1 .
The Tropical Paradise Holiday
Welcome to St Anna, our tropical paradise just off the coast of Latin America. You can spend two weeks in our luxury four-star hotel. The cost of your flight is included in the holiday, and you can   be picked up from your home by our special airport bus. On your arriving, our coach will be waiting to take you to the hotel. All flights leave from Heathrow on a Monday morning.
The Cowrie Hotel is built right on the beachfront, and many rooms have wonderful ocean views. If swimming and surfing are not enough for you, the hotel also offers horse rides on the island, and a discount membership of the golf club.
The Rain Forest Adventure Holiday
Every year Broughton holidays offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. You may have a choice of Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest.
You will fly to our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife.
Then you take a bus into the forest. You will have to walk the final five miles to the camp sites to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the camp sites have been carefully built to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife.
Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness, and they are not suitable for families with young children. Also remember that no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early!
1. What can we learn about the rain forest holiday?

A．Travelers will learn to talk with wild animals.

B．Different means of transportation will be used.

C．The holiday will end with a survival training.

D．Booking early, travelers will get a discount.

2. What kind of people will probably choose the rain forest holiday?

A．People loving water sports.

B．People travelling with children.

C．People preferring comfortable hotels.

D．People concerned with environment and wildlife.

3. Which of the following is mentioned in both holidays?

A．Transportation.	B．Price.
C．Reservation.	D．Departure time.

2 . When your parents advise you to “get an education” in order to raise your income, they tell you only half the truth. What they really mean is to get just enough education to provide manpower（人力资源）for your society, but not so much that you prove an embarrassment to your society.
Get a high school diploma, at least. Without that, you will be occupationally dead unless your name happens to be George Bernard Shaw or Thomas Alva Edison, and you can successfully dropout in grade school.
Get a college degree, if possible. With a B. A., you are on the launching pad. But now you have to start to put on the brakes. If you go for a master’s degree, make sure it is an M.B.A., and the famous law of diminishing(逐渐减少的) returns begins to take effect.
Do you know, for instance, that long-haul truck drivers earn more per year than full professors? Yes, the average salary for those truckers was $24000 while the full professors managed to earn just $23030.
A doctorate is the highest degree you can get. Except for a few specialized fields such as physics or chemistry where the degree can quickly be turned to industrial or commercial purposes, if you pursue such a degree in any other field, you will face a future which is not bright. There are more doctors unemployed or underemployed in this country than any other part of the world.
If you become a doctor in English or history or anthropology or political science or languages or—worst of all—in philosophy, you run the risk of becoming overeducated for our national demands. Not for our needs, mind you, but for our demands.
Thousands of doctors are selling shoes, driving cars, waiting on table, and endlessly filling out applications month after month. They may also take a job in some high school or backwater(闭塞) college that pays much less than the doorkeeper earns.
You can equate the level of income with the level of education only so far. Far enough, that is, to make you useful to the gross national product, but not so far that nobody can turn much of a profit on you.
1. According to the writer, what the society expects of education is to turn out people who ______.

A．will not be a disgrace to society

B．will become loyal citizens

C．can take care of themselves

D．can meet the nation’s demand as a source of manpower

2. Many doctors are out of job because ______.

A．they are improperly educated

B．they are of little commercial value to their society

C．there are fewer jobs in high schools

D．they prefer easier jobs that make more money

3. The nation is only interested in people ______.

A．with diplomas

B．who specialize in physics and chemistry

C．who are valuable to the gross national product

D．who receive little education

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Bernard Shaw didn’t finish high school, nor did Edison.

B．One must think carefully before pursuing a master’s degree.

C．The higher your education level, the more money you will earn.

D．If you are too well-educated, you’ll be overeducated for society’s demands.

5. The writer sees education as ______.

A．a means of providing job security and financial security and a means of meeting a country’s demands for technical workers

B．a way to broaden one’s horizons

C．more important than finding a job

D．an opportunity that everyone should have

3 . The old shopkeeper led me through to the back of the shop. The room was filled with boxes and dusty photographs of people holding packages in their hands.
Mr. Hopkins said, "We have a very wide choice of items for sale. Whenever I serve a new customer, I take his picture. "   Mr. Hopkins pointed to an ancient camera on a table.
I began to appreciate the lovely items on sale. I spent a very pleasant hour being shown the commodi-ties in the shop. Finally,   I bought an antique jewelry box, a pair of riding boots and a sewing machine.
I was very excited that I had found such a good little shop. "I will tell all my friends about your love-ly place. " I told the shopkeeper. "Please don't do that, sir. " said Mr. Hopkins. "This is a special place for special people. You must keep this shop a secret. " Then he took my photograph and handed me the picture straight away.
" That was quick ! " I exclaimed. In the picture I looked proud and excited holding the presents I had bought there.
On Christmas Day, my friends and relatives were delighted with the presents I had bought for them.
For weeks, my brother begged me to take him to the wonderful little shop. I finally agreed.
We walked along Oxford Street, past the department store and found---nothing. In its place was an empty space being used as a car park. I checked the area again. There was the music shop, and there was the department store. In between should have been Hopkins and Son, but it wasn't there.
Just then, an old policeman came. "Are you looking for something, sir?" he asked. "I am looking for a little shop called Hopkins and Son. "
"Oh yes, there was a shop here 'once called Hopkins and Son. But it was knocked down over 30 years ago. "
I looked again at the place, then I reached into my pocket and took out the photograph that Mr. Hop-kins had taken of me holding my presents in the little shop.
" How strange ! "   I screamed.
1. What did the author think of Hopkins and Son?

A．Big and modern.	B．Old and outdated.
C．Little and dusty.	D．Lovely and wonderful.

2. We can infer from Paragraph 4 that Mr. Hopkins .             .

A．was ashamed of his little shop

B．didn't like his shop to be advertised

C．was one of the author's special friends

D．handed the author his picture immediately

3. What does the underlined word "commodities" refer to?

A．The goods in the shop.

B．The author's gifts.

C．Photographs taken by Mr. Hopkins.

D．Packages held by other customers.

4. What can we learn about the shop?

A．It was closed by the police. .

B．It was well - known in that area.

C．It was knocked down a few weeks ago.

D．It was between a music shop and a department store.

4 . A Hong Kong Disneyland park admission ticket is your passport to a full day of magical adventures. Learn the ways to buy your tickets now.
Three types of 1-day ticket are available:

Ticket Type	Price
General Admission Ticket (aged 12—64)	HK $ 499
Child Ticket (aged 3—11)	HK $ 355
Senior Ticket (aged 65 or above)	HK $ 100

Free admission for Child aged under 3.
Book Online Now
Purchase tickets conveniently through our website, then pick up your tickets starting from 1 hour after you have purchased online.
Purchase Tickets Directly at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express
You can purchase tickets at the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express, conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station. Open from 9:00 am — 8:00 pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9:00 am — 5:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Purchase 2 Park Tickets at one of the following locations and receive a FREE limited-edition Disney gift:
★ Avenue of Stars Kiosks
You can purchase tickets at Avenue of Stars Kiosks in Tsim Sha Tsui. Open daily from 9:00 am — 10:30 pm.
★ Asia World-Expo Box Office
You can purchase tickets at Asia World-Expo Box Office. Open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 am — 6:00 pm.
Reserve Tickets for Hotel Guest
As a hotel Guest of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, Park tickets are reserved for your purchase at front desk. Open daily from 9:00 am — 8:00 pm.
Buy at Hong Kong Disneyland Main Entrance
Guests can purchase tickets on the day of their visit at the Main Entrance Ticket Booths or Guest Relations Windows. Open daily from 30 minutes before Park opening until Park closes.
1. In which place can you get a free gift for buying two tickets?

A．Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express.

B．Disney’s Hollywood Hotel.

C．Hong Kong Disneyland main Entrance.

D．Asia World-Expo Box Office.

2. For a young couple with a 2-year-old kid spending a day in the park, they have to pay at least ________.

A．HK$499

B．HK$854

C．HK$998

D．HK$1353

3. To buy tickets at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express on Sundays, you have to get there before ________.

A．10:30 pm

B．6:00 pm

C．5:00 pm

D．8:00 pm

5 . Theplenary（全体）sessionsoftheNationalPeople's Congress(NPC)andtheNationalCommitteeofthe ChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference(CPPCC)(政协)   popularlyknownasthe"twosessions"， arekickingoffthisweek.Whatwillbethebigtalking points?Wehavecompiledsomeofhottopics.
Jobs
The number of jobs forecast to be created this year will be revealed at the annual session. In the past two years, despite an economic slowdown, the number of newly created jobs has increased steadily. China is promoting employment through encouraging       business start-ups, cutting red tape and delegating power to lower-level governments.
Military
China's military expenditure (军费) will definitely become one of the most discussed topics during the two sessions in Western and domestic media. The question China faces is how to build and manage a stronger army in new conditions.
Pollution
"We will resolutely declare war against pollution as we declared war against poverty," said Premier Li Keqiang at the parliamentary sessions last year. A poll has showed   that pollution-control and environmental protection remains one of the biggest areas of public concern ahead of the two sessions.
United States
Xi Jinping is scheduled to pay a State visit to the United States in September. Last year, China and the United States reached consensus in aspects including visa arrangements, trade and military trust. The two sides also released the landmark China U.S. Joint Announcement on Climate Change. Reporters will try to get some hints on how China and the United States will rise above their differences.
1. How many hot topics will be discussed at the “two sessions”?         .

A．4

B．5

C．More than 4

D．Less than five

2. What can we learn from this passage?

A．In the past two years, the number of newly-created jobs has decreased because of economic slowdown.

B．As for military, China focuses on how to build and manage a stronger army in new conditions.

C．Xi Jinping paid a State visit to the United States in September last year.

D．According to Premier Li Keqiang, declaring war against pollution is more important than declaring war against poverty.

3. What does the underlined word “compile” mean? It means “ ”.

A．choose

B．discuss

C．raise

D．collect

6 . A young man returns to his hometown of Aractataca, Colombia. He visits the house where he lived as a child. Here, he remembers the most important memories of his childhood. Standing in front of his old house, the young man makes an important decision. He says to himself, “I will start my life over again. I will become a writer.”

This man is the world famous writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928. During his early life, Garcia Marquez’s grandmother and grandfather told him many stories. His grandmother would tell him legends as if they were real. Garcia Marquez says that his grandmother’s way of storytelling later influenced his own methods.

When Garcia Marquez was about 20 years old, he left Aractataca and attended university in Bogota. He began studying law because this was what his father wanted him to study. However, Garcia Marquez was not happy.

During this time Garcia Marquez returned to Aractataca. It was on this visit that he realized he must stop studying law. And he recognized that he must return to the dream of his childhood-writing. For the next few years, Garcia Marquez wrote for many different newspapers. And in 1955, he published his first book called “Leaf Storm”.

For many years, Garcia Marquez knew he wanted to write about his grandfather’s house in Aractataca. To write this book, Garcia Marquez and his wife had to sell almost all of their possessions to survive. But their act was worth it. The book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was immediately successful. And this book created a path for Garcia Marquez’s future success.

In 1982, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, making him the first Colombian and the fourth Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.

1. Who influenced Garcia Marquez’s writing style?

A．His grandfather.	B．His father.
C．His grandmother.	D．His wife.

2. Garcia decided to take up writing_________.

A．when he worked for a newspaper	B．under the influence of his family
C．when he graduated from college	D．after a visit to his hometown

3. Garcia’s book “One Hundred Years of Solitude”          .

A．was written in the 1950s	B．enjoyed a quick success
C．helped Garcia lead a better life	D．was about Garcia’s grandfather

4. What do we know from the text about Garcia Marquez?

A．He is the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.

B．He wrote for newspapers before publishing his own books.

C．His book “Leaf Storm” marked his great success in literature.

D．He followed his father’s wish to become a writer.

7 . This is What a REAL Silver Dollar Looks Like
If you trust in the yen, the euro,
and the dollar...stop reading.
Because this is a story about
the sliver coin EVERYBODY wants.
You read the headlines.You know that troubled economic times have put global currency on a rollercoaster(过山车) ride.But millions have found a smarter way to build long­term value with high­grade collectable silver.And right now, those people are lining up to secure some of the last 2012 U．S.Mint Silver Eagles, America's Newest Silver Eagle Dollars. Today, you can graduate to the front of that line.Buy now and you can own these brilliant uncirculated Silver Dollars for only $38.95!
You Can't Afford to Lose
Why are we releasing(发行) this silver dollar for such a remarkable price? Because we want to introduce you to what hundreds of thousands of smart collectors and satisfied customers have known since 1984—New York Mint is the place to find the world's finest high­grade coins.That's why we're offering you this Brilliant Uncirculated 2012 U．S.Silver Eagle for as little as $37.45(plus s/h)．
Timing is Everything
Our advice? Keep this to yourself.Because the more people who know about this offer, the worse it is for you.Demand for Silver Eagles in 2011 broke records.Experts predict that 2012 Silver Eagles may break them all over again.Due to rapid changes in the price of silver, prices may be higher or lower and are subject to(受……影响) change without notice.Supplies are limited.Call immediately to add these Silver Eagles to your holdings before it's too late.

Offer Limited to 40 per household
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Your cost 1­4 Coins $38.95 each＋s/h
5­9 Coins $38.45 each＋s/h
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www.NewYorkMint.com
1. What is stressed in the ad?

A．The coin is of high quality and worth collecting.

B．The coin can be circulated as a currency.

C．Limited supplies guarantee a stable price of the coin.

D．Demand for the coin is bound to break records.

2. If you buy six 2012 U．S.Mint Silver Eagles by post, you should pay at least ________.

A．$230.7

B．$233.7

C．$240.7

D．$243.7

3. The ad strongly encourages people to purchase the silver coins by ________.

A．shopping online

B．making a phone call

C．lining up in front of the stores

D．writing to the company

8 . Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain­computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated (展示) a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
1. BCI is a technology that can ________.

A．help to update computer systems

B．link the human brain with computers

C．help the disabled to recover

D．control a person's thoughts

2. How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?

A．By controlling his muscles.

B．By talking to the machine.

C．By moving his hand.

D．By using his mind.

3. Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?

A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair

B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair

C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair

D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair

4. The team will test with real patients to ________.

A．make profits from them

B．prove the technology useful to them

C．make them live longer

D．learn about their physical condition

5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center

B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works

C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled

D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries

9 . If you are afraid of the dark，it’s not a big deal．It’s perfectly normal to feel afraid After all，animals do too. “Fear matters，”says Karen Warkentin，an ecologist．“It’s a good thing，” she adds, “because fear makes you do things that keep you alive.”
Like kids，many animals experience fear and they respond to the feeling in variety of ways．A frightened turtle pulls its head and legs inside its shell．A small fish will swim away when a big，hungry fish approaches．
Some animals respond to fear in ways you might not expect．The first example is that the fear of being eaten can scare some frogs right out of their eggs. Warkentin made the surprising discovery while studying red—eyed tree frogs in Costa Rica.
In this species，female frogs attach jellylike clumps（果冻一样的块状物）of their eggs to the undersides of leaves．The leaves hang on branches that dangle（悬挂）over ponds．After they hatch from the eggs，the tadpoles（蝌蚪）then fall into the water，where they eventually grow into adult frogs.
Tree frog eggs usually grow for 6 days before hatching．If they sense that a hungry snake is about to attack，however，they can hatch up to 2 days ahead of schedule. As the snakes are unable to swim，by falling into the water early，the tadpoles can escape.
If hatching early helps protect red—eyed tree frogs from snakes，you might wonder why their eggs don’t always hatch sooner．It turns out that hatching early brings its own danger．Once tadpoles land in the water，hungry fish and other animals like to eat them too．Staying in their eggs for a full 6 days，then，allows frog embryos（胚胎）to grow big and strong．This extra growth improves their chances of surviving in the water．
1. It can be inferred from the passage that fears      .

A．help animals grow bigger and stronger

B．are less common among young animals

C．help animals move a lot to fit the environment

D．are more or less important in order for animals to survive

2. We are told in the passage that tree frogs        .

A．face danger both inside their eggs and in the water

B．will grow fast if they fall into the water later

C．are surprisingly clever when inside their eggs

D．stay in their eggs longer if they are frightened

3. Why do the tadpoles hatch up to 2 days ahead of the schedule？Because

A．They like falling into the water early

B．They want to grow into adult frog

C．They sense a hungry snake is about to attack

D．Frog embryos can grow strong

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．What is Fear	B．Why do we feel afraid
C．You feel afraid，animals do too	D．Fear is a good thing

5. What do you think would be discussed in the following paragraph?

A．Further explanations as to why tree frogs hatch ahead of schedule．

B．How the unborn frogs know when a snake is about to attack them．

C．Another example of animals that responds to fear in an unexpected way．

D．How tree frogs improve their chances of survival before falling into the water.

10 . Here is a letter from the Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant on The Players' Tribune website on November 30th.
“...This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding(重击).My mind can han-dle the grind(苦差事)but my body knows it's time to say goodbye-.-"
“Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game. Whether competing in the Fi-nals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym,   Kobe has an unconditional love for the game.
I join Kobe's millions of' fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories.”
——Adam Silver, NBA commissioner(总裁)
“We're all sad. This era of Lakers basketball has been one of the most fun, exciting prosperous eras we could imagine. We're in full support of him. But it's still very sad.”
——Jeanie Buss, Lakers president
“I know his purpose is to finish out this season and play. It's always sad when greatness decides to hang it up" 'I thought he had at least another year in him.”
——Byron Scott, Lakers coach, and Bryant's teammate during the 1996-97 season
¨He pushed me to be better more than any player I've faced. Kobe is the greatest competitor I have ever faced. I am glad he has found peace. I don't know if we'll see another one like him.”
——Shane Battier, of the Miami Heat
“Hard to believe @ kobe bryant is finally going to hang it up. One of the NBA's great champions. En-joy the rest of this season, my friend.”
——Scottie Pippen, retired NBA All-Star
1. What can we learn from Kobe Bryant's letter?

A．He has lost passion for basketball.

B．He'll return to basketball court soon. .

C．He'll finish this season before he retires.

D．He'll retire immediately after the letter.

2. According to Byron Scott, _      .

A．Kobe has an unconditional love for basketball

B．Kobe is supposed to play at least for another year

C．Lakers team has played very well this year

D．it is difficult to find another player like Kobe

3. Where can we most probably read the comments?

A．From an Internet page.	B．In a newspaper.
C．In a sports magazine.	D．In a TV program.