1 . When you choose a higher education course, here are some tips for you to follow.

Choosing your course

There are a range of subjects and courses available. Many are work-related; others are academic. You’ll need to look beyond the course title because courses with almost the same name may differ enormously. For example, if you’re interested in construction but wish to use your creative skills, you may be better suited to a building design management course than a building project management course.

Style of learning

Think about the style of learning that best suits you. It’s important to study a subject that you particularly enjoy, but if you want to follow a career in a different area, you may consider taking the subjects you want to learn and joining them into one degree. Many degree courses are made up of different subject modules which deal with particular areas of interest.

Choosing where to study

Where you study can be almost as important as what you study. One thing to consider is whether you want to live at home or move away. For some people, living at home offers the best of both worlds, but it may make sense to move if you want to study a particular course at a specific university or college. Many students value the experience of living on campus or in a different part of the country as an important part of university life.

Finding out more about courses

Once you’ve got a list of courses that appeal to you, it’s worth looking at some other sources of information about them, like independent reports. These provide information on the numbers of students who finished the course, student satisfaction and more.

Open days

Open days usually take place in spring or autumn. Although you may have an idea about what a course is like, there’s no substitute（替代）for attending a class yourself. If you can’t come on the open days, you can sign up for a guided tour instead.

1. You need to look beyond the course title because courses with similar names may be ______.

A．creativity-focused	B．work-related
C．far different	D．quite similar

2. What are you advised to do if your interest disagrees with your future career?

A．Add preferred subjects to your degree courses.

B．Choose the subjects based on your interest.

C．Earn different degrees.

D．Give up your interest.

3. What do we learn about from Para. 4?

A．Disadvantages of studying on campus.

B．Reasons for choosing where to study.

C．Importance of attending a nearby college.

D．Problems of going to a faraway university.

4. Why is it recommended to check independent reports?

A．To increase applicants’ interest.

B．To better understand a course.

C．To figure out how to complete a course.

D．To find out how different the courses are.

5. On the open days, would-be college students can ______.

A．sign up for a particular course

B．take a guided tour on the campus

C．see whether there is a substitute course

D．have a first-hand experience of a course

2 . Years of living with a lisp (口齿不清) had taught me it was better not to say anything than to speak and risk embarrassment. As a result of my ______, I felt distanced from most of my peers (同龄人). “Kathy? Oh, she’s quiet.” That’s what most people would say when they ____ me, as if “Quiet” were part of my ____. I was okay with that. I didn’t need to be ____.

Last September, however, that all ____. I started my creative writing class with Ms. Haist. Every day we would be given a different writing task and, if we wished, we could ____ what we had written. I ____ listening to others read their work and thinking: “That will never be me. I’ll never have the ____ to do that.”

One day, I was really ____ with what I had written and wanted to share. My heart was beating wildly as I raised my hand. Those ____ little voices were ringing in my ear, “You have a lisp, remember? ____, your writing isn’t that good. Be quiet.” I was about to ____ my hand when I met Ms. Haist’s encouraging eyes.

I swallowed the voices down and let my real voice ___. I could hear it ___as I read, and I could hear every stutter (结巴) and mistake. I finished reading, waiting to be laughed at. ____, I heard claps from the class and praise from Ms. Haist.

The next day, I did it ____. Soon I was reading out loud nearly every day. Gradually, I realized that ____ my lisp, the class and the teacher always appreciated my writing. Now I may still not be the most ____, social person, but I’ve become better at oral presentations. I ____ read my poetry out loud at a reading club.

Every time those little voices try to tell me to be quiet, I think of all the encouragement I received in class and I know that I ____ to be heard.

1.

A．embarrassment

B．excitement

C．humor

D．silence

2.

A．heard from

B．talked of

C．called on

D．looked for

3.

A．name

B．opinion

C．duty

D．business

4.

A．seen

B．heard

C．followed

D．protected

5.

A．disappeared

B．returned

C．developed

D．changed

6.

A．examine

B．practice

C．share

D．copy

7.

A．regret

B．consider

C．imagine

D．remember

8.

A．time

B．courage

C．patience

D．evidence

9.

A．busy

B．strict

C．pleased

D．disappointed

10.

A．tired

B．urgent

C．funny

D．cheerful

11.

A．Besides

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Normally

12.

A．touch

B．wave

C．extend

D．withdraw

13.

A．go down

B．die away

C．come out

D．calm down

14.

A．shaking

B．singing

C．shouting

D．deepening

15.

A．Sadly

B．Hopefully

C．Honestly

D．Unexpectedly

16.

A．again

B．alone

C．already

D．anyway

17.

A．thanks to

B．instead of

C．despite

D．except

18.

A．serious

B．outgoing

C．nervous

D．hardworking

19.

A．even

B．still

C．only

D．seldom

20.

A．fear

B．agree

C．deserve

D．pretend

3 . I was ready to pay for my bananas at the grocery one night, when fear seized me. My wallet was gone. I could only have left it on the G9 bus, which was now speeding in the dark to some _____________ station.

The _________ moment was quickly followed by mental math. How much time and money would it cost to replace the ___________ of that little wallet? The credit cards, the driver’s license, the cash, all lost to the bus.

Two hours later, back at my house, I heard a knock on the door. My husband _____________ it while I was on the phone in the dining room. “Does Jennifer live here?” I heard a lady say. In my husband’s hand was my wallet, with not a penny ___________. She left before I could _________ make it to the door to offer my thanks.

After sharing the story online, I heard from someone, who _________ the lady as Erin Smith. Without _______, I called to thank her. She said she _________ my wallet on a bus seat. She ______________ that going to a stranger’s house was a ____________ move, but she decided to take the chance. “If I were in that ____________, I would want someone to try to find me,” she said.

This one stranger responded beautifully to my small ____________, but she actually wasn’t the only one. Right after Erin ____________ my wallet on the bus, she posted a picture of my driver’s license to an online forum(论坛), trying to see ____________ anyone knew me. No sooner did she leave my doorstep than I had emails from two women whose kids go to my son’s nursery and who recognized my face. I’ve never ____________ words with those moms beyond small talk, but they wanted to help. I read that people are more divided than ever, but that’s not how the people I ______________ tend to act.

__________, I feel blessed someone had wanted to help a stranger. Erin had gone ____________ what almost anyone would have done, finding my house on a bitterly cold night, and for that I was extremely ____________.

1.

A．accessible

B．hidden

C．unknown

D．convenient

2.

A．face-saving

B．brain-washing

C．eye-catching

D．heart-stopping

3.

A．parts

B．contents

C．details

D．ingredients

4.

A．ignored

B．answered

C．examined

D．interrupted

5.

A．missing

B．returned

C．remaining

D．abandoned

6.

A．still

B．ever

C．yet

D．even

7.

A．selected

B．appointed

C．identified

D．defined

8.

A．delay

B．alarm

C．regret

D．invitation

9.

A．moved

B．placed

C．opened

D．spotted

10.

A．disagreed

B．complained

C．calculated

D．recommended

11.

A．selfless

B．risky

C．slow

D．personal

12.

A．site

B．direction

C．situation

D．atmosphere

13.

A．crisis

B．danger

C．threat

D．failure

14.

A．got rid of

B．made use of

C．had control of

D．took possession of

15.

A．if

B．where

C．how

D．when

16.

A．recalled

B．exchanged

C．repeated

D．whispered

17.

A．encounter

B．follow

C．consult

D．accompany

18.

A．Going away

B．Turning around

C．Looking back

D．Coming along

19.

A．into

B．against

C．over

D．beyond

20.

A．longing

B．enthusiastic

C．concerned

D．grateful

4 . An unpleasant smell floated into my nose as the bowl of fried stinky tofu（臭豆腐） settled onto my grandmother’s dinner table. I immediately sat back. The smell ruined my appetite, and I pushed the dish away.

“It’s supposed to stink. Just give it a try!” my grandmother said.

Holding my breath, I unwillingly took a bite. To my surprise, the tofu beneath the fried skin was warm, soft, and mouthwatering. Since then, whenever I visited my grandmother’s house, I would rush to the kitchen for the stinky tofu with excitement. Thus, stinky tofu became more than a household tradition. It became my favorite dish.

Along with the stinky tofu, I would meet my Uncle Chan on every visit. As an immature boy, I never understood my uncle’s condition of Down syndrome（唐氏综合征）.

He was an unfriendly and terrible creature in my eyes. He constantly walked around the house, talking to himself. Whenever he was within view, I would run away in fear.

However, one day, my view of my uncle suddenly changed. I was just getting out of my bed when I heard soft steps approaching. It was my uncle. My muscles froze. He slowly sat next to me and touched my face gently, as a mother would stroke （抚摸）a baby.

A wide smile emerged from his blank expression. How beautiful his smile was! I could not help but smile back. My fear disappeared gradually, and my muscles relaxed. For the first time, I could see softness and warmth in his eyes.

My uncle very much resembles stinky tofu. Stinky tofu smells unpleasant on the outside,   yet   feels   warm   and   soft   in   the   inside.   Like   stinky   tofu,   my   uncle’s   Down syndrome made me keep my distance at first. Yet, I learned that deep inside, he is harmless and has a loving nature.

Some people tend to look down upon disabled people and regard them as unfit for a regular life. As I was able to see through the outer surface of the tofu, these people are unable to see through the surface of prejudice（偏见）. As a result, they judge the disabled with one glance.

The outside and inside of the stinky tofu exist as two extremely different worlds. Perhaps that is what makes it such a tasty dish. Not only is it delicious, stinky tofu offers a valuable lesson: never judge people at first glance, for true beauty comes from the inside.

1. Why did stinky tofu become the author’s favorite dish?

A．It was related to family tradition.

B．It turned out to be quite delicious.

C．Grandma encouraged him to try it.

D．His appetite for food had increased.

2. What did the author think of his uncle at first?

A．He was a quiet person.

B．He was an energetic guy.

C．He was an immature man.

D．He was a strange creature.

3. The author’s attitude towards Uncle Chan changed when .

A．Chan’s footsteps woke up the author

B．Chan showed his friendliness to the author

C．Chan displayed his love towards his mother

D．Chan’s blank expression made the author smile

4. The comparison between stinky tofu and the author’s uncle serves to _.

A．highlight the nature of Uncle Chan

B．analyze the family relationship

C．describe a childhood memory

D．introduce a traditional Chinese food

5. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the passage?

A．We shouldn’t judge by appearances.

B．A person’s taste changes over time.

C．Blood is thicker than water.

D．You are what you eat.

5 . In the summer before I entered middle school, I read the book They Cage the Animals at Night. It’s a story about Jennings, a boy living in various orphanages（孤儿院）with only his stuffed animal（毛绒玩具）, Doggie, for companionship. It’s a fascinating book, but little did I know how it would _______ my life and the lives of others.

One day, as I looked across my room at the pile of stuffed animals, a(n) _________ came to me. I would _________   stuffed animals for children like Jennings. _________ , I contacted agencies   that   support   those   children   and   they   said   the   stuffed   animals   would certainly _________   children’s spirits.

I named my project “Cuddle Buddies”. I wrote articles for the local and   school   newspapers, _________   donations of   the   “buddies”— stuffed animals. My phone _________ ringing; schools, families, and toy factories all wanted to help. Much to my _________ , by the second week my living room looked like a zoo. Whenever Mom and I _________ the “buddies” to the agencies, the kids would be waiting there with their eyes down, too ____________ to look but shaking with excitement.

Six years after its launch, Cuddle Buddies continues to ____________ . Now over 25,000 stuffed animals have been ____________ to agencies worldwide. Simon, a seven-year-old boy in an African Children’s Home, couldn’t sleep at night after he lost his parents. When asked to choose his “buddies”, Simon ____________   a panda and soon after was sleeping through the night. I never dreamed Cuddle Buddies would     ____________ this way.

Upon graduating from high school, I designed a website, www.cuddlebuddies.net, to ____________   the project. The response was ____________ . More and more people joined me and two dozen Cuddle Buddies ____________   were established across the nation.

This has been a great experience. I’ve learned how to follow through on an idea and how   to ____________   impact   a   life.   I   will   go   to   college with   these ____________   in   mind   and continue my work with Cuddle Buddies, even when I ____________   a whole new set of exciting academic and nonacademic pursuits.

1.

A．touch

B．risk

C．lead

D．save

2.

A．chance

B．idea

C．explanation

D．word

3.

A．display

B．repair

C．purchase

D．collect

4.

A．Previously

B．Occasionally

C．Immediately

D．Gradually

5.

A．capture

B．reflect

C．lift

D．record

6.

A．putting aside

B．turning down

C．asking for

D．getting back

7.

A．delayed

B．kept

C．stopped

D．meant

8.

A．knowledge

B．taste

C．regret

D．delight

9.

A．delivered

B．applied

C．rented

D．returned

10.

A．shy

B．content

C．weak

D．eager

11.

A．reform

B．expand

C．dominate

D．divide

12.

A．produced

B．adopted

C．sold

D．donated

13.

A．picked out

B．came across

C．showed off

D．brought up

14.

A．decline

B．work

C．increase

D．react

15.

A．promote

B．start

C．evaluate

D．examine

16.

A．confusing

B．amusing

C．automatic

D．enthusiastic

17.

A．companies

B．committees

C．branches

D．institutes

18.

A．financially

B．positively

C．socially

D．physically

19.

A．plans

B．images

C．lessons

D．motives

20.

A．work out

B．keep off

C．rely on

D．engage in

6 . The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.

This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert cats or dogs.

“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor (议员) behind the new law.

“It’s good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention,” she told a Rome newspaper.

The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.

“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals who deserve (值得) over respect and compassion every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Last year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines (罚款) and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.

The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to ＄598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.

The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tails to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks.

1. The new law passed in Rome will ________.

A．help improve fishing environment

B．guarantee better conditions for goldfish

C．stop people from catching goldfish

D．discourage keeping goldfish at home

2. The underlined word “compassion” in Paragraph 6 is the closest in meaning to ________.

A．pity

B．praise

C．support

D．popularity

3. People may break the law in Turin if they ________.

A．keep their dogs or cats in cars

B．feed homeless animals in car parks

C．raise their cats near ancient ruins

D．shut their dogs home all day long

7 . I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father’s age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means.

A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, “Fifty is what forty used to be.” He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill? People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now.

“Your are not getting older, you are getting better.” says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion.

And so as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies (悼词). In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all:

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to me.

Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend (混合) of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher (哲学家) was right when he said, “Old is always fifteen years from now.”

1. The author seems to tell us in Paragraph 1 that ________.

A．time alone will tell	B．time goes by quickly
C．time will show what is right	D．time makes one forget the past

2. When the author turned fifty, people around him ________.

A．tried to comfort him	B．got inspiration with him
C．were friendlier with him	D．found him more talkative

3. The author considers his fifty years of life________.

A．peaceful

B．ordinary

C．satisfactory

D．regretful

4. We can infer from the passage that________.

A．the old should led a simple life	B．the old should face the fact of aging
C．the old should take more exercise	D．the old should fill themselves with curiosity

8 . 阅读理解。
Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps. As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable. You begin to realize that your boy, in your footsteps, could probably accomplish what you hoped for. But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.
My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten. Science projects waited until the last moment. Book reports weren’t written until the final threat.
I’ve been a newspaperman all my adult life. My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master’s degree in English. But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student(技校学生). They’re called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.
When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”, I was shocked. “Hey, he’s a good kid,” I wanted to say. “And smart, really.”
I learned later that motorheads are, indeed, different. They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don’t often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).
But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education. We who labor in clean shirts in offices don’t have the abilities that motorheads have. I began to learn this when I had my car crashed. The cost to repair it was estimated at $800. “Hey, I can fix it,” said Jody. I doubted it , but let him go ahead, for I had nothing to lose.
My son ,with other motorheads,fixed the car. They got parts(零件）from ajunkyard, and ability from vo-tech classes. The lost was $25 instead of $80.
Since that first repair job, a broken air-conditioner, a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.
These kids are happiest when doing repairs. They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world. And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.
I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers, engineers need mechanics, and architects need builders. Most important, I have learned that fathers don’t need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.
My son may never make the school honor roll. But he made mine.
1. What used to be the author’s hope for his son?

A．To avoid becoming his clone.

B．To resemble him in appearance.

C．To develop in a different direction.

D．To reach the author’s unachieved goals.

2. What can we learn about the author’s children?

A．His daughter does better in school.

B．His daughter has got a master’s degree.

C．His son tried hard to finish homework.

D．His son couldn’t write his book reports.

3. The author let his son repair the car because he believed that_______.

A．His son had the ability to fix it.

B．it would save him much time.

C．it wouldn’t cause him any more loss

D．other motorheads would come to help.

4. In the author’s eyes, motorheads are _______.

A．tidy and hardworking	B．cheerful and smart
C．lazy but bright	D．relaxed but rude

5. What did the author realize in the end?

A．It is unwise to expect your child to follow your path.

B．It is important for one to make the honor roll.

C．Architects play a more important role than builders.

D．Motorheads have greater ability than office workers.

9 . In meditation (冥想), people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath. As they breathe in and out, they attend to their feelings. As thoughts go through their minds, they let them go. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. Let go.

       According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a market change in how the brain allocates (分配) attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli (刺激), like facial expressions.
       The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice. everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain, It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being.
       In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day. A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period. Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both group looked for the numbers, their brain activity was recorded.
       Everyone could catch the first number. But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number. Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number. as if letting it go, which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number. This shows that attention can change with practice.
       Just ask Daniel Levision, who meditated for three months as part of the study.” I am a much better listener,” he said. “I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying.”
1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.

A．feelings

B．minds

C．people

D．thoughts

2. Meditations manage their daily tasks better because they ________.

A．are given less pressure	B．allocate their attention better
C．have more stimuli for life	D．practice them more frequently

3. In the experiment, volunteers doing meditation for longer hours ________.

A．were more likely to catch both of the members

B．were used to memorizing numbers in groups

C．usually ignored the first number observed

D．paid more attention to numbers than to letters

4. The study proves that ________.

A．meditation improves one’s health

B．brain activity can be recorded

C．human attention can be trained

D．mediators have a good sense of hearing

10 .        When we think of leadership, we often think of strength and power. But what are these really, and how do they operate?
       Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term, They will also experience fear.
       Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they associate you with this emotion of fear. They will become less functional around you, and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot. but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively. Fear has no place in leadership.
       The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation (积极性). Today’s work place is all about relationships.
       Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they are recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor (因素) in the work life of most people.
       The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence—knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others. Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills.
1. An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when ________.

A．he is forced to do things	B．be cannot work at his best
C．he feels his brain shut down	D．he thinks of his work as too heavy

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

A．People tend to associate leadership with fear

B．Working conditions affect people’s physical health

C．Good relationship is the key to business success

D．Smart people are more functional in the work place.

3. To positively influence employees a leader should first of all ________.

A．provide better suggestions	B．develop his own personality
C．five his employees a pay raise	D．hide his own emotion of fear

4. Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader’s ability to ________.

A．provide a variety of project for employees

B．help raise employee’s living standards

C．give employees specific instructions

D．deal wisely with employees’ emotions