1 . This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. As I searched the name, I found that there were two famous people having the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts(花生), while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; let the coin decide. I flipped(掷) a coin and Ah! Tails (背面)! My report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, I stood in front of the classroom and proudly read my homework. But things started to get strange. I looked around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes and my stone-faced teacher. I was completely lost. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Oh well, I dropped the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American War of Independence.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that my teacher meant that George Washington?
Of course, my subject result was awful. Sad but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to the headmaster Miss Lancelot, but she said firmly: No re-dos; no new score. I felt that it was not fair, and I believed I deserved a second chance. So I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, I sat in the headmaster’s office again, but this time a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the terrible moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster told me I was good enough to skip(跳过) the 6th grade and started the 7th grade next term.
1. The task I received was to find information about ________.| A．uses for peanuts |
| B．American War of Independence |
| C．George Washington |
| D．my headmaster Miss Lancelot |
| A．I was too proud of my homework |
| B．I mistook what the homework was about |
| C．the whole world suddenly became quiet |
| D．the teacher’s face turned to a stone |
| A．the headmaster didn’t like the writer at all |
| B．the writer’s classmates felt sad at his mistake |
| C．the writer knew little about American history |
| D．the writer’s grandpa was a very wise man |
| A．Seeing is believing. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．One is never too old to learn. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
2 . Four Inspiring Movies
Forrest Gump（1992）
Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low IQ but good intentions. This movie follows the fictional story in which the simple man makes his way through some of the more turbulent（动荡的）times from the 1960s through 1980s. This film took home six Oscars, inspired a “Weird Al” song, and proves that a big heart is the most important thing.
It's a Wonderful Life（1946）
No movie list would be complete without a nod to the past. Let's go with this Christmas classic, about a man with serious financial troubles who intends to commit suicide（自杀）by jumping off a bridge. His guardian angel Clarence Odbody stops him and tells him what life would have been like for those close to him had he never been born. Realizing how much he means to others, he rushes back home and all sorts of happy, inspirational, Christmassy things happen.
Dead Poet's Society（1990）
John Keating（Robin Williams）is a high school English literature teacher at a famous all-male boarding school who gets into trouble with the school administration after encouraging his students to challenge authority and think for themselves. It is certainly inspirational, if not also frustratingly sad.
A Beautiful Mind（2001）
This movie tells the story of John Nash（Russell Crowe）, a professor at Princeton, a US university, who revolutionized the field of game theory and fell into madness as a result of paranoid schizophrenia（精神分裂症）. With the love and support of his family as well as the help of medical professionals, he managed to overcome his mental illness and continued to make contributions to the field of mathematics.
1. What can we know about It's a Wonderful Life?| A．It proves a big heart important. |
| B．It has a happy ending. |
| C．It tells a story of friendship. |
| D．It is famous for the leading role. |
| A．Forrest Gump. | B．I's a Wonderful Life. |
| C．Dead Poet's Society. | D．A Beautiful Mind. |
| A．became a famous expert in psychology |
| B．got his family's support for studying game theory |
| C．gained lots of experience in treating schizophrenia |
| D．defeated the disease and went on to pursue maths |
3 . A recent study showed that the experiences children have in their first few years are important. These experiences affect the development of the brain. When children receive more attention, they often have higher IQs. Babies receive information when they see, hear and feel things, which makes connections between different parts of the brain. There are a hundred trillion connections in the brain o£ a three-year-old child.
Researcher Judit Gervain tested how good newborns are at telling different sound patterns. The researchers produced images o£ the brains of babies as they heard different sound patterns. For example5one order was mu—ba—ba. This is the pattern "A -B— B”. Another order was mu—ba—ge. This is the pattern "A-B—C”. The images showed that the part of the brain responsible for speech was more active during the "A—B-B” pattern. This shows that babies can tell the difference between different patterns. They also were sensitive（敏感）to where it occurred in the order.
Gervain is excited by these findings because the order of sounds is the base of words and grammar, "Position is key to language," she says. "If something is at the beginning or at the end, it makes a big difference： 'John caught the bear' is very different from 'The bear caught John.
Researchers led by scientist Patricia Kuhl have found that language delivered by televisions, audio books, the Internet, or smartphones——no matter how educational—— doesn't appear to be enough for children's brain development. They carried out a study of nine-month-old American babies. They expected the first group who'd watched videos in Chinese to show the same kind of learning as the second group who were brought face-to- face with the same sounds. Instead they found a huge difference. The babies in the second group were able to distinguish （辨别）between similar Chinese sounds as well as native listeners. But the other babies-regardless of whether they had watched the video or listened to the audio-learned nothing.
1. Why are early experiences so important to children according to the study?| A．They can show connections in their brains. |
| B．They can increase new information of IQs. |
| C．They can offer children more attention, |
| D．They can help to develop their brains. |
| A．By recognizing babies5 different appearances. |
| B．By producing images of new words for babies, |
| C．By testing how babies' brains learn to speak language. |
| D．By checking babies' brains to identify different sound patterns. |
| A．Grammar is important in learning languages, |
| B．Different orders of sounds have different meanings. |
| C．The order of words comes from its grammar meaning. |
| D．Different languages have different grammar rules. |
| A．Learning Chinese is of great benefit to babies' brains. |
| B．Babies are better than adults in learning a foreign language. |
| C．Face-to-face communication can improve babies' brains. |
| D．Babies learn a lot from television, audio books or the Internet. |
4 . 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. |
| A．It has various books. | B．It is located in London. |
| C．It has yellow bookshelves. | D．It is the biggest one. |
| A．Foyles. | B．Hatchards. |
| C．Libreria. | D．London Review Bookshop. |
5 . If you don't use it, you lose it. At least, that's how the old saying goes. It refers to the idea that something which does not get used regularly quickly falls into a state of decline. Muscles, for example, will waste away without use. In order to resist this, people take regular exercise to keep their skills sharp.
Well, what about the brain? As we age, our brains can naturally begin to decline. In some cases, this can lead to certain mental conditions such as dementia(痴呆)，which I'm sure you will agree, no one wants. However, all is not lost because these days it's relatively easy to train your brain. Smart phones and apps have put programmes into our hands that can test, maintain and even improve our memories, mathematical skills and a lot of other mental abilities. With a little practice every day, we can keep our brains nice and sharp, right?
Well, no, actually. According to a report from the Global Council on Brain Health, even though many people thought it was important to play online games, such as puzzles and mind games, which are designed to improve brain health, the evidence of the benefits was “weak to non-existent”.
There are other ways to promote the old grey matter. It recommends seeking out new activities that challenge the way you think and are socially engaging，while leading to a healthy lifestyle. Among their suggestions are practising tai chi, taking photography classes, learning new technologies, gardening, art projects or volunteering.
There's more good news, too, James Goodwin, chief scientist at Age UK has said that brain decline is not inevitable (不可避免的）. As long as the activities are “new to you and require your concentrated attention”, they can provide benefits for brain health. So, hurry up, get out there and try something new. Maybe it's time to try that hobby you've always wanted to do. And as for me? I'm off to learn the piano.
1. From which is the text probably taken?| A．A biology textbook. | B．A healthy magazine. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A research paper. |
| A．Making more shopping. | B．Avoid brain decline. |
| C．Doing exercises alone. | D．Going out with friends. |
| A．Trying something new. | B．Using smart phone regularly. |
| C．Playing games online. | D．Doing what you are good at. |
| A．Advantages of trying something new. |
| B．Disadvantages of using smart phones. |
| C．Ways to keep our brain as sharp as possible. |
| D．How to spend time meaningfully at an old age. |
6 . Welcome to our school. You can do a lot of things here. Come and join us.
| Timetable | |
| Sunday 8:30---11:30 Personal Inventions You can see many inventions by the students； you may also bring your own inventions. | Monday 19:00---21:00 Space and Man Dr. Thomas West If you want to know more about the universe. |
| Wednesday 19:30---21:00 Modern Medicine Mrs. Lucy Green Would you like to know medical science? | Friday 18:30---21:00 Computer Science Mr. Harry Morison from Harvard University Learn to use Windows XP. |
1. You may have a chance to introduce your inventions on _________.
| A．Monday | B．Friday . | C．Sunday | D．Wednesday |
| A．Mr. Morison | B．Dr. West | C．Mr. Thomas | D．Mrs. Green |
| A．19:00 to 21:00 on Monday | B．8:30 to 11:30 on Sunday |
| C．18:30 to 21:00 on Friday | D．19:30 to 21:00 on Wednesday |
The doctors note the number of young children with the chronic pain(慢性病) in their necks, arms and shoulders is on the increase sharp in recent years . They are not aging, they haven’t had an accident, the blood reports are fine, their X-rays are fine, and their MRIs are fine. Facts have proved that the pain is from the poor posture(姿势) while they are playing video games on smart phones or other electronic devices. 19-year –old student Nida feels pain in the finger which holds the weight of her smart phone most of the day. Nida almost uses her smart phone 24/7, which means 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or all the time.
Health experts predict there will be not only physical（身体的）but mental(精神的) problems resulting from the overuse of electronic devices. They encourage people to often take breaks and exercise from using computers, smart phones or other devices. Stand up! Stretch(伸展) the legs, back, shoulders and arms in all the possible directions. That’s the most effective way and maybe the key to solving the problem completely. After all, the medication doesn’t help sometimes.
1. What is Mehzabin worried about?
| A．Her son has no table manners. |
| B．Her son’s physical problems get worse. |
| C．Her son doesn’t work hard at school. |
| D．Her son spends much money on games. |
| A．Using a heavy smart phone will cause it. |
| B．Adults don’t have the problem. |
| C．It is caused by the wrong body position |
| D．Children with it often have other diseases. |
| A．best treatment for the chronic pain is exercising |
| B．people must take medicine to cure the chronic pain |
| C．people should stop using smart phones |
| D．the chronic pain has nothing to do with one’s mental health |
| A．To Play Games Well, Sit Up Straight |
| B．Too Much Gaming Is A Pain In The Neck |
| C．How To Avoid The Pain In The Neck |
| D．How To Be More Fit By Playing Games |
8 . Like you and your pet dog, plants are living things: they eat, drink, and grow. Unlike you and your dog, they can't run away, use fists or teeth, or hide under the covers when they're threatened. But they can fight back.
Why would a plant need to fight back? To avoid being eaten, of course! Plants have several ways of protecting themselves. A plant can grow in a hidden or hard-to-get-to place. Think of plants you've seen growing on steep, rocky cliff (悬崖). Or, a plant could make only some parts of itself attractive to hungry insects and animals. For instance, if a plant produced really tasty leaves, herbivores (creatures that eat only plants) might eat the leaves instead of the seeds, which the plant needs for making more plants. Some plants have sharp or slippery (滑的) parts that discourage insects and other animals from getting too close, like the thorns(刺) on a rosebush.
But the most interesting way that plants fight back is by using chemicals. Plants take minerals from the soil and combine them into chemicals that do a lot of work. For example, plants produce chlorophyll(叶绿素), which helps convert sunshine and water into the sugars that plants eat.
They also produce chemicals to help protect themselves. One kind of tobacco plant releases a chemical into the air whenever small bugs begin to eat it. The chemical signals large bugs, saying "Dinner's ready!" The big bugs come to eat the little ones and save the plant.
Most plants use chemicals in a more direct way against their enemies. In other words, plants make poison.
1. What does the underlined word "convert" mean?| A．Change | B．Separate |
| C．Form | D．Produce |
| A．Some plants hide under the covers when faced with threat. |
| B．A plant grows in a hard-to-get-to place to draw people's attention. |
| C．Some plants produce tasty leaves to protect their seeds. |
| D．Plants produce chemicals to meet the needs of big bugs. |
| A．Different effects that different plant poisons cause on plant eaters. |
| B．Different kinds of plants in the world. |
| C．Why plants make poison? |
| D．How to protect plants? |
| A．Plant information. | B．Plant enemies. |
| C．Plant poisons. | D．Plant protection. |
9 . School had just started in August when Conner began throwing up for no reason. It wasn’t long before the boy also began suffering terrible headaches. In February a 1.7-inch tumor was found in his brain and Conner was set to begin to receive radiation (放射疗法) treatments. Before treatments start, technicians make a white plastic mask (面罩) to keep patients immovable and protect unaffected parts of the brain while radiation is directed at the tumor.
It’s an unpleasant experience and a frightening time. The doctor Cook decided that the masks could at least be made to look like something fun — maybe Batman or Mickey Mouse. “I started thinking these masks are white and not fun at all for kids,” she told The Greenville News. “I felt like if we could make it a little more fun for them, they might be a little more excited about coming in for the treatment. Because the kids are afraid. While the treatment itself isn’t physically painful, it can cause a lot of anxiety (焦虑). And the treatment is required daily for up to six weeks. “
And the masks really make a difference. “The kids really like them,” Cook said. “It makes what is, let’s face it, a terrible experience, a nice experience because they get to choose something themselves.”
When new children come in for the treatment, Cook finds out what their favorite movies or cartoon characters are. Then she sets about creating the mask by drawing the image she wants onto paper, sticking it with glue, and once it’s dry, she applies the colors using paints. Each child can take the mask home once the treatment ends.
“Coming to the doctor always means fear and pain. I wanted to make it fun,” she said. “The kids really love it. It’s something they enjoy and can relate to. And it fills an interest I have. I get great pleasure from it.”
1. Why was the plastic mask used according to Paragraph 1?| A．To check the patient’s brain. |
| B．To reduce the patient’s headache. |
| C．To prevent the patient from throwing up. |
| D．To protect the patient’s brain during the treatment. |
| A．It can be received at home. |
| B．It has to be finished in a month. |
| C．It may make the patients feel worried. |
| D．It will cause huge physical pain for patients. |
| A．Offer them some free masks as gifts. |
| B．Show them their favorite movies or TV shows. |
| C．Dress them up as cartoon characters. |
| D．Make the masks more interesting to kids. |
| A．Love can treat the terrible sickness. |
| B．Kindness can bring warmth and joy. |
| C．Health matters to everyone. |
| D．Creativity leads to success. |
10 . As much as seventy years ago, in the city of Boston, there lived a small girl who had the naughty habit of running away.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alcott, from first to last, had had a good many frights about this flyaway Louisa. Once when she was only two years old they were traveling with her on a steamboat, and she darted away, in some moment when no one was noticing her, and crawled into the engine-room to watch the machinery. Of course her clothes were all grease and dirt, and she might have been caught in the machinery and hurt.
Except for this one fault, Louisa was a good child, so she felt much ashamed that she had caused her mother, whom she loved dearly, so much worry. She made up her mind that she would never frighten her so again. No-she would cure herself of the running-away habit!
After that, whenever she felt the least desire to slip out of the house without asking permission, she would hurry to her own little room and shut the door tight. To keep her mind from bad plans she would shut her eyes and make up stories-think them all out, hers, you know. Then, when some of them seemed pretty good, she would write them down so that she would not forget them. By and by she found she liked making stories better than anything she had ever done in her life
Her mother sometimes wondered why Louisa grew so fond of staying in her little chamber the head of the stairs, all of a sudden, but was pleased that the runaway child had changed into such a quiet, like-to-stay-at-home girl.
It was a long time before Louisa dared to mention the stories and rhymes she had hidden in her desk but finally she told her mother about them, and when Mrs. Alcott had read them, she advised her to keep on writing. Louisa did so and became one of the best American story-tellers. She wrote a number of books, and if you begin with Lulu's Library, you will want to read Little Men and Little Women and all the books that dear Louisa Alcott ever wrote
1. What does the underlined word “darted away” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．disappeared | B．left quickly |
| C．lost herself | D．hid herself |
| A．Because she wanted to watch the machinery. |
| B．Because she wanted to make her parents frightened |
| C．Because she liked to make Jokes. |
| D．Because otherwise, she might have been hurt. |
| A．She asked permission before going out of the house |
| B．She found making stories more interesting and gave up her run-away plan at once. |
| C．Her mother made her enter her own room and shut the door tight. |
| D．She made up stories and then wrote them down |
| A．Caring. | B．Ambitious |
| C．Strong-minded. | D．Demanding. |
