The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region，and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province，has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival.
“For the first time，I feel home is not that far away after all，”said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high-speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family．
The 35-year-old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago，and he has now settled in Urumqi．
The 1,776-km line, which passes through Qinghai province and is the country’s first high-speed railway to be built in a high-altitude region, came into service on Dec 26.
“We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season.” Liang said. “Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes，so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip.”
More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month，and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high-speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season.
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang’s development. All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link，leaving the old one to be used for goods. As a result，Xinjiang’s annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million．
The line passes through areas that experience high winds, and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the bone-dry sands of the Gobi Desert．
The project could help China to promote its high-speed railway technology abroad，said Ma Xi zhang, director of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway project’s management department in Xinjiang.
1.How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
A. about 12 hours B. About 6 hours
C. About 18 hours D. About 24 hours
2.What’s the main advantage of the new high-speed railway?
A. It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou.
B. It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang.
C. All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals.
D. It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development.
3.From the passage we can learn________.
A. Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times
B. the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad
C. the high-speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone-dry sands
D. the old railway lines can only carry goods now
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The new high-speed railway line is good for all people to go home.
B. The new high-speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods.
C. Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou.
D. Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Failing in something isn’t a really nice feeling, but Scotland’s Fettes College in Edinburgh wants to show its students that failure isn’t something to fear and is actually something to accept willingly!
The boarding school held “failure week” to celebrate taking risks and learning from them. Whether in sports or school, children often face lots of pressure to succeed and do well, and the school was becoming concerned.
“Young people from all walks of life live in a high-pressure environment where they are trying very hard to achieve a level of perfection,” said Sue Bruce, head of personal and social education in the school.
“This week at Fettes we have been focusing on one of the most misunderstood parts of success: failure. While we are often scared of failure, it is important to learn that it is only through failing, often many times, that we learn how to succeed. All through the week, we have looked at the experiences of some of the most successful inventors, artists and businessmen, who failed hundreds, if not thousands of times on their journey to success,” read a letter on Fettes College’s website.
To celebrate failure, students were encouraged to try something they’ve never done before, like playing an instrument or dancing in front of audiences. A number of students stepped up and tried things that they finally failed in, but they had fun and enjoyed the experience. “The concert was extremely enjoyable, proving that we should always try not to worry about failure and have a go!” read another note on the website. Students were also taught about famous people like J.K. Rowling and Richard Branson who failed many times before they finished what they set out to do.
“If they let the fear of failure stop them from doing something, they are actually stopping themselves from learning, developing, and potentially succeeding,” said Bruce.
1.What is the purpose of the boarding school to hold “failure week”?
A. To get the students involved in social activities.
B. To help the students accept and learn from failure.
C. To make the students study even harder.
D. To teach the students how to get relaxed.
2.During the “failure week” the students could do the following things EXCEPT ___________.
A. taking risks
B. learning from others’experiences
C. trying something new
D. trying to entertain themselves
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many successful people are lucky and achieve success easily.
B. Because we are often scared of failure ,we never succeed.
C. The fear of failure can stop the students from learning and succeeding.
D. The students who failed in trying new things felt depressed.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies（过敏）.
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab B. bc C. bd D.cd
3.We can learn from the passage that___________.
A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.
B. People can develop strong bond（联系、关系） with their robot pets.
C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.
D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.
4.The passage mainly tells us___________.
A. the advantages of robot toys
B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out
D. robot pets are coming
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A．B．C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
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◆ Accommodation(住宿), and other necessary documents(文件) will be ready before you leave.
◆ Applicants will teach their first language only.
◆ Excellent teacher training programs.
If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C.V. and send letter to:
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34, Bd. Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Fax: 33148014804
Or visit our website: www. teachjp.com
The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.
1.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To introduce a language school in Japan.
B. To hire language teachers to work in Japan.
C. To describe working conditions in Japan.
D. To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers.
2.We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will _____.
A. teach English only in Osaka
B. receive a degree from a university
C. have free accommodation
D. get trained for the job
3.Before going to Japan, you need _____.
A. to see the manager of NOVA France
B. To take some computer courses
C. to write a letter to Japan
D. to find a place to live
4.If you want to work in Japan, you should _____.
A. have some working experience
B. know how to use computers
C. present good teaching plans
D. speak several languages
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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。
Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn’t mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or the other, you’ll have to stand up and say—problem, I don’t want you in my life.
__1..Problems with friends, parents, girlfriends, husbands, and children—the list goes on. Apart from these, the inner conflicts within ourselves work, too. These keep adding to our problems. Problems come in
different shapes, colors and feelings.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on how to solve your problems.
Talk about your problems. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that
no talking is going to help. __2.__ Talking helps you move on and let go.
Write your problems. __3.__ When you write down your problems, you are setting free all the tension from your system. You can try throwing away the paper on which you wrote your problems. By doing this, imagine yourself throwing away the problems from your life.
Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don’t lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your
money, family…you should still have faith. __4.
Your problems aren’t the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there’re another one million people whose problems are huger than yours. _5._ Your problems might just seem big and worse, but in reality they can be removed.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem，however big or small，always has away out.
A. But the truth is that when you talk about it, you’re setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you.
B. When we have a pressing, critical, urgent, and life-threatening problem, how do we try to solve it.
C. Tell yourself: when they can deal with them, why can't I?
D. Of course, we’ve been fighting troubles ever since we were born.
E. We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack.
F. Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with.
G. With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose.
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，选出最佳选项。
There was once a boy who was very rich and clever but nothing could make him feel happy. He had almost everything a boy could ever want, so he was only________ in the most rare objects. One day his parents bought him a very strange________ . When the boy went to see his reflection (映像) in it, he looked very ________. He tried smiling, ________ his reflection continued with its sad expression.
________, the boy went off to buy sweets and lots of toys. He came home as happy as he could be, but he ________ looked sad in that mirror.
“What a(n) ________ mirror! It’s the first time I’ve seen a mirror that didn’t ________ properly!”
That afternoon he went out to buy some toys and on his way he saw a little girl who was ________. The boy went over to see what had ________ to her. The little girl said that she couldn’t find her parents.
Together the two children set off ________ them. As the little girl wouldn’t stop crying, the boy spent all of his money buying her sweets to________her up. After much walking, they________ her parents who were looking for her, very worried.
Then the boy said ________ to the family. When seeing the time, he________ to head for home, without toys and without ________ In his room, to his great surprise, he found a(n) ________ face in the mirror. And so he understood the ________ of that mirror. The mirror could only reflect the ________ feelings of its owner. He felt really happy at having ________ that little girl.
1.A. interested B. confident C. skilled D. rich
2.A. book B. mirror C. sweet D. toy
3.A. shy B. sad C. excited D. beautiful
4.A. for B. or C. but D. and
5.A. Proud B. Hungry C. Satisfied D. Surprised
6.A. already B. once C. still D. never
7.A. nice B. terrible C. big D. expensive
8.A. work B. move C. change D. appear
9.A. studying B. playing C. sleeping D. crying
10.A. devoted B. referred C. happened D. turned
11.A. in need of B. in search of C. in honor of D. in charge of
12.A. put B. bring C. dress D. cheer
13.A. found B. recognized C. left D. accepted
14.A. no B. hello C. sorry D. goodbye
15.A. decided B. agreed C. Pretended D. refused
16.A. effort B. hope C. doubt D. money
17.A. red B. dark C. angry D. happy
18.A. meaning B. mystery C. game D. reason
19.A. general B. strange C. true D. good
20.A. introduced B. helped C. invited D. saved
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（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。温馨提示：请将答案写在答题卷上
I wanted to do something special for my 15－year－old son, who has always been a perfect boy. He worked all summer to earn enough money to buy __1._(he) a new racing－bicycle instead of asking for money from me. Then he spent hours and hours on it. I loved my son so much __2.__I bought him a pair of sunglasses and gloves. When my son rode the racing－bicycle with them, he looked very cool. He dreamed _3.__ taking part in a race and winning.
On November 10th, my birthday, when I went to the kitchen to start the milk and bread in the morning, I found __4.__ beautiful guitar on the table, beside which was a card, __5.__(say), “Happy birthday to my wonderful mother.” I was surprised and then began to sob. I remembered once I __6.__(joke) to my family that I wanted to learn playing the guitar to make my life colorful. I had __7._(forget) it, but my son remembered. He took it __8._(serious), and bought me one as a birthday gift. When I wondered __9.__ my son could buy this expensive gift, soon I realized that my son had sold his racing－bicycle _10.__(get) me the guitar.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错：
假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写上该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。
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。
Mr. Smith had a 8-year-old son named Tony, who enjoyed listening to music very much. So he bought a piano to Tony, hoping that he can become a famous pianist one day. The little boy put her heart into practising the piano day after day and seemed enjoy every minute of it. However, half a year later, he told his father that he was tiring of practising the piano. Heard this, Mr. Smith said, “Tony, it is one thing to be fond of listen to music, and it is another thing to perform skillful by yourself. You can never play the piano well even if you don’t practise more.”
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你即将参加你校主题为“Preparing Myself for College Life”的英语演讲比赛。请根据提示写一则简短的英语演讲稿。构想一下你的大学生活和你打算怎么做来适应大学生活。内容要点应包括：
1. 确定新的学习目标；
2. 学会独立生活；
3. 参加各种活动；
4. 处理好与同学的关系。
注意：1. 短文的内容要连贯、完整；
2. 字数：100 左右(开头己给出的单词不计入单词总数）。
Preparing Myself for College Life
Hello, everyone! My college life is right around the corner and I’m getting ready for it.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
That’s all. Thank you!
难度: 简单查看答案及解析