4 . A private sixth grade is set to start its lessons at 1:30 p. m. every day because the school’s teacher thinks his students will study better after a morning lie-in (睡懒觉). Instead of rising early for a 9: 00 a. m. start, students at the £15, 000-a-yearHampton Court House, in East Molesey, Surrey, will get to enjoy a lie-in and work from1:30 p. m. until 7:00 p. m. Head teacher Guy Holloway says the move for all sixth grade students set to begin from September, has been made according to research by scientists. He predicts that not only will his students aged 16 and upwards get great night’s sleep, but their efficiency will also be improved.

The co-educational school will have the latest start time in the U. K., and will be the only one to begin lessons in the afternoon.

Experts say young people are programmed to get up later, and that rather that laziness it is simply a shift in their body clocks. There are 168 hours in a week and how productive they are depends on how they choose to use those hours,” said Mr. Holloway, “At Hampton Court House we don’t think we have the answer for everybody; it’s about what works in our school. We want to get them into a condition where they can get great sleep and study well,” He said students would also benefit from reduced journey times as they travel to and from school after rush hour.

1. What was the usual start time at Hampton Court House?

A．9:00 a. m.

B．1:30 p. m.

C．7:00 p. m.

2. When will the new start time begin?

A．In July.

B．In August.

C．In September.

3. How much should the students at Hampton Court House pay a year?

A．£15, 000.

B．£16, 000.

C．£17, 000.

4. Which of the following can be the best title?

A．Rising Early, Study Better

B．Lessons in the Morning, Journey Times Reduced

C．Lessons in the Afternoon, Efficiency Improved

5 . Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson Arizona. My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him, as a schoolgirl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone were my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

The next day, my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

1. In the writer’s earliest memories, how was her father?

A．Fat.

B．Successful.

C．Kind.

2. Why did the writer’s father feel unhappy with her boyfriends?

A．He did not love his children.

B．He expected his daughter got straight A’s.

C．Their fathers were not as “successful” as he was.

3. What happened to the writer’s father after her visit to Tucson?

A．He seemed unhappy with her.

B．He became gentle and friendly.

C．He was still strict and critical.

4. What helped the writer and her father become friends?

A．Her father’s apologies.

B．Her father’s funny facial expressions.

C．Her father’s childhood pictures and stories.

6 . 假定你是李华，在一次英语演讲比赛中，你要给全校师生介绍自己脱贫的家乡。内容包括：
1. 家乡的变化；
2. 人们生活质量的提高；
3. 你的决心。
注意： 1词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . We were on our way! In Wyoming we would have a new home. It was 1980 and my husband Gary and I were driving to Wyoming with our kids. After driving all day, we were hungry. So we stopped at a restaurant to have dinner.

After the dinner, we were on our way again. Suddenly our car hit ice on a bridge. As soon as the car started to slide. Gary touched the brakes (刹车) but failed to control the car. We were thrown from side to side against the guardrails (护巴). It took some time before we slid to a stop, but unfortunately our car was totally destroyed.

Only minutes later, a car stopped by and the driver asked how he might help, With his help, my husband was able to have our car taken to Rapid City. Then he drove us to a hotel in the city. He made sure we were safe before he said good night and left. The next morning, the driver returned and drove us to find our car so that we could take back our valuables. He lost at least half a day of work, all for a family he had never met and would never see again.

With no car, our family finally arrived in Gillette, where we had no friends. Though we were a little lonely, we all felt lucky and thankful to the amazing stranger whose service made such a difference to our family.

1. Where was the writer’s new home?

A．Rapid City.

B．Wyoming.

C．Gillette.

2. When was the car totally destroyed?

A．Before the dinner.

B．During the dinner.

C．After the dinner.

3. Who helped the family?

A．An old friend.

B．A stranger.

C．A family member.

4. How did the writer feel?

A．Lucky.

B．Amazed

C．Unlucky.

8 . 假定你是李华，你的英国朋友 Mary 来信说她非常喜欢湖北大鼓，并打算最近来湖北学习，想请你帮她推荐一位老师。请你给她写一封信，推荐一位老师。内容包括：
1.介绍你所推荐的老师；
2.推荐该老师的原因；
3.祝愿她拜师成功。
注意:1词数80左右     
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数
3.可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯
Dear Mary,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

9 . If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? 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 information, It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.

Scans (扫描) showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language.

“Our findings suggest that the structure 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,” he said, “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”

The findings were matched 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. If you are learning a second language, how will you be?

A．Lazier.

B．Happier.

C．Smarter.

2. What does grey matter process?

A．Diseases.

B．Emotion.

C．Information.

3. What is the meaning of the underlined word “bilingualism”?

A．The ability to speak one language.

B．The ability to speak two languages.

C．The ability to speak three languages

4. According to the last paragraph, what were tested in a study?

A．Writing, listening, and reading.

B．Reading, writing, and translating.

C．Writing, comprehension, and reading.