1 . Yesterday my older neighbor, who takes care of part of our garden with great difficulty and efforts, was in deep shock. Obviously，my cats had left droppings (粪便) in his perfect flower beds.
Fortunately, my husband and I weren't at home when this happened，so he vented (发泄) his anger on my friend and neighbor, Katherine. She was kind enough to listen to him and to go down into the garden with him to have a look. She even took a picture!
When I got home, she had left a message on my answering machine about the incident. Having heard it was about my cats again, my stomach turned. Last year, he got so upset that he threatened to put rat traps on the roof，hoping that would warn me to keep my cats indoors. So I was a little worried.
However, I couldn't help but laugh when I heard Katherine tell me what the whole incident was all about. I understand gardening is important to my neighbor and that he keeps his garden perfect to comfort his soul.
So when I saw him in the garden days later, I went over to talk to him.
And the talk turned out to be quite nice. I was really surprised to find that I had the wisdom not to respond to his comments on my cats.
Instead, I had conversations with him about the beautiful flowers he had planted, the color combinations, and the care he took in creating such a sense of order. I tried to convey my understanding and appreciation without arguing or talking down to him.
I was really amazed how that talk turned out. We haven't had a conversation like that for over a year!
1. What do we know about the author's cats?| A．They ate the older neighbor's flowers. |
| B．They chased rats in older neighbor's house. |
| C．They left droppings in Katherine's garden. |
| D．They ruined the older neighbor's flower beds. |
| A．To stop the rats coming. |
| B．To show his concern for his neighbors. |
| C．To make the author mind her cats. |
| D．To express his appreciation to the author. |
| A．considerate and smart | B．sensitive and generous |
| C．creative and kind | D．friendly and enthusiastic |
| A．everyone should mind his own business |
| B．a wise conversation really makes sense |
| C．it is meaningful to argue with others |
| D．we need to take care of others’ pets |
2 . Activities to Get You Outdoors While Traveling
Many of us would enjoy getting outside and escaping our day to day with some fresh air while traveling. But where do you start? Try out a few of these activities and you’re sure to find a new outdoor hobby to help you enjoy nature on your next holiday.
Horseback Riding
Many people may shy away from this, excusing lack of experience with horses, but most operators have horses for riders of any experience including none if they meet the physical requirements. Horses can take you greater distances in a shorter time, covering areas that would be difficult or inaccessible otherwise.
Fly-Fishing
For an excuse to stand in a river enjoying the sounds, smells and scenery of some of the most beautiful places, try fly-fishing. Fishing is a perfect activity to enjoy with children, grandparents or whoever. With enough practice, you may even catch a delicious big fish.
Cycling + Mountain Biking
On the path or the road, spending time on a bike allows you to slow down and leisurely take in the scenery around you. Mountain biking can give you the biggest excitement, while road cycling may offer a more peaceful and calming experience. Travel with your bike or rent one at your travelling places, and your possibilities for exploration have already increased.
Rock Climbing
For a more physical and challenging experience outdoors, try your hand at rock climbing. You can get a feel for climbing in a gym, but its real rewards lie in putting those skills to use outside. Many popular travel places have great climbing within a day trip distance.
1. Who can take a horseback ride?| A．Anybody who wants to take a horse ride. |
| B．Travelers without experience of horse riding. |
| C．Those who have the basic physical conditions. |
| D．The explorers who like to travel in dangerous places. |
| A．Fly-Fishing. | B．Rock Climbing. |
| C．Horseback Riding. | D．Cycling + Mountain Biking. |
| A．Allowing travelers to fully enjoy the scenery. |
| B．Slowing down the travel to have an enough rest. |
| C．Getting the travelers to have the biggest excitement. |
| D．Offering a more peaceful and comfortable experience. |
3 . Teenagers are often a difficult group.With all those hormones(荷尔蒙)flooding in their bodies，they can be moody，unpredictable，and tend to make uncertain choices.But however confusing their teenage years are，kids can still be generally happy，depending on their lifestyle choices.According to a new research by British scientists，teens who don't smoke，drink only moderately(适度地） or not at all，and who don't eat much junk food are likely to be happier than other teens.
The study looked at 40,000 British families and came up with some interesting findings.For example，kids who never drank alcohol were up to six times more likely to report higher levels of happiness than kids who drank.And teens who smoked were five times less likely to rate high on happiness charts compared to kids who didn't smoke.The same goes for diet and physical activities.The more fruits and vegetables kids eat，and the more hours they spend playing sports，the happier they are.
Now，of course this doesn't mean that not smoking or drinking，and playing sports can guarantee happiness.It could be that kids who have happy character tend to be more active and less addicted to drinking or smoking.And it could equally be the case that kids who are unhappy are more related to drinking，smoking and eating junk food.
Other studies have shown that exercise is a proven way to treat anxiety and depression. Future studies may support the idea that other healthy behaviors，including refraining(克制)from smoking，drinking，and eating too much junk food，can avoid sadness and increase happiness，too.
1. The author develops the second paragraph mainly by________.| A．making comparisons | B．providing statistics |
| C．offering examples | D．analyzing causes |
| A．Not smoking or drinking guarantees happiness. |
| B．Teens with flooding hormones cannot be happy. |
| C．Playing sports can decrease teens' unhappiness. |
| D．Unhappiness can certainly lead to smoking and drinking. |
| A．Ways to treat anxiety and depression |
| B．Exercise and teenagers' health |
| C．Teenagers shouldn't drink or smoke |
| D．Teenagers' lifestyle and their happiness |
阅读短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread.
The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while.
Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner’s ear, and shook them, so that they made a dingling (叮当声) noise.
“What was that?” asked the restaurant owner.
“That was payment for you,” answered Nasreddin.
“What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!” said angrily the restaurant owner.
“The sound of the coin is payment for the smell of the soup,” answered Nasreddin. “Now go back to your restaurant.”
1. The poor man held his bread over the soup to _______.
| A．make it heated |
| B．warm his cold hands |
| C．avoid paying the restaurant owner |
| D．make it smell and taste a little better |
| A．To make the poor man relaxed. |
| B．To pay for the smell of the soup. |
| C．To make the restaurant owner happy. |
| D．To show that he was a rich person. |
| A．was worthless | B．should be paid |
| C．was pleasant | D．could be sold |
| A．show the bad restaurant owner |
| B．describe the poor’s unhappy life |
| C．show Nasreddin’s cleverness and humor |
| D．prove the value of the sound of coins |
LINCOLN COLLEGE OF ENGLISH
Classes for foreign students at all levels
3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one year course Open all year
Small class (maximum(最大限度) 12 students)
Library, language laboratory and listening center
Accommodation(膳食供应) with selected families 25 minutes from London
Course fees for English for one year are ￡1, 380, with reduction for shorter periods of study.
1. Lincoln College of English _______.
| A．is at the centre of London |
| B．lies far away from London |
| C．takes in foreign students, from beginners to the advanced |
| D．accepts students only at the beginning of the year |
| A．the school where you study |
| B．the family you have chosen |
| C．your classmates |
| D．your own parents |
| A．￡1, 380 | B．over ￡1, 380 |
| C．much less than ￡1, 380 | D．nothing |
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes（处理） information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles(肌肉).
The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language. A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners. Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.“Our findings suggest that the structure（结构）of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn. Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings had the same result in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
1. The main idea of this passage is ________.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．that language can help brain power |
| D．language learning and maths study |
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a second language learner |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
| C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
