1 . From the window of my room, I could see a tall cotton - rose hibiscus (木棉树). In spring, when green leaves were half
However, when I opened the window one morning, to my amazement, the tree was almost
This event
When the last petal
Standing by the window lost in thought for a long time, I realized that no scenery in the world remains
Tell anyone who has inspired you how they have inspired you.
1.| A．buried | B．hidden | C．placed | D．trapped |
| A．dotted | B．surrounded | C．covered | D．marked |
| A．observed | B．prevented | C．set | D．bore |
| A．regularly | B．generally | C．narrowly | D．gradually |
| A．bare | B．vacant | C．blank | D．empty |
| A．effect | B．fault | C．damage | D．feast |
| A．sighing | B．yelling | C．swearing | D．teasing |
| A．lucky | B．simple | C．smooth | D．cozy |
| A．as many as | B．as well as | C．rather than | D．regardless of |
| A．due | B．contrary | C．familiar | D．similar |
| A．sank | B．quit | C．matured | D．faded |
| A．merely | B．actively | C．casually | D．fiercely |
| A．eye | B．nose | C．soul | D．mind |
| A．set up | B．set off | C．put up | D．put off |
| A．why | B．if | C．how | D．when |
| A．slipped | B．dropped | C．quit | D．broke |
| A．remind | B．warn | C．convince | D．rid |
| A．division | B．dilemma | C．composition | D．conflict |
| A．unlimited | B．unchanged | C．unspoiled | D．unexpected |
| A．vain | B．practical | C．previous | D．fresh |
2 . As the effects of climate change set in, coastal cites such as the Italian city of Venice and the American city of New Orlean are slowly sinking. So is Bangkok. Officials in the city and scientists say they do not know how long people will be able to continue living in the Thai capital.
Thailand’s military rulers are considering action. The National Reform Council wants the government to form a committee to deal with the warnings that Bangkok could be permanently underwater many years from now.
The Saen canal was built in Bangkok in the late 1830s. In a neighborhood near the waterway, walkways are breaking up. Walls on homes, small businesses and an Islamic center appear to be bending. The area is sinking about two centimeters a year, which is two times the average rate for the rest of Bangkok.
“I don’t know what to do.” says Vijitri Puangsiri who has lived in the neighborhood for 44 years. Her home needs to be repaired every year because of the sinking ground. The walkway in front of her century-old house where she operates a small restaurant must also be repeatedly repaired.
“If you travel on the canal boats, you can see how this is all hollow,” Somsak Kongeeng says, “The buildings to see him are sinking because they were not built on solid foundations,” He joked that if we come back to see him again in 20 years, the water level will be almost as high as his head. But he is also partly serious. That might be only a small overstatement in a city that is, on average, just two meters above sea level.
Observers say two reasons for the sinking are a rising sea level and too much pumping of groundwater. Another reason, they say, is the decision by developers to build so many high-rises because they earn quantities of money by doing so. This kind of development worries those who are concerned with the rising water level.
1. What do we know from the passage?| A．Vijitri Puangsiri’s home needs repairing owing to the broken walkway. |
| B．The Saen canal was a supporting evidence of the sinking ground. |
| C．Somsak Kongeeng simply treats the sinking as a joke. |
| D．Bangkok is not suitable for people to live in any more. |
| A．replacing the loose soil with concrete | B．controlling pumping groundwater |
| C．forbidding the construction of high-rises | D．stopping the rising of sea level |
| A．To appeal to protect the city of Bangkok. | B．To explain the reasons for the sinking |
| C．To stress the significance of Bangkok. | D．To inform us of the situation of Bangkok. |
| A．The Saen Canal — Cause of the Sinking | B．A Warning from Bangkok |
| C．Bangkok — a Coastal City at Risk | D．Reasons for Sinking Building |
Experiments with schoolchildren who did well on a given test show that those who were praised for being smart and then offered a more challenging or less challenging task afterward usually chose the easier one. On the other hand, children praised for trying hard-rather than being smart-far more often selected the more difficult task.
If we try hard to avoid mistakes, we aren't open to getting the information we need in order to do better. In a writing study, experiments showed that those who are so scared to make mistakes perform worse in writing tasks than those who aren't as worried about being perfect. They fear receiving any kind of negative feedback, so they don't learn where they went wrong and how to get better.
We don't just learn more when we're open to mistakes, we learn deeper. Research tells us that if we're only concerned about getting the right answer, we don't always learn the underlying concepts that help us truly understand whatever we're trying to figure out. Mistakes need to be seen not as a failure to learn, but as a guide to what still needs to be learned. As Thomas Edison said, “I am not discouraged, because every abandoned wrong attempt is another step forward. "
Furthermore, we often make mistakes because we try new things-we wander away from accepted paths. Teflon, penicillin-these are examples of great discoveries made by mistake. Take a page from Albert Einstein, who said, "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. "
1. What will happen to students praised for being smart in face of choosing tasks compared to students praised for working hard?
| A．He will choose a less challenging task. |
| B．He will hide his mistakes from his teachers. |
| C．He will work harder to avoid mistakes. |
| D．He will ask his teachers for advice. |
| A．The more mistakes we make, the more we learn. |
| B．Mistakes can be used as a positive factor for success. |
| C．Being open to mistakes help you understand the truth. |
| D．A step forward may come from mistakes you've made. |
| A．One must follow a correct path to avoid mistakes. |
| B．To become an Einstein, you should make mistakes. |
| C．You can't make mistakes unless you try new things. |
| D．Making mistakes is not a disadvantage in a way. |
| A．We can never avoid making mistakes when we work. |
| B．Success can't be achieved without making mistakes. |
| C．Mistakes should be treated with a correct attitude. |
| D．Try every means to avoid mistakes in our daily life. |
4 . Have you ever been to a music festival? Well if you live in the UK, the answer is probably yes. The number of festivals has grown greatly over the last few years and now there are around 200 every summer. So let’s look at the history of four famous festivals.
The Glastonbury Festival is a five-day festival of contemporary(当代的) performing arts held most years in Somerset, in the south-west of England. There are a rock and pop stage, a jazz stage, the Avalon stage, a theatre comedy stage, a cinema tent, a dance tent and a circus(马戏团). The festival started in1970and about 120,000 people go to it every summer.
The Reading Festival is truly world-class with rock and pop bands(乐队) appearing from all over the world, particularly(尤其) the USA. About 80,000 music fans go to Reading every August Bank Holiday. The festival first came to its present site on the banks of the River Thames in Reading in 1971, when it moved from Plumpton in Sussex. It is still on the same site over 47 years later!
WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and was the idea of rock musician Peter Gabriel to promote(宣传) world music. The WOMAD Festival started in 1982 and takes place in July at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, and you can see different bands and musicians from all over the world. The festival welcomes over 26, 000 visitors each year.
The one-day Monsters of Rock Festival at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes was first held in 1980 and gave visitors the chance to hear the very best of hard rock and heavy metal. There were no festivals between 1996 and 2003 as a result of changing musical fashions, but now it has returned and grown into a two-day festival with a campsite for the 30,000 people who go there in summer days.
1. Which festival draws the largest number of fans every year?| A．The Reading Festival. | B．The WOMAD Festival. |
| C．The Glastonbury Festival. | D．The Monsters of Rock Festival. |
| A．It mainly attracts rock music fans. |
| B．It is especially popular with local bands. |
| C．It is named after the place where it is held. |
| D．It has been held in the same site since it started. |
| A．All last five days. | B．All are held in the summer. |
| C．All take place every year. | D．All are held near the River Thames. |
5 . A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was “not athletic”.
The idea that I was “not athletic” stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: “GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!”
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels, I can now call myself a “marathon winner”.
1. A month before the marathon, the author _________.| A．was well trained | B．made up his mind to run |
| C．felt scared | D．lost hope |
| A．To show he was not talented in sports. | B．To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C．To thank his teacher for the support . | D．To share a precious memory. |
| A．He got the first prize. | B．He quit halfway. |
| C．He made it. | D．He walked to the end. |
| A．Many heads are better than one | B．Failure is the mother of success |
| C．Victory belongs to the most persevering (不屈不挠的) | D．One is never too old to learn |
6 . They may have text, email, Facebook and Twitter, but young people are still lonelier than any other age group. The Loneliness in New Zealand report, published by Statistics New Zealand, shows under 30s are more likely to feel lonely than older people because loneliness decreases with age. Loneliness and poor mental health were strongly related across all ages. Young people were not as likely to feel lonely because of financial hardship, but among older people, lack of money was a significant influence on loneliness. Women were more likely to feel lonely than men.
Philip Walker, spokesman for the General Social Survey, said because it was relatively new it was hard to know whether loneliness among young people was a new trend. But overseas research has found that levels of loneliness in youth today are growing.
Walker said the finding needed more exploration, including looking at the role of technology and social media. “It could be that people’s expectations of connection have gone up, so we expect increased levels of connection,” he said. “While technology like cell phones could help young people stay connected, on the other hand for those who do get bullied (欺辱), especially bullied online, it’s quite isolating. A lot of the time potentially it is a big contributor to loneliness.”
Figures from online dating website FindSomeone also confirmed more young people were looking for love. Manager Rick Davies, said younger dating hopefuls were the fastest growing group on the site.
Mr. Davies noted that since the report data was collected in 2010 there had been huge growth in smart phones, which meant people were online even more. He believed online tools, such as Skype, could help people stay connected. “People can keep in touch with a wide range of friends from all over the world much more easily now. It’s like you’re sitting in your living room having a chat with them.”
Bemardine Reid, operations committee chairwoman for Samaritans, which operates a free helpline, said many of their calls came from people who were lonely. “It might be that they’ve got some problem, just like all the things people would normally talk to a friend about, but people who are alone lack those normal contacts.” (交流)
The Statistics New Zealand report also showed people who didn’t have face-to-face contact with family and friends were more likely to feel lonely, as were those who lived alone.
1. Which of the following may Mr. Walker agree with?| A．High technology may become a reason for loneliness. |
| B．People shouldn’t use the Internet to get to know strangers. |
| C．It’s hard for people to get enough connection online as expected. |
| D．Social media should play an important role in helping lonely people. |
| A．FindSomeone is a website where you can find old friends |
| B．without technology, young people would not feel lonely |
| C．high technology results in the older being lonely |
| D．those cheated or hurt online tend to feel lonely |
| A．Internet can keep people free from loneliness |
| B．people chatting a lot online tend to be optimistic |
| C．people living alone tend to have more connection online |
| D．people communicating less in the real world risk loneliness |
| A．Loneliness around You | B．Young People Online |
| C．Young but Lonely | D．E-times and Young People |
7 . For tourists holding the Barcelona Card, the information below will be useful if you plan to admire some artworks or architectures there.
Sagrada Familia
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00(October-March); 09:00-20:00(April-September)
Admission: 11, or 11, or 10 with the Barcelona Card
The project's vast sale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera
Opening hours: November-February: 09:00-18:30; March-October: 09:00-20:00
Admission：$ 9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
It is a unique modernist building made of bricks and colorful tiles（瓦）. Visitors can see the amazing 800 square meters attic（阁楼）with 270 brick arches that give you a feeling that you are walking inside the skeleton of a whale.
Barcelona FC Museum
Opening hours: 6th April-4th October:10:00-20:00;the rest of the year. 10:00-18:30
Admission：$8.50 for entry to the museum and $17 for a guided tour.
When you buy your ticket you have two options: a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or a special one for $15 where you get to see the stadium and the scenes at the club.
Picasso Museum
Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission：$9 for main exhibition-extra for special showings. Save 50% with Barcelona Card.
The museum has arranged Picasso’s paintings from his early days to his final works. Arranging the paintings in this way gives you a fascinating insight into the development of Picasso.
1. What do we know the tourist attractions mentioned in the passage?| A．Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona. |
| B．La Pedrera is well-known for its colorful material. |
| C．Barcelona FC Museum may attract football fans. |
| D．Picasso Museum offers only one exhibition. |
| A．$25.5 | B．$34 |
| C．$42.5 | D．$32 |
| A．The Barcelona Card is a must for visiting them. |
| B．They are all famous for their architectural styles. |
| C．Their opening hours are changeable in different seasons. |
| D．Tourists can have a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card. |
The town of Pressure and the town of Pleasure were neighbors but they had nothing in common. Residents built walls to
In Pressure, everyone struggled to be the very
Some of the young were addicted to
| A．connect | B．contact | C．prevent | D．arrange |
| A．worst | B．best | C．least | D．most |
| A．took | B．gave | C．offered | D．brought |
| A．health | B．power | C．wealth | D．status |
| A．sometimes | B．hardly | C．seldom | D．always |
| A．relaxation | B．intention | C．standard | D．starvation |
| A．Furthermore | B．Therefore | C．However | D．Moreover |
| A．got up | B．went up | C．grew up | D．set up |
| A．must | B．could | C．need | D．should |
| A．who | B．where | C．what | D．whether |
| A．all day long | B．all night | C．all alone | D．all the way |
| A．Regardless of | B．Due to | C．According to | D．As for |
| A．pleasure | B．time | C．money | D．pressure |
| A．backward | B．downward | C．upward | D．forward |
| A．drugs | B．food | C．work | D．books |
| A．money | B．life | C．pleasure | D．pressure |
| A．failed | B．improved | C．lived | D．succeeded |
| A．to talk | B．talking | C．talked | D．talks |
| A．when | B．as | C．while | D．since |
| A．went down | B．put down | C．pulled down | D．wrote down |
