1 . It was just a normal day for Ruth Miller, a 63-year-old woman until everything went horribly wrong. She was walking to her car after shopping when the unthinkable happened.

Right as she was unlocking her car, a man quickly came up behind her and tried to wrestle her purse away. She was in a state of shock. Luckily she remembered she had her Safe Personal Alarm (SPA) on her purse, and since she was too scared to scream for help, she quickly reached for the alarm and pulled the pin (保险栓). Immediately her SPA started just screaming. The man didn’t know what to do! He froze for a second, and then ran away like a bat out of hell!

SPA is a safety device capable of creating a 125 dB sound that attracts attention and scares away potential attackers. To compare, it’s the same volume as a military jet during take-off.

Paul Davidson, the inventor of SPA, knows all too well the type of situation that Ruth found herself in. But that’s not the only type of situation that SPA helps protect against. Parents can give it to their kids as an extra means of protection. Teenagers can use it so they can feel safe walking home. Women can know ifs there when they have to use the parking lot at night. “My mother, who is 76 years old, carries it around in case she falls and needs to ask people for help. I only wish I’d have thought of it earlier,” said Paul.

The police have been recommending SPA since it first hit the market. In fact, since its launch, SPA has been in a state, shifting between in stock and sold out nearly every other week, and it’s also got tons of loyal followers worldwide.

1. What does the underlined part “the unthinkable” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．An attempted robbery.	B．A wrestling match.
C．An angry argument.	D．A car accident.

2. How did Ruth react to the unexpected situation?

A．She fought violently.	B．She froze in great fear.
C．She cried desperately for help.	D．She sounded her safety device.

3. Why does Paul mention his mother?

A．To imply the elderly need more care.	B．To suggest he cares about his mother.
C．To show SPA can be widely used.	D．To make an advertisement for SPA.

4. What can be learnt from the text?

A．SPA is well received in the market.	B．People hesitate to pay for security.
C．SPA was sold out in the first two weeks.	D．The police seldom recommend products.

2 . Toni Morrison was an American writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her novels, Beloved, Song of Solomon and others explored the way African-Americans search for freedom and identity in a country obsessed (受困扰的) with skin colour. Morrison was nearly 40 when she published her first novel The Bluest Eye in 1970. The Nobel Prize committee described her writing as “language itself, a language she wants to liberate from race”. Her novels discussed America’s past, focusing on black history and the effects of slavery and racism. She called her characters “the unfree at the heart of the democratic experiment”.

In 1988, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, the story of a mother who kills her baby daughter rather than permit her to return to slavery. It became a best-seller and was later made into a film. Many Americans admired her as the country’s greatest writer, including former President Barack Obama.

She was born in 1931. She attended Howard University, an all-black university in Washington, DC. At Howard, she read African, British and American literature, including writers William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf. After a short marriage, she became a single mother of two sons and worked as a book editor in New York.

Several publishers rejected her first book The Bluest Eye, but it impressed The New York Times’ book critic John Leonard, who believed Morrison was an important new voice. He said her writing was “so full of pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry”.

Morrison enjoyed her literary fame and was proud of her Nobel Prize.

1. What are Toni Morrison’s books mainly about?

A．Women’s equality and rights.	B．The development of America.
C．The literature of America.	D．Black history and racism.

2. Which of the following helped Toni Morrison receive the Pulitzer Prize?

A．Beloved.	B．Song of Solomon.
C．The Bluest Eye.	D．The New York Times.

3. Why is former President Barack Obama mentioned?

A．To show Barack Obama’s support in literature.

B．To prove Toni Morrison’s greatness as a writer.

C．To stress Toni Morrison’s contribution to America.

D．To remind readers of the skin colour of Barack Obama.

4. What can we infer from John Leonard’s words?

A．He thought highly of Morrison.

B．He rejected the book The Bluest Eye.

C．The book The Bluest Eye made him painful.

D．Toni Morrison’s book was hard to understand.

3 . Earthquakes strike suddenly at any time of the day or night, but there's no way to tell when. If an earthquake happens, it may cause many deaths, injuries and damage. So you need a good preparation ahead of time. Decide how and where your family will get together if separated. Choose an out­-of­-state friend or relative that the family members can call after the quake to report where they are and how they are. Know the safe places in each room: under the strong tables, desks, or against inside walls. Keep enough food, water and other things, including a flashlight, a radio, medicines and clothing.

During the earthquake, you should keep a clear head and never be too nervous to know what to do. Protect your head and neck with your arms. If possible, take a book, a pillow or any other things to protect yourself from falling glass and ruins. If you are indoors, you must immediately lie under any strong furniture. If outdoors, move to an open area away from trees, buildings, walls or power-poles. If you are in a narrow valley, move to the centre of it and look up for falling stones. If you are in a car, move to the side of the road and stop the car. Do not stop near buildings, power lines or on or under bridges. Stay in your car until the shaking stops.

Do not move a badly injured person unless he is in great danger after the earthquake. Do not use the telephone immediately unless there is a serious injury or fire. Turn on your radio for instructions and news reports. Be prepared for aftershocks. If you want to leave your home, post a message inside your home telling your family members where you can be found.

1. To prepare for an earthquake, we should make sure of ________.

A．when an earthquake may happen

B．the place where we can find our family

C．how to receive instructions and news reports

D．the money with which we can buy food and water

2. If we are driving when an earthquake happens, we should ________.

A．find a strong building to hide in

B．leave the car as soon as possible

C．go on driving quickly to leave the area

D．move to the side of the road and stop there

3. From the passage, we know that during an earthquake ________.

A．we should keep calm and know what to do clearly

B．the trees and walls can protect us if we are outdoors

C．we should protect our necks with a pillow or a book

D．falling glass can be used to help us

4. After an earthquake, we should ________.

A．move an injured person quickly

B．use the telephone immediately

C．turn on the TV to get news reports

D．leave a message before leaving home

4 . Smart Kids is a collection of one hundred events scheduled in October. This year, it is experimenting with Pay What You Decide (PWYD). That is, you can decide to pay what you want to or can afford, after you have attended an event. You can pre-book events without paying for a ticket in advance. Here are some of the director’s picks.

Walk on the Wild Side

Not ticketed, Free

Join storyteller Sarah Law to hear science stories about animals. Along the way you’ll meet all sorts of beautiful creatures and discover life cycles and food chains. Best suited to children aged 5-9. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Introduction to Waves

Pre-book, PWYD

Subjects range from sound waves to gravity waves, and from waves of light to crashing waves on the ocean. Mike Goldsmith explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.

Science in the Field

Not ticketed, Free

This storytelling night features a scientist sharing his favourite memories of gathering first-hand data on various field trips. Come along for inspiring and informative stories straight from the scientist’s mouth. Join Mark Samuels to find out more in this fun-filled workshop.

Festival Dinner

Pre-book, £25 per person

Whether you want to explore more about food, or just fancy a talk over a meal, join us to mark the first science festival in London. Which foods should you eat to trick your brain into thinking that you are full? Find out more from Tom Crawford.

1. In which event can you decide the payment?

A．Introduction to Waves.	B．Walk on the Wild Side.
C．Science in the Field.	D．Festival Dinner.

2. Who will talk about experiences of collecting direct data?

A．Mike Goldsmith.	B．Sarah Law.
C．Mark Samuels.	D．Tom Crawford.

3. What do the four events have in common?

A．Family-based.	B．Science-related.
C．Picked by children.	D．Filled with adventures.

5 . Regardless of the weather or the distance, Paul Wilson will make sure low-income students in his neighbourhood arrive at their college classes on time.

A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been_________ free rides to college students for the past eight years. Since he first started_________his car to the young people. Wilson has covered an astonishing 64, 000 miles, and has had countless pleasant and often humorous_________with the students he transports to and from school. The students who he's_________have gone on to become physicians, teachers and engineers, but what they've also got out of their time in school is finding a role model and a friend in Wilson. Some students_________call him “Grandpa”.

Tina Stern_________rides from Wilson for all her four years in college, and the trips meant much more to her than just free_________. “It’s not just a ride；you’re not just sitting there in awkward silence or with your headphones on.” Stern said. “He asks you questions and actually_________the answers, so the next time you ride with him, he’ll check on those things.”

Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support programme of the non-profit organisation. On Point for College. Although the_________asks the members only to drive students to and from their classes, Wilson often goes __________to ensure the welfare and safety of the students. If they have problems with registration, Wilson is there to__________ them. If they run out of certain daily necessities, Wilson will drive to the nearest store and purchase what’s needed. If a student gets hungry on the long drives to and from school, Wilson never__________to buy them a meal.

For many students, Wilson’s help is not only appreciated, it’s also entirely__________for them to be able to complete their college education. Some students don’t have a reliable car, while others have to share vehicles with parents who work six days a week. For them, riding with Wilson has__________them to complete their education — but according to Wilson, he benefits just as much from the experience. “I just love driving, and I love these kids,” Wilson said. “It’s such a（n）__________to be a part of these kids’ lives, even just for a few hours, getting to know them and hearing their stories.”

1.

A．linking

B．sending

C．offering

D．distributing

2.

A．volunteering

B．lending

C．delivering

D．donating

3.

A．arguments

B．interviews

C．negotiations

D．conversations

4.

A．met

B．driven

C．addressed

D．greeted

5.

A．even

B．ever

C．once

D．already

6.

A．earned

B．received

C．assessed

D．demanded

7.

A．transportation

B．style

C．time

D．communication

8.

A．selects

B．recites

C．guesses

D．remembers

9.

A．club

B．league

C．college

D．programme

10.

A．far

B．around

C．beyond

D．forwards

11.

A．assist

B．watch

C．urge

D．warn

12.

A．expects

B．attempts

C．manages

D．hesitates

13.

A．extra

B．unusual

C．necessary

D．adequate

14.

A．required

B．allowed

C．reminded

D．convinced

15.

A．effort

B．ambition

C．privilege

D．convenience

6 . Do you use Facebook, MySpace or Twitter? If so, then you are part of a social network. Social networking sites allow us to see our social connections.

When you create a profile (a description of somebody that gives useful information) on a social networking site, you open up a number of possible social connections. You can look up old friends, make new friends, and share music, photos and videos with them. You can also join groups according to your interests or hobbies, favorite TV shows or music.

Setting up a social networking account is simple. You just create and post a personal profile. For this you need a login name, password, and an e-mail account. Then you add some personal information such as name, age, sex, location, interests, etc. You can also add a photo of yourself. You can control who sees your profile. The next step is to look for new ones, and add them to your network. Then you can search your friends’ connections for anyone else you’d like to add to your network.

Different social networking sites allow people to communicate in different ways. There are sites that allow you to enlarge your personal community such as Facebook. Then there are ones that include media sharing, such as YouTube, where members upload and look at other people’s pictures and videos. There are also ones that specialize in sharing music, such as Last FM, and finally, ones that allow bloggers to form online communities, such as Live Journal. The latest trend (趋势) in social networking is to create your own independent social network. Companies do this to make their products sell well and people do it to create their own communities.

1. What’s the writer’s purpose in writing Paragraph 1?

A．To lead to the topic.

B．To raise a question.

C．To introduce some sites.

D．To advertise a social network.

2. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．It’s easy to search your friends’ connections.

B．It’s easy to build a social networking account.

C．It’s possible to add a photo of yourself.

D．It’s simple to control a social network.

3. What is the function of last Fm?

A．You can upload videos.	B．Bloggers can form online communities.
C．Sharing music is specialized.	D．You have the largest personal community.

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

A．Social Networks	B．Personal Profiles
C．Networking Trends	D．Networking Accounts

7 . Hello and welcome to English with Lucy. Today we have another topic:“Four common British expressions.” Now, before we get started, make sure you connect with me on all my social media which is right here. You can subscribe to my YouTube. You can also like me on Facebook. And for my Chinese followers, I have my Weibo account as well.

Four Common British Expressions:

“A piece of cake.”

And this is very similar to “Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy,” which we've discussed in a former video.   And basically, it means very easy.   So I might come out of an easy exam saving, “That exam was a piece of cake. ”

“Break a leg!”

It actually looks really rather cruel, but I promise you it's positive.   And “Break a leg!” means “Good luck!” So before a race, before a job interview, before a test, instead of saying “Good luck!” I might say “Break a leg!”

“It cost an arm and a leg.”

And this basically means something was really expensive.   If I say, “My bag cost an arm and a leg,” I mean it cost a lot of money.

“To call it a day.”

And this means “to end a task”.   So, for example, “I'm feeling a bit tired. I think I'll call it a day. ”That means “I think I'll stop here.   Let's finish.”

Thank you so much for watching this program of “Four Common British Expressions.” I hope you like it, and I hope you've learned something.

1. How can Chinese listeners connect with Lucy?

A．With Wechat

B．Through Weibo

C．On Facebook

D．By YouTube.

2. When John went to an English Speech Competition, you should say “_________” to him.

A．Break a leg!	B．It cost an arm and a leg.
C．To call it a day	D．A piece of cake.

3. What does he/she mean when the teacher says “Let's call it a day.” ?

A．He/She will stop that day	B．He/She feels tired
C．Class is over.	D．It is daytime.

8 . Last week was Sports Day at my daughter's school.She was part of the Yellow House.She had to wear yellow and race for points.The Yellow House won.I was really pleased for my daughter because last year the Green House won.In fact，when the winning house was announced last year，many little faces turned sour.There were many tears and children were bitter because they had lost.

Losing is never fun.From a young age children know that winning is the best result.As parents，we can talk to children about the importance of everyone having a chance to win; we can teach our children to be happy for their friends when a friend wins.

As children grow older they will be exposed to more and more competition.It is important that we teach our children to learn to “bounce back” from losses，to experience loss in a positive way and to keep on going even when they don't achieve the desired outcome.

By teaching children how to be resilient(适应性强的)，we can prepare them for adult life in the future.Our children can learn to compete for fun and learn how to bounce back from life's failures and disappointments.

We can talk to our children about competition.We can teach by examples and show our kids that losing a game or failing a test is not the end.Losing is simply a chance to try again and a chance to become more successful.

Raising emotionally healthy children is very important for the future generation and by teaching our children the above principles we can help them to overcome the difficulties of life and they will learn to compete in healthy ways throughout their lives.

1. In the first paragraph，the author intends to        ．

A．describe the sports event

B．introduce the topic of the text

C．show the cruelty of competition

D．make a comparison between winners and losers

2. What kind of instruction will the author give to his children?

A．You are allowed to fail.

B．Winning is the best result.

C．Competition is not healthy.

D．You should try your best to win.

3. What is the text mainly about?

A．Preparing children for future life.

B．Raising emotionally healthy children.

C．Teaching children to face failure bravely.

D．Teaching children about healthy competition.

4. In which column of a newspaper is the text likely to appear?

A．Health.	B．Education.
C．Science.	D．Entertainment.

9 . An elderly woman is crediting (归功于) her neighbor's 4­year­old dog with saving her life during last week's dangerously cold temperatures.

Tim Curfman was ______ his garbage with his dog Midnight when he felt its ______ was unusual. It had its ears held up looking at him. It didn't ______ do that. Curfman got the feeling that something's ______. So he observed how his dog was acting and ______ it to a spot on the other side of his house. There, he saw his 87­year­old neighbor, Noreen, ______ in the snow. She was trying to fill her bird feeder when she fell.

Curfman ______ she was out there at least half an hour. She could not get up because she didn't have enough ______ to push herself up, and there was nothing around the corner to get a ______ of, either. The temperature was one degree below zero, but Curfman and Midnight were able to ______ her quickly.

Noreen, who didn't have serious injuries, was lucky to ______ frostbite (冻伤) even though her clothes were wet. Curfman called his wife and they together helped his neighbor up from the snow and into her ______， where his wife helped the elderly woman get into ______ clothes.

Noreen was ______ to Midnight for saving her life. “A dog like this ______ to be proud of because it's not every dog that pays attention to things like this，” Noreen said in an interview.

1.

A．sending out

B．taking out

C．picking out

D．handing out

2.

A．sound

B．attention

C．behavior

D．appearance

3.

A．normally

B．suddenly

C．really

D．daily

4.

A．down

B．in

C．out

D．up

5.

A．trained

B．drove

C．walked

D．followed

6.

A．lying

B．moving

C．playing

D．standing

7.

A．guessed

B．feared

C．argued

D．explained

8.

A．time

B．space

C．strength

D．courage

9.

A．view

B．hold

C．taste

D．command

10.

A．save

B．report

C．find

D．visit

11.

A．face

B．fight

C．avoid

D．suffer

12.

A．car

B．garden

C．yard

D．home

13.

A．dry

B．clean

C．old

D．beautiful

14.

A．grateful

B．close

C．rude

D．polite

15.

A．expects

B．intends

C．waits

D．deserves

10 . “None of us get out of life alive, so be brave and be thankful for all the opportunities you have.” Those were _______ words said by 18-year-old Jake Bailey, a cancer patient.

Bailey was in the leading position of the students’ union. The young man had planned to _______ at his high school’s end-of-year ceremony (典礼) on schedule. _______, just the week before, he received shocking _______. After several weeks of not feeling well, tests showed that he had a fast-growing form of cancer. Doctors said, without treatment, he would only have weeks to live, so they didn’t _______ him to take part in the event. But Bailey put on his school uniform along with his _______ face and left his hospital bed to give the inspiring speech to his _______. Without doubt, his appearance _______ everyone at the ceremony. Sitting in the wheelchair, he began to _______ his ideas. He expressed that a strong-willed person would not easily ______________, no matter how hard life was.

At the speech, Bailey encouraged his schoolmates to______________ their time. “The future is truly in our hands. ______________ about having impractical long-term dreams. Let’s be devoted to short-term goals,” He continued. “We don’t know where we might end up, or when we will end up, so work with pride on what is ______________ us.”

When the senior ______________ his speech with the school’s motto, “Altiora Peto,” which means “I fight for higher things”, the entire room burst into cheers. ______________, Bailey’s message was heard loud and clear. Bailey then closed his eyes and mouthed the words “Thank you”.

1.

A．upset

B．extra

C．inspiring

D．amazing

2.

A．speak

B．chat

C．sing

D．debate

3.

A．So

B．Instead

C．Besides

D．However

4.

A．fault

B．attack

C．news

D．pain

5.

A．persuade

B．allow

C．warn

D．organize

6.

A．determined

B．frightened

C．satisfied

D．surprised

7.

A．friends

B．families

C．schoolmates

D．roommates

8.

A．amused

B．shocked

C．affected

D．frightened

9.

A．explain

B．form

C．share

D．change

10.

A．turn up

B．give in

C．break up

D．cut down

11.

A．gain

B．spare

C．spend

D．treasure

12.

A．Forget

B．Talk

C．Care

D．Dream

13.

A．in place of

B．in front of

C．in charge of

D．in search of

14.

A．replaced

B．ended

C．began

D．decorated

15.

A．Finally

B．Actually

C．Obviously

D．Entirely