1 . During World Space Week (October 4～10), you may learn about some of the space’s myths. One is: “The Great Wall of China is the only man­made object_______from space with the naked eye.”

You might be_______of this claim, but it’s not true. In fact, astronauts say that the Great Wall is just one of many man­made_______can be seen from space. From an orbit 217 kilometres_______the earth，it is_______to see highways，airports，bridges, dams and even large_______.

Cities can even be seen clearly from the International Space Station ( ISS, 国际空间站), _______circles about 400 kilometres above the planet. “You can see the_______pyramids from space with a pair of binoculars (双筒望远镜). They are a little difficult to_______with just your eyes,” said Ed Lu, a US astronaut________the ISS.

“With binoculars   you   can   also see   roads, harbours and even very large________in the ocean. From the moon, astronauts cannot________any man­made features on earth and the continents are very hard________. On Mars, the earth would appear to the naked eye as________but a bright ‘star’.”________what about the Great Wall? “You can see the Great Wall from space, ”Lu said. “But it’s a lot________than a lot of other objects. You can only see it in radar images, ________in ordinary photographs.”

No one knows who________the Great Wall story. The earliest reference to it comes in a book by a US writer Richard Halliburton, published in 1938. He wrote, “Astronomers say that the Great Wall is the only man­made thing on our planet visible to the human eye from the moon.”

Halliburton’s books________quite well during the first half of the 20th century. So, if he didn’t________the story himself, he certainly spread it widely.

1.

A．invisible

B．visible

C．acceptable

D．unacceptable

2.

A．proud

B．thankful

C．strange

D．surprised

3.

A．barriers that

B．sights that

C．buildings that

D．objects that

4.

A．on

B．under

C．across

D．above

5.

A．possible

B．suitable

C．unlikely

D．interesting

6.

A．animals

B．insects

C．vehicles

D．birds

7.

A．that

B．which

C．where

D．whose

8.

A．Egyptian

B．European

C．Chinese

D．American

9.

A．find out

B．pick out

C．pick up

D．take up

10.

A．board

B．abroad

C．broad

D．aboard

11.

A．ships

B．houses

C．fish

D．seashell

12.

A．break out

B．make out

C．take out

D．hand out

13.

A．to be seen

B．to look

C．to be looked

D．to see

14.

A．something

B．nothing

C．everything

D．anything

15.

A．But

B．And

C．So

D．However

16.

A．more clear

B．clearer

C．less clear

D．much clear

17.

A．seldom

B．nor

C．hardly

D．not

18.

A．first told

B．firstly told

C．first spoke

D．first said

19.

A．were sold

B．are sold

C．sold

D．sell

20.

A．make

B．make up

C．make up of

D．make out

2 . Years ago, I was on a long flight, during which a voice from the speaker said, “We won’t _____ drinks or the meal because we are facing a storm ahead. Please make your seat belts fastened. ”Many passengers became _____, talking about it with each other. At once it became _____ in the plane.

Soon, lightening _____ the darkening skies, and within moments the _____ was like a boat on waves in the storm. One moment it was _____ up by the storm；the next,it was thrown as if it were to _____ onto the ground. All the passengers were _____. Some cried. Some prayed (祈祷). The _____ seemed hopeless. I wondered if we could ______ it through the storm.

Then I noticed the little girl next to me. Surprisingly, the storm seemed to mean ______ to her. She was ______, looking through a picture book. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would ______ again, but she never showed a(n) ______ of worry or fear. The little girl wasn’t afraid at all ______ all the adults were scared to death. Finding me watching her,the girl smiled at me and said,“Don’t worry. My father is the pilot. He is taking me home. Take it easy. He will take us home safely.”

When the plane was out of ______, I smiled at the girl and she gave me a big smile in ______. “I said my father would take us home safely.”

Many kinds of storms may ______ us: diseases, difficulties... They can easily darken our skies and ______ our planes into hard times. Let us ______： Love is the pilot. It will help us out of trouble. So take it easy.

1.

A．serve

B．take

C．get

D．sell

2.

A．excited

B．comfortable

C．happy

D．nervous

3.

A．noisy

B．quiet

C．warm

D．cold

4.

A．broke out

B．came about

C．lit up

D．gave off

5.

A．ship

B．plane

C．train

D．seat

6.

A．lifted

B．cut

C．turned

D．shut

7.

A．jump

B．fly

C．land

D．drop

8.

A．surprised

B．afraid

C．glad

D．interested

9.

A．weather

B．question

C．future

D．action

10.

A．make

B．reach

C．win

D．finish

11.

A．something

B．anything

C．everything

D．nothing

12.

A．funny

B．frustrated

C．sad

D．calm

13.

A．talk

B．read

C．play

D．sleep

14.

A．book

B．story

C．expression

D．impression

15.

A．and

B．when

C．so

D．since

16.

A．order

B．date

C．fashion

D．danger

17.

A．turn

B．time

C．return

D．front

18.

A．trouble

B．help

C．encourage

D．stop

19.

A．introduce

B．invite

C．throw

D．change

20.

A．ask

B．remember

C．explain

D．wonder

3 . Turning on the TV, a wonderful scene comes to your eyes — a group of men, tall, strong and handsome, and women, young, beautiful and attractive, too. Together they eat in the finest restaurants, traveling everywhere around the world by luxurious planes and pleasure ships. They are models.

Do you envy them？What sort of life are models leading？Is it a wonderful life for a young lady or a young man?

A few models are well-known actors or actresses who can make a lot of money only by showing themselves off in commercials. But the majority of them are just curious to see what it is like. They^’d like to be models just because they are attracted by what they imagine — models earn a lot of money and lead a glorious life. This is true for those who are very successful. However, most models find it difficult to get work. Very few can earn enough to live on, and for all models their expenses are high. Their agents claim about 20% of the earnings, and no model will get very far without a clever agent. Besides, they have to buy good clothing. They also have to pay to travel to interviews and reach the places where the work is to be done.

Interviews for a model job are known as cattle markets in the modeling world, and not without a good reason. A top model can choose his or her work, demand and receive high fees and has his or her expenses paid. But for most models, the situation is quite different. An agent or employer inspects each model much as a farmer inspects cattle at a market. Intelligence, qualifications and personal characteristics count for little against good looks and tight figures. For all except the very few lucky ones, the life of a model is a continual search for work, trying to sell him or her in the face of fierce competition and, sometimes, not particularly moral standards on the part of some employers.

Immigration officials at the airport look suspiciously at a girl whose passport shows her occupation as “Model”, and these are men and women of considerable experience of the world. It comes no surprise to find that some models prefer to put “Secretary” or “Businessman” as their jobs in their passports.

1. For models, their good looks and tight figures are _________,compared with their intelligence and qualifications.

A．more important	B．less needed
C．less essential	D．more looked down upon

2. Which of the following can lead you to believe according to the passage？

A．A model’s traveling expenses are usually paid by his employer.

B．To be a model, good looks are the most important qualification.

C．Most models have a fairly easy way of life with high pay.

D．A model can hardly be successful without a good agent.

3. Models often put “Secretary” or “Businessman” instead of “Model” in their passports because _______.

A．They want to avoid being stopped to sign their names by fans

B．A person with the occupation of a model is easily attacked by black societies

C．Models are sometimes looked down upon

D．Secretaries and businessmen are free of custom duty

4. What may be the author’s attitude towards modeling?

A．It’s a worthwhile life for a young lady or a young man.

B．He is in favor of young people to try modeling.

C．Before being crazy about a model job, young people should be aware of the difficulties.

D．It is a field in which everyone has a great chance to succeed.

5. The underlined word “suspiciously” can most probably be replaced by _____________.

A．doubtfully	B．excitedly
C．proudly	D．sadly

4 . A bargain is something offered at a low and advantageous price. A more recent definition is: a bargain is a dirty trick to force money out of the pockets of silly and innocent people.

The cost of producing a new—for example—toothpaste would make 80 p the proper price for it, so we will market it at £ 1.20. It is not a bad toothpaste, and as people like to try new things it will sell well to start with; but the attraction of novelty soon fades, so sales will fall. When that happens we will reduce the price to £ l. 15. And we will turn it into a bargain by printing 5 p OFF all over it.

Sometimes it is not 5 p OFF but l p OFF. What breathtaking rudeness to advertise l p OFF your soap or washing powder or whatever! Even the poorest old-age pensioner ought to regard this as an insult(侮辱), but he doesn’t. A bargain must not be missed. People say one has to have washing powder(or whatever)and one might as well buy it a penny cheaper.

The real danger starts when unnecessary things become “bargains”. Many people just cannot resist bargains. Provided they think they are getting a bargain they will buy clothes they will never wear or furniture they have no space for. Once I heard of a man who bought an electric saw as a bargain and cut off two of his fingers the next day. But he had no regrets: the saw had been truly cheap.

Quite a few people actually believe that they make money on such bargains. A lady once told me: “I’ve had a lucky day today. I bought a dress for £120, reduced from £400; and I bought a beautiful Persian carpet for £600, reduced from £900.” It will never occur to her that she has actually wasted £720. She feels as though she had made £ 580. She also feels, I am sure, that if she had more time for shopping, she could make a living out of it.

Some people buy in large quantities because it is cheaper. Once a couple bought enough sugar for their lifetime and the lifetime of their children and grandchildren. They thought it a bargain not to be missed. When the sugar arrived they didn’t know where to store it —until they realized that their toilet was a very spacious one. So that was where they piled up their sugar. Not only did their guests feel rather strange whenever they were offered sugar to put into their coffee, but the toilet became extremely sticky.

To offer bargains is a commercial trick to make the poor poorer. When greedy fools fall for this trick, it serves them right.

1. Which word best describes the language style of the passage?

A．Polite.

B．Foolish.

C．Humorous.

D．Serious.

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

A．Good quality.

B．Low price.

C．Newness.

D．Curiosity.

3. How does the author feel about l p OFF a product?

A．It’s a gift for poor people.	B．It’s an offense to shoppers.
C．It’s a bargain worth trying.	D．It’s a real reduction in price.

4. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

A．Bargains are things people don’t really need.	B．Bargains are often real cheap products.
C．Bargains help people make a living.	D．Bargains play tricks on people.

5 . American kids are taking more tests than ever before, and they’re stressed out. Is help on the way? Just the sight of a test booklet makes some kids sweat. For others, it is a blank answer sheet. Then there are the dreaded words, “Take out your Number 2 pencil.”All these fill 10-year-old Chelsea Logo with fear. “I start to tap my pencil on the desk,” says the fifth grader from Toluca Lake Elementary, near Los Angeles, California. “Then I feel the butterflies in my stomach”.
Chelsea is not alone. In a recent survey by Kids Health£.org, more than 70% of kids aged 9 to 13 said they worry about tests. It’s no wonder. Across the United States, public schools give more than 250 million standardized tests each year.
Why do kids have to take so many tests? The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law requires that students in grades 3 through 8 be tested each year. The law’s goal is for all students to be at grade level by 2014. Students must pass the tests and meet other requirements or their schools may be shut down.
The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants to change NCLB. But that doesn’t mean he favors getting rid of tests. Duncan believes tests should be used mainly to evaluate kids’ strengths and weaknesses. Tests, Duncan says, should not be used to punish kids or their schools for failure.“The goal is to focus on great teaching and learning,”Duncan said.
Under NCLB, each state sets its own standards for students to meet. The result, Duncan says, is that states are making the tests easier. To fix this problem, 48 states are now working together to create common standards. “I want to set a high bar for kids, ” Duncan says, “so they’ll be in great shape to achieve their dreams.”
Like them or not, tests are here to stay. So how can you handle test nerves? Schools are teaching students to relax through deep breathing and stretching (伸展运动) . In Oakland, California, Principal Zarina Ahmad of Piedmont Avenue Elementary leads her students in a cheer to get them excited about learning.
“Kids are under high pressure,”says Ahmad. “There has to be time for kids to be kids. Still, we need tests to help us assess what students have yet to learn.”
1. The underlined part “the butterflies in my stomach” can be replaced by .

A．nervous

B．guilty

C．exciting

D．proud

2. According to the passage, the NCLB law      .

A．is focusing on teaching methods in schools

B．is requiring schools to make the tests more difficult

C．is trying to make schools be responsible for students

D．aims to evaluate kids’ strengths and weaknesses by means of tests

3. We can learn from the last two paragraphs that       .

A．it’s possible to get rid of tests

B．schools have no good way to deal with students' stress

C．tests help assess what students have to learn

D．schools are aware of students’ stress caused by tests

4. What would be the best title of the passage?

A．Why kids are more stressed than before?

B．Kids’ tips for test success

C．How to deal with test stress

D．Put kids to the standardized test

6 . The Occupy protests(抗议) in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok’s Argyle Street resumed in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points.
Some 3,000 police officers were deployed(部署) in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18.
The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement.
Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law.
“The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough,” Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times.
“Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest,” said Lee.
It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end.
“The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end,” Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times.
1. The underlined word “resumed” in the first paragraph most probably means “_______”.

A．came to a stop	B．moved faster
C．returned to normal	D．piled up

2. It can be learned from the passage that the occupy protests _______.

A．have made the public suffer a lot

B．have lasted for two months

C．are supported by common people

D．have caused no loss for the citizens

3. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．Police officers didn’t meet with any resistance in the late afternoon clearance.

B．Many more than 3000 police officers took part in the clearance in Admiralty District.

C．The authorities are not capable of dealing with the resistance from the protesters.

D．The occupy protests are announced illegal and harmful for the business.

4. How do the Hong Kong public feel about the occupy protests?

A．Approval.

B．Annoyed.

C．Scared.

D．Desirable.

7 . Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-saving container.
Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. If you wished to climb a 12,000-foot mountain, and could do it a day at a time, you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion, to collect the $15,000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1,434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money.
When I was a child, my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that, if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children, but in many countries, the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah, but you have to put something in it.
Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving? Why not an elephant bank, which is bigger and holds more coins? In the Middle Ages, before modern banking and credit instruments, people saved money at home, a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay(黏土) called “pygg,” and folks saved coins in pygg jars.The Middle English word for pig was “pigge”. While the Saxons pronounced pygg, referring to the clay, as “pug”, eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation, sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal, a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.
Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money--- college education, weddings, cars, medical care, starting a business, buying a home, and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and invest wisely.
1. What is the piggy bank strategy?

A．Paying 1% income tax at a time.

B．Setting a goal before making a travel plan.

C．Aiming high even when doing small things.

D．Putting aside a little money regularly for future use.

2. Why did the writer’s parents give him a piggy bank as a gift?

A．To delight him with the latest fashion.

B．To encourage him to climb mountains.

C．To help him form the habit of saving.

D．To teach him English pronunciation.

3. What does then underlined word “something”(Paragraph 3) most probably refer to?

A．Money	B．Gifts
C．Financial success	D．Good luck

4. The piggy bank originally was _________.

A．a potter’s instrument	B．a cheap clay container
C．an animal-shaped dish	D．a pig-like toy for children

5. The last paragraph talks about ________.

A．the seriousness of educating children

B．the enjoyment of taking a great trip

C．the importance of managing money

D．the difficulty of starting a business

8 . Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time，” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B．C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold­out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain(抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film­stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
1. It can be learned from the passage that stars today ________.

A．are often misunderstood by the public

B．can no longer have their privacy protected

C．spend too much on their public appearance

D．care little about how they have come into fame

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.

B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

C．Well­known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

3. What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?

A．Availability of modern media.

B．Inadequate social recognition.

C．Lack of favorable chances.

D．Huge population of fans.

4. What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?

A．Sincere.	B．Sceptical.
C．Disapproving.	D．Sympathetic.