1 . Music died here last spring，or rather，it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high school curriculum.
The committee decide that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts.Because the school system is running out of funding，it needs to make sure that students pass the test or even more money will be lost.If students fail the state standardized test，it is not the fault of drama and music classes.They are failing because the“academic”classes are in deficiency in a way.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing，acting，and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered.Many families cannot afford private music lessons，and many potential musicians and artists may not find their callings if they are not exposed to the arts in school.The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into well rounded people.It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through the arts—there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide.What happens after a test？Sure，a student might graduate，but they will have limited knowledge—certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
1. Music and drama are removed from the high school curriculum in that________.| A．some students fail the state standardized test |
| B．fewer and fewer students love to attend them |
| C．the school curriculum has been changed |
| D．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| A．Not enough. | B．Too many. |
| C．Too boring. | D．Not proper. |
| A．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| B．make students roundshaped people in future |
| C．provide students with careful thinking |
| D．prevent students from graduating from high school |
| A．Humorously. | B．Bitterly. |
| C．Excitedly. | D．Mildly. |
2 . Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.
Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He says he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person.” said the 30-year-old man.
Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything”. He said, “The feeling of having overcome something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”
The great 19thcentury explorer John Muir once said. “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.
1. Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?| A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone. |
| B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries. |
| C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend. |
| D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things. |
| A．you have to make things on your own. |
| B．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others. |
| C．you can only depend on yourself whatever happens. |
| D．it will finally build your character. |
| A．He started traveling alone at an early age. |
| B．He was once shot in the arm. |
| C．He used to work as a salesman. |
| D．His website will inspire others to travel alone. |
| A．Travel Abroad | B．Travel Alone |
| C．Travel Light | D．Travel Wide and Far |
3 . Influenced by their families and society, many youths are infatuated with expensive famous brands. But not every youth is as rich as a millionaire and people are getting worried about this.
According to a recent survey, one out of five pupils wears clothes of well-known brands, including a belt worth 560 Yuan, more than an ordinary worker’s salary. Among the 100 middle school students surveyed, as many as 70 own famous-brand clothes, 60 have famous-brand watches and 45 possess famous-brand bicycles. Two of them even wear over 1500 Yuan worth of suits.
Most young people who come from ordinary families will try to steal money to have better food and clothing if their parents don’t satisfy their needs. A boy named Chen even killed another boy simply for 500 Yuan and was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
People wonder how these teenagers can be independent in the future, while parents are calling for help from schools, governments and the society.
1. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?| A．More than 50 percent of the students surveyed possess things of famous brands. |
| B．An ordinary worker owns less than 560 Yuan each month. |
| C．Suits may cost as much as 1500 Yuan. |
| D．Young people now are as rich as millionaires. |
| A．steal money for better food and clothing |
| B．kill another boy for 500 Yuan |
| C．stay in prison for nine years |
| D．ask his parents to satisfy his needs |
| A．The governments | B．The schools |
| C．The society | D．All the above |
| A．Youths Run After Famous Brands. |
| B．Youths Should Own More Money |
| C．Youths As Rich As Millionaires |
| D．Youths Must Be Taken Good Care of |
4 . Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery(辣的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The color black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist(黑名单) is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or green-backs. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the black side of the paper money.
1. Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT_______.| A．something unfair |
| B．small hot-tasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry |
| D．popular music like Dixieland jazz |
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the color pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
| A．enjoys himself/herself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomach ache | D．likes trees and grass |
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift | B．Passing a very difficult test. |
| C．Being refused during and important interview | D．Being invited to an exciting party |
5 . In the world today, all of the people need recreation. We cannot work all the time if we are going to keep healthy and enjoy life.
Everyone has his own way of relaxing. Perhaps the most popular form is to take part in sports. There are team sports, such as basketball and football. There are also individual sports, such as swimming and running. Skating and mountain climbing are the most popular recreation for people who like to be outdoor. Not everyone who enjoys sports likes to take part in them. Many people like watching them on TV or listening to them on the radio. So many people like some forms of recreation, such as watching TV, singing and dancing. It doesn’t matter whether we like indoor recreation or take part in outdoor sports. It is important for everyone to relax from time to time and enjoy some forms of recreation.
1. People want to take part in sports in order to ____.| A．keep healthy and enjoy life | B．make friends |
| C．find a good job | D．make more money |
| A．watching TV | B．singing and dancing |
| C．listening to the radio | D．skating and mountain climbing |
| A．basketball is a kind of team sport |
| B．everyone who enjoys sports should take part in them |
| C．different people have different ways of relaxing |
| D．indoor recreation is not as important as outdoor sports |
6 . A thief returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he had stolen from a woman after receiving twenty-one text messages from her, a local newspaper reported.
Pan Aiying, a Chinese teacher at Wutou Middle School in Qihe County, in East China’s Shandong Province, didn’t think her text messages would help to get her belongings back.
A young man riding a motorcycle robbed her of her bag, in which there was her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan, as she was riding her bicycle home on Saturday evening.
Pan said at first she considered calling the police, but then decided to try to persuade the young man to return her bag. Pan called her lost phone with her friend’s, but couldn’t get through. So she began sending messages.
“Hey, I’m Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you.” Wrote Pan in the first text message, which got no answer. “Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To make mistakes is human. Correcting your mistake is more important than anything,” Pan wrote in another message.
She gave up hope after sending twenty-one text messages without any answer and planned to call the police the next morning. However, as she left her home on Sunday morning, Pan found her stolen bag lying in the courtyard. Nothing was lost.
“Dear Pan: I am sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. You are so kind even though I stole from you. I’ll correct my ways and be an honest man,” said a letter left with the bag.
1. Where was Pan Aiying robbed?| A．In the school. | B．At home. |
| C．In the courtyard. | D．In the street. |
| A．Because she thought the police wouldn’t help her. |
| B．Because it was too late at that time. |
| C．Because she wanted to communicate with the thief first. |
| D．Because her friend asked her not to. |
| A．About two days. | B．About 12 hours. |
| C．About one day and a half. | D．About 24 hours. |
| A．the young man would not steal any more |
| B．Pan didn’t give up hope after sending 21 text messages |
| C．the young man would pay a visit to Pan personally |
| D．Pan teaches English in a middle school in Shandong Province |
7 . “Earthquake!” The word flashed in my brain. A roaring sound filled my ears. I tried to slide beneath my desk. The desk did a wild tap dance, slipping and sliding towards the centre of the room. I twisted my body and grabbed at the windowsill behind me, somehow kicking free of my dancing chair. I tried to stand. My legs skated away as if on a bucking escalator.
My fingers shook, grasped and held the windowsill tightly. Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animal. I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare. Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs and desks. One girl was screaming. A boy was trying to claw his way across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl.
My grip froze me to the windowsill.
I cried aloud, “I’m going to die. I’m going to die. Save me. I’m not ready to die. I’m not ready!”
I hunched forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched (紧握的) fingers. I looked at the backs of my fingers and stupidly noticed the fragile pale hairs growing out of the pores. The fingers would soon cease to exist. Somehow the impending horror of my death was too terrible to even cry about.
Suddenly, I became aware that the rocking had ceased. Perhaps I wasn’t going to die.
1. The roaring sound was made by .| A．a wounded animal | B．people screaming |
| C．children running | D．an earthquake |
| A．afraid | B．angry |
| C．injured | D．impatient |
| A．injuries suffered by the narrator |
| B．effects of a bad nightmare |
| C．disorder in the classroom |
| D．narrator’s fear of death |
| A．panic | B．hope |
| C．sorrow | D．excitement |
8 . Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have.A US accent,perhaps imitates(模仿) a Hollywood star speaker?Or maybe you want to imitate the British accent of a BBC news reader?
Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent.Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex(异性)!Let’s listen to what they have to say.
StephenYang,17,fromLondon,UK
A US accent is cute,especially when a girl speaks it.Whether it’s Jessia Alba speaking or the girl-next-door,the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle(感觉) that is really fashionable.A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood.Her Texan twang(鼻音) had all the boys here on their knees within seconds of meeting her.
To me,accents reflect the attitudes,characteristics(特征) and lifestyles of the people.
JenniferSun,16,fromNewJersey,US
From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe,my friends and I have developed a soft spot(好感) for British men.Some are attracted to the qualities of English males,while others admire their sense of style.
Everyone,however,agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent.For example,many American girls watch HarryPotter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak.
The English accent seems almost like art.
1. In Stephen Yang’s opinion,accents just show .| A．the beauty of the language |
| B．how the language is spoken |
| C．the fashion of the day |
| D．the cultural differences of the speakers |
| A．strange | B．exciting |
| C．attractive | D．fashionable |
| A．learn the acting skills of these stars |
| B．imitate the actors’ accents |
| C．learn the magic performed by HarryPotter |
| D．know more about British English |
9 . Earthquake rescue robots experienced their final tests in Beijing. Their designers said with these robots, rescuers would be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.
This kind of robot looking like a helicopter is a flying robot. It’s about 3 meters long, and it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions (功能) are to collect information from the air, and send goods of up to 30 kilos to people trapped by an earthquake. It has a high-definition 360-degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and is also able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.
Dr Qi Juntong, a researcher at Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, “The most important feature of this flying robot is that it doesn’t need a distant control. We just set the destination information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3, 000 meters, and as fast as 100 kilometers per hour.
This robot has a different function—it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers are unable to go. As well as a detector (探测器) that finds victims and detects poisonous gases, a camera is placed in the 3-metre-long robot, which can work in the dark. Another use for the rescuers is the supply bot. With its 10-metre-long pipe, people who are trapped in the ruins will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquids.
Experts have said that the robots would enter production and serve as part of the national earthquake rescue team as soon as possible.
1. What does Dr Qi Juntong think makes this robot mainly different from the others?| A．It has more functions. | B．It has a unique shape. |
| C．It has more advanced cameras. | D．It can work by itself once given the information. |
| A．A camera. | B．A detector. | C．A rescuer. | D．A supply. |
| A．It is carried by the helicopter. | B．It weighs about 30 kilos. |
| C．It is a machine with a length of 10 meters. | D．It hasn’t been put into production so far. |
| A．What the robot looks like. | B．An introduction to a robot. |
| C．How the robot is made. | D．Information about earthquakes. |
10 . Guide to Stockholm University Library
Our library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.
Zones
The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.
Computers
You can use your own computer to connect to the Wi-Fi specially prepared for notebook computers; you can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.
Group-study Places
If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold or sit at a people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.
There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book you need anactive University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.
Storage of study material
The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have obtained at least 40 credits（学分），you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year’s rental period.
Rules to be followed
Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.
Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.
1. What can students do on the library’s upper floor?| A．Read in a quiet place. | B．Have group discussions. |
| C．Take comfortable seats. | D．Get their computers fixed. |
| A．They help students with their field experiments. |
| B．They contain software necessary for schoolwork. |
| C．They are for those who want to access the Wi-Fi. |
| D．They are mostly used for filling out application forms. |
| A．can afford the rental fee | B．attends certain courses |
| C．has nowhere to put his books | D．has earned the required credits |
