Our first winter in Canada was the happiest we have experienced. We were living in the countryside then and had just arrived from Hong Kong that autumn. One evening in mid December snow began to fall. When we looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing, we all cheered. It was the first snow we had ever seen and we were excited. We could hardly wait for the snow to stop so that we could go out to play. Next morning when we woke up, it was still snowing. We switched on the radio and learned that more than ten inches of snow had falled during the night and that since the roads were blocked there would be no school that day. We jumped up and down for joy and begged mother to let us go outside to play in the snow. She said we could go out after breakfast if we dressed ourselves warmly and promised to come back as soon as we felt cold.
When we went out, the snow had almost stopped. The roads , paths, gardens, and playing grounds were all hidden under a white blanket of soft snow. It was the most beautiful sight we had ever seen. Just then, we saw some neighbour’s children coming out to play. We ran over to join them. Together we built a snowman and a snow house. After that, we took turns sliding down a hill on a large piece of cardboard. We were having so much fun when supper time came. Mother almost had to force us to go in and eat.
1.The children all cheered when they saw the snow because ________.
A. they knew they would have no school for the next day
B. it was the first time they had seen snow
C. they knew that winter had come
D. they liked cold weather
2.The children didn’t have to go to school because ________.
A. their teachers were sure that children liked snow
B. they wanted to play on the snow field
C. heavy snow blocked the roads
D. their mother allowed them to play truant
3.The writer and his brothers and sisters built ________.
A. a snowman and a cardboard house of their own
B. a snowman and a snow house for themselves to live in
C. a snowman and a snow house with their neighbors’ children
D. a white blanket on the roads
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people who worried about getting older.
Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of 50. In fact, they say by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were when they were 18 years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the US. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008. At that time, the people were between the ages of 18 and 85.
The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25.
The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.
The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Acadamy of Science.
Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.
1.What does the underlined word “negative” mean?
A. 负面的 B. 积极的
C. 平和的 D. 激烈的
2.What kind of people has the highest stress levels?
A. People were between the ages of 18 and 85.
B. Those in their seventies and eighties.
C. People reached their fifties.
D. Adults between the ages of 22 and 25.
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older.
B. Researchers know exactly why happiness increases as people get older.
C. Women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
D. Levels of stress were highest among adults between the age of 22 and 25.
4.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A. The older, the happier.
B. Why elder people feel happier than young men?
C. Different emotional patterns between men and women.
D. What makes the elder happy?
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Computer technology has become a major part of people’s lives. This technology has its own special words. One example is the word mouse. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open fields. It is a small device that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves the pointer on the computer screen.
Computer expert Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the mouse in the early 1960s. The first computer mouse was a carved block of wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire that connected it to the computer.
Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hakers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word hacker is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.
Another well-known computer word is Google. It is the name of a popular “search engine” for the Internet. People use the search engine to find information about almost any subject on the Internet. The people who started the company named it Google because in maths, google is an extremely large number. It is the number one followed by 100 zeros.
When you “Google” a subject, you can get a large amount of information about it . Some people like to google their friends or themselves to see how many times their names appears on the Internet.
If you Google someone, you might find that person’s name on a blog. A blog is the shortened name for a Web log. A blog is a personal Web page. It may contain stories, comments, pictures and links to other Web sites. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.
Blogs are not the same as spam. Spam is unwanted sales messages sent to your electronic mailbox. The name is based on a funny joke many years ago on a British television show, “ Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Some friends are at an eating place that only serves a processed meat product from the United States called SPAM. Every time the friends try to speak, another group of people starts singing the word SPAM very loudly. This interferes with the friends’ discussion---just as unwanted sales messages interfere with communication over the Internet.
1.What is the passage mainly talking about?
A. Computer technology. B. Computer history.
C. Computer words. D. Computer experts.
2.Why is the small device called a mouse?
A. Because it was a carved block of wood.
B. Because it has two metal wheels.
C. Because it moves like a real mouse.
D. Because it has a “tail” at one end.
3.What do we know about hackers?
A. They are not computer experts.
B. They don’t write software programs.
C. They sometimes try to steal information.
D. They are always bloggers.
4.As a computer term, spam refers to________.
A. junk mail B. electronic mailboxes
C. sales messages D. processed meat products
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle (能量周期).
During the hours when you labour through your work you may say that you’re “hot”. That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why it is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自言自语) as : “Get up, John! You’ll be later for work again!” The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature and energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract (对抗) your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam (振作精神) and work better at your low point.
Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn (呵欠) and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine (例行的) work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.
1.If a person finds getting up early a problem most probably ________.
A. he is a lazy person
B. he refuses to follow his own energy cycle
C. he is not sure when his energy is low
D. he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening
2.Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?
A. Unawareness of the energy cycles.
B. Familiar monologues.
C. A change in a family member’s energy cycle.
D. Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members.
3.If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should ________.
A. change his energy cycle
B. overcome his laziness
C. get up earlier than usual
D. go to bed earlier
4.You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will ________.
A. help to keep your energy for the day’s work
B. help you to control your temper early in the day
C. enable you to concentrate on your routine work
D. keep your energy cycle under control all day
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Identity theft (身份盗用) is one of the fastest-growing crimes. Identity theft is a crime in which your personal information is stolen by someone and is used in an illegal way. When your identity is stolen, the thief often does fraud (诈骗) with that. He may get a credit card in your name and spend it carelessly without paying the bills; 1. and you have to be responsible for the traffic accidents he causes…
Why is identity theft becoming so common? 2. . And the wealth of personal details people post on social networks such as Facebook also makes it easier for identity thieves to obtain personal information.
Many people are not aware of the problems caused by this crime. They wake up from their carefree attitude only when they become a victim and suffer the damages caused by this crime.
3. and this is why it is important that every person should become cautious when using the Internet. The following tips may prevent you from identity theft.
First, make sure your computer has an updated anti-virus and firewall system installed. Second, only enter your credit card details on secure sites, or websites that you’ve used before. Third, 4. . Your date of birth, names of schools attended, phone number or the names of your parents are often required to verify (证明) an identity, and thieves can use this information too. Fourth, avoid sharing files as this gives other people access to your hard drive. Fifth, never open suspicious e-mails from unknown source. Last but not least, create complex passwords using a combination of numbers and keyboard symbols and 5. .
A. The popularity of the Internet and computers provides a gateway（出入口）for the identity theft
B. avoid giving away too much personal information on social networking sites
C. There is one solution to the problem
D. He may get a driver’s license in your name
E. change your passwords on a regular basis
F. There is no cure for identity theft except prevention
G. He may borrow money from the bank in your name
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A month ago my oldest daughter, Rachel, asked me 1. to make friends. She was 7 years old and a little shy. I told her the best way 2. ( make ) friends was to introduce 3. (her) when she met someone new. The question didn’t come up again, and I didn’t give it another 4. ( think).
Last weekend I 5. (take) my two daughters to the lake a couple of blocks from our house. There are two parks 6. (locate) around the lake, and since it was a nice day, we visited them both. There were lots of children around for my daughter to play 7. .
I was helping my youngest daughter, Sydney, down the slide (滑梯) 8. something caught my attention. I got the warmest feeling as I heard Rachel tell all the kids, “My name is Rachel, and I’m 7, what’s your name?” It worked 9. (well) than I had ever imagined, and before long she knew every kid’s name, and they were all playing tag---a kind of game!
The little things in life can make a 10. (different)!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
As a teenager, I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious(反叛的) on the outside, on the inside I wanted people to like me.
Once I left home to hitchhike (搭便车) to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn’t easy, and there were many times I didn’t feel . One situation in particular me grateful to still be alive. When I home, I was different--not so outwardly(外向地) sure of myself.
I was to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope, who was staying with us, was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than . I if I would be missed if I weren’t there. I told my mom, and she explained that Penelope was a lovely girl, no one could me. I pointed out, “ She is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful , but I was the only person who could fill my . She made me realize that even with my faults, -- and there were --I was a loved member of the family who couldn’t be replaced.
I became a searcher, seeking out who I was and what made me . My of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist(抵制) pressure to in ways that I didn’t like any more, and I celebrated who I really was. I came to feel much more that no one can ever take my .
Each of us 58 a unique place in the world. You are special, no matter what others say or what you may think. So about being replaced. You be.
1.A. and B. as C. but D. for
2.A. safe B. dangerous C. content D. worried
3.A. left B. made C. forced D. let
4.A. designed B. returned C. contacted D. moved
5.A. angry B. amazed C. surprised D. happy
6.A. ever B. before C. me D. everyone
7.A. stressed B. wondered C. complained D. predicted
8.A. since B. unless C. while D. because
9.A. match B. compare C. limit D. replace
10.A. qualities B. people C. girls D. students
11.A. form B. task C. role D. character
12.A. little B. many C. limited D. unconscious
13.A. simple B. famous C. calm D. unique
14.A. sense B. idea C. view D. identity
15.A. act B. change C. learn D. think
16.A. doubtful B. happy C. lonely D. sure
17.A. money B. chance C. place D. existence
18.A. catches B. holds C. takes D. seizes
19.A. forget B. talk C. care D. argue
20.A. mustn’t B. needn’t C. can’t D. shouldn’t
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错 (共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文， 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误， 每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅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。
Dear David,
I am an university student. I once thought life at the university must be excellent, but now I changed my mind. I have three roommates, and I was the last one move into the dormitory. Last term, I got along peacefully and happy. But I find they are not willing to be with me now. They don’t talk with me, and they’ve become cold towards me. Many time, I wanted to talk with them about how I felt like, but I failed to find an opening. When leaving alone, I always recall this sadness. But I am an honest student. Why don’t I win true friendship?
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你原定于11月9日（星期天）上午9点到你的朋友Jack家里去帮他补习汉语。但由于你多年未见的姑姑突然来访，你没有赴约。请你写一封信表示歉意，并约定下一个星期天9点让Jack到你家。
注意：1. 词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jack,
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析