1 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.

She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9­year­old daughter Bailey.

He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.

Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”

After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.

1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?

A．She guided him how to write a good story.

B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble.

C．Her books helped him through times of confusion.

D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter.

2. What is implied in Burke’s words in paragraph 4?

A．He has found it interesting to read the series.	B．He was too old to understand the series better.
C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series.	D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future.

3. Which word can best describe Burke’s experience according to the text?

A．Useless.

B．Normal.

C．Valuable.

D．Boring.

4. What is the main idea of this text?

A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health.

B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father.

C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth.

D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series.

2 . Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.

Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (依偎) against me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is understanding which time is which.”

Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their mind. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”

Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (思想的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.

1. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son ________.

A．keeps himself away from his parents	B．begins to dislike his parents
C．is always busy with his study	D．doesn’t want to be ignored

2. What does trouble Tina and Mark?

A．Their daughter isn’t as lovely as before.

B．They can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly.

C．They don’t know what to say to their daughter.

D．Their daughter talks with them only when she needs help.

3. Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?

A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends.	B．Teenagers do not understand their parents.
C．Teenagers talk little about their own lives.	D．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Parents shouldn’t be angry with teenagers.

B．Parents have to talk with children face to face.

C．Parents are unhappy with their growing children.

D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers.

3 . Can you imagine a world without music? Studies show that public schools across the country are cutting back on music classes to save money. Worse, some schools have never had music classes to begin with. But without them, students’ academic(学业的) growth and emotional health could suffer. In fact, music classes are necessary for all students in schools.

A recent study by Brown University has shown that students who had music classes were better in math and reading skills than those without having music classes. Another study by The College Board found that students taking music and art classes got higher points. Students’ academic success seems to depend on taking part in music education.

Music programs in public schools also help to add to a student’s sense of pride and self-confidence. Teens today have too many learning tasks. Besides, they have family problems, self-confidence problems, relationship troubles, and choices about drugs and alcohol. All of these can stop academic success, but music education can help. Students who took part in school music programs were less likely to turn to drugs. Music programs encourage students to work together to produce an excellent performance.

Music crosses language, class cultural and political boundaries(界限). Music allows students from different countries to connect. For example, at a school talent show, a new Japanese student played a piano duet(二重奏) with an American classmate. Although they could not communicate verbally, they were able to read the music in order to play the duet. Two students from different cultures worked as a team with self-confidence and a common purpose through music.

The gift of music is priceless. We need to be sure of having necessary music classes for all students. The world is losing its music, and putting music into schools is the first step to get it back.

1. What can we know about education with music classes?

A．It wastes a lot of money from parents.	B．It leads to a lot of emotional problems easily.
C．It helps students improve their school work.	D．It has a bad influence on the quality of education.

2. The studies in paragraph 2 show that        .

A．not all students take part in music classes

B．students with great success attend music classes

C．students having music classes are better in all courses

D．music plays an important role in students’ academic success

3. What does the example in paragraph 4 mainly suggest?

A．Different cultures have different styles of music.

B．Music makes cross-country communication possible.

C．Japan has a good international relationship with America.

D．Japanese and American students are good at playing the piano.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Music education in schools	B．How to get music back?
C．Music—a bridge to understanding	D．The importance of listening to music

4 . Just a few months earlier, I would never have pictured myself acting in a play in front of two hundred people. If not for my _________, Mrs. Sather, I might never have found that opportunity.

In the first and second grade, I was extremely _________ . It just wasn't in my personality to be very outgoing. I would escape in my writing. Mrs. Sather, always _________ me to write more. I think she was one of the first people to see my inner _________.

One day, she announced our class was going to _________ a play, a take off on The Wizard of Oz. “I need someone to play the lead part of Dorothy.” A few excited hands _________ . Mine, of course, was not one of them.

After school, Mrs. Sather said to me, “Dallas, I was _________ you didn't raise your hand. You're great at memorizing things, and you have such a sweet personality. Perfect for Dorothy! I had you in _________ for Dorothy while writing the play! If you _________ don't want to, though, I won't make you. It's your __________.”

I realized it was time to show the world who I really was. I __________ the role. Fast-forward through five months of __________ , line memorizing, and costume creating, we were ready.

At the end of the play, when the audience stood and applauded, I knew they were not just __________ for my performance that night, but for the __________ that they knew would come in later years because of my newfound __________

1.

A．partner

B．teacher

C．parent

D．classmate

2.

A．shy

B．weak

C．energetic

D．ambitious

3.

A．recommended

B．allowed

C．encouraged

D．accompanied

4.

A．drawback

B．peace

C．character

D．strength

5.

A．perform

B．watch

C．write

D．enjoy

6.

A．put down

B．reached out

C．shot up

D．drew back

7.

A．excited

B．amused

C．afraid

D．surprised

8.

A．store

B．mind

C．memory

D．comparison

9.

A．really

B．initially

C．finally

D．spiritually

10.

A．turn

B．choice

C．luck

D．fault

11.

A．created

B．played

C．accepted

D．remembered

12.

A．practicing

B．learning

C．observing

D．communicating

13.

A．celebrating

B．chatting

C．cheering

D．congratulating

14.

A．praises

B．efforts

C．beliefs

D．performances

15.

A．skill

B．confidence

C．interest

D．hobby

5 . An act of kindness doesn't have to be a grand gesture. Even those small acts of kindness can make a difference in someone's day. That was just the case for Amie Mickey when she____________a bumper sticker on her car reading: You Matter.

Amie started to do this several years ago. At first, she wondered if people would________________it. However, much to her surprise, she began seeing a flood of____________every time she hit the road. More often than not, people________________slowly near her car would roll down their windows, raising their____________________,waving and smiling. Sometimes, she even found some sticky notes left on her windshield saying things like “You________________too! “Once while she was driving down the highway, she became____________when a man driving a sports car at a high speed pulled his car alongside suddenly, waving and mouthing, “You matter!” Though it took her some time to recover from the________________, she still felt happy. Last year, someone____________________her car while she was waiting for her friend in the car by the roadside, saying to her, “It is a(an)________________sticker. I’ve seen various stickers before, but none of them have touched me as your sticker has done. “The two small words on the sticker seem simple enough, but they really struck a chord with many complete strangers who___________to catch sight of the sticker.

Stories like Amie's really________________the rest of us. Sometimes a kind word or gesture may lift our____________and it doesn't cost a thing except for a little extra thought. Maybe it means offering a friend a hug, praising the children when their children________________well in school, helping someone out or volunteering at animal shelters or shelters for the homeless. Acts of kindness are waiting everywhere. Small as they seem, they can make a____________impact on the world, and help form general goodness.

1.

A．tore up

B．picked up

C．fixed up

D．put up

2.

A．watch

B．overlook

C．notice

D．neglect

3.

A．attention

B．strangers

C．confusion

D．trouble

4.

A．running

B．driving

C．walking

D．riding

5.

A．voices

B．hats

C．shoulders

D．thumbs

6.

A．count

B．share

C．value

D．matter

7.

A．frightened

B．frustrated

C．embarrassed

D．disappointed

8.

A．parking

B．speed

C．incident

D．event

9.

A．approached

B．blocked

C．repaired

D．cleaned

10.

A．important

B．special

C．typical

D．skeptical

11.

A．happened

B．occurred

C．managed

D．offered

12.

A．shock

B．inspire

C．delight

D．satisfy

13.

A．feelings

B．thoughts

C．spirits

D．minds

14.

A．work

B．exercise

C．conduct

D．behave

15.

A．reliable

B．subjective

C．positive

D．brief

6 . Places of Interest in Wales

Conway: On the north Wales coast, Conway is where you’ll find the world’s smallest house, as well as a much larger “house”，Conway Castle, which was built in the 13th century.

Anglesey: This beautiful island is joined to the rest of north Wales by a road bridge and a railway bridge, and it’s just a short drive from Conway. Here you can visit the village of Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll which has the strangest name in Europe. Don’t miss the station. The sign runs the complete length of the platform! Also on Anglesey is Beaumaris Castle, which was started in the 13th century and to this day remains unfinished.

Sonwdonia: Just a couple of hours’ drive from Beaumaris is the Snowdonia mountain range, which takes its name from the highest mountain in Wales, Mount Snowdon. From there, visit the famous Swallow Falls at nearby Betws­y­Coed.

Portmeirion: In 1925 Clough Williams­Ellis bought an attractive piece of Welsh land for less than ￡5,000. He then set out to show the world how a naturally beautiful castle could be built without being damaged and spent the next 50 years building the town of Portmeirion with a style of Italy.

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1. What do we know about Anglesey?

A．It is far from Conway.

B．It can be reached by train.

C．It lies in the south of Wales.

D．It has the smallest house in the world.

2. Where can visitors go if they want to see the Italian­style building?

A．Conway.

B．Anglesey.

C．Sonwdonia.

D．Portmeirion.

3. What can visitors get from the brochures?

A．Introduction of the climate in Wales.

B．Characteristics of buildings in Wales.

C．Information about adventure activities.

D．Detailed information about people in Wales.

7 . What is a true winner? We may be very _______ of Honda Motors.

In 1938, Soichiro Honda was still in school, when he started a little workshop. His plan was to sell piston rings(活塞环) to Toyota. He _______ night and day, believing he could _______ his design and produce a worthy product. Then, came the day he took a sample to Toyota, _______ to be told that the rings did not _______ their standards!

However, he refused to give up. _______ focus on his failure, he continued working towards his goal. After two more years of _______, he won a contract with Toyota. By then, Soichiro Honda needed to build a factory to supply Toyota, but building materials were in short supply.

Again he would not _______! He invented a _______ process that enabled him to build the factory. But __________, an earthquake destroyed the factory.

Was he __________ to give up now? No! Soichiro Honda wrote to 18, 000 bicycles shop owners and asked them to help him. 5,000 responded and __________ him what little money they could to build his tiny bicycle engines. __________ gradually the company got great success.

Honda succeeded because one man made a truly committed decision, __________ it, and made adjustments __________ a continuous basis.

1.

A．envious

B．familiar

C．aware

D．fond

2.

A．thought

B．prayed

C．slept

D．labored

3.

A．perfect

B．start

C．win

D．admire

4.

A．only

B．still

C．even

D．simply

5.

A．meet

B．improve

C．update

D．apply

6.

A．In order to

B．Or else

C．Other than

D．Rather than

7.

A．silence

B．explanation

C．service

D．struggle

8.

A．agree

B．suffer

C．quit

D．return

9.

A．abnormal

B．special

C．responsible

D．specific

10.

A．eventually

B．unfortunately

C．surprisingly

D．definitely

11.

A．unwilling

B．honest

C．ready

D．hopeful

12.

A．begged

B．promoted

C．refused

D．advanced

13.

A．Or

B．Otherwise

C．And

D．Yet

14.

A．thought about

B．acted on

C．reflected on

D．joined in

15.

A．on

B．in

C．at

D．with

8 . Luke is a cute dog, living together with me for five years. We get lots of   _________   in our area during the summer season. Many forests are badly _________ by fire each year. That hot summer, not far from our shelter, a forest   _________ fire. It was July, and there had been a heat wave going on for three days.

Somehow, Luke rushed toward the forest. There was no longer any hope at that moment to wait for Luke to come back to the _______. In fact, I was waiting for firefighters to tell me that he had _______ in the forest. Suddenly, a fireman burst into my office and     _______     me that Luke had succeeded in saving four kittens who had been _______by the flames. I _______   accompanied the fireman to the forest to get him back. _______ we got to the scene of the incident, we didn’t see Luke. Then we heard the   ________ of a dog barking in the forest. I ________the barks as Luke’s. The firemen ________ the tracks of the dog until they found him barking loudly by the side of an injured ________. Thanks to Luke, four kittens and a fireman were saved. This true story shows us that pets are loving, caring and compassionate. We should love and ________them. Little animals can do     ________     things for humans.

1.

A．rain

B．sun

C．noise

D．fires

2.

A．damaged

B．removed

C．changed

D．treated

3.

A．made

B．caught

C．set

D．burned

4.

A．forest

B．house

C．area

D．shelter

5.

A．lost

B．died

C．appeared

D．remained

6.

A．warned

B．reminded

C．informed

D．promised

7.

A．buried

B．trapped

C．controlled

D．swallowed

8.

A．immediately

B．slightly

C．approximately

D．particularly

9.

A．Since

B．Unless

C．When

D．Until

10.

A．call

B．shout

C．voice

D．sound

11.

A．understood

B．recognized

C．treated

D．realized

12.

A．recorded

B．noticed

C．followed

D．wanted

13.

A．fireman

B．doctor

C．farmer

D．teacher

14.

A．save

B．raise

C．protect

D．hate

15.

A．fun

B．enormous

C．little

D．risky

9 . A day in the life of 18-year-old David Lanster is full of teenage activities: school, baseball practice, homework. And then he starts cooking. “Some nights I’m up until 1 a.m. making pies, or even later if we’re cooking beef,” said the student at Ransom Everglades High School in Florida, US.

For the past year, Lanster and Kelly Moran, his classmate, have been hosting fancy dinner parties at Lanster’s parents’ home. Their meals have 17 courses and are all made by them. Their guests used to give them gifts to thank them, until the pair decided to do something nice for charity. “We got some really great Miami Heat tickets, a nice watch, and many kitchen machines,” Lanster said. “But we wanted to make this something positive for people rather than us.”

Lanster and Moran focused on Common Threads, a charity(慈善机构) that helps to teach kids in poor neighborhood to cook and make healthy eating choices. The young cooks ask their guests to give however much they want as payment for their meals. It all goes to Common Threads because Lanster’s parents cover their food costs. After their last 12-person event, Lanster and Moran gave $1,600 to the charity. Now, they’re taking their show out of the kitchen and on the road. Lanster and Moran have started to organize private dinner parties in a similar way: the host pays for the ingredients(食材), and the guests make a donation (捐赠) to a charity.

Outside the kitchen, the two are busy preparing their college applications. Neither is sure what they will do in the future, but they’ve promised their parents that they’ll leave cooking alone until they finish high school.

1. Why does Lanster and Moran cook now?

A．To get gifts from guests.	B．To raise money for charity.
C．To become cooks.	D．To make healthier eating choices.

2. What can we infer about Lanster and Moran?

A．They will give up cooking forever.

B．They are sure about their future jobs.

C．Their parents support cooking as a job.

D．They will stop cooking for college application.

3. How can we best describe Lanster and Moran?

A．Selfish and reliable.	B．Creative and helpful.
C．Confident and careful.	D．Outgoing and patient.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Great Cook	B．Eat as you Wish
C．Helping by Cooking	D．Cooking for School Fees

10 . Arriving in Sydney on his own from India, my husband, Rashid, stayed in a hotel for a short time while looking for a house for me and our children.

During the first week of his stay, he went out one day to do some shopping. He came back in the late afternoon to discover that his suitcase was gone. He was extremely worried as the suitcase had all his important papers, including his passport.

He reported the case to the police and then sat there, lost and lonely in a strange city, thinking of the terrible troubles of getting all the paperwork organized again from a distant country while trying to settle down in a new one.

Late in the evening, the phone rang. It was a stranger. He was trying to pronounce my husband’s name and was asking him a lot of questions. Then he said they had found a pile of papers in their trash can(垃圾桶) that had been left out on the footpath.

My husband rushed to their home to find a kind family holding all his papers and documents. Their young daughter had gone to the trash can and found a pile of unfamiliar papers. Her parents had carefully sorted them out, although they had found mainly foreign addresses on most of the documents. At last they had seen a half-written letter in the pile in which my husband had given his new telephone number to a friend.

That family not only restored the important documents to us that day but also restored our faith and trust in people. We still remember their kindness and often send a warm wish their way.

1. What did Rashid plan to do after his arrival in Sydney?

A．Go shopping	B．Find a house
C．Join his family	D．Take a vacation

2. The girl’s parents got Rashid’s phone number from_________.

A．a friend of his family	B．a Sydney policeman
C．a letter in his papers	D．a stranger in Sydney

3. What does the underlined word “restored” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Showed	B．Sent out
C．Delivered	D．Gave back

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．From India to Australia.	B．Living in a New Country
C．Turning Trash to Treasure.	D．In Search of New Friends.