1 . “If you could have any three things, what would you want?”

Eleven-year-old Ruby Kate Chitsey loves asking that question, but it’s not a game she plays at recess（课间）. She asks it at nursing homes in the Harrison, Arkansas, where she lives. Even more amazing, she then sets out to make the residents’ wishes come true.

Ruby Kate often tags along with her mother, Amanda, who works at nursing home in the summer. “I’ve never found them scary at all, so I’m able to just go up to them and ask if they need anything,” she says.

Last May, Ruby K ate noticed a resident named Pearl staring out a window. She seemed sad. “What are you looking at?” Ruby Kate asked. Pearl said she was watching her dog being led away by his new owner after a visit. Pearl didn’t know when she would see her dog again. Pearl was a medicaid recipient, who got only $40 a month to spend on personal items. Ruby Kate and Amanda asked around and discovered that many residents are unable to afford even the smallest luxuries. So Ruby Kate decided to do something about it.

She started by asking residents what three things they wanted most. “That’s a lot simpler than going, ‘Hey, what do you want?’” she explains. “They can understand you better.” Amanda worried that people would ask for things an 11-year-old wouldn’t be able to provide. Instead, they asked for chocolate bars, McDonald’s fries, and even just a prayer.

“It broke me as a human,” Amanda says. “We left the nursing home that day and went straight to a store and bought as many items as we could.”

Using their own money, the Chitseys granted the wishes of about 100 people in three months. Then they started asking for donations. The good people of Harrison responded enthusiastically, and they raised $20,000 in 24 hours and more than $250,000 in five months.

1. Why does Ruby often ask the same question?

A．She likes hearing everyone’s stories.

B．It makes her famous in the community.

C．She finds it amusing to repeat the question.

D．She wants to help residents in nursing homes.

2. What can be inferred about Pearl in paragraph 4?

A．Pearl was in good health.	B．Pearl couldn’t afford to keep her dog.
C．Pearl was too old to raise a dog.	D．Pearl sold her dog for small luxuries.

3. What moved Amanda most?

A．The residents’ gratitude for Amanda’s assistance.

B．The popularity Ruby achieved for her good deeds.

C．The simplicity and sincerity of the residents’ requests.

D．The residents’ enthusiasm and optimism in difficult times.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．Action speak louder than words.	B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C．Kindness is the language of the heart.	D．Nothing is difficult to a willing heart.

2 . The benefits of gratitude have long been championed in religious and philosophical thinking. In recent years, the science has been catching up: it shows that people who feel most grateful generally get a psychological boost as a result. They also have greater life satisfaction, fewer visits to the doctor and better sleep. This has led to gratitude becoming part of our daily routine, starting a trend of gratitude journals, in which you record things you are thankful for, and meditation practices in which you focus thoughts on them. However, the benefits of actually expressing this gratitude have received less attention. Now evidence is stacking up that shows turning our inner gratitude into action can make our lives even better.

For instance, a simple thank you can build relationships, even with strangers. Take people who have received a note of thanks for something they have done from a peer they don’t know. They are more likely to share their contact details with that person in an attempt to continue the relationship than people who receive a note that doesn’t contain thanks. A simple thank you seems to signal interpersonal warmth.

Expressing gratitude to a friend also changes your view of that relationship, making it feel stronger. In 2010, Nathaniel Lambert, at Florida State University, and his colleagues found that people who simply thought grateful thoughts about a friend, or even took part in positive interactions with them, didn’t experience the same effects.

But the benefits go further than just strengthening social bonds, they can have an impact on health, too. A study of more than 200 nurses working in two Italian hospitals found that gratitude expressed by patients could protect nurses from burnout. That was especially so in the emergency room, where personal interactions with patients are typically shorter and less rewarding. This positive feedback from patients reduced feelings of exhaustion among nurses, says Mara Martini at the University of Turin, who carried out the work.

1. What do the underline words “stacking up” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．disappearing

B．approaching.

C．ringing.

D．increasing.

2. Which of the following is a benefit of expressing gratitude?

A．Building stronger relationships

B．Sleeping well during the night.

C．Getting a psychological boost.

D．Having attractive body shapes.

3. What does the study by Mara Martini indicate?

A．Nurses should require positive feedback from patients.

B．Patients should speak out their appreciation to nurses.

C．Doctors should improve their interpersonal skills

D．Hospitals should protect nurses from burnout.

4. What message does the text want to convey?

A．Friendship is worth sparing every effort.

B．Gratitude journals work for people who act.

C．Positive feedback helps improve health service

D．Thankfulness in action has unexpected benefits.

3 . One form of social prejudice (偏见) against older people is the belief that they cannot understand or use modern technology. Activities like playing computer games, going on the Net and downloading MP3s are only for the youngsters. Isn’t it unfair that older people enjoying a computer game should be frowned upon (反对) by their children and grandchildren?

Nowadays older people have more control over their lives and they play a full part in society. Moreover, better health care has let more people in their sixties and seventies feeling fit and active after retirement. Mental activity, as well as physical exercise, can contribute to better health. Playing computer games is a very effective way of exercising the brain. So that’s why grey gamers are often seen now.

When personal computers were first introduced, most older people didn’t believe they would ever get familiar with them. Now computers have been around for a few generations and retired people have gradually become more relaxed about using them for fun. Gamers over 65 prefer playing puzzle games and card games. Kate Stevens, aged 72, says, “I find it very relaxing. It’s not very demanding, but you still need to concentrate.”

Another development that has favored “grey games” is a change in the type of video games available on the market. There’s a greater variety of games to choose from, including more intellectual and complex strategy and simulation (模拟) games. For example, Internet Chess and Train Simulator are among the most popular of these. Train Simulator is based on real — world rail activities. Players can choose from a variety of challengers, such as keeping to a strict timetable and using helper engines during a winter storm.

Some people argue that “grey gamers” simply don’t have the skills required for computer games, and that teenagers are better. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most computer games require the kind of analytical thinking that improves with practice, which means that the “grey gamers” may well be far better than the young. In games where speed is the main consideration, older people would be at a disadvantage because they may have slower reaction. time. On the other hand, “grey gamers” have a preference for slower — paced, mind challenging games.

1. The second paragraph is intended to___________.

A．show the best way to exercise the brain	B．stress the importance of good health
C．explain why grey gamers exist	D．teach how to play video games

2. What was older people’s attitude towards personal computers at first?

A．Doubtful.

B．Concerned.

C．Enthusiastic.

D．Supportive.

3. The method the author uses to develop Paragraph 4 is___________.

A．offering numbers

B．giving examples

C．making comparisons

D．providing details

4. The underlined part in Paragraph 5 probably means___________.

A．mind challenging games are not suitable for older people

B．teenagers should improve their skills with practice

C．playing computer games requires analytical thinking

D．older people may perform well in computer games

4 . Love your parents

Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling （满意的）part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part a source of who you are. Here are some ways to love your parents.

    1     A gentle "good morning" and "I love you" will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your parents, you might sill wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

Respect them more and cherish（珍惜）these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, journal about your feelings, or talk to a friend.     2    

Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.     3     Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents?

Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them.       4     Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another.

Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. .    5     Look for help if you are being abused violently. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

A．There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example.

B．Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can.

C．Tell them you love them every morning.

D．Forgiveness is the key.

E．Parents will turn express their love to you.

F．After this, share your feelings with your parents.

G．Please remember parents are as important as friends.

6 . Genghis Khan（成吉思汗）remains to this day one of the most successful men to have walked the Earth. Rising from an outcast to be the ruler of the largest land empire to have ever existed, he introduced an alphabet and an official form of money, united a kingdom of tribes at war with each other, and conquered most of the known world. His empire spread from Poland to Japan. It is estimated that one in every 200 men on the planet today is related to Genghis Khan. But there are no accounts of the events that surrounded his death and burial; only a mystery focused around an area known as the Forbidden Zone.

From the time of the Khan's death in 1227 up until 1991 the Forbidden Zone was as off-limits as any place in the world. Shortly after he died, the surviving Mongol leaders ordered a group of 50 fierce families, known as the Uryangqai of the Woods, to occupy this land and kill anyone who entered without permission.

They made exceptions only for the funeral processions（队伍）of the Khan's direct descendants, who were also allowed to be buried there. This extreme degree of secrecy has led many to the conclusion that the body of Genghis Khan himself lies in a tomb somewhere in this zone, along with some of the treasures of an empire vaster than those of Napoleon and Alexander the Great combined. When the U.S.S. R.（前苏联）took over Mongolia in 1924; they killed all the Uryangqai of the Woods just as they tried to erase the memory of the great Khan. The Forbidden Zone -still remained off-limits, however. It wasn't until the fall of the U.S.S.R. in 1991 that entering the Forbidden Zone became possible for scientists and historians. Even today, eight centuries after it quietly rested, the Forbidden Zone has been visited by very few.

1. Which of the following statements about Genghis Khan is TRUE?

A．He was the ruler of the largest empire in history.

B．He united and occupied many parts of the world.

C．An exact number of 200 people are related to him today.

D．He was buried in what is known as the Forbidden Zone.

2. What can we learn about the Uryangqai of the Woods?

A．They buried Genghis Khan's body in secret.

B．They were ordered to occupy the Forbidden Zone.

C．They were killed because they hated Genghis Khan.

D．They forbade everyone from entering the Forbidden Zone.

3. What would the author probably write about next?

A．Who visited the Forbidden Zone.

B．When the Forbidden Zone was discovered.

C．Why the U.S.S.R. killed all the Uryangqai.

D．How the great Khan conquered the known world.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Genghis Khan, a Great Emperor

B．The Forbidden Zone, a Remaining Mystery

C．The Discovery of Genghis Khan's Tomb

D．The Bravery of the Uryangqai of the Woods

7 . I had just won a bidding for a 1950s cookie tin full of memories at an estate sale. Delighted at my victory, I took the box and gave it a shake. The contents rattled. Inside were hundreds of buttons, pins, and other items, all glittering in the sunlight. As a girl, I'd always enjoyed digging through my mom's box, just as my daughters enjoyed looking through mine.

My eye caught the movement of a swing on the front porch of the house. An old woman watched the happenings in her yard. As I carried my purchases to my car, I stopped to chat with her. She told me she was selling almost all her possessions because she was moving to a nursing home.

Her eyes fell to the button box, and when she looked up, they were glistening with tears. I took the lid off the tin, and her rough hands lifted a handful of buttons and then slowly dropped them back into the container. Her fist closed around a delicate pearl button, now yellow with age. "It was from my first husband's uniform," she said. "It's one of the few things that remind me of him when he didn't return home alive." They had been married seven months before he left to serve his country in World War II.

As we sifted through the box together, we found hairpins ranging from black to brown to shades of gray and even white; a key to a music box that played a special love song; garter clips, wooden nickels, ruby buttons; all took her further down memory lane. I learned about her wedding, the birth of her children, and much more of the life she'd led for 89 years.

After our chat, I set the woman's box of memories down on the swing and slid my hands into hers. I knew we would talk again, when I went to visit her at her new home. And I knew that when l reached my own home, my heart would pull me to my sewing room, where I would rediscover my own lifetime of memories in my own button box.

1. How did the author feel when she got the tin?

A．Curious.	B．Regretful.
C．Joyful.	D．Embarrassed.

2. What can we infer about the old woman from the text?

A．She was to sell her house and move to a new one.

B．She had to sell many things to make ends meet.

C．She didn't marry again after her husband died.

D．She was the former owner of the cookie tin.

3. What does the underlined phrase "sifted through" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Examined.	B．Picked.
C．Carried.	D．Decorated.

4. What does the button box represent?

A．Antiques that add history to a place.

B．Memories of unpleasant experiences.

C．Objects that bring moments to mind.

D．Expressions of kindness from strangers.

8 . When I was in primary school, I got into an argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson learned that day.

I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong — and he was just as convinced that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson. She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other.

In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he answered.

I couldn’t believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.

The teacher told me to go to stand where the boy was standing and told him to come to stand where I had been. We changed places, and then she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White.” It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side was it black.

My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must stand in the other person’s shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective (看法).

1. When brought up to the front of the class, the two students were sitting       .

A．side by side	B．face to face
C．back to back	D．facing the blackboard

2. From the author’s classmate’s side, the first time he couldn’t know        .

A．his side of the object was black	B．his side of the object was white
C．the other side of the object was black	D．the other side of the object was white

3. What can we conclude from the text?

A．We should imagine that we’re in the other person’s situation.

B．A teacher should give students a lesson before the class.

C．A large, round object has two differently colored sides.

D．A lesson learned in the past should never be forgotten.

4. Which of the following can best describe the teacher?

A．Patient.

B．Wise.

C．Rude.

D．Kind.

9 . By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.

At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms (海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.

Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.

Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model thatprojectschanges to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 39C, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener.” Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing,” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”

And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.

Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “ but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”

1. What directly makes the change of the ocean’s appearance?

A．The increase of phytoplankton.

B．The way light reflects off the organisms.

C．The type and concentration of phytoplankton.

D．The decline of phytoplankton.

2. What does the underlined word “project” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Control.	B．Use.
C．Predict.	D．Discover.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Phytoplankton are sensitive to the ocean’s warming trend.

B．Phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide at the bottom of the ocean.

C．Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear bluer

D．Data have been found to show the change in the colour of the ocean

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton.

B．To explain the effect of climate change on oceans.

C．To analyze the consequences of ocean colour changes.

D．To analyze the composition of the ocean food chain.

10 . Welcome to Los Angeles. Here are some best things to do in Los Angeles (LA) with your kids.

Fall at the Beach

Thanks to its almost perfect weather all through the year, a visit to the beach is one of the best things to do when in Los Angeles with kids. While they enjoy themselves nearby, you can simply relax and have a good rest in the sun.

Trip to Disneyland

A trip to the City of Angels with your little angels is incomplete without a visit to the Magic Kingdom. The joy they'll feel from being around all those Disney characters will light up your day, too.

Visit to the museums

If you want to turn your stay in LA into an educational one for your kids, you should visit the museums. Starting with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, or the California Science Center, or even the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, you have many choices. I'm sure a visit to all these places will make your kids feel smarter.

Visit to the Universal Studios Hollywood

​Your kids could get to see interesting things from some of the most popular movies ever. From the theme park of Jurassic Park to Wisteria Lane from the TV play Desperate Housewives, the Universal Studios Hollywood is a place that we all find wonderful.

1. The passage is written for those who ________.

A．will go on a business trip to Los Angeles

B．plan to have a trip to Los Angeles with their kids

C．want to educate their children by traveling abroad

D．are interested in the history and culture of Los Angeles

2. Parents who prefer their kids to learn should choose ________.

A．the Universal Studios Hollywood

B．the Magic Kingdom

C．the museums

D．the beach

3. The writer suggests visiting the beach because ________.

A．children can learn a lot there

B．parents can take a rest there

C．it provides different sports equipment

D．it’s the best beach in the world