1 . We think of kids playing video games as being in a sort of loneliness, locked in their darkened bedrooms. In truth, they are usually communicating with other gamers, via audio or text, about the action on the screen. And sometimes the chatter shifts from the world of fantasy to real life.
That’s what happened to 14-year-old Reilly Howard from East Hampton, Connecticut last October. While playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, he noticed that an online friend, a-13-year-old from Florida, was not his normal self. Reilly’s sixth sense was confirmed when the friend messaged him, “Yo, we need to talk.” Reilly immediately called him.
“He starts to open up about what’s going on in his life: ‘I have nothing to live for; I’m going to kill myself.’ Reilly told nbcconnecucut.com. He couldn’t even talk, he was crying so much.” Unable to verbally convey his sufferings, his friend typed out, “Tonight is going to be the night.”
Suicide is a lot to throw at a high school kid, but Reilly, a sophomore(二年级学生)at the time, resolved to stay on the line for as long as he was needed. “I knew he didn’t want to be alone, and I didn’t want him to go.” he told WFSB. “He’s my friend. I didn’t want him to die.”
For two hours, Reilly said everything he could think of to persuade his friend to embrace life. “I just kept comforting him. You’ve got a lot to live for.” says Reilly. “I said, I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m going to be playing with you tomorrow. You promise, nothing is going to happen tonight.”
About that time, Reilly’s parents came home from dinner. He filled them in, and they contacted Florida police, who tracked down the boy.
The troubled teen is doing well now, thanks to a good friend—one he’d never met in person—who was willing to put down the keyboard and lend an ear. Says Reilly’s mother, Sheila Reilly, “You just have to show up and talk to people. And listen.”
1. What do people usually think of kids who are playing video games according to Paragraph 1?| A．They are warmhearted, ready to lend an ear to others. |
| B．They are lonely, always immersed (沉迷；陷入) in their games. |
| C．They never communicate with anyone when playing video games. |
| D．They are not interested in study and get on badly with parents. |
| A．Suicide is a tough problem for a high school kid to deal with. |
| B．Suicide is common among high school kids. |
| C．Suicide is a problem a high school kid has to throw away. |
| D．Suicide is a problem a high school kid has to live with. |
| A．Reilly didn’t notice his online friend behaved in a strange way until his friend messaged him. |
| B．Reilly’s mother rang up the police but the police refused to offer help. |
| C．Reilly never met his friend in person although they both were familiar online. |
| D．Reilly was informed of the reason why his friend wants to commit a suicide. |
| A．Listening to others has many benefits. |
| B．A good relationship with others is important. |
| C．A teen saves another teen’s life online. |
| D．Good communication skill can helps save a life. |
2 . The tornado came without any sign — the sky was blue and the sun had been out. The first alert my husband, Jimmy, 67, and I, 65, got came around 9 p.m., from some scrolling text on the TV Jimmy was watching. He ran upstairs to find me in our third-floor bedroom, and we changed the channel to our local Pensacola, Florida, station.
No sooner had we found coverage of the tornado than it was on top of us. The bones of the house shook, and the power went out. Pink insulation (绝缘材料) flew into the room from a trapdoor to the attic, and the wind began to roar through the house. We had three flights of steps to navigate to get to the relative safety of the first floor. Because the closet (贮藏室) down there is wedged underneath a brick staircase, it seemed like the secure place in our town house to wait things out.
I didn’t know how or if we would make it down the steps. It felt as if there were no floor underneath me as the wind lifted me off my feet. I gripped (握) the banister and tried to move forward, but this intense pressure held me in place. In those seconds of stillness, I could hear everything around me rattling.
As we reached the last flight of steps, our front door blew out. Shards of glass that looked like broken ice flew everywhere. Suddenly, a three-foot-long tree branch whipped through the doorframe. It flew over our heads, missing us by inches. Had we been one step up, it would have impaled us. The back wall of the house followed suit and tore off into the darkness outside.
Instantly I reached the closet, Jimmy pushed me down to the closet floor, but he couldn’t get inside himself because of the wind. I gripped Jimmy’s arm as the tornado sucked the door open and tried to bring Jimmy with it. My knees and scalp were full of glass, but in that moment, I felt no pain. If I had let go, Jimmy would have flown right out and into the bay. “Hold on! Hold on!” he yelled. But there was nothing in this closet to hold on to.
All of a sudden, Jimmy lifted off his feet like people in tornadoes do in the movies. I thought he was gone. And then everything stopped. He landed on his feet. In those first quiet moments, I couldn’t believe it was over. Jimmy said he’d go outside to check. “No,” I said. “Don’t leave me.”
Our neighbor says the storm lasted four minutes. In that time, four of the twelve town houses in our unit were completely destroyed. Of the houses left standing, ours suffered the most damage. Amazingly, none of us were severely injured.
1. What can be inferred from Para 1?| A．Weather forecast (预报) reported the weather change as it developed. |
| B．The couple enjoyed watching TV and discussing weather. |
| C．The presidential debate was about to put an end. |
| D．Everything seemed to be fine before the tornado came. |
| A．By concrete description. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By follow-up reports. |
| A．We had a narrow escape among the flying tree branch. |
| B．The flying tree branch was so close to us that we had been impaled. |
| C．If we had gone further, shards of glass would have hit us. |
| D．If we had been one step up, we would have reached the safe place. |
| A．The author’s house was completely destroyed in the tornado. |
| B．There was no floor underneath the author because she was lifted off her feet. |
| C．The couple eventually made it down the steps and survive the tornado. |
| D．Jimmy was flown out of the closet because there was nothing for him to hold on to. |
3 . You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It's the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age is, there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart's music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase "the Mozart effect" was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it, we'll become more intelligent.
The idea took off, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart's music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them produce better milk.
I'll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield (产量) to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn't make us more intelligent.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Mozart composed many musical pieces for children. |
| B．There is little scientific evidence to support the Mozart effect. |
| C．There are few products on the Internet about Mozart's music. |
| D．Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent. |
| A．people were strongly against the idea |
| B．Mozart played an important part in people's life |
| C．the idea was accepted by many people |
| D．the US government helped promote the idea |
| A．Favorable. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．What Music Is Beneficial? |
| B．Listening to Mozart, Necessary? |
| C．What Is the Mozart Effect? |
| D．To Be or Not to Be？ |
4 . One of the great challenges of modern parenting is the roadblock posed by the learner driver. Your child is almost an adult, but just before the homestretch, you need to spend 120 of the most stressful hours of your life locked with them in a car, their teenage hands behind the wheel.
When I embarked on teaching my first child to drive, I was nervous. I’m not a natural teacher, as I am easily bored and quickly get angry. Worse, I’m not a natural driver. I even failed my first attempt to get a license. Oh, I can get from A to B without too much trouble, but once I get there, I’m likely to drive into a wall while parking.
Happily, my first child was a fast and diligent learner with an eye for traffic signs. Still, there were enough narrow misses, and by the time it was his younger sister’s turn, my nerves were already shot.
My daughter is bright and talented, but on the roads, she sort of … freestyles. Even after hours of professional driving lessons, her every move behind the wheel is fresh and unpredictable.
Even after 40 hours of driving, occasional mistakes happen. We will be driving along beautifully for 30 minutes, and once I begin to relax, my daughter will sail through a red light.
“Oops!” she’ll say. “Sorry, Mom! I missed that one,” and we nearly die. It’s exhausting, and, quite frankly, it’s terrifying.
As much as I’m longing for her to have her license, I find myself wondering if it’s a good idea. Even if she passes her test, who’s to say she won’t forget the next red light as soon as she’s out there on her own?
One of my friends has refused to teach her daughter to drive as she is “just not responsible enough” to be on the road. A middle-aged friend of mine gave up trying to get his license after the eighth failed attempt and an evident lack of skill.
We take it for granted that everyone should drive, but perhaps there are some people who just shouldn’t be behind a wheel. What if my daughter is one of them?
Well, I don’t know. At least not yet. But in these dark times, one thought springs to mind. If it’s the end of the world, maybe we can stop driving lessons for a while?
1. Why does the author mention her own driving experiences?| A．To tell us why she couldn’t drive well. |
| B．To explain what makes a good driver. |
| C．To show how difficult it is to pass a driving test. |
| D．To explain why she was unconfident about teaching driving. |
| A．The author was pleased. | B．The author was frightened. |
| C．The author felt relaxed. | D．The author was confused. |
| A．Some people had better not learn to drive. |
| B．Patience matters when parents teach their kids to drive. |
| C．Those learning to drive should be careful about traffic signs. |
| D．It’s normal for beginners to make occasional mistakes when they drive. |
| A．Let her daughter take professional driving lessons. |
| B．Persuade her friend to take the driving test again. |
| C．Advise her daughter to give up her driving lessons. |
| D．Continue to teach her daughter to drive. |
5 . Tom Savage has quit his job as a research analyst and found a perfect new start sting up his own social enterprise in Madagascar. He tells readers of the UK newspaper the Guardian that they can do likewise and follow their dream.
Every day dozens of Toms are reported in newspapers and magazines and on career websites and blogs. Their real-life tales aren't there to surprise or shock, as a result, many readers are taking on board.
Sophie Collins, 23, is a biology graduate from London. But before starting her course at university in Edinburgh, Scotland, she took a year out and enrolled in an Art Foundation course. “Art makes me happy, even if it won't pay my bills for a couple of years.” said Collins.
The idea that you should be free to follow your dream, whether as a young person or as a middle-aged adult with a well- established career, is on the upgrade.
In schools, students are taught that they can do whatever they want and can be whoever they choose so long as they work hard enough at that dream. People in the public eye, such as Italian classical singer Andrea Bocelli, have given up positions in admirable professions to take their chance on fame. Bocelli was a lawyer before he made it as a singer, selling 70 million albums worldwide.
The media and reality TV talent shows have also played their part in encouraging young people to follow their heart.
In 2006, 18-year-old Ray Quinn, barely out of school, finished second in the British TV talent show The X Factor. He later secured a record deal with Sony.
Each year since then, hundreds of thousands of people have applied to the show, hoping, and expecting, that the chance to realize their ambitions will soon come.
Even if they don't have a particular dream in mind, many young people are encouraged to take a year or two to find where their interests lie, instead of jumping into a job which they may later tire of.
George Evans, 24, is determined to find a job which interests him. “I think most of us recognize that it is happiness and not money that is the ultimate goal,” said the Cambridge University graduate. “Unless you are passionate about your career, you won't truly succeed.”
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true?| A．Sophie Collins took an art course before entering university to pursue her interest. |
| B．Andrea Bocelli, who used to be a lawyer, enjoys great success as a classical singer. |
| C．Ray Quinn achieved his career success though he had performed poorly at school. |
| D．George Evans thinks happiness counts more than money when choosing a career. |
| A．sharing the same boat | B．accepting the idea |
| C．rejecting the concept | D．ignoring the fact |
| A．Choose a career that truly appeals to you. |
| B．Make efforts to be interested in your job. |
| C．Make attempts to seek a meaningful career. |
| D．Build up confidence when seeking a job. |
6 . Meg. Jo, Amy and Beth live with their mother Mrs. March while their father is fighting in the Civil War. The family doesn’t have much money. They live next door to M. Laurence, who is very wealthy, and his grandson, Laurie. The passage below is about Beth, who loves to play the piano. The March family only has a small, out-of-tune piano. The “Mansion of Bliss” is Mr. Laurence’s house.
But Beth, though dying for the grand piano, could not gather courage to go to the Mansion of Bliss’. She went once with Jo; but Mr. Laurence, not being aware of her weakness, stared at her so hard from under his heavy eyebrows, and said “Hey!” so loud, that he frightened her so much, her feet chattered on the floor, she never told her mother; and she ran away, declaring she would never go there any more, not even for the dear piano. No comfort could overcome her fears, till the fact coming to Mr. Laurence’s ear in some way, he set about mending matters. During one of the brief visits he made, he artfully led the conversation to music, and told such attractive stories that Beth found it impossible to stay in her distant corner, but moved nearer and nearer, as if interested. At the back of his chair she stopped, and stood listening with her great eyes wide open, and her cheeks red with the excitement of this unusual performance. Taking no more notice of her than if she had been a fly, Mr. Laurence talked on about Laurie’s lessons and teachers: and as if the idea had just occurred to him, he said to Mrs. March:
“The boy pays little attention to his music now. But the piano suffers for lack of use. Wouldn’t some of your girls like to run over, and practise on it now and then, just to keep it in tune, you know, madam?”
Beth took a step forward, and pressed her hands tightly together to keep from clapping them and the thought of practising on that splendid instrument quite took her breath away. Before Mrs. March could reply, Mr. Laurence went on: “They needn’t see or speak to anyone, but run in at any time: for I’m shut up in my study at the other end of the house, Laurie is out a great deal, and the servants are never near after nine o'clock.”
Here he rose, as if going. “Please tell the young ladies what I say; and if they don’t care to come, why, never mind.”
“Oh, sir, they do care, very, very much!” Beth finally made up her mind to speak, in her eager yet shy way.
“Are you the musical girl?” he asked, without any frightening “Hey!” as he looked down at her very kindly.
“I’m Beth. I love it dearly, and I’ll come, if you are quite sure nobody will hear me-and be disturbed,” she added, fearing to be rude, and trembling at her own courage as she spoke.
“Not a soul, my dear. The house is empty half the day; so come as much as you like.”
“How kind you are, sir!”
Beth blushed like a rose under the friendly look he wore; but she was not frightened now, and gave the big hand a grateful squeeze, because she had no words to thank him for the precious gift he had given her.
1. According to the passage, Beth’s fear may result from ______.| A．dying for playing the piano | B．her being very weak |
| C．going to Mr. Laurence’s house | D．Mr. Laurence's staring and a loud greeting |
| A．considered Beth as a fly | B．pretended not to see Beth |
| C．didn't notice Beth at all | D．thought more of Beth than a fly |
| A．Because other people in the house didn’t like Beth and Jo at all. |
| B．Because there was nobody in the house when Beth came to play. |
| C．Because he wanted Beth to feel comfortable coming to his house. |
| D．Because Laurie wasn’t at home and Beth had no one to play with. |
a. Mr. Laurence visits the Marches. b. Mr. Laurence talks about music.
c. Beth says she’ll play Mr. Laurence' piano. d. Beth and Jo visit the ‘Mansion of Bliss’
e. Beth listens in a corner. f. Mr. Laurence invites the sisters to play the piano.
g. Mr. Laurence says “Hey!” to Beth.
| A．d-g-a-b-e-f-c | B．d-g-a-f-e-b-c | C．a-g-b-e-f-d-c | D．a-g-d-b-e-f-c |
| A．rude but attractive | B．kind but weak |
| C．friendly and thoughtful | D．mysterious and attractive |
7 . Catherine was ill for two months. During that time my master never left her side. When she finally began to get better, he was happy again. He was anxious for her to get completely well again—not only because he loved her but also because she was expecting a baby—his heir!
Six weeks after her disappearance Isabella sent her brother a letter saying she was married. I told Mr Linton about the letter and he gave me permission to go.
Isabella and Heathcliff were both in the sitting room when I arrived. Heathcliff immediately started asking me questions about Catherine.
"Before you leave this house, Nelly," he said, "you must promise to arrange a meeting for me with her. I want to see her. I will see her! Do you understand?" I refused to help him fifty times, but in the end I gave in.
It was a warm day. All the windows and doors were open to let in the fresh air. My mistress was wearing a white dress, her face was very pale and her eyes had an empty, dreamy expression.
"I have a letter for you, Mrs Linton," I said gently. "It is from Mr Heathcliff."
She looked worried and confused for a moment. The next minute, the doors were open and he was striding across the room. He took Catherine in his arms and held her and kissed her for a long time.
“Oh, Catherine! he cried. "Oh, my life!"
Then she pulled away from him saying, "Heathcliff, you and Edgar have broken my heart! And now you both want me to feel sorry for you. I'm not going to. You have killed me but you are still healthy. How long are you going to live after I die?"
"Oh, why can't we be together forever?" she said in a low voice.
He stood up and walked away. He didn't want her to see his face.
"Heathcliff!" she cried.
Although she was weak, she forced herself to stand up.
He turned round. His eyes were wet with tears.
"Why did you leave me Catherine?" he cried. "I have not broken your heart—you have broken mine. What will my life be like without you?"
"Stop! Stop!" sobbed Catherine. "If I've done wrong, I'm dying for it. It is enough! You left me too, but I forgive you."
She fell against him and he picked her up in his arms.
"She's fainted, or she's dead," I thought.
About twelve o'clock that night Catherine's baby was born. We called her Catherine after her mother. Two hours later her mother died.
1. Why was the master anxious according to the passage?| A．Heathcliff would come and fight with him. |
| B．His sister disappeared for a long time. |
| C．Catherine would give birth to his heir. |
| D．Catherine was no longer faithful to him. |
| A．Catherine was filled with hatred for her lover. |
| B．Catherine was eager to meet her lover. |
| C．Catherine tended to dream a sweet dream. |
| D．Catherine was likely to make an empty promise. |
| A．Heathcliff made Catherine sad. | B．Catherine made Heathcliff sad. |
| C．They actually hated each other. | D．They loved each other deeply. |
| A．She died with her baby. | B．She died in childbirth. |
| C．She forgave her lover. | D．She broke up with her husband. |
8 . My best friend travelled to stay with my family last weekend. When she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.
Our long weekend together was simple. I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t go to shopping malls. We passed the time running errands (差事), but there was never a quiet moment. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade. Reunions (相聚) need conversation.
Our personalities are matched and a shared history is extremely valuable. We were competitors at high school before bonding. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship developed itself quickly. We stayed companions and supported each other through law school and through our first jobs. What I like most about our friendship is that we don’t have to “do”, but we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves.
There is something special about friends who know everything about you. They are rare. They have seen your bright lights of achievements and the depths of desperation. The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, whose continuation is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference in our separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I’m lucky to have found this friend, and to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.
1. What does the underlined sentence indicate in Para. 2?| A．They talked a lot about their lives. |
| B．They enjoyed running errands. |
| C．They had a noisy weekend. |
| D．They quarreled at times. |
| A．They help each other achieve in their fields. |
| B．They’re best friends despite different hobbies. |
| C．They inspire each other to be their best selves. |
| D．They’re comfortable just being themselves. |
| A．Real friends are easy to make. |
| B．Good friendships need effort. |
| C．Special friendships may fail to delight. |
| D．Distance and difference bring friendship. |
| A．To express thanks to her best friend. |
| B．To share the friendship she treasures. |
| C．To describe the appearance of her best friend. |
| D．To explain how she offers help to her friend. |
9 . I'd gone snowboarding with my brother,and what we lacked in skill.we made up for in enthusiasm(热情）.That day,fresh snow falling, we were in high·spirits. I let my brother disappear into the trees ahead, figuring I would soon catch up.
I began to pick up speed when suddenly thrown off balance and then ran into a large tree.
It was like hitting a wall. I knew immediately that.my back was broken and quickly realized the situation was serious.Nobody would be coming past. There was no phone signal. It was snowing and cold. If I waited, I would probably be saved in the end. But the chance of freezing（冻）to death before that happened was too high for me to risk staying put.
I tried to stand but fell down with great pain. I managed to get the board off from my.feet and moved it under my stomach so İ was lying on it. I faced down the mountain and used the board to slowly slide my body down the tree-lined slope·(斜坡）.
It took about two hours before a skier found me. The rescue team came,with my brother arriving shortly afterwards.
A helicopter (直升机）took me to hospital. I had broken one of my backbones,so I had an operation.The lasting pain was unbearable, but it wasn’t as bad as seeing the pain and worry I put my family through.
The recovering road was tough , but I was lucky . Gradually, I was able to walk, then swim, then then cycle and run. I haven't been back to the slopes yet, but it might happen someday. Anyway,enthusiasm remains for ever.
1. What led to the accident that happened to the writer?| A．Losing balance when speeding up. |
| B．Suffering from the cold weather. |
| C．Losing sight of his brother. |
| D．Seeing nobody coming past. |
| A．I was unable to move with coldness. |
| B．I couldn't stand the great pain in my back. |
| C．Staying there waiting,I would die of coldness. |
| D．If I stayed there waiting, I would probably be saved. |
| A．Eager. | B．Sorry. | C．Confused | D．Relaxed |
| A．He will recover fully without any difficulty. |
| B．He will develop interest in other sports. |
| C．He will avoid going snowboarding again. |
| D．He will stay enthusiastic about snowboarding. |
10 . I was diagnosed(诊断)with cancer last June. Finding out that I had breast cancer felt like I’d been locked up in a prison cell, but I later found something unexpected: freedom.
Tests and procedures followed. Once the daily treatments started, I was tired out. The tiredness that came with cancer was not like any kind of tiredness I’d known before.
Then the magic happened.
I started to realize that this life change had brought an unexpected gift. The usual pressures of life gave way to a different kind of stress, but it came with self-discovery. I do what I can and don’t care about the rest. With the disease, decisions come more easily, and things that I’d previously weighted more heavily no longer matter as much. I don’t need a perfect home. What does matter now is having family and friends and a husband who can shoulder this new responsibility with me.
The doctor says my situation is very good and there’s a 91 percent chance that I’ll still be alive in 10 years. I look forward to simple things like my garden this spring, and going back to work when I’m healthy again. I’m also imagining the joy of getting my quiet and modest life back. It’s inspiring and there are lots of people there with me. And the professionals are really good at what they do.
I used to wonder how it would feel to be told I had cancer. Sure, my first reaction was fear, panic, sorrow, and anger. Then I found my strength. The fear is still there, but to my amazement, I am handling it. “You got this,” people say encouragingly.
1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．She felt as if she had lost her freedom. |
| B．She was unable to walk out of the cell. |
| C．Cancer gave her something unexpected. |
| D．Cancer cost her the ability to move freely. |
| A．was too tired to bear the treatment any more |
| B．found that she could handle the treatment easily |
| C．grew more peaceful and valued her family more |
| D．learned to be in a good state and free of pressure |
| A．Positive. | B．Hopeless. | C．Doubtful. | D．Concerned. |
