1 . What are two things that make humans different from animals? One is language and the other is music. It’s true that some animals can sing. However, the songs of animals like birds are very limited. It’s also true that humans, not animals, have developed musical instruments.

Music is a strange thing. It’s clearly distinct from language. However, people can use music to communicate things — especially their emotions. When music is combined (组合) with speech in a song, it’s a very powerful form of communication.

If music is truly different from speech, then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain. The scientific evidence suggests that this is true. For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, had a stroke (中风) in 1953. It injured the left side of his brain. He could no longer speak or understand speech. He could, however, still compose music until his death ten years later. On the other hand, sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability, but they can still speak and understand speech.

By studying the physical effects of music on the body, scientists have also learnt a lot about how music influences the emotions. But why does music have such a strong effect on us? That is a harder question to answer.

Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at University College, London, thinks that music and love have a strong connection. Music requires special talent, practice and physical ability. That’s why it may be a way of showing your fitness to be someone’s mate. For example, playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control. You also need a good memory to remember the notes. And playing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition. Finally, when a man sings to the woman he loves, it may be a way of showing off.

However, Miller’s theory still doesn’t explain why certain combinations of sounds influence our emotions so deeply. For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Music is a common language.	B．Humans are advanced animals.
C．Music is closely related to humans.	D．Animals can use music to communicate.

2. What does the underlined word distinct mean in paragraph 2?

A．Different.

B．Direct.

C．Free.

D．Far.

3. What does the author intend to show with the example of Vissarion?

A．Music is another form of language.

B．Music can inspire people’s creativity.

C．Gifted people have more opportunities to succeed.

D．’The brain processes music and language separately.

4. What does the author think of Miller’s theory?

A．It was advanced at that time.	B．It made a valuable contribution.
C．It sill needs to be improved.	D．It will be confirmed by younger scientists.

2 . Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their treat dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy life.

Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. The hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.

Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.

Husbands and wives use doghouse when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse and treats him badly. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie.

Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.

1. What does the underlined expression “work like a dog” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Become successful.	B．Have an unhappy life.
C．Compete for the same things.	D．Work very hard.

2. If a man experiences a serious failure at work, what might his wife say to encourage him?

A．It will rain cats and dogs.	B．Every dog has its day.
C．You lead a dog’s life.	D．You are in the doghouse.

3. Which of the following has the same meaning as “leave things untouched”?

A．Become sick as a dog.	B．Teach an old dog new tricks.
C．Let sleeping dogs lie.	D．Make people dog-tired.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Expressions in American culture.	B．Some expressions with the word dog.
C．A fun way to learn English	D．Dogs’ influence on American culture.

3 . When someone is homeless or trying to recover from a natural disaster, they are in great need of everyday goods. While people are often encouraged to donate canned goods, not everyone is thinking about things like shoes.

Of course, you can’t go looking for a new job or a home, if you have no shoes to walk in. One woman in Hays, Kansas took this into consideration, and found a great way to help hundreds of people.

Payless stores were going out of business, and shoes were selling for as little as $1 per pair, so a woman named Addy Tritt bought out all the remaining shoes at the Hays Payless store — more than 200 pairs and donated them to flood victims in Nebraska.

Those shoes were then sent to farmers in Nebraska by Fort Hays State University (FHSU). Tritt, who recently graduated from FHSU, wanted to “pay it forward”.

“I have been so lucky,” she said. “There have been so many great people in my life who have inspired me. I see so many terrible things in the news. So many people have helped me when I was down. They influenced me so much that I want to help if I can.”

Tritt has a history of kind acts. She has donated more than 60 bags of school supplies to Hays students, and organised a baby clothes drive and two supply drives for the animal shelter.

“I really feel I have been directed and guided to help people,” she said. “If you can do something for someone else, you need to find a way even if it is a pair of shoes.”

1. How did Tritt help flood victims?

A．By buying shoes for them.	B．By sending some food to them.
C．By helping them find new jobs.	D．By selling shoes to raise money for them.

2. What does the underlined phrase “pay it forward” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Get extra support.	B．Share news with others.
C．Pass on kindness.	D．Put forward a plan.

3. What made Tritt begin to help others?

A．FHSU’s education.	B．Flood victims’ situations.
C．Other people’s kindness to her.	D．Payless stores’ going out of business.

4. Which word can best describe Tritt?

A．Brave.	B．Easy-going.
C．Clever.	D．Caring.

4 . Several months ago, a powerful tornado hit our city without any signs before. We hadn’t_______ for it in advance, so we were just forced to go into our emergency action. I _______ not to be in the classroom when it struck. Hearing the sound of alarm, I rushed_______as fast as I could back to the classroom.

Never did I imagine that we would put our regular_______ to use. Never did I imagine that my students had _______against the wall and crouched down on their knees. Their eyes were obviously filled with _______ as they asked if their parents, pets, and friends would be okay. I, along with other teachers, tried our best to comfort them, though we actually didn’t know what the _______would be.

I couldn’t _______ the tornado more. However, I’m very proud of my students who behaved so well. In such a scary and_______ situation, they behaved beyond their ages. Never in my life had I seen them ________ instructions so quickly, without any hesitation. Though some tears were dropping and some hearts were beating fast, the kids were unbelievably ________. I’m extremely proud that they made an effort to calm down because of their ________in me.

Because of the tornado, I ________ that my job as a teacher meant a lot. Behind every well-behaved student is a long line of teachers who have made it their life’s ________ to educate them with safety, courage, calmness and trust. Though the tornado has presented ________, I’m sure we can deal with them one by one.

1.

A．paid

B．searched

C．applied

D．prepared

2.

A．pretended

B．requested

C．happened

D．managed

3.

A．suddenly

B．early

C．secretly

D．immediately

4.

A．lessons

B．training

C．meetings

D．savings

5.

A．mixed up

B．turned up

C．lined up

D．given up

6.

A．fear

B．shock

C．shame

D．confusion

7.

A．problem

B．result

C．excuse

D．reason

8.

A．hate

B．expect

C．see

D．survive

9.

A．curious

B．unique

C．dangerous

D．strange

10.

A．follow

B．receive

C．repeat

D．give

11.

A．fortunate

B．honest

C．confident

D．brave

12.

A．trust

B．pride

C．interest

D．curiosity

13.

A．decided

B．realized

C．stressed

D．hoped

14.

A．reward

B．power

C．wisdom

D．goal

15.

A．chances

B．challenges

C．adventures

D．discussions

6 . Afraid to have a start, I was walking slowly into my first school in America. I had _______ a long way from India in order to join parents. They had been here for three years, and hoped America would help my future. My father decided that I would go to school here, so I found a local high school in my new town.

With _______ on one hand and fear on the other, I arrived at the classroom. Everyone’s eyes were on me as I entered the classroom. Without paying attention to them, I went straight to the _______ and asked if it was the right class. With a _______ voice, he answered, “Yes.” His voice comforted (安慰) me a little. He gave me a piece of _______ called “course requirements”, which I would never get in India. Then he asked me to choose where I would sit. I chose the _______   closest to the door instead of the corner where all of the boys were sitting. I didn’t _______ want to pick a seat. In India, the teacher _______ the seats, so I never needed to worry about that. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the picture produced by the overhead projector (投影仪).

_______ it was my first day, I was confused (困惑的) about which hallway (走廊) to use, but I ________ to get to my classes without asking anyone. I was very confused about when I would have ________. It was noon when I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. I went through the normal process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. Feeling ________, she said, “That is the lunch bell.” I felt a little awkward. Without another word, I headed for the cafeteria (食堂).

At the end of the day, I was on my way to the bus stop. I realized that all the ________ was like the difficulty I had to ________ to reach my goal. I ________ my bus and sat down inside happily. I said to myself: Today isn’t so bad.

1.

A．traveled

B．increased

C．walked

D．planned

2.

A．anger

B．anxiety

C．doubt

D．sadness

3.

A．worker

B．classmate

C．teacher

D．trainer

4.

A．deep

B．familiar

C．strict

D．soft

5.

A．book

B．paper

C．notice

D．tool

6.

A．seat

B．direction

C．table

D．goal

7.

A．generally

B．suddenly

C．honestly

D．actually

8.

A．kept

B．repaired

C．decided

D．took

9.

A．Though

B．When

C．Since

D．Before

10.

A．feared

B．refused

C．allowed

D．managed

11.

A．gifts

B．lunch

C．fun

D．chances

12.

A．surprised

B．excited

C．frightened

D．challenged

13.

A．failure

B．thought

C．confusion

D．amazement(惊异)

14.

A．put away

B．get through

C．build up

D．show off

15.

A．saw

B．missed

C．drove

D．waited

7 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website Book Crossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.

Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. Book Crossing provides an identification number (识别码) to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.

Bruce Pederson, the managing director of Book Crossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. Book Crossing combines both.”

Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.

People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E— mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.

Book Crossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟).The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty—five countries.

1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?

A．To explain what they are.	B．To introduce Book Crossing.
C．To stress the importance of reading.	D．To encourage readers to share their ideas.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．An adventure.	B．A public place.
C．The book.	D．The identification number.

3. What will a Book Crosser do with a book after reading it?

A．Keep it safe in his bookcase.	B．Mail it back to its owner.
C．Meet other readers to discuss it.	D．Pass it on to another reader.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Online Reading: A Virtual Tour	B．Electronic Books: A New Trend
C．A Book Group Brings Tradition Back	D．A Website Links People through Books

8 . Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He had amazing athletic abilities and was well-known during his lifetime, yet that did not make Thorpe a stranger to adversity.

Thorpe was an American Indian from Oklahoma who developed his extraordinary athletic skills in his youth through hard labor. It was also in his youth that he learned to endure hardship brought upon by racial prejudice. Many would say his childhood was not easy. He grew up poor and at age 9 his twin brother passed away and a few years later he lost both of his parents.

But that did not stop him from doing what he loved and pursuing his dreams. Nothing seemed to stop him, not even stolen shoes. Just hours before Thorpe was going to compete in the 1912 Olympics, somebody stole his shoes. Thorpe improvised (临时拼凑) by getting shoes out of the garbage. The shoes were two different sizes. He wore an extra pair of socks on one foot to even them out.

He still went on to win two gold medals—winning each event he competed in except for one, the javelin (标枪). The javelin was the only event he didn’t win, probably because he had never competed in that event before. It is interesting to note that Thorpe had tried to throw the javelin once before in the Olympic trials. At the time, he didn’t know that he could throw it with a running start. He threw it standing still and was placed second.

At the Olympics，he also took part in the decathlon (十项全能运动). He finished first in two events, third in four events, and fourth in two more. Thorpe ended up finishing third in the world. He was undoubtedly a dominating force that couldn’t be stopped and just kept on going.

I think Paul Dughi said it best, “It’s hard to imagine now that pro athletes get paid millions of dollars just to wear a particular brand of shoes. For Jim Thorpe, it didn’t matter what kind he wore.”

1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．The adversity Thorpe met with led to his success.

B．Thorpe’s success was no guarantee of a better life.

C．Thorpe’s career brought him both gains and losses.

D．Thorpe suffered many hardships despite his success.

2. Why did Thorpe wear more socks on one foot?

A．To prevent the foot from injury.	B．To make the shoe fit the foot.
C．To stop the shoe from being stolen.	D．To show his problem-solving skills.

3. What most likely led to Thorpe’s failure to win the javelin?

A．Loss of his own sports shoes.	B．A casual attitude towards the event.
C．Lack of experience in the event.	D．A shortage of talent for the event.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Jim Thorpe?

A．Loyal and enthusiastic.	B．Genuine and creative.
C．Tough and strong-minded.	D．Selfless and good-tempered.

9 . My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of ________. Very often when we have flowers, Denise or I would plant some between the rocks, just to add some ________ to the area.

Last summer, I found a tiny little plant in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either.

We decided to let it ________ growing until we could find out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the ________ plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I decided to ________ the weeds (杂草) around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something ________.The sunflower had not ________ where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the ________.

That’s when I ________ that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability of doing the same thing. If we ________ ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach where we ________ to go and get what we need for growth.

We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ________ to achieve our goals. Like the sunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had ________ in itself that it would succeed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be ________ of who and what we are, and then the environment will begin to ________ us. We will find a way to go under or around any “rocks” in order to reach our goals.

1.

A．flower

B．insects

C．vegetables

D．rocks

2.

A．water

B．fertilizer

C．color

D．shape

3.

A．stop

B．continue

C．improve

D．escape

4.

A．weak

B．strange

C．lonely

D．pretty

5.

A．collect

B．tend

C．remove

D．watch

6.

A．unusual

B．wonderful

C．terrible

D．valuable

7.

A．passed

B．started

C．left

D．died

8.

A．air

B．top

C．sun

D．house

9.

A．hoped

B．realized

C．doubted

D．regretted

10.

A．fill in

B．put in

C．worry about

D．believe in

11.

A．forget

B．hate

C．aim

D．wait

12.

A．wish

B．plan

C．ability

D．idea

13.

A．faith

B．energy

C．virtue

D．courage

14.

A．aware

B．afraid

C．proud

D．tired

15.

A．forgive

B．support

C．upset

D．affect

10 . Health and fitness help a person live a good and healthy life. Often due to various pressures, we tend to ignore our health. This makes our body suffer and we will catch other diseases. It is the fitness level of our body that helps us fight these diseases.

Health and fitness are interrelated to each other. We need to be fit to have a healthy body.

Similarly, if we are healthy we shall naturally be attracted towards maintaining the fitness of our body. Health is the state of our body at a given time. We may not have any disease but still have a weak body, which is ready to be targeted by viruses. For instance, we may have a tendency to catch a cold easily. This does not definitely mean that we are not healthy. It means the fitness level is not in accordance with our age and the climatic conditions we live in.

It is important for everyone to devote some time to health and fitness. There are some activities which everyone should do in our life. For instance, we must exercise daily regardless of our age and working style. There are different levels of exercises for different age groups and we must do them according to our own health and age.

Additionally, it is important to relax our body. We should have at least six to eight hours of sleep every day. It helps in improving our immune(免疫) system and protects us against diseases. It also helps in keeping us calm and relaxes our mind. This, in turn, gives us new goals of health and fitness.

1. According to the passage, what will be the result of ignoring our health?

A．Our body will fight disease more easily.

B．Viruses will attack our body easily

C．We will be under great pressure

D．Our immune system will work for us.

2. The underlined phrase “in accordance with” is similar to ________ in meaning,

A．in control of..

B．at the sight of

C．in agreement with

D．in favour of

3. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Health and fitness are related to our age and working style.

B．It is important to keep the fitness of our body.

C．Health are closely connected with fitness.

D．Health and fitness help people live a good life.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．New goals of health and fitness

B．Ways to fight discase

C．Work out on a daily basis

D．Health and fitness