1 . The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City in Beijing, China, was completed in 1420 during the early Ming Dynasty. It is the largest ancient palatial （宫殿似的） building in the world and it’s open to tourists to allow them to have a look at ancient Chinese architecture.

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is a statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. It sits on a rock in the harbor. It was inspired by a performance of a ballet based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. It was presented to the public on 23 August, 1913. And there are many tourists taking photos with the Little Mermaid every year.

The Taj Mahal

As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of India. It is considered as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a mix of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles.

Niagara Falls State Park

America’s oldest state park, open year-round, brings you closer than you ever thought possible to the power of the Falls. The best viewing area for the American Falls and Rapids is the Prospect Point. It is also home to the Visitors Service Center, Niagara Adventure Theater, the Observation Tower and the Maid of the Mist.

1. What can you do when visiting the Little Mermaid?

A．Listen to a fairy tale.	B．Attend a performance.
C．Meet Hans Christian Andersen.	D．Take pictures with the statue.

2. Which is the best place to see the American Falls and Rapids?

A．The Prospect Point.	B．The Niagara Adventure Theater.
C．The Observation Tower.	D．The Maid of the Mist.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．Tourists can only see the Forbidden City from outside.

B．The Little Mermaid statue was made by Hans Christian Andersen.

C．The Taj Mahal is the finest example of mixed styles of Mughal buildings.

D．Tourists must check the opening time before visiting the Niagara Falls State Park.

2 . Friday was "Chatty Bus day", an experiment aimed at getting people to talk to each other on public transport. This is not an idea that would appeal to those who commute in the rush hour, because there is a smaller distance within which it's just as uncomfortable to talk. Elbow(肘) room is a precondition for sociability. It is no coincidence that the first truly personal music player, the Sony Walkman, was invented in Japan where the commuter trains are literally crowded with people.

We will also not talk to strangers who are physically too far away, of course. No one wants to shout their small talk. Only on country buses or similar unhurried and uncrowded forms of public transport can people reach out to their neighbors, confident that they are doing so from a position of strength and autonomy.

For all these drawbacks, the idea of talking to strangers is still a good one, and the promotion of sociability is good for society. Although it does seem to be a general rule that people are friendlier the fewer there are of them and more hostile and indifferent as cities get more crowded, there are still considerable cultural variations. And there is evidence that friendlier places are also healthier, and their inhabitants happier.

It is true that the apparent loneliness of many people on public transport is a false impression.

Many will be caught up with conversations with distant friends on their phones; some will be talking to the people in books. Some may be in willed solitude with their headphones. But there are always people who would be interested in an unexpected conversation with a stranger. This need not go on for too long.

It is not large and possibly life-changing conversations that are what most people in loneliness miss most. What they really need is not deep thought but superficiality. The kind of conversation that you could have with anyone reminds you that you yourself might be anyone. It is a release from the prison of the self, which is where lonely people serve their sentences, uncertain whether they ever can be paroled(假释). Friendship may be too rare a gift to hope for, but sometimes the kindest thing to say is also the simplest: "Don't be a stranger"-and sometimes that's also enough.

1. According to Paragraph 1, why the first Walkman appeared in Japan partly?

A．its corporate culture

B．its overcrowded public transport

C．its people's creativity

D．its people's desire for personal space

2. Which of the following belongs to "these drawbacks" underlined in paragraph 3?

A．"Chatty Bus day" has not been introduced to other areas.

B．Walkman prevents passengers from talking to each other.

C．Passengers are unwilling to make small talk with strangers.

D．Improper physical distance discourages casual communication.

3. What is the author most likely to agree with?

A．Small talk to strangers will help ease loneliness on the road.

B．Lonely people are in desperate need of deep conversation.

C．People in less populated cities tend to be cold and distant.

D．It's inadvisable to talk to strangers who are physically too close.

4. What is the author's main purpose in writing the text?

A．To cast new light on human loneliness.

B．To introduce an experiment and its effects.

C．To advocate striking up conversations with strangers.

D．To explore the relationship between physical distance and willingness to reach out.

3 . Jeremy Savage, aged 17, and Ian Marshall, aged 16, went to the Rocky Mountains with their parents for the weekend. On Saturday morning, the two boys decided to climb Cathedral Mountain by themselves while their parents relaxed at the campsite. After three hours, they reached the top with no problems.

However, trouble began when they started the climb down the mountain. On one very dangerous part of the path, Ian fell three metres off the side of the path. Jeremy was able to climb down to where Ian was. Ian was badly injured and could not move. Jeremy had to decide what to do. He needed help, but he did not want to leave his friend. He used water from his own bottle to clean the dirt and blood from Ian’s face and hands. He tried to help Ian stand up, but Ian’s right leg was hurting too much. They had to wait and hope that someone would come and help them.

When the boys did not return to the campsite that evening, their parents became very worried. They got in touch with park workers and began searching for the boys. Soon more than 20 people were looking for the boys.

As night fell, the boys were still missing. While they waited for help to arrive, Jeremy gave Ian his food and water and he let Ian lie on his jacket so he would be more comfortable. As the evening grew darker, Ian told Jeremy to leave him and go back to their parents, but he still did not leave. Jeremy thought it was too dangerous for Ian to be alone. The night was cold and windy, and Jeremy used his jacket and an extra shirt to keep Ian warm.

At sunrise, Jeremy decided that the only way to help his friend was to carry him. So, they started the long climb back to their parents. Sometimes Jeremy carried Ian on his hack. Sometimes he carried him in his arms. Finally, after four hours, they arrived at the campsite where their parents were waiting. “I will always remember what Jeremy did for me,” said Ian. “He saved my life. That is the greatest thing that a person can do for his friend.”

1. What happened to Ian on his way down the mountain?

A．Ian fell three miles off the side of the path.

B．Ian climbed down to where Jeremy was.

C．Ian was badly injured and could not move.

D．Ian decided what to do because Jeremy was injured.

2. Why did the boys’ parents get in touch with the park workers?

A．Because they knew the boys got injured.

B．Because the boys returned to the campsite with wounds.

C．Because they needed water and food.

D．Because the boys did not return to the campsite that evening.

3. While they were waiting for help, what did Jeremy NOT do for Ian?

A．Jeremy gave Ian his food and water.

B．Jeremy let Ian lie on his jacket so he would be more comfortable.

C．Jeremy left Ian alone to find some help.

D．Jeremy used his jacket and an extra shirt to keep Ian warm.

4. How long did it take the boys to arrive back to the campsite?

A．Four hours.	B．One night.
C．Two days.	D．About 24 hours.

4 . If you live near a park, you’ve probably observed this unique squirrel behavior. As winter approaches, these creatures begin what looks like preparation for a wide scavenger（觅食）hunt. In great numbers, these squirrels begin to bury nuts! This kind of behavior raises a lot of questions for squirrel enthusiasts—the most pressing being how the squirrels find their nuts again. Eastern gray squirrels, in particular, bury their nuts far and wide. Scientists themselves aren’t even quite sure of everything that goes into this hiding behavior, but they have some ideas.

For one, scientists have observed gray squirrels frequently burying and reburying their nuts. The scientists assumed that this behavior was to help always keep a fresh memory of the nuts! locations. However, it’s not only memory that the squirrels need to combat（战斗）in order to find their nuts! The gray squirrel community is rampant(猖獗的)with nut stealing. The squirrels can lose up to 25% of their hidden nuts to such thieves! Luckily, the squirrels have developed some clever methods to protect their nuts. Scientists have observed the squirrels creating false caches（储藏）in order to trick thieves. If the squirrels are worried about thieves, they will also start to hide their nuts in difficult-to-reach places（like under bushes or in muddy areas）.

While it might be frustrating for squirrels to lose their carefully hidden nuts, it can be beneficial for other organisms. In particular, it can help the forest itself! A study done at the University of Richmond reports that squirrels fail to recover up to 74% of the nuts they bury. This misplacing of so many acorns (the seeds of oak trees), the study says, is likely responsible for oak forest regeneration. When squirrels misplace these buried acorns, they allow for these seeds to eventually grow into full oak trees! The squirrels’ habit of widespread caching is also important to the growth of the forest, as it allows the genetic（基因的）information to spread far.

What seemed like a harmless scavenger hunt is actually part of an endless complex ecosystem in our forests!

1. In what aspect do squirrels puzzle people most?

A．The way they search for food.	B．The places they hide in winter.
C．The location of their hidden food.	D．The way they recover hidden nuts

2. What can we learn about the gray squirrels?

A．They often fight with each other for food.

B．They tend to feel more secure in bushy places.

C．They are cautious about storing food for winter.

D．They survive largely thanks to their team spirit.

3. What’s the message conveyed in the third paragraph?

A．Squirrels can starve due to lack of food.

B．It can be beneficial that squirrels lose their nuts.

C．It’s easy to get squirrels’ genetic information.

D．Squirrels always misplace their nuts deliberately.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Why do squirrels steal nuts?

B．How do squirrels survive the winter?

C．The secrets behind squirrels’ burying nuts.

D．The ecosystem in the forest.

5 . Do you look for something to read while in London? If so, you’re lucky. The British capital happens to have an incredible collection of bookshops.

Foyles

If you will, dig the picture: four miles of shelves holding up to 200, 000 books. Let’s hope you have some time to read books when travelling in Foyles. This bookshop is impossible to leave empty-handed. It was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest bookshop on the planet.

Location: 107 Charing Cross Rd

Hatchards

In the year 1797, Thomas Paine published Agrarian Justice. It’s also the year this London bookshop, the oldest in the city today, first turned on its lights. It stocks an excellent selection of fiction, nonfiction, history and other sorts.

Location: 187 Piccadilly St

Libreria

This bookshop is one of the most pleasing of its kind in London. The yellow bookshelves add a touch of color and mystery and, well, you kind of just want to grab a book and a seat and stay a while. Mobile phone usage is strongly banned here.

Location: 65 Hanbury St

London Review Bookshop

This wonderful bookshop that opened in 2003 comes from the smart people of the London Review of Books. As you’d expect, there is an excellent selection of history, philosophy, politics, new fiction and many other sorts here. Plus, there’s a nice cafe in which you can have something to drink and start reading.

Location: 16 Bury PI

1. Where can you find the oldest bookshop in London?

A．16 Bury PI.	B．187 Piccadilly St.
C．107 Charing Cross Rd.	D．65 Hanbury St.

2. What is special about Libreria?

A．It has various books.	B．It is located in London.
C．It has yellow bookshelves.	D．It is the biggest one.

3. Which bookshop can offer people coffee?

A．Foyles.	B．Hatchards.
C．Libreria.	D．London Review Bookshop.

6 . The second Sunday in May is Mother's Day. American children of all ages give their mothers something special. Children, young and old, try to show their love to mothers on the day. However, do you know that Mother's Day celebration is no recent thing?

England was the first country to set a day to mothers. In the United States, Mother's Day became an official holiday in 1910. An American girl, Anna, asked their governor to set a festival for mothers that they loved. Therefore, they set the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and a year later all the other states celebrated it.

In the morning of Mother's Day, some American children serve their mothers breakfast in bed. Other children will give their mothers presents which they made themselves or bought in stores. Adults give their mothers red carnations (康乃馨)，the official Mother's Day flower. If their mothers left the world, they may bring white carnations to their grave sites (墓地). This is the busiest day of the year for American restaurants. On this special day, family members do not want their mother to cook dinner!

1. When is Mother's Day in America?

A．On the second Sunday in May.	B．On the first Sunday in April.
C．On the second Sunday in July.	D．On the fourth Sunday in September.

2. In America, who asked the government to set a festival for their loved mothers?

A．Mike.

B．Alice.

C．Tom.

D．Anna.

3. What is the official Mother's Day flower according to the passage?

A．Blue carnations.	B．White carnations.
C．Red carnations.	D．Green carnations.

7 . Do you remember what happened on Sponge Bob Square Pants yesterday? The day before? If so, you may be in need of a TV timeout!

Kids today are watching more TV than they watched before, researchers say. Kids ages 6 to 11 in the United States watch more than three hours of TV each day. Ten years ago, children watched only about two hours and 40 minutes of TV each day.

Why the increase? Experts say more TV shows today are focused, or aimed, at kids.

Some people want to limit kids' TV time. Researchers say that children who watch TV shows for more than three hours a day do not do as well in school. However, some programs can help kids learn. One example is BrainSurge. Some people say the show teaches kids facts.

How do you know whether a TV show can make you smart? Think about what you learn from watching, says Aletha Huston. She is a TV expert. But, she warns, don't spend too much time watching. “Limit the amount you watch. Get off the couch and do something else.”

TV Guide

This pie chart shows how long kids ages 6－11 use different types of TV technology each week.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Kids today watch more TV than they did before.

B．BrainSurge helps kids learn facts.

C．Kids do not watch proper TV shows.

D．More TV shows today are created for kids ages 6－11.

2. The underlined word “focused” can be replaced by ________.

A．unusual

B．aimed

C．suitable

D．pleasant

3. How many kinds of TV technology are mentioned in the chart?

A．Three.

B．Five.

C．Four.

D．Six.

4. According to the pie chart, kids spend the least time using________.

A．Video games

B．DVD

C．VCR

D．TV

8 . Yao Ming was born in Shanghai in 1980. At 229 centimeters, he was the third tallest player in NBA history. Yao made his first appearance in the NBA during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He surprised many critics with his first games, and was fast becoming an international fan favorite, as he broke Michael Jordan’s record for votes (投票) received. In July 2011 Yao announced his retirement from the NBA due to frequent problems in his left foot.

He continuously works to raise awareness of endangered species and even went as far as to stop using shark fin soup at his wedding in 2007. Yao has been saying no to shark fin soup since 2006 when he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador (亲善大使) for wildlife protection. “Shark’s are friends of human beings. They are not our food.” Since his retirement he has become a surprise international force in the field of wildlife protection, and he is using his fame to tell us the difficulties faced by sharks.

Most recently he went to Houston Zoo, as part of his continuing effort to educate young people about the importance of wildlife protection. He is part of a large campaign (运动) by the wildlife protection charity WildAid, and has traveled through Africa to see and document the difficulties facing elephants and rhinos in the wild. With elephant and rhinoceros poaching (偷猎) on the rise, Yao also said, “When the buying stops, the killing can too. Get rid of the demand for rhino horn and ivory right at the source. That’s what I want to do.”

Although Yao is not the first Chinese player in the NBA, it could be argued that he is the most important one, not just for his taking part in charity and wildlife protection work. He built a bridge between two completely different worlds and introduced millions to the Chinese way of life, and the American lifestyle separately.

1. The first paragraph mainly tells us ____________.

A．the history of MBA	B．how high Yao Ming is
C．the life of Michael Jordan	D．Yao Ming’s basketball life

2. Why did Yao Ming stop using shark fin soup at his wedding?

A．Because shark fin soup is not food.

B．Because he wants to set a good example.

C．Because sharks are not endangered species

D．Because shark fin soup is too expensive for him.

3. What do we know about what Yao Ming said in the Paragraph 3?

A．The demand for wildlife leads to killing.

B．He wants to appeal to others to stop illegal selling.

C．WildAid plays an important role in wildlife protection.

D．Young people make a difference in wildlife protection.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．The first Chinese player in the NBA

B．A super basketball star -- Yao Ming

C．Yao Ming and his wildlife protection

D．When the buying stops, the killing can too

9 .

To: David Russel＜drusell@mmail.org＞ From: Alyssa Meller＜ameller@jtext.com＞ Date: January 12 Subject: Meetings

Dear Mr. Russel, Welcome to work here for a few days. I am writing to let you know that Roger Williams, one of our staff members, will pick you up at the airport on Sunday evening. We have a hotel arrangement for you just next to our office building. As a popular writer of children’s literature, you will be giving a presentation in our boardroom. All of us are expecting the new contents in your books, which will surely include your understanding of children’s literature. We hope to learn more from you about how to efficiently organize contents and develop written communication skills. At your request, I was about to arrange several meetings with your coauthors to discuss revisions to your series of children’s stories, which will be an important part during your stay here. Because of the tight schedule, you will probably have some busy days here. But we will try our best to ensure that you can have a high efficiency. All details are provided below. Mon. 9:00 a.m. Presentation on new contents 11:00 a.m. Lunch meeting with Thomas Wood (illustrator) Tue. 9:30 a.m. Breakfast with Gary Willson (book designer) 11:20 a.m. Conference call with Scott West (the CEO of Walter Publishing) 2:00 p.m. Meeting with Hank Willis about some of the chapters Wed. 9:00 a.m. Meeting with Georg Hoffmann to translate some documents into English 11:00 a.m. Editing session with Jose Wright After the final meeting on Wednesday, we will drive you to West Town Station by 4:00 p.m. Your train from the station to the airport will depart at 4:30 p.m. and your flight is scheduled to leave at 6:10 p.m. If there is anything unsuitable for the arrangement, please let me know and we will adjust the schedule as soon as possible. Looking forward to meeting you next week. Alyssa

1. What is the purpose of the email?

A．To provide a work schedule.

B．To make a travel arrangement.

C．To propose an adaptation of the storybooks.

D．To inform Mr. Russel of a schedule change.

2. What can we learn about Mr. Russel?

A．He is attending a book fair.

B．He is drafting a research proposal.

C．He is advertising children’s storybooks.

D．He is working with others on a project.

3. When is Mr. Russel expected to discuss the contents of his storybooks?

A．At 11:00 a.m. on Monday.

B．At 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday.

C．At 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

D．At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

10 . I lay in the hospital bed with my six-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, holding her in my arm “Mommy, will you stay with me the whole time?” she asked, looking up. “You know I can’t be in the operating room,” I said carefully, not wanting to frighten her. “But Daddy and I will be waiting right outside.” Elizabeth nodded, but her eyes looked troubled.

Elizabeth had broken her right leg in July. Seven months later, it still hadn’t healed (康复). In fact, it had gotten worse. She was here in the hospital for surgery (手术).

I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay and promise that this would be the last time she’d have to go through this. But what if something went wrong again? How could I comfort my daughter when I needed comfort myself?

There was a knock at the door. A nurse? I thought. Time to say goodbye already? But the woman who came in wasn’t a nurse. “Hi,” the woman said. “I’m a volunteer here, and I’ve got something for Elizabeth.” She handed a bright­blue box to my daughter.

Elizabeth sat up and took the box. She opened it and started pulling out goodies one by one candies, stickers, a lovely toy in the shape of a star. She hugged the star, perking up for the first time since she entered the hospital. “Thank you,” she said. “I love them.” There was a big smile on her face. It had been so long since I saw that big smile. The gift was a great comfort not only to my daughter, but also to me.

1. Why did the author’s daughter feel upset?

A．She would have surgery on her arm.

B．The author had no time to play with her.

C．She had to stay in the hospital for a long time.

D．The author couldn’t stay in the operating room with her.

2. The author couldn’t make any promise because______.

A．there was no time for her to do so.

B．she wasn't sure of the result herself.

C．she believed everything would be okay.

D．she thought there was no need for her to do so.

3. Why did the woman come in?

A．To offer a gift.	B．To say goodbye.
C．To comfort the author.	D．To get all the things ready.

4. The underlined part “ pulling out ” means “________”.

A．having a rest	B．taking out
C．doing her best	D．becoming cheerful