1 . 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.

2 . Food festivals around the world

Stilton Cheese Rolling

May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane（赛道）. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.

Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth

Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy（辛辣）,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!

La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight

On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.

The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!

1. In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must                      .

A．wear various formal clothes

B．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane

C．kick or throw their cheese

D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos

2. Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held?

A．In New Mexico.

B．In the Caribbean.

C．In Australia.

D．In China.

3. The celebration of La Tomatina lasts                       .

A．three days

B．seven days

C．less than three days

D．more than seven days

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine.

B．More than 10,000 Chinese take pail in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.

C．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.

D．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina.

3 . 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

4 . What's the most important thing in life?
People's answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards, the answer is having a child. "Nothing is more special than a child," he told the BBC.
Edwards, the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology—more commonly known as "test-tube (试管) baby" technology—passed away on April 10, 2013 at the age of 87.
"Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice (高兴) in the gift of their own child," said Peter Braude, a professor at King's College London. "He leaves the world a much better place."
Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s, when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time, much of the public viewed test-tube babies as "scary", according to Mark Sauer, a professor at Columbia University, US.
Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches, governments and media, not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists. "People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature," Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt "quite alone" at the time.
"But Edwards was a fighter, and he believed in what he was doing," said Sauer. Without support from the government, the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.
The first test-tube baby was born on July 25, 1978. Her name was Is Louise Brown. Despite people's safety concerns, Brown was just as healthy as other children.
"IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun," BBC commented.
Ever since then, public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging (拥向) to Edwards' clinic. Nowadays, Reuters reports, some 4.3 million other "test-tube" children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted (封为爵士) by Queen Elizabeth in the following year.
Before his death, Edwards was still in touch with Louise. "He is like a granddad to me," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
He is a granddad to millions, in fact.
1. What’s the article mainly about?

A．The first test-tube baby.

B．A new era in medicine.

C．The inventor of IVF technology.

D．The changes IVF technology has brought.

2. The writer mentioned Peter Braude to ________.

A．show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work

B．describe what kind of person Edwards was

C．explain why he is loved by all children

D．comment on his achievement

3. The underlined word "opposition" in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to "________"

A．attack

B．support

C．test

D．influence

4. What is the correct order of events in Edwards' life?
a. He received a Nobel Prize.
b. He struggled to raise funds.
c. The first test-tube baby was born.
d. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
e. He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside body.
f. He started his experiments on IVF technology.

A．f-e-b-c-a- d	B．f-b-e-c-d-a
C．f-b-e-c-a-d	D．f-e-d-a-c-b

5 . Driving in Canada is similar to driving in many parts of the United States. Distances and speeds, however, are posted in kilometers per hour and some signs, particularly in Quebec, may only be in French.

Unless otherwise posted, the maximum speed limit in Canada is 50km/hr in cities and 80km/hr on highways. On rural highways, the posted speed limit may be 100km/hr. It is illegal to take automobile radar detectors into Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. Seat belt use is required by law for all passengers, and child car seats must be used by children under 40 pounds. Some provinces require drivers to keep their vehicles’ headlights on during the day and some have banned driving while using a hand-held cell phone. Motorcycles cannot share a lane, and safety helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers are necessary. Running a red light is a serious crime throughout Canada and drivers are advised to stop before starting when a light turns green.

Winter travel can be dangerous due to heavy snowfalls and icy conditions. Some roads and bridges are often closed in winter. Snow tires are required in some provinces. Travelers should also be careful about animals while driving at night in rural areas.

Highway 401, from Detroit to Montreal, is one of the busiest highways in North America. It has been the scene of many deadly traffic accidents due to sudden and severe weather changes, high rates of speed, and heavy truck traffic. Thus drivers should be alert while travelling here.

Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. Also, we suggest that you visit the website of Canada’s national authority responsible for road safety.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．All signs on the roads in Quebec are in English.

B．Automobile radar detectors are allowed to be used in Manitoba.

C．Passengers may choose not to wear seat belts while in a car in Canada.

D．The speed of cars in Canadian cities should be less than 50km/hr.

2. The underlined word “alert” in Paragraph 4 could best be replaced by _____.

A．careful

B．relaxed

C．nervous

D．pleased

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．Different traffic rules in Canada	B．Tips for traveling by car in Canada
C．Special rules for driving in Canada	D．Traffic safety and road conditions in Canada

6 . 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

7 . A little girl took out the bottle. She ___ the coins carefully. The total number had to be exactly perfect. No chance for ___.

Carefully placing the ___ in the bottle, she walked to a drugstore and waited patiently for the pharmacist’s (药剂师) ___, but he was too busy.

She ___ her throat. Nothing. ___ she put a coin on the counter heavily. That ___!

“What do you want?” the pharmacist asked ___. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t ___ for ages,” he shouted.

“My brother,” Tess answered, “is really ____ and I want to buy a miracle (奇迹).”

“Pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“Andrew has something bad growing inside his head. Dad says only a miracle can ____ him. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles. I’m sorry,” the pharmacist said.

“I have money. ____ it isn’t enough, I will get the rest.”

The pharmacist’s brother asked the little girl, “What miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with tears. “Mum says he needs a(n) ____. But Dad can’t ____ it, so I want to use my money.”

“How much do you have?” he asked.

“One dollar and eleven cents. And it’s all the money I have.”

“A dollar and eleven cents? That’s the ____ price of a miracle for your little brother,” smiled the man from Chicago.

He took her money in one hand and held her with ____, “Take me to where you ____. Let’s see if I have the right miracle.”

That man was doctor Carlton Armstrong.

The operation was done with no ____ and soon Andrew recovered. Mum and Dad were happily ____ the miracle.

“The operation,” Tess’s mom smiled, “was a real miracle. How much did it cost?”

“One dollar and eleven cents and the ____ of a little child.”

1.

A．made

B．watched

C．counted

D．collected

2.

A．questions

B．mistakes

C．decisions

D．regrets

3.

A．coins

B．toys

C．sweets

D．drugs

4.

A．advice

B．respect

C．devotion

D．attention

5.

A．cleared

B．changed

C．managed

D．hurt

6.

A．Simply

B．Generally

C．Finally

D．Slowly

7.

A．moved

B．failed

C．continued

D．worked

8.

A．nervously

B．angrily

C．doubtfully

D．patiently

9.

A．seen

B．played

C．argued

D．competed

10.

A．sick

B．upset

C．tired

D．afraid

11.

A．ignore

B．protect

C．save

D．remind

12.

A．Unless

B．If

C．But

D．And

13.

A．friend

B．connection

C．suggestion

D．operation

14.

A．carry on

B．work on

C．pay for

D．seek for

15.

A．usual

B．exact

C．low

D．least

16.

A．others

B．some

C．another

D．the other

17.

A．live

B．study

C．visit

D．teach

18.

A．choice

B．charge

C．chance

D．request

19.

A．caring about

B．worrying about

C．talking about

D．thinking about

20.

A．mind

B．joy

C．truth

D．faith

8 . Hobbs was an orphan. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.

One day a lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”

“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”

“Yes I see. I’ll do that,” said the young man.

1. Hobbs wanted to borrow money to________.

A．study abroad	B．work abroad
C．pay off the debts	D．learn to paint pictures

2. What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” in Para 2 probably mean?

A．Surprised.	B．Frightened.
C．Satisfied.	D．Excited.

3. With the money he got, at first Hobbs________.

A．planned to have a happy life for a few days

B．decided to go on with his work in the factory

C．was to give a dinner to his friends

D．had no idea what to do

4. Hobbs was asked to________.

A．read his uncle’s will

B．buy some pictures

C．tell the lawyer what was to be done with the money

D．tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it

5. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．How to Spend the Sum of Money

B．A Large Sum of Unexpected Money

C．A Poor Orphan

D．A Rich Uncle

9 . Mark Twain, the famous American writer and a great master of humor, liked to play jokes on others. But once a joke was played on him. One day Mark Twain was invited to give a talk in a small town. At lunch he met a young man,one of his friends.

The young man said that he had an uncle with him. He told Mark Twain that his uncle never laughed or smiled, and that nobody and nothing was able to make his uncle smile or laugh.

“You bring your uncle to my talk this evening,” said Mark Twain. “I’m sure I can make him laugh.”

That evening the young man and his uncle sat in the front. Mark Twain began to speak. He told several funny stories and made everyone in the room laugh. But the man never even smiled. Mark Twain told more funny stories, but the old man still kept quiet. Mark Twain continued to tell his funny stories. Finally he stopped. He was tired and quite disappointed.

Some days later, Mark Twain told another friend what had happened. “Oh,” said his friend,“I know that man. He’s been deaf for years.”

1. The writer wrote the passage mainly to________.

A．tell readers Mark Twain liked playing jokes

B．tell readers a joke played on Mark Twain

C．tell readers Mark Twain was a great writer

D．tell readers how to tell a funny story

2. One day Mark Twain met ________at lunch.

A．a friend	B．his brother
C．his teacher	D．a young girl

3. Mark Twain stopped finally because he was________.

A．disappointed	B．sorry
C．ill	D．sleepy

4. Mark Twain couldn’t make the old man laugh because________.

A．his jokes were not funny

B．the old man wasn’t interested in the jokes

C．the old man could tell more funny jokes

D．the old man was deaf

10 . As a child, I was told that a wise person is the one who learns from everyone. It is a great way to live by this _____ — One begins to look at people very ____ and he no longer puts others ____ in order to feel good about himself.

Living in China _____ me with many wonderful opportunities to put this principle into practice. China is quite ____ and as a Westerner, it’s easy for me to consider many of the local habits as “strange” and even “rude”. However, slowly I began to     ___ a lot about the culture and about where many of their   ___ came from. I decided to make an effort to meet people and ____ from them.

I am living in Harbin now, a city in the Northern part of China, near Russia. Yesterday I ____ to get money from the ATM and have a good cup of coffee after lunch. But I can’t speak Chinese yet and there are no signs in English _____ the nearest supermarket or coffee shop. There are signs in Russian. ____ “espaciba” which means thanks, I don’t know much else. _____ I decided to smile at my every attempt to_______ and ask for information that would ______ me to an ATM and a coffee shop. It turned out that my efforts and my ______ were met with more smiles. I learned that ____ is to be found everywhere even _____ I cannot communicate, and that people will ____ depending on what I give.

Look around you for opportunities to learn from the most______ people. You will be surprised at what they can _____ you!

1.

A．principle

B．plan

C．person

D．reason

2.

A．excitedly

B．doubtfully

C．anxiously

D．differently

3.

A．up

B．down

C．away

D．out

4.

A．helps

B．compares

C．impresses

D．provides

5.

A．special

B．modern

C．beautiful

D．powerful

6.

A．ignore

B．forget

C．understand

D．create

7.

A．names

B．habits

C．behaviors

D．beliefs

8.

A．escape

B．suffer

C．hear

D．learn

9.

A．needed

B．refused

C．managed

D．failed

10.

A．leaving for

B．setting up

C．looking for

D．pointing to

11.

A．Except for

B．As for

C．According to

D．Instead of

12.

A．Yet

B．Or

C．So

D．Besides

13.

A．relax

B．communicate

C．explain

D．discuss

14.

A．force

B．lead

C．transport

D．follow

15.

A．thanks

B．signs

C．questions

D．smiles

16.

A．illness

B．weakness

C．kindness

D．happiness

17.

A．before

B．when

C．because

D．after

18.

A．respond

B．gain

C．bargain

D．benefit

19.

A．famous

B．useful

C．unexpected

D．familiar

20.

A．charge

B．teach

C．lend

D．require