1 . Great Albums

Golden Hour
By Kacey Musgraves
Price: $10.49

It’s no surprise that many people forecast Golden Hour will be one of the best country albums of the 2010s. Country music superstar Musgraves makes listeners feel like she is speaking directly to them, thanks to her honesty and attention to detail. Although Musgraves is famous for her clever wordplay and humorous expressions about small-town life, she says she likes more direct songwriting.

Honky Tonk Time Machine
By George Strait
Price: $11.49

Honky Tonk Time Machine is a successful return for the best country music singer of all time. Radio stations often play it. Though you can listen to this album at home, the cover is a good enough reason for owning the album. The album is a must for fans of George or true country music.

Stronger Than the Truth
By Reba McEntire
Price: $9.49

If you are a country music fan, then this album is for you. There is something for everyone on this album. As the Queen of love songs, McEntire has some beautiful songs and she sings them to perfection. This may be her best country album to date.

Under Pressure
By Logic
Price: $9.49

On this album, the American rap singer talks about his growth. Under Pressure is a how of Logic’s life, his new fame, and most importantly, his family. Although Logic shows his skillful flow on this album, what makes it really special is the autobiographical (自传的) detail. The album is actually a successful project for a guy who worked hard.

1. What do we know about Kacey Musgraves?

A．She often talks with her fans face to face.

B．She cares about detail in golden hour.

C．She is the best songwriter in the 2010s.

D．She likes writing in small towns.

2. Whose music style is different from the other three?

A．Kacey Musgraves.	B．George Strait.
C．Reba McEntire.	D．Logic.

3. Which album is the most expensive?

A．Golden Hour.	B．Stronger Than the Truth.
C．Honky Tonk Time Machine.	D．Under Pressure.

2 . After two years of careful consideration, Robert McCrum has reached a conclusion on his selection of the 100 greatest novels written in English. Take a look at a few in his list.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)

By the end of the 19th century, no book in English literary history had enjoyed more editions and translations. This world-famous novel is a complex literature that one cannot resist.

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)

A great work that’s been repeatedly printed, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels comes third in our list of the best novels written in English.

Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1748)

Clarissa is a tragic heroine, pressured by her dishonorable family to marry a wealthy man she dislikes, in the book that Samuel Johnson described as “the first book in the world that shows the knowledge about the human heart.”

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (1749)

Tom Jones is a classic English novel that gets the spirit of its age and whose characters are well-known since they have come to represent the society at that time.

Emma by Jane Austen (1816)

Jane Austen’s Emma is her most outstanding work, mixing the best parts of her early books with a deep sense of feelings.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (1838)

Edgar Allan Poe’s only novel—a classic adventure story with supernatural elements—has fascinated and influenced generations of writers.

1. Which English book has got the most translations before the 20th century?

A．Tom Jones

B．Gulliver’s Travels

C．Robinson Crusoe

D．Emma

2. What does Samuel Johnson think we can learn about from the book Clarissa?

A．The human heart.	B．Quarrels in a family.
C．A love story.	D．The spirits of the time.

3. What makes the characters in Tom Jones famous?

A．Their classic life styles.	B．Their representation of the society.
C．Their typical spirits of the age.	D．Their different nationalities.

3 . China Science Daily announced Thursday that it has used software to automatically generate news stories about the latest discoveries from the world’s leading science journals. The robot science reporter, called “Xiaoke”, was co-created by the newspaper and researchers from Peking University in about half a year.

It is the latest case of Chinese news organizations using computer technology to create content. According to its inventors, Xiaoke has generated over 200 stories based on the English abstract of papers published in journals such as Science, Nature, Cell and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Before publication, the automatically generated articles will go through a review process. A group of scientists and the newspaper’s editors will check the content or give supplementary (补充的) information.

Zhang Mingwei, head of the program and vice editor-in-chief of the newspaper, said inventors would make Xiaoke a “cross-linguistic (跨语言的) academic secretary” to help Chinese scientists overcome language barriers and have easy and quick access to the latest scientific advances in English-language publication. Lead researcher Wan Xiaojun, of Peking University in charge of the system’s design and technology, stressed that the content generation tool could do far more than translation. According to Wan, Xiaoke is good at selecting complex words and sentences, which can help turn articles full of confusing technical terms into easy and readable news reports.

The readers of the robot reporter is not limited to professionals but also includes the general public. Science reporting is important in spreading information about discoveries and in popularizing knowledge to people.

1. What can we learn about “Xiaoke”?

A．It is a professional translator.

B．It has the most advanced AI.

C．It can make up fiction stories.

D．It generates science news reports.

2. What do people need to do to improve Xiaoke’s work?

A．Upgrade the artificial intelligence.

B．Select complex words and sentences.

C．Check the content and add information.

D．Help it get the latest scientific advances.

3. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Science.

B．Education.

C．Entertainment.

D．Health.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The robot writer of science news.

B．The readers of the science reports.

C．The editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

D．The latest case of news organizations.

4 . Early February, I was flying up to Ohio. Well prepared, I had everything in my favour—fuel for five hours, charts in order, my flight plan on my lap, and a beautiful clear sky.

I was wrong.

I had heard about Alberta Clippers coming out of Canada. I knew all about them―how an entire air mass was streaming along at over sixty miles an hour.

That morning, the Weather Briefer informed me that an Alberta Clipper was going over Chicago about the time I got to the airport. Chicago was some 400 miles from my destination—not a factor, or so I thought. That was the first hint I missed.

The controller called and asked if I wanted to adjust my flight plan. I did the check and everything was in the green. So I told him no. Twenty minutes later the controller called again asking whether I wanted to adjust my flight plan. I checked everything. All was fine. I ignored that hint. I was fooled by the smooth air and limited experience with a rapidly moving air mass that was not changing violently. The Alberta Clipper was clipping along.

The first blast of turbulence（气流）struck my plane. I got slammed into the roof, and then slammed sideways hitting the window with such force up my nose that I started bleeding.

After a 2-hour flight of 100 miles, I realized fuel was now an issue. So was landing. I called Flight Following. We figured out the airport I could land.

The engine stopped. So did my heart. There is no quiet as quietly stunning as this one at such an altitude. I had run out of fuel in the left tank, and only a little in my right tank. The engine quit for a second time. I declared an emergency. I was told that I might get another few minutes of fuel if I gently banked the airplane. Luckily, it worked. Then, the engine quit for the last time. I was a glider now. I made a long lazy spiral descent. Down I went. I stopped at the very end of the runway.

I made so many mistakes, missed so many clues, and showed my ignorance so much that I beat myself up over and over again in my mind. I learned textbook descriptions of Alberta Clippers and real-life experience with one are totally different. I will never forget the sound of that silence.

I flew home the next day. Older. Wiser. Humbler. Lucky.

1. We can know from the passage that Alberta Clippers ______.

A．can bring snowstorms

B．are quick-moving air masses

C．are violently changing air pressure

D．can lead to a sudden temperature drop

2. What mainly led to the author's missing all the hints?

A．His lack of flying experience.

B．His poor preparation for the journey.

C．His misjudgement about the air mass.

D．His overconfidence in his piloting skills.

3. Which is the right order of the events?
a. I declared an emergency.
b. My airplane was running out of fuel.
c. I insisted on carrying on my flight plan.
d. I was thrown to the roof by the violent air mass.
e. I slightly banked my airplane and made a landing.

A．dcbea	B．dceba
C．cdabe	D．cdbae

4. The passage describes ______.

A．a rewarding training	B．a narrow escape
C．a painful exploration	D．a serious accident

5 . In the fall of 1985, I was holding a dream to Howard University, so that one day I could sit on a Supreme Court bench somewhere and make some just sentence.

Twenty-one years later, I am still a dreamer and be with quite a different experience to go through.

My grandma developed cancer, so I made the choice to leave the college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.

Then I got married with another dream. In 1999, we adopted (收养）our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3.In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.

You can imagine how busy I became, raising four boys under the age of 8 .Our home was a complete zoo---a joyous zoo. As a result, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant talking as few as one class each term.

The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.

In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree and finally become a judge!

I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life on one day. It's a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.

1. When the author went to Howard University, what was her dream?

A．To be a writer.	B．To be a teacher.
C．To be a judge.	D．To be a doctor.

2. Why did the author quit school（离校） in her second year of college?

A．She wanted to study by herself.

B．She fell in love and got married.

C．She suffered from a serious illness.

D．She decided to look after her grandma.

3. What can we learn from paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．The author was busy yet happy with her family life.

B．The author just felt guilty for her sons.

C．The author wanted to remain a full-time housewife.

D．The author was too confused to make a correct choice.

4. What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Little by little, one goes far.

C．Every coin has two sides.

D．Well begun, half done.

6 . Field Trip Day

On Friday, May 6, our class will take a field trip to North Park Zoo. The zoo has lions, elephants, and other interesting animals. Many of the animals we have been studying will be there for us to closely observe.

Our class will be divided into six teams. Each team will have five students and one leader. The leaders are listed in the table.

Team 1	Miss Banker
Team 2	Mrs. Lopez
Team 3	Mr. Harper
Team 4	Miss Abel
Team 5	Mr. Soto
Team 6	Mrs. Thomas

What You Need to Know

On the morning of the trip, the students will be divided into teams. One student from each team will receive a camera. The camera person will take pictures of the team, the animals, and other fun sights at the zoo.

All students should wear blue shirts. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because we will be walking all day. Please bring a bag lunch and a drink. We will have a picnic at the park inside the zoo. Bring a healthy snack, such as a piece of fruit and a drink, for later in the day.

When we are at the zoo, always remain with your team. Do not leave the team without asking permission from the team leader.

Feeding the Animals

The only animals that students are allowed to feed are those in the Children’s Zoo. Special food can be bought at the zoo for 25 cents and given to these animals. Do not feed your lunch to them. It is not good for the animals.

Parent Information

The cost is $1.00 for students and $3.00 for adults to enter the zoo. The students will leave the school at 9:00 A.M. and return at 2:30 P.M.

Please sign the permission paper. Return it along with the money to your children’s teacher by Monday, May 2. Both the permission paper and the money should be in an envelope with your child’s name written on the outside.

1. Miss Abel will be the leader for Team__________.

A．1

B．2

C．3

D．4

2. Students should not feed their lunches to the animals because_________.

A．the team leaders need snacks later

B．the food may make the animals sick

C．the students will become hungry later

D．the animals like their own food better

3. The students have the field trip mainly in order to_________.

A．work with team leaders

B．have a picture taken.

C．see animals they have studied.

D．eat healthy snacks

7 . The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, and then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human—as opposed to spiritual-values. Fulfillment in life—as opposed to concern about an afterlife—became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on (不赞同). Artists and writers now turned to secular (非宗教的) as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.

These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period — how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed, experienced, discussed, and disseminated. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music — although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modem music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature. The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half — though at different rates in different countries — that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The musical compositions that best illustrate the developments during the European Renaissance.

B．The musical techniques that were in use during the European Renaissance.

C．The European Renaissance as a cultural development that included changes in musical style.

D．The ancient Greek and Roman musical practices used during the European Renaissance.

2. According to the passage, Renaissance artists and writers had all of the following intentions EXCEPT ________.

A．to use religious themes

B．to express only the pleasant parts of human experience

C．to produce art that people would find attractive

D．to create works that were easily understood

3. The word “disseminated’’ in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A．played

B．documented

C．spread

D．ignored

4. What can be inferred about the music of ancient Greece and Rome?

A．It expressed different ideals than classical sculpture, painting and poetry.

B．It was played on instruments that are familiar to modern audiences.

C．It had the same effect on Renaissance audiences as it had when originally performed.

D．Its effect on listeners was described in a number of classical texts.

8 . Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Hugo a few years ago. Hugo struck Soutii Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.

Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The housed wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber (木材) pilings — long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.

Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed (隐藏) by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

1. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.

A．it is strengthened by steel rods	B．it is made of redwood
C．it is in the shape of a shell	D．it is built with timber and concrete

2. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.

A．withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr

B．anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand

C．break huge sea waves into smaller ones

D．prevent water from rushing into the house

3. The main function of the shell is ________.

A．to strengthen the pilings of the house

B．to give the house a better appearance

C．to protect the wooden frame of the house

D．to slow down the speed of the swelling water

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.

A．fancy-looking	B．waterproof
C．easily breakable	D．extremely strong

9 . Although people often say we look alike,they also say that our personalities are completely different from each other.They describe me as intelligent and dependable,but consider him as self-centered.

He is my younger brother, Bob. He was born only 18 months after I was born.We did not get along well with each other. Maybe I was unhappy, even at the age of 18 months, about the new arrival. Another problem was that Bob was often sick. I must have felt cheated out of my parents' attention. I didn't understand why the two people I wanted to be with were always with him. We were fighting all the time.

Then, just over a year ago, doctors thought my brother could have cancer. Suddenly I felt as if the whole world was going black. It was at that point in my life that I realized just how much he meant to me. The day he went into surgery(手术) was one of the most terrible days in my life. When the test result came back negative(阴性), I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my family and my brother.Although Bob has to go every few years for tests just to make sure that he is healthy, right now he is the picture of health.

Now, with me away at college, our relationship has improved greatly. Suddenly, he is more responsible, and is showing it. When I am home on breaks, he treats me with some respect. He even tries to include me in some of his activities with his friends.

Many years ago, I had wished that my baby brother would go away. But now, I will never find another person like him. He has the ability to make me laugh now, instead of upsetting me. I won't give him up for anything.

1. What might be the most possible reason for their fighting?

A．The author's being self-centered.	B．The two brothers' age difference.
C．Bob's being younger than the author.	D．More of their parents' attention to Bob.

2. What was the turning point of their relationship?

A．Bob was thought to have a bad disease.	B．Bob began to show respect to the author.
C．The author showed understanding to Bob.	D．The author was away to attend university.

3. How does the author regard Bob now?

A．As a person who can go away.	B．As a person who must be changed.
C．As a person who will not upset him.	D．As a person who will never be replaced.

10 . Entering the emergency room, I saw Mum lay there still under a white sheet. The doctor turned around and said, “ We ______ your mother had a stroke(中风) affecting her entire right side.” My biggest ______ was that she would have brain ______ and not know who I was. I said, “It’s Lisa” and held her left hand. That night, feeling scared and ______, I cried for hours until I ______ fell asleep.

The next day my mother ______ exercising her left hand, arm and leg in the bed. ______ her stroke, she had taken an exercise class; so she knew that it was important to keep ______. Later on, with rehabilitation(康复治疗), she learned how to feed herself and talk ______. She regained a lot of her ______ with only slight difficulty in finding the correct word or pronunciation.

My mother didn’t allow the physical(身体上的) ______ to stop her. ______ her body was disabled, her will was not. One day, before I was about to ______ the nursing home, she wanted to ________ me how she could get to the dining hall. I said, “I’ll get you someone.” She said ______, “I’ll do it myself.” I stepped back and gave her some ______. She used her left arm and hand to move the wheel of her chair and her left foot to push herself forward. And I ______ proudly as she reached her intended destination(目的地). More fortunately, four months later, her right thumb could move.

With her positive thinking, my mother ______ me to live in the moment. Her positive ________ helped me keep going and have faith. ______ loved my mother. Who wouldn’t? she was the one sitting in the wheelchair at the nursing home with a big smile on her face.

1.

A．plan

B．imagine

C．think

D．forget

2.

A．challenge

B．fear

C．wish

D．mistake

3.

A．recovery

B．test

C．break

D．damage

4.

A．tired

B．surprised

C．helpless

D．disappointed

5.

A．finally

B．quickly

C．suddenly

D．immediately

6.

A．stopped

B．began

C．avoided

D．disliked

7.

A．During

B．After

C．Over

D．Before

8.

A．eating

B．working

C．moving

D．relaxing

9.

A．again

B．still

C．ever

D．yet

10.

A．speech

B．knowledge

C．energy

D．sense

11.

A．looks

B．losses

C．activities

D．features(特征)

12.

A．Because

B．When

C．Unless

D．Although

13.

A．visit

B．clean

C．approach

D．leave

14.

A．show

B．remind

C．tell

D．warn

15.

A．yes

B．sorry

C．no

D．bye

16.

A．clothes

B．room

C．attention

D．help

17.

A．watched

B．lay

C．talked

D．walked

18.

A．intended

B．trained

C．taught

D．persuaded

19.

A．remark

B．attitude

C．response

D．evidence

20.

A．Someone

B．Nobody

C．Most

D．Everyone