1 . The most important lesson I learned in high school had nothing to do with maths or American history. It came at graduation，several minutes before I left Miramonte High School.

I was rather shy back then，content to_______around with my few friends and to concentrate on my_______.I was doing so well that by the end of senior year I had perfect scores and enough_______to go to college.

But my good record soon became a_______to my well-being. In early June of senior year，the headmaster called me into his office. He asked me to give a leave-taking speech at graduation. I looked at him，my heart________fast. This was the_______for my hard work？I said something，but not very clearly，and hurried away from the office.

I was_______about the decision，finally agreeing to compromise. I wasn’t the only speaker—I would_________the honor with five other students. Still，it was doubtful whether the task was________me. How in the world would I give a speech to hundreds of people?

Graduation day soon arrived and，as________，I was nervous. I’d been practicing my speech for days，and I had it________.But I had never been so________in my life. The first half hour of the ceremony passed，and then my________came. My name was announced. I managed to reach the platform without falling down. But within minutes，I finished my speech，_________back to my seat and feeling unsatisfied with my performance.

Now I still have the________of that speech. My voice trembled a little，but________it was clear and strong. I’m proud of that tape. I achieved something I’d never_______ —I spoke in front of hundreds of people._________I didn’t realize it at the time，the successful completion of that speech gave me the________to participate in class at college，to give oral reports，and to eventually break free of my________.

I never would have chosen to give a speech at graduation. But I am glad I did. I know it may well turn out to be one of my shining moments.

1.

A．hang

B．look

C．turn

D．run

2.

A．characters

B．interests

C．games

D．subjects

3.

A．money

B．credits

C．effort

D．standards

4.

A．luck

B．benefit

C．fear

D．solution

5.

A．burning

B．breaking

C．aching

D．beating

6.

A．punishment

B．reward

C．arrangement

D．sympathy

7.

A．doubtful

B．optimistic

C．generous

D．hesitant

8.

A．share

B．bring

C．spare

D．supply

9.

A．about

B．for

C．upon

D．beyond

10.

A．known

B．hoped

C．expected

D．planned

11.

A．thrown

B．printed

C．memorized

D．completed

12.

A．interested

B．terrified

C．excited

D．disappointed

13.

A．moment

B．clay

C．chance

D．decision

14.

A．passing

B．handing

C．heading

D．returning

15.

A．picture

B．tape

C．paper

D．word

16.

A．partially

B．immediately

C．frankly

D．mostly

17.

A．dreamed of

B．suffered

C．decided

D．requested

18.

A．Because

B．When

C．Although

D．Unless

19.

A．respect

B．confidence

C．freedom

D．excuse

20.

A．shyness

B．pride

C．stupidity

D．courage

2 . Have you got an addictive nature? Are you unable to stop yourself joining in your favorite computer games? This probably describes most of us because its only human nature to not want to miss out on something that everyone else is talking about.

Most crazes arrive suddenly and enthusiasm for them spreads quickly. They become a talking point on social media; we read about them, give them a try and, before we know it, we are hooked (钩住). In the past, these have been objects such as toys and games. Maybe you were the proud owner of a Rubik’s cube, which became the best-selling toy of all time-around 350 million have been sold so far.

Now, technology is driving the latest crazes. Games such as Angry Birds and Minecraft are crazes available on smartphones and computers that have been hard to put down.

Our addiction to crazes has been analyzed by scientists. One of them, Dr Ben Michaels, a clinical psychologist, explains that we want to experience the benefit that another person, or group of people, have experienced from something and this “hooks into an ancient evolutionary (进化的) fear of being left behind or abandoned by our tribes”; we have to join in or lose out.

Although becoming addicted to a computer game might not seem like a ‘benefit’, it can at least give you popularity among your friends. It allows you to learn new skills and gives you something to talk about at parties!

But fashions come and go and most crazes are just a flash in the pan so if one of them is not your cup of tea, don’t worry: there’ll be a new craze arriving very soon. Look at the addiction to loom bands (橡皮筋) - those little bands you could make jewellery and other things out of. For a brief period they were the must-have item for any schoolchild, now they’re the bargain bucket item in a discount shop or worse still, trash filling up our landfill sites! What crazes have you been addicted to?

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．A lot of people usually talk about the latest crazes on the Internet.

B．The toy “Rubik’s Cube” was not very popular when it was launched.

C．The majority of crazes usually last for a long time.

D．Loom bands are always thrown away in some discount shop.

2. Why are we so addictive to crazes according to Dr. Ben?

A．We just want to benefit from what others have experienced.

B．We have the evolutionary fear of being left behind or missing out by our groups.

C．Some crazes are so attractive that we can’t refuse them.

D．Crazes can bring us so many benefits.

3. Which of the following is NOT the benefit of being addicted to a particular craze?

A．Getting popularity among your friends

B．Learning new skills

C．Having something to talk about at parties

D．Improving communication ability

4. What is possibly the best title of the text?

A．The Addiction to Computer Games

B．The Fear of Missing out

C．The Benefits of Crazes

D．Nature of Humans

3 . Many of us have read stories or seen films about space creatures(生物). They come to the Earth in spaceships that look like flying saucers. These space­creatures do not look like human beings at all, but they are usually very intelligent(聪明). In one film, they were tiny little men with large heads. When they landed on the Earth, they knew exactly what to do. They went straight to the President's palace and made him their prisoner!

The stories about space creatures are, of course, not true. Space­creatures exist only in story books and films, just like giants and fairies. But many scientists are asking this question--“Is there life on other planets?” There are millions of planets in the universe, and the Earth is just one of them. Could there be living things on other planets? Many people believe that the other planets in the universe are most suitable for living things.

Are scientists sure that there is no life on other planets?

At this stage we still cannot be sure. All the planets, except the moon and Mars, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them.

1. The BEST title for the passage is“________”.

A．Scientific Wonders- Space­creatures	B．Is There Life on Other Planets?
C．Are Scientists Sure?	D．Stories about Space­creatures

2. It is impossible for scientists to know about other planets in the universe because________.

A．all the planets, except the moon, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them

B．all the planets are too far to reach

C．all the planets,except the moon and Mars, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them

D．all the planets are only too far to reach

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The stories about space­creatures are true.	B．Space­creatures are in stories.
C．Space­creatures are in films.	D．Many scientists are asking if there is life on other planets.

4. In the passage “straight” means________.

A．upright (直立的)	B．level
C．directly	D．honest

4 . Language experts say that spoken English was almost the same in the American colonies and Britain two hundred years ago. Americans began to change the sound of their speech after the Revolutionary War in1776. They wanted to make it different to separate themselves from the British in language, in the same way they separated themselves from the British government.

Some American leaders proposed(建议) major changes in the language. Benjamin Franklin wanted a whole new system of spelling. His reforms(改革) were not accepted. But his ideas did influence others. One was Noah Webster.

Webster wrote language books for schools. He believed the United States should have a system of its own language as well as government. Webster published a dictionary of the American language in 1828. It established rules for speaking and spelling the words used in American English.

Webster wrote that all words should be said in the order of the letters that spell them. This is why Americans use the letters “e-r” to end many words instead of the British “r-e.” He spelled the word “center,” for example, “c-e-n-t-e-r,” instead of the British “c-e-n-t-r-e.”

Webster’s rule for saying every part of a word made American English easier for foreign settlers to learn. They learned to say “waist-coat,” for example, the way it is spelled instead of the British “wes-kit.”

The different languages of many people who came to the United States also helped make American and British English different. Many of their foreign words and expressions became part of English As Americans speak them.

Sometimes Americans and British people do not understand each other because of different word meanings. For example, the word “jumper” in Britain means a sweater. In the United States, it is a dress. The British word “brolly” is an “umbrella” in America. And the British call potato chips “crisps”. All of these differences led British writer George Bernard Shaw to joke that Britain and America are two countries separated by the same language!

1. What does the underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refer to?

A．Separating themselves from the British in language.	B．Written English in America.
C．Spoken English in America.	D．Spoken English in Britain.

2. Why did American want their language to differ from British English?

A．Because they found British English hard to speak.

B．Because they found British English hard to spell.

C．Because they wanted to have their own language and government.

D．Because foreign settlers wanted them to change their language.

3. Why do Americans use the word “meter” instead of the word “metre”?

A．Because Benjamin Franklin didn’t like the word “metre”.

B．Because the word “meter” was absorbed from other languages.

C．Because Webster thought the word should be said in order of the letters that are spelt.

D．Because Webster thought American English should be made easier for foreign settlers to learn.

4. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons why English began to change in America?

A．The government leaders.	B．Noah Webster.
C．Immigration to America.	D．The difficulty Americans had in understanding the British.

5 . Top Music Festivals

Festival season is just kicking off, and there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Anyone who likes indie (独立的) music and up-and-coming artists will have an amazing time at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. This is an indie rock heaven that explores more underground and lesser known bands than the other big Chicago summer festival, Lollapalooza.

Date: July 14-16

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Music Type: Indie rock

Price: $126- $2,700

Essence Music Festival

No matter what time of the year it is, New Orleans is an amazing place if you love live music. The Essence Music Festival is a celebration of well-known artists like Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, and Mary J.Blige.

Date: June 29-July 2

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Music Type: R& B, soul, rock

Price: $75-$365

Sziget Festival

Budapest knows how to hold a party, and Sziget is one of the biggest celebrations of music and culture in all of Europe. You can expect to find favorite artists like Bad Religion and Mac DeMarco playing here during this three day festival.

Date: August 9-11

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Music Type: Eclectic, Indie rock

Price: $70-$296

Flow Festival

The Flow Festival is a great excuse to explore the city of Helsinki. Artists including Lana Del Rey and The XX will be playing, among many others. Come to this festival to enjoy yourselves with an earth-friendly belief.

Date: August 11-13, 2018

Location Helsinki, Finland

Music Type: Rock, soul, jazz

Price: $106-$199

1. What do the music festivals have in common ?

A．They are given in the open air.	B．They are held in the USA.
C．They include rock music.	D．They lake place from July to August.

2. Which music festival will last for the longest time?

A．Essence Music Festival.	B．Sziget Festival.
C．Flow Festival.	D．Pitchfork Music Festival.

3. What can we know about Budapest from the text?

A．It has the longest cultural tradition in Europe.

B．It is the home of many well-known bands.

C．It is a city of high living cost in all of Europe.

D．It is good at organizing entertainment events.

6 . Below are some of the best exhibitions at UK museums, galleries and historic houses.

20 Years Of Treasure — Oxfordshire Museum

Objects range from clay pipes and pots to gold coins and Elizabethan rings, all contributing to a deeper understanding of the area’s history. Recent acquisitions such as a beautifully decorated pair of Roman calipers are on display for the first time. Many items are now part of the county’s permanent collections, but there is also the opportunity to view discoveries that were recorded and returned to their finders.

Opening times: Tue—Sat, 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Sun, 2 p.m. — 5 p.m.

A History of Fashion — Fashion Museum

This display features the items that have shaped the way Britons have dressed over the last 500 years. Among them is a woman’s waistcoat dating back to the time of Shakespeare, a selection of silk robes that would have been desired by the upper-class people of Georgian society, a New Look suit worn in the 1920s by the ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn and a 21st century body—con Galaxy dress.

Opening times: Daily, 10:30 a.m. — 5 p.m.

Another India — Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Marking the 70th anniversary of India’s independence from Britain, another India looks at the story of the country’s Indigenous and Adivasi people using a rich collection of artifacts. Never-before-seen objects from the museum’s collection are on display, together with several recently acquired works, including a number of newly created pieces by contemporary Adivasi sculptors.

Opening times: Tue—Sat, 10:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Sun, 12 noon — 4: 30 p.m.

Art since 9/11 — IWM London

On display are 50 works of art including film, sculpture, painting, installations, photography and prints, bringing together the varying perspectives of more than 40 artists. Many exhibits are being shown in the UK for the first time. The exhibition is organized into four themes, exploring 9/11 itself, the resultant argument over state security, our relationship with weapons and other tools of war, and the damage caused to people and the environment.

Opening times: Daily, 10 a.m. — 6 p.m.

1. What can we learn about the exhibits in Oxfordshire Museum?

A．They all belong to the museum.	B．They came from royal families.
C．Some of them have never been on show before.	D．Some of them were donated by other countries.

2. What does the fashion display reflect?

A．The differences in dressing among Britons.	B．The changes in Britons’ way of dressing.
C．The way of Britons’ shaping their lives.	D．The history of Britons’ making clothes.

3. Which of the exhibitions explores the theme of war?

A．Art since 9/11.	B．A History of Fashion.
C．Another India.	D．20 Years of Treasure.