1 . The Poetry Foundation, recently named American poet Jack Prelutsky as the nation's first children's poet laureate (桂冠诗人). The group created the award as a way to increase children's love of poetry.

As children's poet laureate, Jack Prelutsky will give two public readings in the next two years. He will also advise the Poetry Foundation about children's literature and take part in projects concerning children and poetry.

Jack Prelutsky has been writing poetry for children for almost forty years. He has written more than thirty five books of poems. His first book was called A Gopher in the Garden. It was published in 1967. His latest is called Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems.

Jack Prelutsky is well known for creating new words by combining two words to create a new kind of creature. For example, he combined “radish” with “shark” to get “radishark”. “Lion” and “broccoli” became “broccolion”. He also created “umbrellaphant”, a mixture of the words “umbrella” and “elephant”.

Jack Prelutsky says that children like his poems because he writes about things they care about. Poetry researchers say that Jack Prelutsky's poems recognize children's feelings. An example of this is the poem My Sister Is a Werewolf which is about how it feels to be different.

Jack Prelutsky also writes poems about American holidays. His poem It's Halloween is a very famous one about the holiday celebrated at the end of October.

1. Which of the following can be the BEST title of the passage?

A．Poems with New Words Grow Popular	B．First Children's Poet Laureate Named
C．Children's Love for Poetry Increased	D．Jack Prelutsky Awarded Nationwide

2. What is Jack Prelutsky famous for?

A．Creating new words in his poems.	B．His productivity.
C．His long time of writing.	D．His poems about American holidays.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．It was A Gopher in the Garden that brought him fame.

B．The poet will be kept busy over a lot of activities.

C．Jack Prelutsky will no longer write about American holidays.

D．The poem It's Halloween must have been written for adults.

4. Put the following items in RIGHT order according to the passage.
a. two public readings
b. A Gopher in the Garden
c. Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems
d. My Sister Is a Werewolf

A．b—c—d—a	B．d—a—c—b
C．b—d—c—a	D．a—b—c—d

2 . I wandered into the small store where I usually buy milk，when the store owner received a call from a customer. The customer and his wife had shopped there several months earlier. He noticed that his wife really liked one thing in the store，so he wanted to buy it as a surprise.

But the customer was in Tennessee，far away from the store which was in Maine. What was more，he had been to the store several months earlier，and it was difficult to believe that the store owner would remember him，or what he was looking for.

The store owner took a few close-up photos with her camera，and e-mailed them to the customer on the computer. The customer looked at the photos，and decided which one he wanted. They talked and discussed a price over the phone. She took care of the credit card transaction (交易) online，and promised the gift would be shipped out that afternoon.

The store owner was really smart. She was willing to push herself to find new ways to make the transaction actually happen. And it did work. However，it was the first time she had ever done it.

I was amazed that the store owner discovered a creative solution that could lead to a new way of doing business. I was impressed by what she did—so easily，but how difficult it is for many of us to make that leap (飞跃). I'm not just talking about technology，but about learning how to adapt to change. Most people hate or fear change unless they get to know exactly what change needs to be made. However，we should realize that challenge and opportunity go hand in hand.

1. According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE？

A．The customer had ever been to the store before.

B．The owner often did business by using her camera.

C．The owner and the customer discussed the price on the computer.

D．The gift was sent out by train that afternoon.

2. The author was impressed by the store owner because     .

A．she was always ready to help others

B．she told the writer how to run a store

C．she managed to find a new way when facing change

D．she was a successful businesswoman

3. What's the correct order of the store owner's solution？
a. e-mailing the photos to the customer on the computer
b. taking care of the credit card transaction online
c. taking a few close-up photos with her camera
d. talking about the price of the gift with the customer

A．bcda

B．abcd

C．cabd

D．cadb

4. Which of the following words can best describe the store owner？

A．Tumorous

B．Creative

C．Confident

D．Honest

3 . Joseph Banks was born on 13 February 1743 in London．His passion for botany began at school．From 1760 to 1763 he studied at Oxford University, during which time he received a great deal of fortune．In 1766 Banks traveled to Newfoundland and Labrador, collecting plant and other specimens（标本）．The same year he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society．

In 1768 he joined the Society's expedition, led by Captain James Cook, to explore the uncharted lands of the South Pacific．The expedition circumnavigated（环航） the globe and visited South America, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and Java．Banks collected a great number of specimens on the way and, on his return, his scientific account of the voyage and its discoveries sparked considerable interest across Europe．

Banks was interested in plants that could be used for practical purposes and be introduced into other countries for possible commercial use．After he became president of the Royal Society in 1778, he promoted the career of many scientists and in his capacity as director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, sent many botanists abroad to find new plants and extend the Gardens' collection．

In 1781 Banks was made a baronet （准男爵）, and in 1795 received the order of Knight Commander of the Bath; two years later he was admitted to the Privy Council（枢密院）．In 1793 his name was given to the Banks Islands, a volcanic group of islands near Vanuatu in the Pacific．These were explored and named by Captain Bligh-Banks had helped arrange a previous expedition of Bligh's．Banks died on 19 June 1820．

1. Please choose the correct order about what happened to Jose Banks．
a．He received the order of Knight Commander of the Bath．
b．He sent many botanists abroad to find new plants．
c．He joined the Society's expedition．
d．He elected a fellow of the Royal Society．

A．c, d, a, b

B．d, c, b, a

C．d, b, c, a

D．c, d, b, a

2. The underlined word "sparked" in Paragraph 2 probably means _______________．

A．showed

B．amused

C．caused

D．declared

3. Which of the following best describes Joseph Banks?

A．Adventurous．

B．Humorous．

C．Demanding．

D．Skeptical．

4. Why was his name given to the Banks Islands in 1793?

A．Because he visited the islands．

B．Because he was admitted to the Privy Council．

C．Because he had close relationship with Captain Bligh．

D．Because he had helped arrange a previous expedition of Bligh's．

4 . ①Isaac Stern was more than a great violin player. He was one of the most honored musicians in the world. He was an international cultural ambassador. He was a major supporter of the arts in America and in other countries. He was a teacher and activist.
②Issac Stern was born in 1920 in what is now Ukraine. His parents moved to San Francisco, California the following year. His mother began teaching Isaac the piano when he was six. He began taking violin lessons after hearing a friend play the instrument. Later, he began studying music at the San Francisco Conservatory (音乐学院). He progressed quickly. When he was 16, he played with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The next year, he performed in New York City and was praised by music critics.
③During World War II, Mr Stern played for thousands of American soldiers. It was the first time many of them had heard classical music. After the war, he was the first American violinist to perform in a concert in the Soviet Union. He also supported young musicians and cultural organizations in Israel.
④In 1979, Isaac Stern visited China. He met with Chinese musicians and students. He taught them about classical Western music. His visit was made into a film, which is called From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China. It won an Academy Award for best documentary film.
⑤In 1984, Isaac Stern received the Kennedy Center Honors Award for his gifts to American culture through music. He expressed his thoughts about the part that music plays in life. He said he believed that music makes life better for everyone, especially children.
⑥Mr Stern supported and guided younger classical musicians. They include violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Yefim Bronfman.
⑦Isaac Stern died in 2001 at the age of 81. He was a major influence on music in the 20th century. He leaves the world richer with his many recordings.
1. Which of the following is the RIGHT time order for these events in Stern’s life?
a. He began learning music in an institution.
b. He received the Kennedy Center Honors Award.
c. He visited the Soviet Union.
d. He met with Chinese musicians.
e. He performed for American soldiers.

A．a,e,c,d,b

B．a,e,b,c,d

C．e,a,b,c,d

D．e,a,c,d,b

2. Paragraph 2 is mainly about ________.

A．how Stern began to learn music	B．how Stern began his musical career
C．Stern’s early education	D．Stern’s achievement in music

3. Which of the following statements about Stern is TRUE?

A．He was an activist in opposing war.

B．He was active in cultural exchanges between countries.

C．He had an interest in both playing music and making films.

D．He made a lot of money from music.

4. The Underlined word “cellist” in Paragraph 6 may refer to ________.

A．someone who supports young musicians

B．someone who wants to be a musician

C．someone who has a gift for music

D．someone who plays a certain kind of instrument

5. Whichf the following shows the RIGHT structure of the text?

A．	B．
C．	D．

5 . A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities （设施） for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes （样品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation （朝向）,”Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.
1. How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

A．They lost balance in excitement.	B．They showed strong disbelief.
C．They expressed little interest.	D．They burst into cheers.

2. Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

A．Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.

B．Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.

C．Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.

D．Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.

3. What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

A．The large size.	B．Limited facilities.
C．The desert climate.	D．Poor natural resources.

4. What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

A．They are questionable.	B．They are out of date.
C．They are advanced.	D．They are practical.

6 . When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she fought to find a place to sleep on the street. But she beat these terrible setbacks（挫折） to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry （录入）into Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story”.

Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up with two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough  food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just l5 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died. She decided to do something about it.

Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, and by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.

She admitted that she used envy （妒忌）to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “next to nothing could hold me down”. She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”

Liz wants moviegoers（常看电影的人） to come away with the idea that changing your life is “as simple as making a decision”.
1. In which order did the following things happen to Liz?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She got admitted into Harvad.
c. She worked at a petrol station.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.

A．c, a, e, b, d	B．a, b, c, e, d
C．c, d, b, a, e	D．b, e, a, d, c

2. What actually made her go towards her goal?

A．Envy and encouragement.

B．Willpower and determination.

C．Decisions and understanding

D．Love and respect for her parents.

3. What does Liz mean by saying “What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society”?

A．She had little experience of social life.

B．She could hardly understand the society.

C．She would do something for her own life.

D．She needed to travel more around the world.

4. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．Why Liz loved her parents so much.

B．How Liz made efforts to change her life.

C．What a hard time Liz had in her childhood.

D．How Liz managed to enter Harvard University.

7 . If you exhibit positive characteristics such as honesty and helpfulness, the chances are that you will be thought as a good-looking person, for a new study has found that the perception (认知) of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality.

The study, which was led by Gary W. Lewandowski, has found that people who exhibit negative characteristics, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers. In the study, the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information about their personalities.

After personality information was received, participants also rated the probability of each individual's becoming a friend and a dating partner. Information on personality was found to significantly change the probability, showing that cognitive (认知的) processes modify (修改) judgments of attractiveness.

"Thinking a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind," said Lewandowski.

The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater expectation of becoming friends, which leads to greater expectation of becoming romantic partners and, finally, to being viewed as more physically attractive. The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was formerly thought to be or of the participants' current relationship status.

"This research provides a positive outcome by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good-looking you are," said Lewandowski.

1. In the study the participants were required to ______.

A．try to make friends with each other

B．try to prove positive characters make people more attractive

C．exhibit negative characters such as unfairness and rudeness

D．rate one's attractiveness by photos before and after knowing her or his personality

2. What's the CORRECT order of how cognitive processes modify judgments of attractiveness?
a. find a person with a positive personality
b. view the person more physically, attractive
c. want to make friends with the person
d. want to be his/her romantic partner

A．a→c→d→b	B．d→c→b→a
C．c→b→a→d	D．a→d→c→b

3. Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?

A．The research reminds people to pay more attention to the personality.

B．Personality can change people's impressions of one's appearance.

C．The judgment of one's attractiveness always stays unchanged.

D．Positive personality may lead to more friends.

4. The passage is written in a(n)             tone.

A．subjective

B．objective

C．skeptical

D．negative

8 . Donating blood is a simple thing to do, but it can make a big difference in the lives of others. The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour. The donation itself is only about 8—10 minutes on average. The steps in the process are:

Step 1: Registration

1. Our staff and volunteers will sign you in and go over basic eligibility (资格) and donation information.

2. You will read information about donating blood, and will be asked to show a donor card，driver’s license, or other form(s) of ID.

Step 2: Health History & Mini-Physical

1. You will answer some questions during a private and confidential interview about your health history and places you have traveled.

2. We will check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin (血红蛋白) level present in a sample of blood.

Step 3: The Donation

1. We will clean an area on your arm and insert a brand new clean needle for the blood draw. This feels like a quick pain and is over in seconds.

2. The actual donation takes about 8—10 minutes, during which you will be seated comfortably. Certain donation types, such as platelets (血小板) or red cells can take up to 2 hours.

3. When approximately a pint of blood has been collected, the donation is complete and a staff person will place a bandage on your arm.

Step 4: Refreshments

1. After donating, you should have a snack and something to drink in the refreshments area. You can leave the site after 10—15 minutes and continue with your normal daily activities.

2. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment knowing that you have helped save lives.

1. Which of the following can be a proper title for the passage?

A．The process of blood donation

B．The benefits of blood donation

C．The importance of blood donation

D．The preparations for blood donation

2. During the Registration, a blood donor will be asked to        .

A．go over his basic donation information

B．show something to prove his identity

C．answer some questions about his health history

D．have his temperature and blood pressure checked

3. What is the right order of the events in Step 3?
a. clean an area on the donor’s arm
b. let the donor sit comfortably
c. place a bandage on the donor’s arm
d. draw the blood
e. insert a needle

A．a，b，d，e，c	B．b，a，c，e，d
C．c，b，a，e，d	D．b，a，e，d，c

9 . In the office of the German prime minister Angela Merkel, there is a picture of Catherine the Great, the legendary (传奇的) Russian Empress. When asked why she has the picture, Merkel says, "She was a strong woman". Many say the same of Merkel.

The most powerful woman in the world, according to US Forbes magazine, was in China last week. She came to discuss trade and environmental issues with China's top leaders. Germany's first woman leader is known as a brave and practical statesman (政治家).

Even since her time at school, she had the habit of getting everything in order. Every day before doing her homework she would clean the desk and think about what to do next. "I prefer a long time for full preparations to make my decision. But once I decide, I will stand up for what I believe, "Merkel said. Perhaps it was good habits that helped her do well in her studies. At 32, she got a doctor degree in physics and then she worked as a researcher.

However, the life of a scholar couldn't put off her love of politics. While working in labs, Merkel took time off to read political books and at last joined a political party. "Her calmness helped her stand out in the party. She could always find a way out while others felt hopeless," said one of her old friends.

In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany's youngest prime minister since the second World War.

Now half way through her four-year term, the 53-year-old woman has made a name for herself both in Germany and abroad. At the EU summit (欧盟峰会) in 2005 when France quarreled with Britain over the EU budget (预算), some people believed the EU was close to breaking down. But Merkel didn't give up. She shuttled (穿梭) between the heads of the two powers and had them reached an agreement.

"Strength comes from composure (镇定) and courage. Many people say I am a strong woman. But I would rather say I have perseverance, "said Merkel.

1. Why does Merkel put a picture of Catherine the Great on the wall of her office? ______

A．Because Catherine the Great is beautiful.

B．Because Merkel wants to be a strong woman too.

C．Because Merkel likes the drawing skill of it.

D．Because it is very expensive.

2. What is the correct order of the following events? ______
a. became the German Chancellor (总理)
b. got a doctorate (博士学位) in physics and then she worked as a researcher
c. joined a political party
d. took part in the EU summit
e. worked as Minister for the Environment

A．bcade

B．cbdae

C．bcead

D．cbaed

3. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage? ______

A．Merkel usually hurries to make a decision when facing difficulties.

B．At the EU summit in 2005, the relationship between French and Britain was in tension (紧张).

C．Merkel is a well-known leader all over the world.

D．She is outstanding because of her calmness.

4. What is the best title for the passage? ______

A．An excellent lecturer	B．Germany's iron lady
C．The change of a scholar	D．The youngest chancellor

10 . Kincaid looked at his watch: eight-seventeen. The truck started on the second try, and he backed out, shifted gears, and moved slowly down the alley under hazy sun. Through the streets of Bellingham he went, heading south on Washington 11, running along the coast of Puget Sound for a few miles, then following the highway as it swung east a little before meeting U.S Route 20.

Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. He liked this country and felt unpressed stopping now and then to make notes about interesting possibilities for future expeditions or to shoot what he called “memory snapshots.” The purpose of these causal photographs was to remind him of places he might want to visit again and approach more seriously. In later afternoon he turned north at Spokane, picking up U.S. Route 2, which would take him halfway across the northern United States to Duluth, Minnesota.

He wished for the thousandth time in his life that he had a dog, a golden retriever, maybe ,for travels like this and to keep him company at home. But he was frequently away; overseas much of the time and it would not be fair to the animal. Still, he thought about it anyway. In a few years he would be getting too old for the hard fieldwork. “I must get a dog then.” He said to himself.

Drives like this always put him into a sentimental mood. The dog was part of it. Robert Kincaid was alone as it’s possible to be—an only child, parents both dead, distant relatives who had lost track of him and he of them, no close friends.

He thought about Marian. She had left him nine years ago after five years of marriage. He was fifty-two now, that would make her just under forty. Marian had dreams of becoming a musician, a folksinger. She knew all of the Weavers’ songs and sang them pretty well in the coffeehouse of Seattle. When he was home in the old days, he drove her to the shows and sat in the audience while she sang.

His long absences—two or three months sometimes—were hard on the marriage. He knew that. She was aware of what he did when they decided to get married, and both of them had a vague sense that it could all be handled somehow. It couldn’t when he came from photographing a story in Iceland and she was gone. The note read, “Robert, it didn’t work out. I left you the Harmony guitar. Stay in touch.”

He didn’t stay in touch. Neither did she. He signed the divorce papers when they arrived a year later and caught a plane for Australia the next day. She had asked for nothing except her freedom.

1. Which route is the right one taken by Kincaid?

A．Bellingham—Washington 11—Puget Sound—U.S Route 20—U.S Route 2—Duluth

B．U.S. Route 2—Bellingham—Washington 11—Puget Sound—U.S Route 20—Duluth

C．U.S. Route 2—U.S Route 20—Duluth –Bellingham—Washington 11

D．Bellingham—Washington 11—U.S. Route 2—U.S Route 20—Duluth

2. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Kincaid’s parents were dead and he only kept in touch with some distant relatives.

B．Kincaid would have had a dog if he hadn’t been away from home too much.

C．Kincaid used to have a golden retriever.

D．Kincaid needed a dog in doing his hard fieldwork.

3. Why did Kincaid stop to take photos while driving?

A．To write “memory snapshots”

B．To remind himself of places he might want to visit again.

C．To avoid forgetting the way back.

D．To shoot beautiful scenery along the road.

4. What can you know about Marian?

A．She died after five years of marriage.

B．She was older than Kincaid.

C．She could sing very well and earned big money.

D．She was not a professional pop singer.

5. We can draw a conclusion from the passage that ________.

A．Marian knew what would happen before she married Kincaid.

B．Kincaid thought his absence would be a problem when he married Marian.

C．It turned out that Marian could not stand Kincaid’s absence and left him.

D．After Marian left him, they still kept in touch with each other.