1 . There’s no doubt that one of the greatest human achievements is the exploration of the space. Ever since astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to be sent into the orbit around the moon in 1961, scientists have been pushing the boundaries further and further. But until now the exploration into the unknown has been dominated (主导) by men.

Of course, in the past, women were also included in the space projects and played an active role on the ground and behind the scenes. For example, they worked as seamstresses (女裁缝师), sewing vital spaceflight components. In fact, many of NASA’s key works would never have been possible without them. Recently Hollywood produced a movie called Hidden Figures to focus on a group of American female mathematicians, especially the black women, who helped NASA send the first American into space. But this was not women’s only contribution. Back in 1963, Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be sent into space. However, after that, space flight programs were slow to employ women. In the USA. NASA didn’t accept applications from women to become astronauts until 1978.

But attitudes have changed and leading officials at NASA say that the first person to set foot on Mars should be a woman. The space agency aims to have a sex-balanced workforce but can only achieve that if equal numbers of men and women are trained for science and technology jobs. As Allison McIntryre told the BBC, “My director is a woman. We have female astronauts. We haven’t put a woman on the moon yet. And I think that perhaps the first person to step on Mars should be a woman.”

1. What did Yuri Gagarin do in 1961?

A．He landed on the moon in success.

B．He discovered many new boundaries.

C．He led scientists to explore the moon.

D．He made the first journey into the space.

2. Why does the author mention the film Hidden Figures?

A．To show women are the true heroes of NASA’s first launch.

B．To stress that black people have won equal rights in NASA.

C．To prove women can do as well as men in NASA’ projects.

D．To present women’s contributions to NASA’s space programs.

3. What is Allison McIntryre’s attitude toward women astronauts?

A．Uncaring.	B．Disapproving.
C．Supportive.	D．Disappointed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Will the First Person to Step on Mars Be a Woman?

B．Great Achievements Have Been Made in Space Exploration?

C．Why Men Played an Important Role in Exploring the Unknown?

D．Men and Women Have Made Equal Contributions to NASA’s Projects?

2 . Hybrid cars, also called hybrid electric vehicles （HEVs）, are cars that use more than one source of energy to run. They differ from the majority of cars on the road today in several ways. The main difference is that HEVs run on gasoline and electricity. An HEV car has a battery-powered motor as well as an engine that runs on gasoline.

A hybrid car is a bit more expensive to produce than a regular car even though its engine is smaller. The reason for the greater expense is that the engine is more complex. It has specialized mechanisms that allow it to operate using gasoline and electric power. It also contains a computer that works differently from those of regular cars. Even though it is more expensive to purchase, it costs less to own than gas-powered cars. When an HEV car is at a stoplight or going at a speed below 15 miles per hour, its special computer tells it to run just on electric power. When the computer senses that the car needs more power, it puts the gasoline engine back to work. The computer is constantly deciding whether the car will use electricity, gas, or a combination of the two.

Because the HEV has electric power to help it run, it uses much less fuel than most cars. In fact hybrid cars are the most fuel-efficient cars that exist today. They can get from 50 to 60 miles per gallon on average. The high mileage saves money for the car owner and conserves precious supplies of petroleum. Hybrid cars help the environment in other ways too. For example, when

the HEV is using electric power, it does not send out poisonous smoke that pollute the air.

Despite the differences between hybrid cars and regular cars, HEVs offer the same feel as regular cars. They handle the same way and speed up and stop in the same way too. HEVs, though, are generally smaller than gasoline-powered cars. Their rounded, aerodynamic frame helps add to their fuel efficiency but unfortunately does not add to the amount of space inside the vehicle.

1. Which statement best explains the characteristics of an HEV?

A．Safe and reliable.	B．Expensive but long-lasting.
C．Smaller engine, greater power.	D．High price, low carbon.

2. The transformation between the gasoline and electricity in an HEV is operated by ________.

A．the engine	B．the battery
C．the computer	D．the driver

3. For what purpose was the HEV invented?

A．To save energy.	B．To provide better service.
C．To lower the expense of purchase.	D．To give the drivers a different feeling.

4. Where does the passage probably come from?

A．A health report.	B．A science magazine.
C．A vehicle advertisement.	D．A travel journal.

3 . I believe even the smartest people have to work hard to achieve success. People make themselves into winners by their own _______.

Many years ago, I took the head _______ job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the _______ team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to _______ the game, but to my disappointment we were defeated. Thinking hard about it, I came to _______ that I had to change my _______ towards their ability and potential.

I started doing anything I could to help them build a little _______. Most importantly, I began to treat them like _______. That summer vacation, we met every day and _______     passing and kicking the football.

Six months after our defeat, we won our first game and our second, and continued to ________ . Finally, we faced the number one team in Georgia. I felt that it would be a ________ for us even if we lost the game. But my boys beat them , giving me the greatest ________ of my life!

       From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can ________ the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and ________ them. I helped them to see themselves ________       , and they built themselves into winners. Winners are made, not born.1.

A．tests

B．luck

C．efforts

D．nature

2.

A．operating

B．editing

C．consulting

D．coaching

3.

A．new

B．excellent

C．strong

D．successful

4.

A．cheer for

B．prepare for

C．help with

D．finish with

5.

A．realize

B．claim

C．permit

D．demand

6.

A．decision

B．attitude

C．conclusion

D．intention

7.

A．pride

B．culture

C．fortune

D．relationship

8.

A．leaders

B．partners

C．winners

D．learners

9.

A．risked

B．missed

C．considered

D．practiced

10.

A．expand

B．improve

C．relax

D．defend

11.

A．shame

B．burden

C．victory

D．favor

12.

A．chance

B．joy

C．concern

D．offer

13.

A．surprise

B．relate

C．interest

D．affect

14.

A．encouraged

B．observed

C．protected

D．impressed

15.

A．naturally

B．individually

C．calmly

D．differently

4 . How I Turned to Be Optimistic

I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt＇s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1. How did the author get to know America?

A．From her relatives.	B．From her mother.
C．From Books and pictures.	D．From radio programs.

2. Upon leaving for America the author felt ________.

A．confused	B．excited
C．worried	D．amazed

3. For the first two years in New York, the author ________.

A．often lost her way

B．did not think about her future

C．studied in three different schools

D．got on well with her stepfather

4. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．She worked as a translator.

B．She attended a lot of job interviews.

C．She paid telephone bills for her family.

D．She helped her family with her English.

5. The author believes that ________.

A．her future will be free from troubles

B．it is difficult to learn to become patient

C．there are more good things than bad things

D．good things will happen if one keeps trying

5 . Essay

April 12   Rainy Today, I arrived at my friend Worawut’s house outside of Bangkok for the holidays. His family was doing a spring-cleaning of their pretty wooden house in preparation for Songkran Festival. They put their hands together to greet me with a traditional gesture called the wai. April 13   Cloudy         That smells wonderful! The women were cooking Thai foods for the next day’s ceremonies. We men went to the river and brought lots of sand to the village wat. The wat was a beautiful Buddhist temple where the monks lived. We left the sand in piles near the wat. April 14   Sunny We all dressed up and went to the village wat. The monks waited with their bowls at a long table. Monks are used to a life of sacrifice and discipline, but not today. We filled their bowls with rice and all kinds of palatable foods. Everyone smiled and music played as the monks ate. After that, we attended the bathing ceremony. We poured water over little stone Buddhas. Young people poured some sweet water into the hands of older people to show respect for them. Outside, everyone used sand we had brought to make sand pagodas. April 15   Sunny Today was the last day of the festival, and Worawut told me to get ready for some water throwing. We put lots of buckets of water on the truck and drove into the village. Everyone was throwing buckets of water. Nobody escaped dry! On such a hot day, the water felt really good. I can’t wait to come back next year!

1. The passage is most probably taken from _______.

A．a festival poster

B．a traveler’s festival journal

C．a festival brochure

D．a traveler’s festival poem

2. According to the passage, Songkran Festival is held _______.

A．in middle April

B．when the weather turns cold

C．in the beginning of April

D．at the end of April

3. During Songkran Festival, if young people in Thailand want to show respect for older people, they should _______.

A．cook various kinds of foods for older people

B．take sand from the river, and then use the sand to make pagodas for older people

C．pour smelly water all over older people

D．pour the water that smells good into the hands of older people

4. The writer wants to come back to Thailand next year, mainly because _______.

A．the throwing of water made him feel joyful

B．the delicious Thai foods left him with a deep impression

C．his friend Worawut treated him very well

D．dancing with the monks brought him a lot of fun

6 .
1. If the performance starts at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, what time will it finish?

A．At 3:20 p.m.

B．At 5:20 p.m.

C．At 7:20 p.m.

D．At 9:20 p.m.

2. How much will a man pay for the tickets for himself and his 10-year -old son if he buys the tickets online?

A．£67.50.

B．£70.

C．£72.

D．£73.

3. What number should a group leader call to book the tickets for all his 17 adult visitors?

A．0844 482 5100.

B．0844 482 5160.

C．0844 482 5165.

D．0844 482 5173.

4. Which activity doesn't a school group have in the theater?

A．Visiting the kids' club.	B．Joining in the work shops.
C．Having a backstage tour.	D．Taking photos with the performers.

5. In the“SEAT PRICES" section, there are four sentences marked A, B, C and D. Please choose the one which is not related to the main idea of this section.

A．marked A

B．marked B

C．marked C

D．marked D

7 . Hi, Dave Gieber here. Are you seriously thinking about starting a comic book(连环漫画册)collection yourself? Then “Comic Book Collecting, a Starting Point” was written just for you. This book was designed to help you jump-start your collection using Internet resources!

See what others are saying!

Dave,

As a layperson totally green about comic book collecting, the information provided in your book would allow someone like me to basically start a collection from the very beginning. The steps defined on what to look for and where to look when starting a collection are invaluable to a beginner. In addition, you provide information that not only appeals to those starting out but for those collecting for a long time as well. Great job.

Lorraine Cote

Dave,

I'm thinking it's a little long on history, but I am so impressed by all it presents. Wow! Quite an interesting read. I found the pieces on the Artists particularly interesting.

This is a great piece of work! I love artwork, and did a lot of watercolor work myself and was often fantasizing about comic book penciling myself someday.

If I have one negative thing to say about it…It has to be that I wish I had written it! Congratulations. Dave. This is a real winner.

James D. Tyler

Dear Dave,

Congratulations on a fine book. It is essential reading for people who want to turn their hobby into a money-making venture. I Only wish that I had had this information 40 years ago when I took 6 empty pop(汽水)bottles into the corner store and purchased my first comic book.

I'm amazed at the fact that 40 years ago 10 cents could buy a loaf of bread or the very first issue of The Fantastic Four. Today, 10 cents cannot buy you anything, but a near mint(未损坏的)copy of that comic book could bring you up to$35,000! Thanks for the good read.

Ian McBride

1. What do we know about Lorraine Cote?

A．She is inexperienced in comic book collecting.

B．She has been collecting comic books for years.

C．She asks for information about comic book collecting.

D．She knows nothing about comic book collecting.

2. What is the main reason James D. Tyler writes to Dave?

A．He enjoys reading.	B．He wishes to write a book.
C．He is interested in history.	D．He is interested in artwork.

3. What can be inferred about Ian McBride's first comic book he bought 40 years ago?

A．He bought it with the money for pop.	B．He bought it after he got six bottles of pop.
C．He made a lot of money by selling it later	D．He didn't realize its economic potential then.