1 . Quietly sitting there reading, I found myself suddenly listening to the train guard’s announcements (通知). Train travelers will surely agree that when the guard (列车长) makes an announcement, whether it’s the recorded message or the guard’s message, few people listen to it, because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand. This one was different. I noticed that other passengers appeared to be listening, too. Not only that, everyone was smiling!
Why was so much attention being paid to this message? As best I can recall the guard said something along these lines, “Good Morning Ladies, Gentlemen and Children, this is the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith to Central and you’ll be pleased to know that we are right on time. And what a lovely morning it is in Sydney today. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. I trust you have a great day wherever you’re going. Thanks for catching my train this morning and I hope to see you again soon.”
Quite a few people (obviously previous strangers) started talking to one another about the guards excellent message and how good it had made everyone feel. I started thinking about this, and then I found the young guard and said “Were you the guard on the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith?” The guard seemed a bit stunned at first, replying, “Yes, yes.” “Well, I really appreciate your announcement. Thank you for your extremely good message, which gave me and the other passengers such a good start to the day. Please keep doing it.” I said.
There are two messages for me in what happened that day. Firstly, when people are happy in their work, it shows in what they do and say. Secondly, the story attaches much importance to the benefits that accumulate (积累) from thanking people for something they’ve done, particularly when it’s not expected. Can you imagine the conversation that guard would have when he got home?
1. Why do few train travelers listen to the announcements?| A．The messages are unattractive. |
| B．The guard’s voice is not clear. |
| C．They usually feel sleepy. |
| D．They are absorbed in books. |
| A．Patient. | B．Frightened. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Excited. |
| A．The beautiful weather. | B．The recorded message. |
| C．The train from Penrith. | D．The unexpected appreciation. |
| A．An Intelligent Guard. |
| B．A Boring Train Story. |
| C．A Different Train Announcement. |
| D．A Lovely Morning in Sydney. |
2 . When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.
But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.
Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.
After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.
Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.
1. What was the author’s life like when he was 12?| A．Boring. | B．Peaceful. | C．Painful. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．It made him popular in his town. | B．It helped him find the meaning of life. |
| C．It helped him understand others’ lives better. | D．It helped to shape his dream career. |
| A．He was inspired by his teacher. | B．He could pass positive energy to readers. |
| C．He wanted to share his school experiences. | D．He found he had a talent for writing. |
| A．Say “no” to bullies bravely. | B．Make positive changes in their lives. |
| C．Treat others with kindness in daily life. | D．Learn to care more about others’ feelings. |
3 . Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good
One day, he gathered up all his
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of
Then the interviewer
“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce
| A．task | B．body | C．mind | D．heart |
| A．money | B．time | C．strength | D．information |
| A．appointment | B．plan | C．presence | D．job |
| A．elderly | B．impolite | C．foolish | D．violent |
| A．actually | B．surprisingly | C．obviously | D．strangely |
| A．looking at | B．checking out | C．driving away | D．working on |
| A．action | B．service | C．performance | D．behaviour |
| A．for fun | B．for reward | C．in anger | D．in need |
| A．rush | B．apply | C．prepare | D．pay |
| A．best | B．last | C．least | D．most |
| A．hesitated | B．agreed | C．refused | D．smiled |
| A．applicants | B．interviewers | C．customers | D．engineers |
| A．wash | B．examination | C．crash | D．repair |
| A．confused | B．confident | C．disappointed | D．satisfied |
| A．Taking | B．Rocking | C．Holding | D．Trembling |
| A．broke | B．stopped | C．beat | D．sank |
| A．likely | B．possibly | C．happily | D．merely |
| A．turned | B．removed | C．showed | D．removed |
| A．after | B．when | C．before | D．once |
| A．Cheers | B．Congratulations | C．My pleasure | D．Lucky you |
4 . Antoinette “Toni” Harris is making history on and off the field. The 22-year-old sophomore (大二学生) from East Los Angeles College has become the first woman to be offered a full scholarship.
While a few women have been offered (partial scholarships to serve as kickers on collegiate teams, Harris is the first to receive a full scholarship to play a skilled position on the field. It’s a landmark for the sport to be sure, but for Harris, breaking glass ceilings is something she’s been doing since she was six-years-old.
“I had a coach who had told me before that I would never get to the next level because I was a lot smaller and not as fast as the other guys. So that moment taught me to never give up.” Harris tells CNN. “From that moment on I told myself no one’s ever going to decide what I am going to do with my life. That’s my decision.”
Instead, she went on to play for East Los Angeles college, helping her team go 4-6 after battling back from health problems.
During last month’s Super Bowl, the defensive back appeared in a Toyota commercial (商业广告). In it Harris can be seen putting in work on the field, facing opponent (对手) twice her size and lifting tires in the air. It is an inspiring part.
“In the end you’ve got to push yourself,” Harris tells ESPN. “I’m going to focus on my goal. My final goal is to be very good at a four-year university and the first female NFL player, I know I can get there.”
1. What made Harris special?| A．she plays well as a kicker on the football field |
| B．She is the first woman to receive a full football scholarship |
| C．She is one of fey women players in her college |
| D．She works well as a skilled player on the |
| A．she lost heart for a moment | B．she determined to practise more |
| C．She lacked the power of exercise | D．She realized she decided on her future |
| A．Harris was at a disadvantage in size | B．Harris got treated badly by opponents |
| C．Harris liked lifting tires | D．Harris was twice as big as her opponents |
| A．Playing constantly in her university | B．Keeping up with others in her university |
| C．becoming the first woman NEL player | D．working as a female coach in NFL. |
5 . Some of the notebooks George Washington kept as a young man are still in existence. They show that he was learning Latin, was very interested in the basis of good behavior in society, and was reading English literature.
At school he seems only to have been interested in mathematics. In fact, his formal education was surprisingly brief for a gentlemen, and incomplete. For unlike other young Virginian of that day, he did not go to the College of William and Mary in the Virginian capital of Williamsburg. In terms of formal training then, Washington contrasts sharply with some other early American President such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. In later years, Washington probably regretted his lack of intellectual training. He never felt comfortable in a debate in Congress, or on any subject that had nor to do with everyday practical matters. And because he never learned French and could not speak directly to the French leaders, he did not visit the country he admired so much. Thus, unlike Jefferson and Adams, he never reached Europe.
1. Washington felt uncomfortable in Congress debates because he .| A．lacked practice in public speaking |
| B．felt his education was not good enough |
| C．didn’t like arguing and debating with people |
| D．felt that debating was like intellectual training |
| A．didn’t really care about going |
| B．didn’t know French leaders |
| C．couldn’t communicate directly with the French leaders |
| D．was too busy to travel |
| A．Washington’s lack of formal education placed him at a disadvantage in later life |
| B．Washington should have gone to France even though he could not speak French |
| C．Washington was not as good a president as Adams, Jefferson or Madison |
| D．Washington was a model for all Virginian gentlemen |
| A．was if great variety, covering many subjects |
| B．was probably equal to those of most young gentlemen of this time |
| C．may seem poor by modern standards but was goog enough for his time |
| D．was rather limited for a president |
6 . The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit card (信用卡) fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site. Web sites’ offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care. Online shoppers who enter their credit card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number or sell the information over the Internet.
Computers hackers have broken down security systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25,000 customers of CD Universe, an online music retailer (零售商) , were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157,828 to get back the information.
Credit card companies are now fighting against online fraud. MasterCard is working on plans for Web-only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping online.
However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated.
Ask about your credit card company’s online rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent spending.
And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system.
If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Web site address may also start https: //--the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit card information over the telephone.
Keep your password safe: Most online sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.
1. What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?| A．A lot of stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet. |
| B．Fraud on the Internet. |
| C．Many Web sites are destroyed. |
| D．Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet. |
| A．Cheating. | B．Sale. | C．Payment. | D．Safety. |
| A．The customers give them the information. |
| B．The thieves steal the information from Web sites. |
| C．The customers sell the information to them. |
| D．The thieves buy the information from credit-card firms. |
| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．Order the TV set at once. |
| B．Do not buy the TV set on this site. |
| C．E-mail the site your credit card information. |
| D．Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you. |
7 . June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome (基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic (遗传的) map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities (团体) are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging (延长) human life. But those communities and policy (政策) makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.
For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology (生物技术) have provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code (密码) have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.
While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding (解码) human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal (致命的) diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes (基因) connected with terrible diseases as yet (迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.
Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections (传染), and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses.
1. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?| A．Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses. |
| B．Because the human genome’s completion can help them get rid of many diseases. |
| C．Because they wanted to be better known than others. |
| D．Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work. |
| A．Japan. | B．Germany. | C．The United States. | D．China. |
| A．If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses. |
| B．The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers. |
| C．Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map. |
| D．The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century. |
| A．the policy makers to feel very worried and careful |
| B．the scientists to work harder |
| C．many people to find work easily |
| D．a lot of companies to produce many new drugs |
| A．unlocking genetic code |
| B．the genes’ discovery |
| C．the great human genome |
| D．the genes and the scientists |
8 . In habitats across the planet, animals periodically drop everything to walk, fly or swim to a new place. Some animals such as whales and geese learn migration paths by following their parents. Others, including small songbirds, gain the distance and direction of their migration within their genetic code. And some animals use a combination of genetics and culture to guide their migration.
Another group of migrators does not quite fit either model, and researchers have only recently started to figure out how they find their way. The Cory’s shearwater is an oceangoing seabird that migrates over the Atlantic every year. The young do not migrate with their parents, so culture cannot explain their journeys. And the exact paths vary wildly from individual to individual, making genetics equally unlikely.
Cory’s shearwaters are long-lived, rarely producing young successfully before age nine. This leaves an opening for learning and practice to develop their migration patterns. Researchers call this the “exploration-refinement”, and until now it has been hypothetical (假设的) because of difficulties in tracking migratory animals’ movements.
But a team of researchers has done that by attaching small geolocators to more than 150 of the birds aged four to nine. They found that younger birds traveled longer distances, for longer periods, and had more diverse paths than older birds. “We finally have evidence of the ‘exploration-refinement’ for migratory birds,” says Letizia Campioni, who led the study. Younger Cory’s shearwaters are able to fly just as fast as the adults——but they do not, suggesting that the young do more exploring, which gradually fades as they mature and settle into a preferred course.
“Although it may seem less efficient than other strategies, exploration refinement could be beneficial to birds and other organisms in a rapidly changing world due to unpredictable man-made changes,” says Barbara Frei. “It might be safer to repeat a behavior that was recently successful than to rely on patterns that were perfected long ago but might no longer be safe.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．It describes animals’ habitats. | B．It compares different species. |
| C．It talks about migration models. | D．It introduces a tracking technology. |
| A．The opening for learning and practice. |
| B．The unique living habit of Cory’s shearwaters. |
| C．The process scientists track Cory’s shearwaters’ movements. |
| D．The way Cory’s shearwaters form their migration patterns. |
| A．They travel as much as adult birds. | B．They lower the speed for exploration. |
| C．They move in a predictable manner. | D．They look for a course with their parents. |
| A．Exploration refinement contributes to birds’ adaptability. |
| B．Man-made changes make migration easier. |
| C．Animals make a safer journey via a fixed track. |
| D．A combination of strategies assures migration success |
9 . The term ScotchIrish is an American term used to describe those ScotsIrish who live in America.In Britain the term ScotsIrish used for these people is UlsterScots. Then, where did the ScotsIrish come from on earth? To find the answer, you should get to know a little bit about the history of Scotland.
After the Celtic invasion (入侵) of Britain about 500 BC, what is now Scotland was controlled by the Celtic people known as the Picts. This name came from the Latin word pictus meaning “painted”. They painted their bodies with dyes (染料).
In the fifth century, the Scots from northern Ireland invaded what is now western Scotland and established a kingdom in the highlands. They spoke Gaelic, a Celtic language. At this same time the AngloSaxon invasion of Britain was taking place. Scotland is made up of the highlands and the lowlands, and the Gaelic name for the lowlands is a’Ghalldachd, meaning “the place of the foreigners”．And whom might those foreigners be? The AngloSaxon invasion of Britain included the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. The Jutes came from what is now northwestern Denmark.They settled (定居) in the southernmost part of Britain. The Saxons came from the northwest coast of Germany and they settled in the southern third of Britain. The Angles came from southwestern Denmark and they conquered what is now northern England and the lowlands of Scotland. They were the foreigners referred to in the Gaelic name for the lowlands.
In the 17th century, the British leaders decided to settle some of its people in the Northern Ireland province of Ulster. They chose the people from Lowland Scotland. This migration (移民) started about 1605.
When the British colonization (殖民) of North America began many of them chose to join this migration. By the time of the American Revolution it was said that onesixth of the population was the ScotsIrish.
1. Which of the following had the custom of body painting?| A．The Scots. | B．The Picts. |
| C．The ScotsIrish. | D．The AngloSaxons. |
| A．A kingdom was set up by the Scots fell. |
| B．The Scots lost the lowlands in a war. |
| C．Gaelic was widely spoken in the highlands. |
| D．The highlands were controlled by the Jutes. |
| A．northern England |
| B．western Scotland |
| C．Ulster of Northern Ireland |
| D．southernmost part of Britain |
| A．Why the ScotsIrish chose America to settle. |
| B．The AngloSaxon invasion of Britain. |
| C．The history of the country Scotland. |
| D．Who the ScotsIrish were exactly. |
10 . Friends always ask why I, a middle-aged woman with no athletic (运动) talent (天赋), travel to perilous places — the jungles (丛林) of Thailand or Borneo, for example, where the water is often unsafe and the food risky; places with infectious diseases, poisonous snakes and the wildest animals.
I never know how to answer. Nine years ago I suffered a stroke (中风). To prevent another stroke, my doctors told me, I’d have to take dangerously high levels of blood thinner (血液稀释剂) for the rest of my life and any travel would be risky (冒险的).
I had to think about what was important to me: family, of course, and friends. But then what? No matter how many times I thought about it, I could not be happy without travel. Then I had to decide how I might manage the risk.
The first real test of my travel courage came nine months after my stroke when I joined my husband, Jack, on a business trip to China. After we’d toured the remains of a Tang dynasty temple on a high mountain, Jack wanted to ride down on a toboggan (长雪橇).
Before the stroke it would’ve seemed like fun. But now? I hesitated. My mental klaxon (高音喇叭) screamed warnings about the consequences of a cut, a fall, and a crash. Then, gaining confidence from who knew where, I lowered myself carefully into the toboggan, which marked my adventure (冒险) travel come back.
In the years since then, I’ve traveled about twenty-five percent of the time. Through it all, my lucks held out — no deadly falls, no car accidents or serious infections. For me, adventure travel is a risk worth taking. Travel broadens my world and keeps me connected to nature. What’s more, saying “yes” to travel keeps me connected to myself.
1. What does the underlined word “perilous” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Energetic. | B．Dangerous. | C．Romantic | D．Famous. |
| A．Do proper exercise. | B．Enjoy the rest of her life. |
| C．Spend more time with her family | D．Keep away (远离) from traveling |
| A．It was her last adventure. | B．She recovered (恢复) her courage (勇气) through it. |
| C．She liked the beautiful scenery in China. | D．It was the most dangerous experience in her life. |
| A．A business trip to China | B．Stroke, a dangerous disease |
| C．How I overcame the fear of disease | D．Why I still travel to the wild |
