1 . Very often, when we see young people sitting there, looking at the screen of a mobile phone and smiling, we may think nothing is wrong. But when we come to the question “how much time do they actually spend on media（传播媒介）daily?”, the answer is surprising: young people spend about nine hours every day using media, and this only includes media used for enjoyment.
Today's young people seem to have become crazy multitaskers. They often use media when doing other activities. Some watch TV when doing homework, some text（发短信）, and some others listen to music. But what do young people think of this? A research showed that two thirds of them believed watching TV or texting had no influence on their schoolwork. Half of them thought using social media made no difference. However, researches have given a different answer: “media multitaskers” did worse in tests.
Scientists did a research among more than 400 students. It shows that those who text a lot have more trouble sleeping and do worse in their study. In another research, students who didn't text during a lesson took down a lot more notes than those who were texting. A similar research also found that students who texted when doing schoolwork had lower overall（总体的）grades.
According to a research, if a kid uses social media a lot, especially at night, he or she will sleep worse and feel more nervous and depressed（消沉的）. On the one hand, young people stay up late to check messages and information. They may also be woken up by messages they receive. On the other hand, even the light from a screen could influence their sleep. Some other researches also show that children who use media at night go to bed later, get fewer hours of sleep each week, and become sleepy more easily during the daytime.
1. The underlined word “multitaskers” in Paragraph 2 refers to people who _________.| A．ask a lot of questions |
| B．use different media for learning |
| C．have several mobile phones |
| D．do several tasks at the same time |
| A．become more worried |
| B．get more excited |
| C．take fewer notes in class |
| D．sleep much better |
| A．Social media is very popular among young people. |
| B．Using media too much has a bad influence on young people. |
| C．The use of social media has both advantages and disadvantages. |
| D．Mobile phones are the main tools students use for school learning. |
2 . “Serena, don’t forget your promise to me that you will mow (割) Mrs Matin’s yard this weekend,” said Dad, “Don’t let me down.” Serena was the oldest child in the family, and one of her chores was to mow their yard. Mrs Martin, their elderly neighbor, was unable to take care of her yard, so Serena’s dad had volunteered Serena for this job. Since Mrs Martin’s yard was not very big, Serena knew the job would go quickly.
However, she still resented her dad’s promise.
“Why didn’t you ask me first?” Serena had complained.
“Did you ask me first when you volunteered me to be in the school festival last fall?” asked Serena’s father.
“Well, no, I didn’t ask you first, but you would have done those things anyway. You’re always willing to help.”
“I try when I can,” Dad answered.
“Serena, we have known Mrs Martin for a very long time. She has often helped our family. Now we can do something for her. Besides, the feeling you get from helping someone makes you wonder who is really helping whom.”
“I don’t know, Dad,” said Serena. “The only feeling I get from mowing our yard is tired.”
“Just you wait and see,” said Dad.
After breakfast, Serena made her way to Mrs Martin’s yard. She was good at her job and soon had Mrs Martin’s yard looking tidy. Mrs Martin came outside with a big glass of orange juice and offered it to her. Serena stopped her work and gratefully enjoyed the drink, while Mrs.Martin talked to her about all of the flowers in her yard. Seeing the joy in Mrs Martin’s eyes, Serena began to understand how much the yard meant to Mrs. Martin.
After finishing her drink, Serena returned to work with a new attitude. A warm feeling began to spread through her body. Her dad was right. It was hard to tell who was helping whom!
1. The underlined word “resented” (Paragraph 2) means___________.| A．understood | B．welcomed |
| C．broke | D．disliked |
| A．Through Dad’s words. | B．Through Serena’s actions. |
| C．Through Mrs Martin’s behaviour. | D．Through the author’s statement. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Guilty. | D．Pleased. |
| A．Serena likes the job of mowing her family’s yard. |
| B．Mrs. Martin and Serena did the work together. |
| C．Mrs Martin shared her love for the yard with Serena. |
| D．Dad volunteered himself to take part in the school festival. |
3 . 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 |
4 . When we were very small, we realized that having friends was important.Some of us even had imaginary (想象中的) friends.The need for friends continued as we grew into our teens.Friends played a big part in forming our personalities.As adults, it is still important for us to have friends.
True friends are people who like us though we made mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth.Friends support our decisions and tell us when we're foolish.They laugh with us and share our sadness.They are our partners and share interests with us.They stimulate us when we are feeling down.They are people we aren't afraid of telling our secret wishes to or what is really on our minds.
Friends are our supporters.When you can depend on friends, you feel safe and warm.Friends offer acceptance and emotional (情感的) support.At times, they also help with our everyday lives, cooking a meal, doing chores, or giving us a lift when we need one.Friends also are there to offer advice，an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on.
Friends also help us reduce stress.Not only do they listen to us when we feel stressed, but they also discuss what is stressing us.Sharing interests and doing activities with friends help us forget about problems at work or at home.For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.
1. What is the best title for the passage?| A．How to Reduce Stress |
| B．How to Make New Friends |
| C．The Importance of Friends |
| D．The Qualities of Good Friends |
| A．educate | B．encourage |
| C．surprise | D．dislike |
| A．people should make friends anytime |
| B．friends are people who allow you to cry |
| C．a friend helps you in many ways |
| D．good friends are always difficult to meet |
5 . White chocolate, German chocolate, ice cream: There are hundreds of types of birthday cake in the world, each beautiful in its own sugary way. You are likely to enjoy one during at least one (hopefully all) of your birthday parties. But in between delicious bites of cake, have you ever stopped and wondered, “Why am I eating this? What makes this dessert fit to celebrate the day of my birth?”
It’s because you are as important and beloved as the gods. Kind of.
The ancient Egyptians are thought to have “invented” the celebration of birthdays. They believed when pharaohs (法老) were crowned, they became gods, so their coronation (加冕) day was a pretty big deal. That was their “birth” as a god.
Ancient Greeks borrowed the tradition, but realized that a dessert would make the celebration all the more meaningful. So they baked moon-shaped cakes to offer up to Artemis, goddess of the moon. They decorated them with lighted candles to make the cakes shine like the moon. Hence, it is the reason why we light our birthday cakes on fire.
Modern birthday parties are said to get their roots from the 18th century German celebration “Kinderfeste”. On the morning of a child’s birthday, he or she would receive a cake with lighted candles that added up to the kid’s age, plus one. This extra candle was called the “light of life,” representing the hope of another full year lived.
And then, torture — because no one could eat the cake until after dinner. The family replaced the candles as they burned out throughout the day. Finally, when the moment came, the birthday child would make a wish, try to blow out all the candles in one breath, and dig in. Like modern tradition, the birthday girl or boy wouldn’t tell anyone the wish so it would come true.
Since the ingredients (原料) to make cakes were pretty expensive, this birthday custom didn’t become popular until the Industrial Revolution. More ingredients were available, which made them cheaper, and bakeries even started selling pre-baked cakes.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The origin of birthday cakes. | B．The significance of birthday cakes. |
| C．The history of birthday parties. | D．The introduction of cake production. |
| A．Germans. | B．Pharaohs. |
| C．Ancient Greeks. | D．Ancient Egyptians. |
| A．pleasure | B．replacement |
| C．sharing | D．suffering |
| A．The transport was inconvenient. |
| B．The ingredients of cakes were expensive. |
| C．The cake could not be eaten before dinner. |
| D．The bakeries would not sell pre-baked cakes. |
6 . We all need inspiration. Dealing with neck to neck competition in the modern era, sometimes we get tired of trying and want to give up. But movies make us look inside ourselves and, often, can be used as inspiration themselves. So, without further ado(废话), here are our Top 3 Motivational Movies for students:
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Robin Williams is on top form as the iconoclastic(打破旧习的) John Keating, the unconventional English teacher who uses his love of poetry and classic literature to break down barriers at the oppressive Welton Academy. Keating inspires his students to “seize the day” rather than just wasting hours, challenge the school’s strict rules, and truly be themselves.
The film is packed with emotionally-charged, touching scenes; but the one that won’t fail to make the hairs on your arm stand up is this one where Keating’s students demonstrate what he means to them – “Oh Captain, My Captain…”
Forrest Gump (1994)
This classic movie starring Tom Hanks is very motivating. It’s about a man who has low IQ but manages to be part of many important moments in modern history, able to achieve a lot, and even given a Medal of Honor for his bravery. Gump inspires a popular dance for Elvis Presley and even plays ping pong in China. No student should miss out on this movie. Nothing is impossible if you have the will to do it…and a box of chocolates.
The Pursuit of Happiness (2006)
The Pursuit of Happiness is the amazing real-life tale of Chris Gardner who, with the power of hard work and perseverance, takes himself from sleeping on the subway all the way to the millionaire founder of his own brokerage house.
Never missing an opportunity and studying hard, after a few years, Chris works his way up the career ladder from medical equipment salesman to financial hotshot. If there’s one story that demonstrates that you should never give up, no matter how bad things get, it’s Chris’.
1. Which of the following best explains “seize” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．make sure of | B．make up for |
| C．make the most of | D．make a mess of |
| A．It tells a story about a man who plays ping pong in China and becomes famous. |
| B．It tells a story in which the main character with a low intelligence achieves a lot unexpectedly. |
| C．It is a classic motivational movie teaching how to gain a Medal of Honor. |
| D．It shows the evidence and arguments for the importance of high IQ. |
| A．Tom Hanks | B．John Keating |
| C．Robin Williams | D．Chris Gardner |
7 . Body language has always been a hot topic of interesting dinner conversations and now today it is still a hot topic. It is perhaps one of the most powerful forms of human expression or human communication!
Body language is a very important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating to the other person. If you wish to communicate effectively, then it makes sense to understand how you can (and cannot) use your body to say what you mean.
Body language can be used to discover all sorts of things ,such as knowing when someone is attracted to you, finding truth and lies, showing confidence, winning respect in any situation, and you can use body language to put people at ease, make friends quickly, persuade, and influence.
So what is body language? Body language is a term used to describe the method of communication using body movements or gestures instead of sounds, verbal(口头的) language or other communication. Body language includes the most subtle(微妙的)movements that many people are not aware of, including winking(眨眼) and slight movement of the eyebrows and other facial expressions.
Body language is one of the easiest ways for you to tell what's really going on in a conversation with another person. The body language that you observe from other people will tell you whether or not those people are being straight up with you or whether there is more to the story that’s not being said. Watch, look,and observe. Sometimes you can tell more by a person’s body language than the words they speak.
1. The underlined word “constitute” in Paragraph 2 probably means ___________.| A．make up | B．take up | C．turn up | D．put up |
| A．What body language is. | B．When people use body language. |
| C．Body language is very useful. | D．Body language is very convenient. |
| A．winking your eyes | B．making eye contact |
| C．the movement of the eyebrows | D．the communication in a low voice |
| A．remember everything they say | B．understand the hidden meaning |
| C．find lies from them | D．show respect for them |
8 . “How much money am I getting this year? That’s the question I ask my mom every February. And every year she replies，”You will see” in her Chinese accent.
February usually marks the month of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar. But for me, Chinese New Year is a payday. Usually I receive red envelopes (“hongbao”) which are the equivalent ( 同等物) of Christmas presents. Instead of wondering what the present will be, it is the amount of money inside that is the mystery. I always have to wait weeks to find out how much money my parents have in store for me.
I never knew how the traditions of Chinese New Year derived,_and I never gave it much thought, until my mom forced me to attend a special Chinese school where I learned about the origins of the traditions behind the famous celebration and had a knowledge of how the hanging of red lanterns or fireworks developed. But before that, the only part of the holiday that had ever concerned me was the “hongbao” and as selfish as it may sound.
But now Chinese New Year is a wonderful holiday for me not because of the “hongbao”， but the profound Chinese culture I have learned from the special school.
The excitement that comes with expecting Chinese New Year is one I will never get tired of. While the real celebrations are taking place in China, my family holds its own traditions. I can always count on my mom to make delicious Chinese food every year, and there is consolation (安慰) in knowing that as my sisters and I open our “hongbaos”， our cousins so many miles away are doing the same.
1. What did the author care about most on Chinese New Year at first?| A．The amount of money she received. |
| B．The traditions behind the celebration. |
| C．Various activities during Chinese New Year. |
| D．The presents that her parents would give her. |
| A．Worked. | B．Continued. |
| C．Began. | D．Changed. |
| A．She has a strong feeling towards China. |
| B．She knows little about Chinese traditions. |
| C．She always gives her children a lot of money. |
| D．She tends to surprise her children on western festivals. |
| A．New Year Hongbao |
| B．My Mom and China |
| C．Closer Attachment to China |
| D．Unforgettable Moments |
9 . Two robbers have been put into prison in Italy. One of them is called Daniel Pure. He is twenty years old. The other one is Doran, and he is twenty-one. It's new in the world to catch robbers with the help of mobile phones. This is a new kind of mobile phones. It can take a photo and send it to other mobile phones.
These two persons moved slowly outside a clothes shop for a long time, and they seemed to have nothing to do. The owner of the shop felt they were unusual. So he used his mobile phone to take their picture. After that he sent a message with the picture to the police. The picture surprised the police. Because the persons in the picture had done something wrong, and the police were trying to catch them! A police car was immediately sent to the shop. The pair was caught there.The two robbers were put into prison for six months.
A police told a newspaper, "We think it is the first time in the world that a picture message has been used to help catch criminals. "
1. The shop in the story sells_________.| A．mobile phones | B．pictures | C．newspapers | D．clothes |
| A．looked quite unusual | B．had no mobile phones |
| C．sent messages to him | D．wore strange clothes |
| A．like taking photos | B．like shopping clothes |
| C．have done something wrong | D．have nothing to do |
| A．The two robbers are both young men. |
| B．The police must have the new mobile phones, too. |
| C．The two robbers robbed nothing this time. |
| D．It's the first time the two robbers did something wrong. |
10 . I just had a snowstorm that piled up eight inches of snow. It truly was a winter wonderland, and there was white beauty everywhere. Since I didn't have anything to do that day, I really enjoyed it.
But then the second snowstorm arrived that night, piling additional inches of snow on top of the snow banks that were already there. And then on the evening news, the weather cast gave us a notice that still another snowstorm was headed our way. Then I felt despondent. I had things to do and places to go. After days of being snowbound, I felt like I was under house arrest. I was stuck.
A place stuck isn't a fun place to be, whether it's from a snowstorm or from life circumstances such as a bad relationship, bills that seem to tower over our heads, or situations where we see no way out. All of us will feel stuck at one time or another, but it's how we respond that makes the difference.
I had a friend named Hannah. She was stuck in the heartbreaking world of infertility (不孕). She longed for a child more than anything. Instead of accepting defeat, she acted sincerely. Think about Nelson Mandela in a dark prison. It was a seemingly hopeless place, but instead of becoming depressed or bitter, he kept fighting for freedom. Yes, he kept fighting to get the success.
Circumstances cannot define us, but our reactions do. Each of those men and women learned important lessons in their "stuck" situations, and we can as well.
1. What does the underlined word" despondent" in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Unhappy. | B．Unusual. | C．Ambitious. | D．Energetic. |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Introduce some background information. |
| D．Form a connecting link of the context. |
| A．To introduce two great celebrities. |
| B．To introduce the way to be famous. |
| C．To show their different circumstances. |
| D．To show how to respond to difficult situations. |
| A．Don't be defeated by failure |
| B．Don't be trapped by snow |
| C．Enjoy the white beauty |
| D．Keep calm in the winter |
