2 . Do you want to join a club in our school? Here are some clubs that you might be interested in.

Chinese Culture Club

The Chinese Culture Club focuses on exploring Chinese culture. You don’t have to speak the Chinese language; you’re just required to have a true interest in the Chinese way of life. The club regularly explores Chinese culture through traditional Chinese food, movies, and celebrations. Contact Ms Huang if you would like to learn more. Meet every Thursday after lunch in Room 805.

Chess Club

Come out and join the Chess Club! We will meet to explore chess theory and strategy. We will also test our newly-acquired knowledge through competitive games. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced one, players of all levels are welcome! Meet on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm-4:30 pm, in Room 701 with Mr Longino.

Science Club

We’ll be doing experiments and prepare ourselves for the annual Science Olympiad. All the students are welcome! Members of Science Club meet on Thursdays from 3:00 pm-4:00 pm in Room 702, with Mr Underriner.

Robotics Club

The club aims at providing the students with an opportunity to design their own robot in order to compete in the NYC FIRST Tech Challenge Competition in the late fall and winter.

Also, if you are a parent willing to help with expertise, feel free to contact Mr. Irimina. Meet on Fridays in Room 103 from 3:00 pm-4:55 pm.

Chorus(合唱队)

The Chorus is an opportunity for students to sharpen their vocal(发声的) skills and overcome stage fright. Students will sing songs, but our focus is Soul, R&B, and rock. All chorus members are expected to participate in the school musicals as well as other shows. Meet after school on Thursdays with Mr. Copeland in Room 602.

1. What is a requirement if you want to join Chinese Culture Club?

A．Being able to speak Chinese.

B．Knowing well about Chinese culture.

C．Knowing the ways to cook Chinese food.

D．Being interested in the Chinese way of life.

2. What can we learn about Chess Club?

A．It doesn’t offer students chances to join competitive games.

B．It doesn’t accept students without basic knowledge of chess.

C．It improves students’ chess theory and ability to play chess.

D．It opens to students for two hours a week.

3. If you are just free at 3:00 pm-4:00 pm every Thursday, you can go to ______.

A．Robotics Club	B．Science Club
C．Chess Club	D．Chinese Culture Club

4. Why was Robotics Club created?

A．To help students design robots for a competition.

B．To inspire parents to take part in their children’s activities.

C．To organize the FIRST Tech Challenge Competition in NYC.

D．To raise money for scientific research done by the schools in NYC.

5. Mr. Copeland’s club is most suitable for a student who ______.

A．has a strong writing ability	B．has special talent for stage design
C．wants to master singing skills	D．wants to learn musical instruments

3 . In the long discussion of water on the Moon, a new study contradicts (与……相矛盾) some recent reports that say the Moon had water at the time of its formation. A group of researchers report in the journal Science that when the Moon was created, some 4. 5 billion years ago, there was not much hydrogen (氢气) on it, and therefore no water.

The researchers surveyed and evaluated this by analyzing chlorine (氯) isotopes found in lunar rock samples from Apollo missions. The range of chlorine isotopes in lunar samples was 25 times that found in samples from Earth.

“If the Moon had significant levels of hydrogen, as Earth did, this range would have been far less,” said Zachary D. Sharp, a scientist in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the study’s lead author.

“The chlorine would have stuck together with hydrogen, forming compounds like hydrogen chloride, and escaped from the Moon’s surface,” he said. The abundance of chlorine indicates a lack of hydrogen and water.

“The amount of water on the Moon was too low for life to possibly have existed there,” he said.

Most scientists believe the Moon was formed when a large object struck Earth, breaking off a chunk (a vast piece) that has since orbited Earth.

On Earth, goes one theory, water was released as steam from molten basalts (玄武岩) over time, eventually forming bodies of water.

“An understanding of whether the Moon was dry or wet will help us understand how water appeared on Earth,” Dr. Sharp said.

1. A new study indicates that ______ on the moon.

A．there is plenty of water	B．water is unlikely to exist
C．water existed in the past	D．there is a little water now

2. The author would like to tell us ______ through the sixth paragraph.

A．why there is no water on the Moon	B．how the Moon was formed
C．when the Earth struck the Moon	D．where the Moon orbited

3. What does the underlined word “this” stand for in the second paragraph?

A．Neither hydrogen nor water on the Moon.

B．Too much chlorine isotopes on the Moon.

C．Not being much hydrogen, no water on the Moon.

D．More chlorine exists on the Moon than Earth.

4. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Zachary D. Sharp, a scientist in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences was in charge of the new study.

B．Chlorine isotopes are 25 times on the Moon larger than on Earth.

C．The more abundant chloride, the shorter hydrogen and water.

D．The new study is beneficial to understand how water appeared on Earth.

5. What can we learn from the passage?

A．There is enough water and hydrogen on the Moon.

B．Hydrogen chloride easily escaped from the Moon’s surface.

C．The Earth had significant levels of hydrogen.

D．Water on Earth is directly from molten basalts.

4 . Home party marketing originated in America in the early last century. At that time, direct selling had become a very common part of American life. Door-to-door salesmen would travel throughout the country selling anything from sewing machines to cure all medicines. In 1931, a man named Frank Stanley Beveridge who had dug enough gold by doing this selling started a company called Stanley Home Products. The company sold cleaning supplies to housewives.

Soon after Mr. Beveridge began his company, one of his salesmen began selling Stanley products at home parties. The salesman would organize a Stanley Party where he could give a cleaning demonstration(演示) to a room full of guests. It allowed him to sell Stanley products to many different customers at once, and it proved to be much more effective than standard door-to-door sales. The practice quickly became the main marketing strategy of Stanley Home Products.

Next, during the 1940s, many housewives started selling Stanley products to make extra money for their families. The job was perfect for housewives because Stanley sellers could work from home and set their own schedules. A single mother named Brownie Wise took full advantage of this opportunity and quickly became one of Stanley’s top sellers.

Not long after that, she started her own direct selling business called Tupperware Patio Parties, which focused on selling a new type of plastic food container, Tupperware, using the Stanley home party system. Wise had realized Tupperwvare was perfect for the home party system. She could show her customers its patented airtight seal, and she could also take away their anxiety about the safety of plastics -- a fairly new invention at the time. Wise’s company was very successful, and it was soon selling more Tupperware than department stores.

Today, many other companies have adopted home party marketing plans. So, next time you leave your friend’s party with a hundred dollars’ worth of new Tupperware or jewelry, you can thank Frank Stanley Beveridge and Brownie Wise for your unintended purchase.

1. When did home party marketing originate in America?

A．In the early 19th century.

B．In the late 19th century.

C．In the early 20th century.

D．In the late 20th century.

2. What do we know about Frank Stanley Beveridge?

A．He was an inventor of many home products.

B．He was an experienced door-to-door salesman.

C．He was the president of Tupperware Patio Parties.

D．He was the first person to organize a Stanley Party.

3. Why was being a home party seller a perfect job for housewives?

A．They liked holding parties at their house.

B．They could make some money quickly.

C．They needed hardly any pre-job training.

D．They could work under a flexible schedule.

4. According to Wise, why was Tupperware perfect for the home party system?

A．It was liked by party organizers.

B．It required a demonstration.

C．It sold badly in department stores.

D．It was especially made for the system.

5. This text is organized in the pattern of ________.

A．time and events

B．comparison and contrast

C．cause and effect

D．argument and explanation

5 . I was at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and tense. People were carelessly _________ aisles (过道) and at one point, two women_________ for several minutes after running into each other.

Things got _________ at the checkout line. The cashier scanned a man’s discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional _________. He decided she was acting _________ and began to argue. The cashier tried in vain (徒劳地) to reason with him. She _________ a manager, who accompanied him to customer service, and moved to the next _________ in line.

We’ ve all witnessed (目击)_________ scenes like this in public places. My reaction when I see them is both personal and _________. I am a sociologist who studies how and why people communicate with one another-or why they __________ not to. To me, the grocery scene was another example of how our __________ in others has declined. But it was also a teachable __________ on how we can rebuild our faith- __________ with just one person.

I __________ the nervous cashier. I got a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. “I felt__________ about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you, ” I said. Her face lit up, and we __________ as she scanned our items. She told me she had been __________ that evening through severe foot pain and would be having an operation later that week. I wished her well in her __________ and she thanked me as I left.

Those are the balancing __________ that will add up to restore (重建) trust between people. You can start that pattern in someone else’s life, even in a __________ as ordinary as the neighbourhood grocery store.

1.

A．watching

B．blocking

C．finding

D．clearing

2.

A．worried

B．greeted

C．quarreled

D．thought

3.

A．quiet

B．worse

C．rarer

D．real

4.

A．benefit

B．measure

C．charge

D．reason

5.

A．carefully

B．differently

C．wrongly

D．suddenly

6.

A．ignored

B．admired

C．called

D．met

7.

A．customer

B．colleague

C．passenger

D．employer

8.

A．touching

B．suitable

C．uncomfortable

D．silent

9.

A．political

B．cultural

C．professional

D．financial

10.

A．continue

B．choose

C．fail

D．remember

11.

A．anger

B．pride

C．trust

D．fear

12.

A．concept

B．moment

C．skill

D．system

13.

A．competing

B．agreeing

C．comparing

D．starting

14.

A．mentioned

B．persuaded

C．reached

D．saved

15.

A．cool

B．bad

C．strange

D．confident

16.

A．talked

B．waited

C．played

D．left

17.

A．working

B．relaxing

C．learning

D．sleeping

18.

A．development

B．recovery

C．study

D．journey

19.

A．acts

B．tests

C．voices

D．tasks

20.

A．job

B．place

C．show

D．way

6 . Daniel Lamplugh remembers going shopping with his dad on Black Friday. “Waking up at a. m. the day after Thanksgiving is what I grew up doing, ” says the University of New Orleans film student.

A lot has changed since those childhood days. Online retailers(零售商) have forced many chains out of business. Consumers are increasingly shopping with their smartphones. But a funny thing happened on the way to the future: Most shoppers are not going all-digital(全数码化的). Surveys show they’re eager for good experiences at retail stores.

This November and December, for the first time ever, retailer websites will get more traffic from mobile users than computer users, predicts Adobe Digital Insights. “We live our lives with a combination of the physical and the digital,” says Kit Yarrow, author of the book “Decoding the New Consumer Mind.” “Retailers have to understand it’s not question of either/or. It’s a question of combining the two. ”

Heather Howe, an MBA student, said, “Consumers like shopping on their phones and online because it’s more convenient and because there are more options. I went to the Vans store to try on shoes and then I actually purchased them online while I was in the store. ” While mobile sales are growing, the widest use of smartphones in stores is researching products or looking up product information (58 percent), closely followed by checking or comparing prices (54 percent), according to a survey.

“My phone plays a huge role in online shopping, because I am on the email list for all of my favorite brands, so I get many emails daily informing me of sales, says Rachel Lynch, who works at a Boston public-relations agency.” Also, a store has an app that allows me to chat with other users about the products, and read reviews. Online reviews are one of the first things I look at when I am about to buy a new product.”

“Electronics and kitchen equipment are definitely online purchases for me, since they’re heavy to get home on the subway and often cheaper online,” says Michael Miller-Ernest, a manager in Brooklyn, N. Y.

1. What did Daniel do when he was a kid?

A．He bought gifts for his dad.

B．He woke up quite early every day.

C．He went shopping on Thanksgiving.

D．He visited stores the day after Thanksgiving.

2. What do most shoppers tend to do now?

A．Do shopping all-digitally.

B．Use computers to do online shopping.

C．Do window shopping in shopping malls.

D．Go to physical stores with their smartphones.

3. What’s Kit Yarrow’s suggestion for retailers?

A．Reaching both online and offline consumers.

B．Focusing on either the physical or the digital.

C．Encouraging consumers to use smartphones.

D．Providing more convenience for computer users.

4. What does Heather Howe think of online stores?

A．They offer wider choices.

B．They sell high quality goods.

C．They will replace physical stores.

D．They are burning shoppers’ patience.

5. What can be inferred about Rachel Lynch’s habits?

A．She buys heavy goods online.

B．She often writes users’ reviews.

C．She is fond of sending producers emails.

D．She tries to learn about other users’ experience.

7 . Joshua williams was five years old when something came into his heart that would change his life and the lives of thousands of others. His journey began with a $20 birthday gift from his grandmother. She said he could use it any way he wanted.

On his way to the mall that morning, the five-year-old began thinking about all the things he could buy with the money. Then, looking out of the car window, Joshua noticed a homeless man standing on the street corner. That moment changed his life forever. Joshua instantly gave the man his $20 bill in the hope that it would make a small difference.

With this gesture, Joshua discovered his life’s calling to help the needy. At just five years old, Joshua knew he would need help in order to make his dream — to wipe out hunger — a reality. He enlisted his family, and soon they were delivering meals to the homeless every Saturday. Joshua began to realize, however, that he needed a “bigger, better and easier way to distribute food.” He and his family came up with the idea to have the homeless community come to a centralized distribution point. On their first distribution day, Joshua and his team of helpers provided more than 300 families with food. They continued distributing groceries this way every month for two years.

With the success of his work, Joshua eventually created the Joshua’s Heart Foundation to continue his mission of feeding the homeless. Now, several years later, his foundation continues to provide food and cooking classes for needy families.

Joshua and his team have helped feed over 20,000 people over the past eight years and they’re still working to increase that number. Each bag of groceries represents a brighter day in the lives of these individuals and families, and it all began with one young person who saw a need and decided to make a difference.

1. Joshua’s grandma gave him a $20 bill to let him ______.

A．buy food for the homeless	B．help some people in need
C．celebrate his fifth birthday	D．buy a birthday cake for her

2. According to the first two paragraphs, Joshua is a boy who ______.

A．used to help others	B．was sympathetic
C．had little pocket money	D．was indifferent

3. What is the meaning of the underlined sentence “He enlisted his family”?

A．He persuaded his family to help him.

B．He asked his family for advice.

C．He was encouraged by his family.

D．He disagreed with his family.

4. The Joshua’s Heart Foundation ______.

A．was created by Joshua and his teacher

B．organizes the homeless community

C．mainly offers education to the homeless

D．mainly offers food to needy people

5. From the passage we can learn that ______.

A．Joshua grew up in a rich family

B．Joshua started the foundation at the age of five

C．Joshua would help more people in the future

D．more than 20,000 homeless people have taken cooking classes

8 . The United States seems to have become extremely enthusiastic about competition. The famous Scripps National Spelling Bee—an annual spelling contest—now allows kids who last in regional competitions but whose parents agree to pay an entry fee (费用) along with their own food and accommodation to compete. And while some kids are working for what they call a spelling “career”, others are approaching chess competitions, dance competitions, cooking or other passions that previous generations developed somewhat later in life.

I’m disturbed by the phenomenon (现象), which seems to be getting worse and more intense.

My teacher always warned us that competition is a destructive quality; that the goal is never to beat anyone else. I think he’ll be cheered by author Peggy Noonan’s idea that a lot of us are running our own races, trying to rise to the occasion and beat some past and limited conception of ourselves by doing something great.

I heartily agree. Instead of paying attention to the accomplishments or possessions of others, we need to focus on our own potential, our own growth and take pleasure in our own particular set of circumstances. The battle for life is not against anyone else but against the darkness inside that tries to bring us down. I wish you only well. Your good doesn’t reduce mine. Your bad gives me no pleasure

Ms. Noonan also suggests that “you’re running your own race alongside others running theirs, and in the same direction. You’re doing something great together.” If we stop worrying about what our neighbor is earning or driving, the size of his house, the success of his marriage, the accomplishments of his children, we can sit back and enjoy our own lives. And if we all focus on what we each can achieve, regardless of anyone else, we have a chance of working as one, of actually being united.

Competition divides us. There are winners and losers. But that’s a very limited picture of reality. It may apply to spelling bees and soccer matches and even in some college classes, but life isn’t about triumphing (战胜) over someone else; it’s about triumphing over ourselves. The only acceptable competition is one where we encourage each other to be the best human being possible, and that’s the only game where “everyone is a winner”.

1. What does the author worry about?

A．Youth competition is fierce.	B．Youth competition is expensive.
C．Youth competition lacks fairness.	D．Youth competition lacks diversity.

2. What do you know about Peggy Noonan?

A．She’s also a student of the author’s teacher’s.

B．She thinks competition is a destructive quality.

C．She taught the author how to understand competition.

D．She and the author’s teacher have similar views on competition.

3. What should we do in the battle for life according to the author?

A．Know our competitors well.	B．Leave everything to chance.
C．Get rid of the bad things inside us.	D．Learn from others’ successes and failures.

4. How does Peggy Noonan describe the way people live their lives?

A．People take turns to lead the race.

B．People follow parallel paths to each other.

C．One man’s loss is another man’s gain.

D．No one goes in the same direction as anyone else.

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Your Real Competition Is With Yourself

B．Everyone Is a Winner in the Battle for Life

C．Competition Is a Good Thing, But Not to the Youth

D．Through Competition, We Become Better Ourselves