________ after the train has departed, the conductor comes around ________ tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, “Ticket, please.” The door opens just a crack and an arm ________, ticket in hand. The ________ takes it and moves on. The Microsoft employees see this and agree it is quite a ________ idea.
So after the conference, the Microsoft employees decide to ________ the Apple engineers (as they always do) on the return trip and save some ________. When they get to the station, they buy one ticket. To their ________, the Apple engineers don’t buy any ticket at all.
“How are you going to travel without a ticket?” asks one ________ Microsoft employee. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers an Apple engineer.
When they board the train, the Microsoft employees cram into a ________ and the Apple engineers cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Soon one of the Apple engineers _______ his restroom and walks over to where the Microsoft employees are ________.
He knocks on the door and says, “Ticket, please...”
1.A. cheap B. single C. return D. special
2.A. ticket B. route C. means D. railroad
3.A. routes B. chances C. turns D. seats
4.A. Directly B. Shortly C. Nearly D. Quickly
5.A. examining B. receiving C. collecting D. delivering
6.A. appears B. sticks C. holds D. rises
7.A. employee B. policeman C. conductor D. engineer
8.A. strange B. foolish C. awful D. clever
9.A. learn B. copy C. accept D. watch
10.A. money B. time C. energy D. space
11.A. excitementB. agreement C. disappointmentD. astonishment
12.A. touched B. puzzled C. frightened D. delighted
13.A. bedroom B. sitting-room C. restroom D. dining-room
14.A. enters B. crosses C. leaves D. reaches
15.A. hiding B. sitting C. traveling D. enjoying
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
He is the man who for many people has been a role model. Now your biggest hero deserves a special day when you can express your thanks and let him know 1.__________ important he is to you.
The third Sunday of June – which 2.__________(fall) on June 19 this year – is Father’s Day.
The idea of Father’s Day came from【小题3__________ American woman called Sonora Smart Dodd in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day 3.__________(honor) her father. He raised six children by 4.__________ after his wife died. Dodd thought there needed to be a day to honor loving dads.
The first Father’s Day 5.__________(celebrate) on June 19, 1910. In 1924, US President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a 6.__________(nation) Father’s Day. Finally, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared the third Sunday of June 7.__________ Father’s Day.
Here are some ways to show your love and respect:
* Send him a greeting card. Fathers prefer cards 8.__________ are not too emotional. So choose one that will make him laugh.
* If he has a computer, cover his desktop 9.__________ words like “I love you Dad”.
* A small present, such as a framed photo of your family, can make him feel like a king.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A farmer once organized a competition between his dog and his rabbit. He dug a hole in one of his biggest fields, and hid a carrot and a bone in it. He wanted to see 1.__________ animal would find them first.
The 2.__________(cheer) and optimistic rabbit threw himself into looking for the carrot, 3.__________(dig) here and there, totally convinced that he would find it. But the dog, after sniffing around for a bit, 4.__________(lie) down and began to complain about how difficult it was to find one bone in such a big field.
The rabbit dug 5.__________ hours, and with every new hole the dog complained even more about how difficult this was, even for the rabbit. 6.__________ the rabbit thought that each hole dug was one hole less that needed digging. When there was no place in the whole field7.__________(leave) to dig, the rabbit dug a tunnel right to 8.__________ the dog had been lying all the time. There he found the carrot and the bone.
This is how the dog lost the game. He had come to 9.__________ right place at the very beginning but failed to find the bone 10.__________ he only complained and didn't try at all.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Paper is a cheap and accessible medium that can produce beautiful results. To most people, making a paper plane could be one of the simplest things to do. It’s the simplest and easiest form of paper art. And paper art can be traced back to Japan, where it originated over a thousand years ago. However, there’s a special minority who takes paper art to the next level, magically turning the plain white or colored paper into some of the most amazing artworks. Check out the following artists and their works!
The Danish artist Peter Callesen is famous for his talent in combining the minimalism(极简的) of a white sheet of paper with the complexity of carefully cut and folded paper and uses the two to build out some pleasing works.
The British artist Su Blackwell often goes to secondhand bookstores — to look for materials with which she can carve out delicate sculptures. The models look as if they “grow” naturally from the pages of the books. The artist finds inspiration from the book title or a paragraph or picture inside and then spends months carefully slicing each one into an eye-catching paper model. Her old book sculptures sell for up to￡5,000 each.
By carefully folding simple pieces of paper, German artist Simon Schubert creates amazing masterpieces. He turns paper into architectural masterpieces by folding a simple piece of paper to shape the creases(摺缝), then unfolding it to show the fascinating artwork.
Another master of paper-folding is Jen Stark. Her artwork is often in the form of colorful caves and topographic(地形的) maps. Using her vivid imagination and a special knife, she is a modern day magician who turns humble materials like construction paper and glue into fantastic, complicated sculptures that puzzle the eyes. Her work draws inspiration from nature.
1.According to the passage, paper art ________.
A. is about plane-folding B. is most prosperous in Japan
C. dates back to 1000 B.C. D. is now on a new level
2.The British artist mentioned in the passage ________.
A. combines the minimalism and complexity of paper
B. often gets inspired by secondhand books
C. makes architectural masterpieces with Simon Schubert
D. is a magician who uses simple paper materials
3.According to the passage, Jen Stark _______.
A. is from Germany
B. uses paper to build complicated shapes
C. creates things too puzzling to understand
D. works also as a magician
4.What does the underlined word “humble” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. common and popular B. simple and cheap
C. useless and priceless D. numb and meaningless
5.What can we learn from the artists?
A. Every dog has its day.
B. All that glitters are not gold.
C. One can't make brick without straw.
D. The greatness may come from ordinariness.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
People are being lured (引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook — you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things — your city, your photo, your friends' names—were set, by default (默认) to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience”.
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning, which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销) my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t know. That’s too high a price to pay.
1.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.
B. It makes money by putting on advertisements.
C. It profits by selling its users’ personal data.
D. It provides loads of information to its users.
2.What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A. They are reluctant to give up their personal information.
B. They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook.
C. They don’t identify themselves when using the website.
D. They care very little about their personal information.
3.Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A. To provide better service to its users.
B. To follow the Federal guidelines.
C. To improve its users’ connectivity.
D. To expand its scope of business.
4.What does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?
A. Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.
B. Banning the sharing of users’ personal information.
C. Formulating(制订) regulations for social-networking sites.
D. Removing ads from all social-networking sites.
5.Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
A. He is dissatisfied with its current service.
B. He finds many of its users untrustworthy.
C. He doesn’t want his personal data abused.
D. He is upset by its frequent rule changes.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My grandfather died more than twenty-five years ago. I was fifteen. He was kind, strong, fair, and very funny. When I was a young musician, he was my biggest fan. I played my violin for him when he visited, and he loved everything, but each time he had one request. “Could you play ‘Amazing Grace’?” he asked, full of hope and with a twinkle in his eye, because he knew my answer was always, “I don’t know that one!” We went through this routine at every major holiday, and I always figured I’d have time to learn it for him later.
About the time I entered high school and started guitar, Grandpa got cancer. The last time I saw him alive was Thanksgiving weekend in 1985. My mom warned us that Grandpa didn’t look the same anymore and that we should prepare ourselves. For a moment I didn’t recognize him. He looked so small among all the white sheets. We had all gathered in Ohio for the holiday, and I’m sure we all knew we were there to say good-bye. I can see now that Grandpa held on long enough to see us each one more time. I remember how we ate in the dining room and laughed and talked while Grandpa rested in his hospital bed. I wonder if it was sad for him to be alone with our voices and laughter. Knowing Grandpa, he was probably content.
The next morning I found my moment alone with him. I pulled out my guitar, tuned to his appreciative gaze, and finally played for him “Amazing Grace.” I had worked on it for weeks, knowing it never mattered whether I actually played it well and choosing not to believe as I played that it was my last concert for my biggest fan. The cancer had stolen his smile, but I saw joy in his eyes. He held my hand afterward, and I knew I had done something important.
I argued with people all through college about my music major. I was told by strangers that music wouldn’t make me any money and it wasn’t useful like being a doctor. But I know firsthand that with music I was able to give my grandpa something at a point when no one else could.
1.At first the author didn’t play ‘Amazing Grace’ for Grandpa because _________.
A she hadn’t learned it yet
B. she found it difficult to play
C. she disliked playing it.
D. her grandfather was just joking.
2.From the last sentence in Paragraph 2 we can infer that ____________.
A. Grandpa treasured love from family
B. Grandpa was used to living alone
C. Grandpa was too weak to feel anything
D. Grandpa was optimistic about his health
3.When the author finally played “Amazing Grace” for Grandpa, ____________.
A. she made him smile joyfully
B. she knew she must play it well
C. she brought him love and comfort
D. she believed she could play it many times for him.
4.What is the author’s attitude toward her music major?
A. Disapproving B. Regretful
C. Doubtful D. Positive
5.Which of the following was true according to the passage?
A. The author was 15 when she wrote the article.
B. The author has a great affection for her grandfather.
C. The author prefers to be a doctor rather than a musician.
D. The author is confident that music will make her much money.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
With fifteen years Britain and other nations should be well on with the building of huge industrial complexes for the recycling of waste. The word “rubbish” could lose its meaning because everything which goes into the dumps would be made into something useful. Even the most dangerous and unpleasant wastes would provide energy if nothing else.
The latest project is to take a city of around half a million inhabitants and discover exactly what raw materials go into it and what go out. The aim is to find out how much of these raw materials could be provided if a plant(发电厂) for recycling waste were built just outside the city. This plant would recycle not only metal such as steel, lead and copper, but also paper and rubber as well.
Another new project is being set up to discover the best ways of sorting and separating the rubbish. When this project is complete, the rubbish will be processed like this: First, it will pass through sharp metal bars which will tear open the plastic bags in which rubbish is usually packed; then it will pass through a powerful fan to separate the lightest elements from the heavy solids; after that founders and rollers will break up everything that can be broken. Finally , the rubbish will pass under magnets(磁铁), which will remove the bits of iron and steel; the rubber and plastic will then be sorted out in the final stage.
The first full-scale giant recycling plants are perhaps fifteen years away. Indeed, with the growing cost of transporting rubbish to more distant dumps, some big cities will be forced to build their own recycling plants before long.
1. The phrase “be well on with ……” (Para .1) most probably means __________.
A. have completed what was started
B. get ready to start
C. have achieved a great deal in
D. put an end to
2.What is NOT mentioned as a part of the recycling process described in paragraph 3?
A. Breaking up whatever is breakable.
B. Sharpening metal bars.
C. Separating light elements from the heavy ones.
D. Sorting out small pieces of metal.
3.What’s the main reason for big cities to build their own recycling plants?
A. To deal with wastes in a better way.
B. To protect the environment from pollution.
C. To get raw materials locally.
D. To get big profits from those plants.
4.The first full-scale huge recycling plants __________.
A. began to operate fifteen years ago
B. will take less than fifteen years to build
C. will be built fifteen years later
D. will probably be in operation in fifteen years
5.The passage is mainly about __________.
A. a cheap way to get energy
B. the location of recycling plants
C. new ways of recycling wastes
D. the probability of city environment
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
| A. London Alive This author of many famous novels has now turned to writing short stories with great success. The stories tell of Londoners’ daily lives and happen in eighteen different places——for example, one story takes place at a table in a cafe, another in the back of a taxi and another in a hospital. |
| B. The Last Journey John Reynold’s final trip to the African Congo two years ago unfortunately ended in his death. For the first time since then we hear about where he went and what happened to him from journalist Tim Holden, who has followed Reynold’s route. |
| C. The Missing Photograph Another story about the well-known policeman, Inspector Manning. It is written in the same simple but successful way as the other Manning stories——I found it a bit disappointing as I guessed who the criminal was halfway through! |
| D. Gone West A serious look at one of the least-known regions of the United States. The author describes the empty villages which thousands left when they were persuaded by the railway companies to go west in search of new lives. The author manages to provide many interesting details about their history. |
| E. The Letter The murder of a television star appears to be the work of thieves who are quickly caught. But they escape from prison and a young lawyer says she knows who the real criminals are. Written with intelligence, this story is so fast-moving that it demands the reader’s complete attention. |
| F. Free at Last Matthew Hunt, who spent half his life in jail for a crime he did not do, has written the moving story of his lengthy fight to be set free. Now out of prison, he has taken the advice of a judge to describe his experiences in a book. |
以下是几个有着不同阅读爱好的购书人，请匹配与之对应的书名：
1. Ali enjoys reading crime stories which are carefully written so that they hold his interest right to the end. He enjoys trying to guess who the criminal really is while he’s reading.
2.Monica is a history teacher in London. She enjoys reading about the history of people in other parts of the world and how events changed their lives.
3.Silvia likes reading true stories which people have written about themselves. She’s particularly interested in people who have had unusual or difficult lives.
4. Daniel is a computer salesman who spends a lot of time travelling abroad on planes. He enjoys detective stories which he can read easily as he gets interrupted a lot.
5.Takumi doesn’t have much free time so he reads short stories which he can finish quickly. He likes reading stories about ordinary people and the things that happen to them in today’s world.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
中国的传统节日中秋节马上就要到了，你的美国笔友Mike请你在他们的校报上介绍一下中秋节的情况，请你根据下表写一篇短文。
【写作内容】中秋节简介
| 时间 | 每年阴历八月十五日，是中国最重要的传统节日之一。 |
| 范围 | 中国及亚洲其它一些国家都会庆祝。 |
| 象征 | 人们认为月亮是团圆、运气、财富的象征，在那天会互相表达祝福。 |
| 方式 | 在那一天，人们通常回家与家人团聚，共聚晚餐。人们还会吃月饼，那是一种圆圆的饼，里面有肉、果仁、鸡蛋等。 |
【写作要求】只能使用5个英语句子表达全部内容。
【评分标准】句子结构准确，信息内容完整，篇章结构连贯。
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A little boy invited his mother to attend his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. When she said she would go, he was disappointed as he had always been ashamed of his mother’s scar that covered nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the people were impressed by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother in spite of the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, overhear a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked carefully, “How did you get the scar on your face?” The mother replied, “When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, but I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked senseless but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She touched the burned side of her face. “This scar will be lasting, but to this day, I have never regretted what I did.” At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears of regret in his eyes.
【写作内容】
1. 以约30个词概括上文的主要内容
2. 以约120个词讲述一个关于你(或你的朋友)的父母对子女无私的爱的故事。内容包括：
（1）讲述一个体现父母无私的爱的故事；
（2）父母无私的爱对你（或你的朋友）带来的影响；
（3）你认为作为儿女要如何回报父母的爱。
【写作要求】
1. 作文中可使用自己的亲身经历或虚构故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2. 文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
难度: 中等查看答案及解析