1 . 
When was the last time you used a phone booth on the street? With the rise of mobile phones, they have become something out of date. But Shanghai is trying to bring new life to the old phone booths by turning them into mini-libraries.
Shanghai plans to divide 263 phone booths in Xuhui District into six new types. One type will each offer 60 books for people to read or borrow. A second type will allow users to listen to audiobooks and even record their own voices. A third type will become “Celebrity Exhibition Halls (名人亭)”, showing old photos and works of famous artists like Ba Jin and Zhang Leping.
Shanghai is not the only city trying to save the old phone booths. The British care about them even more, since the red phone booths have long been a part of the country’s identity. The world’s first phone booth was built in the 1880s in Germany. But in the 1930s the UK painted them red and made them a special attraction in cities.
In recent years the country has come up with many ideas to help phone booths stay useful. The UK company British Telecom has added screens and free WiFi to some booths. Users can use them to surf online and search for maps and weather reports. The company also allows people to rent some booths to change them as they want to. Since 2009, more than 1,500 phone booths have been turned into flower shops, mini-cafés, art museums and even shower rooms, according to the Sina News. Besides, the town has made it into a museum to show visitors the local history. Today the phone booths is filled with photographs, ancient jewelry, and paintings, which anyone can stop in to admire. Every three months, they will change for a new theme.
Maybe in the future phone booths will become city attractions once again, but in a more creative way.
1. How many books will each library booth in Shanghai offer?| A．263. | B．60. | C．360. | D．1,500. |
| A．read and borrow books | B．listen to audiobooks |
| C．record their own voices | D．play video games |
| A．British Telecom has new ways to reuse telephone booths. |
| B．The British can buy flowers from a telephone booth. |
| C．If you want to take a shower in the UK, just enter a booth. |
| D．The red phone booths in the UK have been useless for years. |
| A．No one wants to use the telephone booths now. |
| B．Britain’s red phone booths are losing their social identity. |
| C．Phone booths will attract people’s attention again. |
| D．Phone booths around the world are becoming popular. |
Three months after Shang Hai (not his real name) began studying at an American high school, he received an e-mail of dismissal*. The academic performance*of the Chinese boy was poor–he had got grades C and D (A is the best)
Shang is not alone. In the first half of 2014, the number of Chinese students studying in the US has increased to 275,000. But according to China Youth Daily, about 5 percent of Chinese students in US colleges are unable to graduate.
They are being sent back home because their grades are not good enough (62.1%), they cheat, such as copying other students’ work (21.4%), and they have poor class attendance* (10.9%).
These appear to be not from a lack of intelligence*, but a lack of discipline*, said the report. The situation has been getting worse since more Chinese students are studying in foreign countries at younger ages. According to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the number of Chinese students studying in US private high schools has increased from 65 in 2005 to 23,795 in 2013.
Far away from their parents, some students are said to spend a lot of time chatting with friends, going to parties, and playing online games.
There are also great language problems. Although they have to pass language tests to study abroad, daily communication is still hard for many Chinese overseas students, according to research at Indiana University in 2013.
Because of this, many of them just stick with other Chinese students. They don’t often take part in sporting events or study groups. And some could only catch bits of information during classes, said the research.
1. Some Chinese overseas students spend lots of time ________.| A．playing online games | B．doing sports |
| C．chatting with parents | D．visiting American friends |
| A．they are too young | B．they have language problems |
| C．they don’t like American lifestyle | D．they miss their family in China |
| A．More Chinese students study in foreign countries at older ages. |
| B．The number of Chinese students studying in American has fallen since 2013. |
| C．A lots of Chinese students take part in sporting events while they are studying abroad. |
| D．About 5% of Chinese students in American colleges may not be able to get the degree. |
Living and dealing with kids can be a hard job these days, but living and dealing with parents can be even harder.
If I have learned anything in my 16 years, it is that communication is very important, both when you disagree and when you get along. With any relationship*, you need to let other person know how you are feeling. If you are not able to communicate*, you can not be close to anyone. When you are mad at your parents, or anyone else, not talking to them doesn’t solve anything.
Communication begins with the care of another. It means that you can’t just come home from school, go up to your room and ignore* everyone. Even if you just say “Hi”, and see how their day was for five minutes, it is better than nothing. To keep a good relationship, you must keep communication strong. Let people know how you feel, even if it’s just by writing a note.
When dealing with parents, you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as a parent. If you are trying to make them see something as you see it, tell them that you’ll listen to what they have to say, but ask them politely to listen to you. Shouting or walking away only makes the situation worse.
Here is an example: One night, Sophie went to a street party with her friends. She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks, but she didn’t feel she could just ask to go home. That would be rude. After all, they had been nice enough to take her along with them. Needless to say, she was late getting home. Her parents were mad at first, but when Sophie explained why she was late, they weren’t as mad and let the incident*go. Communication is the key factor* here. If Sophie’s parents had not been willing to listen, Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble.
Communication isn’t a one-way deal: it goes both ways. Just remember: if you get into a situation like Sophie’s, telling the other person how you feel--listening is the key factor to communication.
1. In the writer’s opinion, dealing with parents is ________ than with children.| A．easier | B．more careless | C．more difficult | D．more interesting |
| A．the importance of friendship |
| B．the importance of communication |
| C．to make your feeling known to others |
| D．the disagreement between parents and children |
| A．Sophie is very polite to her parents |
| B．It’s OK to come back home late at night. |
| C．Sophie’s parents are very kind and listen to her |
| D．communication is the way to solve misunderstanding |
| A．Communication is a two-way deal. |
| B．If you are not able to communicate, walk away. |
| C．It is better to say “Hi” to others than saying nothing. |
| D．If you don’t agree with others, you’d better let them know. |
4 . English has become a world language. So which country, except English-speaking countries, speaks English best? And where does China rank (排名)?
The Netherlands(荷兰) ranked first, followed by Denmark and Sweden. The rankings are based on English reading and listening test results of 950, 000 people from 72 countries and areas.
The English level in China is still low, ranking 39th. In China, people in Shanghai are the best English speakers. They speak better English than Italians and French. Hong Kong and Beijing follow Shanghai as China’s next best English-speaking cities.
Shanghai and Beijing rank high because they are international cities. However, across China, English level is different from east to west. China has 400 million English learners, reported China Daily. However, the teaching of English in some areas is not very good. According to the People’s Daily Online, there are seventy primary schools in Shetianqiao town in Hunan, but only one English teacher. Many students still learn English by rote memorization (死记硬背).
Sebastian Magnusson, an officer at the Swedish embassy (瑞典大使馆) in Beijing, gave some advice. Swedish people speak English well and Magnusson himself is also fluent in Chinese. He said TV programs, movies and even computer games could be learning tools. “Do not limit (限制) it to textbooks. What matters most is to use what you’ve learned,” Magnusson said.
According to this passage, which country can speak English best not including
1. Which country speaks English best, except English-speaking countries?| A．China. | B．Sweden. | C．Denmark. | D．Netherlands. |
| A．糟糕的 | B．不熟练的. | C．流利的. | D．担心的. |
| A．By only learning textbooks well. |
| B．By watching English movies. |
| C．By watching English TV programs. |
| D．By using what you have learned. |
5 . 
With the help of the Internet, shopping is becoming an easy job. You don’t need to go to the street, looking for things from shop to shop. You just click the mouse to choose the things you like at any time or any places you like. And in a few minutes, the shopping is over. And the next three to seven days, the thing you buy online will come to your house.
It sounds fun, easy and quick. But sometimes you may meet something bad from online shopping. If you are not careful enough, you may buy some fakes. They are cheap copy things. And you want to give them back. But the owner of the shop online may not keep in touch with you. If you give them Chaping, They may do something bad to you. We often read this kind of news on the newspaper. It is terrible. And if you want to be different, it is a good idea not to buy clothes online. Once you put on the coat and go out. You will find many people wear the same clothes in the street. You may feel uncomfortable. But the next example will make you mad. According to the survey of March 15th Party this year, many kinds of Japanese food, such as Japanese Calbee and Xinxie Rice, is dangerous. After eating them, you may have a bad body.
1. How long will you get the hat if you buy one online?| A．Three to four days | B．Four to seven days | C．Three days to a week | D．About a month |
| A．shoes | B．mobile phone | C．clothes | D．Kalbee |
| A．bad things | B．shanzai things | C．clothes | D．Japanese food |
| A．feel healthy | B．look beautiful | C．grow tall | D．get ill |
◆Try to use new information immediately. For example, if you meet someone who says "Hi! I'm Carlos," don't just say "Hello." Repeat the person's name. Say"
◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.
◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.
◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.
◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what's right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.
◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.
All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.
1. Which should be put in the blank (空格) “___________” in Paragraph 2？
| A．Hello, Carlos. | B．How do you do? |
| C．Hello, I am Sophia. | D．Glad to meet you! |
| A．To store it in a computer. |
| B．To break it into smaller parts. |
| C．To discuss it with a friend. |
| D．To review it before you sleep. |
| A．Discussing with friends can help you remember things. |
| B．Always reviewing information can help you fall asleep. |
| C．Formulas and facts can help you learn about your brain. |
| D．Human beings can improve their memory by computer. |
| A．You should tell others about your bad memory. |
| B．You should believe in other people all the time. |
| C．You should ask others to improve their memory. |
| D．You should be confident in your memory ability. |
In almost every situation where you’re in a group, you will need a skilled leader. All groups need leaders and all successful groups have good leaders. Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost always break down. Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel disappointed and helpless. Time is wasted and the tasks are not achieved. There are often arguments and nervousness between people as there is nobody to keep the goals clear.
Some people are natural leaders. The well-known cook, Antonio Carlucci says, “True leaders are born and you see them in kitchens.” They’re people who are strong, fair, and humorous. Although a lot of people agree that there are some natural-born leaders, most people now know that leadership can also be taught. Experienced teachers can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader. Good leaders don’t make people do things in a controlling way. You can learn how to join others, encouraging the whole group to work towards a common goal.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and wise. They need to be able to work out good solutions and make perfect judgments* under pressure. Lastly, and probably most importantly, good leaders need to be sensitive*, confident and be able to get on well with different kinds of people.
1. When we are at work or at play, we find we are probably working_______.
| A．independently | B．successfully |
| C．in isolation | D．in groups |
| A．good and strong |
| B．no or weak |
| C．skilled but helpless |
| D．good and natural |
| A．joining people together |
| B．encouraging the whole group |
| C．controlling people to do things |
| D．leading people to work towards goals |
| A．One of the main keys to success is being able to work with others well. |
| B．People will often feel disappointed and helpless if they aren’t with good leaders. |
| C．Being calm and wise can help leaders make perfect judgments under pressure. |
| D．Experienced teachers can hardly train people to be successful leaders. |
| A．How to be successful leaders |
| B．Successful leaders |
| C．Be natural leaders |
| D．Be sensitive and confident |
Many birds live comfortably in Zhalong Nature Reserve all year round, but some only stay there for a short time. There are many fish in the wetlands, and the birds can easily catch them for food. Zhalong Nature Reserve is an important living area for red-crowned cranes*. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world. Some of them live in Zhalong.
Some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
More and more birds are in danger because they do not have enough living space. Many of them died. The Chinese government wants to protect these endangered* birds, and they can be safe in Zhalong.
Every year, a lot of visitors go to Zhalong to watch birds. This year, members of our Birdwatching Club are going to study the different kinds of birds in Zhalong and the changes in their numbers.
We do a bird count* once a year. We are now inviting middle school students to help. We need more people to help us count and do something to help the birds. Many people do not understand the importance* of the wetlands. We hope this information will help them understand and make them do something to protect wildlife.
1. What does the underlined word "ideal" mean?
| A．理想的 | B．危险的 | C．拥挤的 | D．昂贵的 |
| A．Because visitors watch them. |
| B．Because many of them died. |
| C．Because people have less and less place. |
| D．Because their living place is less and less. |
| A．Some birds go to Zhalong for a short stay. |
| B．There are many red-crowned cranes in the world. |
| C．Zhalong Nature Reserve is the comfortable home of many birds. |
| D．Birds can find food easily in Zhalong. |
| A．ask more visitors to visit Zhalong Nature Reserve |
| B．ask people to protect wetlands and wildlife |
| C．stop people from watching birds in Zhalong Nature Reserve |
| D．make people around the world know the Birdwatching Club |
Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week time, you should make a list of things that you have to do. First write down the time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide on a good time for studying. Of course, studying shouldn’t take all of your time.
Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study. Keep this space, it may be a desk or just a corner of your room. No games, radio, or television! When you sit down to work, think only about the subject!
Make good use of your time in class. Listen carefully to what the teacher says. Careful listening in class means less work later. You also need to take notes in class, because it can make it easier for you to learn well.
There are only a few ways mentioned here to help you with your studying. I believe you can find some other ways, too.
1. How many ways are mentioned(提到) in the passage to improve our study?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
| A．make a list of things that we have to do |
| B．work hard |
| C．listen to the teacher carefully |
| D．take notes in class |
| A．Plan your time carefully. |
| B．Write down the time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. |
| C．Listen carefully to what the teacher says. |
| D．Find a good place to study |
| A．a note book |
| B．a radio |
| C．a television |
| D．a desk or just a corner of our room |
Running at an average（平均） speed of 300 kilometers an hour, the new route cuts travel time between Beijing and Guangzhou from over 20 hours to about eight . 155 pairs of trains run on the new line every day. And there will still be 183 pairs of trains running daily on the old Beijing—Guangzhou line. We know that the new line will increase passengers’(乘客) travel costs. If you go from Beijing to Guangzhou, a first-class seat on the new high-speed line will cost 1,383 yuan, and a second-class seat will cost 865 yuan.
Chen Yabing is one of the architects(设计师). He said that the new line is one of the four north-south lines, and it is important for the country’s high-speed railway network, which also features(起主要作用)four east-west lines. With the opening of the Beijing—Guangzhou high-speed line, China now has more than 9,300 kilometers of high-speed rails .
The new line is the world’s longest operation mileage(营运里程)high-speed railway. It is also one of the great wonders of China.
1. The Beijing—Guangzhou high-speed line began on______.
| A．December 26, 2012 | B．December 25, 2012 |
| C．November 26, 2012 | D．November 25, 2012 |
| A．2,595 | B．3,113 | C．3,631 | D．4,149 |
| A．8 | B．10 | C．12 | D．14 |
| A．To tell people the longest High-Speed Railway began operating. |
| B．To give us something about the ticket price of the longest High-Speed Railway. |
| C．To describe some rail lines. |
| D．To tell how the architect builds the new line. |
