1 . Before the 1830s, most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America, usually $8 to $10 a year. Today $8 or $10 seems a small amount of money, but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most citizens. Accordingly, newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades. In addition, most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience. They were dull and visually forbidding. But the revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that.
The trend, then, was toward the “penny paper”—a term referring to papers made widely available to the public. It meant any inexpensive newspaper; perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single copies on the street.
This development did not take place overnight. It had been possible(but not easy) to buy single copies of newspapers before 1830, but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer’s office to purchase a copy. Street sales were almost unknown. However, within a few years, street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities. At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny—usually two or three cents was charged—and some of the older well-known papers charged five or six cents. But the phrase “penny paper” caught the public’s fancy, and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny.
This new trend of newspapers for “the man on the street” did not begin well. Some of the early ventures(企业) were immediate failures. Publishers already in business, people who were owners of successful papers, had little desire to change the tradition. It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling.
1. Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s?| A．Academic. | B．Unattractive. | C．Inexpensive. | D．Confidential. |
| A．They would be priced higher. | B．They would disappear from cities. |
| C．They could have more readers. | D．They could regain public trust. |
| A．Local politicians. | B．Common people. |
| C．Young publishers. | D．Rich businessmen. |
| A．It was a difficult process. | B．It was a temporary success. |
| C．It was a robbery of the poor. | D．It was a disaster for printers. |
2 . One day, 12-year-old Sean Redden surfed the Internet and went to a popular chat room. Just as he was about to be offline, he saw a name he’d never seen there before, Susan. Her brief message was “Would someone help me?”
Sean typed back, “What’s wrong?” A moment later he received this message, “I can’t breathe. Help me! I can’t get out of my chair.”
Oh, man, Sean thought. Pretending to be paralyzed (瘫痪) was a bad joke. Then he wondered what if she really is sick? “Hey. Mom.” he called. “There’s a kid here who’s sick or something.” Sharon looked at the computer screen. “It’s not just some game, is it?” she asked.
The message was not a joke. Susan was actually a 20-ycar-old student, working late at night at a college library near Helsinki, Finland - almost 7,000 miles away from Sean’s home in Texas. While searching the Internet, she began to feel terrible pain all through her body. The library was silent and empty. The nearest phone was outside in the hallway. She couldn’t move that far. Any movement caused the pain to get worse. Then she realized she might get help on the Internet.
“I don’t think it’s a joke, Mom,“ Sean said. And he typed, “Where are you?” After a long while, the letters appeared, “Finland.” Sean and Sharon couldn’t believe it. Not knowing what else to do, Sharon called the local police.
Sharon explained the situation to the officer Amy Schmidt. Schmidt told Sharon to try to get the sick girl’s phone number. Texas police called the international telephone operator and asked to be connected to the proper agency (机构) in Finland. The call was put through to a nearby rescue station. The Texas police gave Susan’s address to the Finnish operator. When Sean heard that, he typed, “Help is on the way.”
In a few minutes, Susan heard people running down the hallway outside the door. Suddenly, the door opened. Emergency workers and three policemen ran in. Susan turned once more to the computer, “They are here. Thanks. Bye-bye.”
Four days later, the police in Texas received a message from officers in Finland: “Thanks to her Internet friend. Susan has received medical treatment she badly needed. She is doing well.”
1. What happened when Sean was about to get offline?| A．He noticed an unfamiliar name. |
| B．He came across a friend in the chat room. |
| C．A piece of online news attracted him. |
| D．His computer broke down. |
| A．She fell down on the ground. |
| B．She was locked in the library. |
| C．She lost her phone. |
| D．She was too sick to move. |
| A．They asked for help online |
| B．They reported to the Texas police. |
| C．They sent messages to Susan’s friend. |
| D．They called the rescue station in Finland. |
| A．Help on the Internet |
| B．Help on the Way |
| C．Making Friends Online |
| D．Police Officer’s Act of Kindness |
3 . How to Travel with Your Friends Without Hating Them
The only thing better than a vacation with friends is a well-planned vacation with friends.
Not sure how to plan a trip with friends?
Choose friends you get along well with. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your travel companions, so think of people who have similar general travel habits and are flexible and relaxed.
Decide on a date. Ask your friends when they can take time off from school or work.
Discuss a budget early on. Ask your friends to be open about how much you’re each willing to pay for the trip between travel, accommodation, food and entertainment costs.
Pick a destination wisely. A key step in planning a fun trip with friends is picking the perfect destination. Big cities are an excellent pick, as there will likely be activities to suit everyone’s interests.
| A．Make your reservations for flights and accommodations. |
| B．All trips are meant for adventure, relaxation, and enjoyment. |
| C．Who you choose to travel with can, make or break your holiday. |
| D．Decide in advance how you will share expenses with your travel mate. |
| E．With careful preparation, your group will stay energized through the whole trip. |
| F．Narrow down preferences to a date and duration that works for the most people. |
| G．However, if you’re hoping to see nature, you may need to travel to more remote locations. |
4 . As the temperatures drop, now is the perfect time to start thinking about a winter snow holiday. As you'll want to know the places where snow falls during the coldest months, we're here to help with our pick of the best snowy places to visit this winter.
LOFOTEN, NORWAY
With much fewer people around, it's a great time of year to experience the fishing villages. There's plenty going on, too. Take a wildlife and nature trip to experience spectacular landscape and birdlife and join in a Northern Lights hunt after the sun sets.
WHISTLER, CANADA
If you want snow, the Whistler town is your place. The largest skiable area in North America, Whistler covers 32 square kilometers over 2 mountains. It's so perfect for snow activities that it co-hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics.
HARBIN, CHINA
Nowadays, there are many artists, sculpture (雕刻) fans from Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania gathering in Harbin to join in sculpture competitions. The sizes of the sculptures keep growing. Almost half century, the city's natural resource of ice and snow has been fully explored to provide joy and fun for visitors to the city.
LAPLAND, SWEDEN
Of course, this list wouldn't be complete without a shout out to Lapland. Deep inside the Arctic (北极的) Circle，Lapland makes for a perfect family winter getaway. It’s home to the unusual Ice hotel where you can sleep on a bed made of ice in a hotel constructed entirely out of, you guessed it, ice! It's also the location of the Abisko National Park, known as one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights.
1. When is a best time to visit the fishing villages in Lofoten?| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn | D．Winter. |
| A．Lofoten. | B．Whistler. | C．Harbin. | D．Lapland. |
| A．They are both intended for family trips. |
| B．They are both fantastic fishing destinations. |
| C．They are both perfect bird-watching places. |
| D．They are both suitable for a Northern Lights hunt. |
Located in the north-east of Italy, Venice is
Venice
But only time will tell if this project is the right
6 . Almost everyone who has studied English has been warned about the way Brits love their manners. It is part of our national identity, as much as fish and chips or complaining about the weather. Recently I have been wondering where this comes from and I read online that we say sorry up to eight times a day. Probably the same amount of times that any other person says “hello” or “how are you”. It is almost like greetings to us! It was only when I was explaining how there are five steps of saying thank you when you buy something from a shop to a Mexican friend of mine that I realised how mad it sounded.
After some research online I have not been able to find any specific reasons why we are the way we are. I suppose for centuries manners and how we eat at the table and talk to other people have been the barriers between the lower and upper classes and represent your social status. Britain has traditionally been a quite conservative country. There are many articles suggesting that this seemingly polite attitude of always saying please and thank you is quite false because it is impossible to always feel that you want to thank someone or say please.
Maybe it is for this reason that people are going one of two ways: they are incredibly polite and hold back on their feelings or not polite at all, and express their true feelings. Some Brits are fed up of pretending that they are always content and having to please people. Sometimes because we feel we have to be polite, we are prevented from saying what we truly think. Do you think it is better to not hurt people’s feelings and be polite or to let people know the truth? In your country what is the custom? I know in some countries if someone is considered to be doing their job, the clients think that they do not need to be thanked.
1. What does the author think of the British way of saying “Thank you”?| A．Normal. | B．Surprising. | C．Exciting. | D．Pleasing. |
| A．Why the British like to complain about the weather. |
| B．Why the British love their way of showing manners. |
| C．Why the British are fond of fish and chips so much. |
| D．Why the British have five steps of saying thank you. |
| A．Wealth and health. | B．Social status. | C．Politeness. | D．Attitudes. |
| A．They want to express their true feelings. |
| B．They want to let people know the truth. |
| C．They are kept from saying what they think. |
| D．They want to represent their social status. |
7 . After years of observing human nature, I have decided that two qualities make a difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance — curiosity and discontent. I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either. And I have never known an average man who had both.
Together, these deep human urges (驱策力) count for much more than ambition. Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground. Like Galileo, all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent, “Why? Why? Why?”
Fortunately, curiosity and discontent don’t have to be learned. We are born with them and need only to recapture them. “The great man,” said Mencius, “is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” Yet most of us do lose it. We stop asking questions. We stop challenging custom. We just follow the crowd. And the crowd desires only the calm and restful average.
Most of us meet new people, and new ideas, with hesitation. But once having met and liked them, we think how terrible it would have been, had we missed the chance. We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake.
How should you start? Modestly, so as not to become discouraged. I think of one friend who couldn’t arrange flowers to satisfy herself. She was curious about how the experts did it.
The way to begin is to answer your own excuses. You haven’t any special ability? Most people don’t; there are only a few geniuses. You haven’t any time? That’s good, because it’s always the people with no time who get things done. Harriet Stowe, mother of six, wrote parts of Uncle Tom’s Cabin while cooking. You’re too old? Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel, and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78.
However you start, remember there is no better time to start than right now, for you’ll never be more alive than you are at this moment.
1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to ________.| A．present an argument | B．make a comparison | C．reach a conclusion | D．propose a definition |
| A．Scientists tend to have varied ambitions. | B．Trial and error leads to the finding of truth. |
| C．Creativity results from challenging authority. | D．Greatness comes from a lasting desire to explore. |
| A．Observe the unknown around you. | B．Develop a questioning mind. |
| C．Lead a life of adventure. | D．Follow the fashion. |
| A．Gaining success helps you become an expert. |
| B．The genius tends to get things done creatively. |
| C．Lack of talent and time is no reason for taking no action. |
| D．You should remain modest when approaching perfection. |
Not so very long ago, people contacted their friends faraway only by writing letters. With
However, there is one disadvantage of making friends online. People tend
Although technology
9 . When everything is going wrong, there's nothing like listening to a few bars of your favorite sad song. But why do we find pleasure in sad music? This puzzled two researchers at the Freie Universität Berlin in Germany who set out to explore our strong feeling for sad songs in a world where entire industries exist to help us remove sadness from our lives.
Their study — based on a survey of more than 770 people around the world and published this month in the journal, PLOS ONE — discovered sad music can create positive emotions, like peacefulness and kindness, and that choosing the tearful ballad on your music player offers three benefits.
The biggest turned out to be that sad songs allow you to feel sadness without any of its “real-life contexts.” In other words, you can safely explore what it's like to be a little blue without experiencing the great pain of losing a loved one, for example.
“Emotion control” was another important benefit. Many of those surveyed said that when they were in a bad mood (情绪), experiencing sadness through music made them feel better afterwards and provided an emotional improvement. That may be because the songs help them to express and let go of their emotions, researchers noted. “Sad music promotes and creates a space for reflection and reexamination of personal experiences, thoughts and feelings,” one of the researchers added
The benefit of “empathy” (同理心) made the listener feel good by allowing him to share the sadness of another human being through the song. When we're having social problems, like when we're feeling lonely, homesick or missing someone, the sad songs can offer comfort by showing someone else shares our state of mind, the study found.
So it turns out that Elton John was right: Sad songs do say so much.
1. What does the underlined word “This” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．When things go wrong. | B．What to explore in sad songs. |
| C．Why sad music brings us joy. | D．How to remove sadness from life. |
| A．Benefits of sad music. |
| B．Strong feelings in sad music. |
| C．Real-life contexts of sad music. |
| D．Empathetic comforts from sad music. |
| A．By freeing us from bad moods. | B．By bringing great pain to us. |
| C．By helping us reflect on exams. | D．By providing a space for us. |
| A．To prove Elton John was right. | B．To show Elton John wrote songs. |
| C．To make the readers think deeply. | D．To stress the point of the passage. |
10 . Thru hiking (徒步旅行) for long distances with your equipment on your back
The first kindness is the Trail Angels who
Trail Magic can
One Saturday morning in the San Gabriel mountains, as we crossed a highway, trail runners in their vehicle pulled over to
Now I am preparing for the next section hike to the Mojave desert. Thank you God for those who show a
| A．risks | B．means | C．suggests | D．enjoys |
| A．inspiring | B．confusing | C．surprising | D．annoying |
| A．passers-by | B．passengers | C．strangers | D．friends |
| A．adjust | B．open | C．fix | D．change |
| A．provide | B．receive | C．prove | D．count |
| A．anxiously | B．eagerly | C．sincerely | D．randomly |
| A．occur | B．work | C．guess | D．arise |
| A．looked | B．warned | C．approached | D．backed |
| A．meaningful | B．wonderful | C．hopeful | D．helpful |
| A．lend | B．show | C．sell | D．offer |
| A．drink | B．food | C．luggage | D．cigarette |
| A．came about | B．got down | C．came across | D．torn down |
| A．amazing | B．shocking | C．disappointing | D．interesting |
| A．hard | B．broken | C．calm | D．warm |
| A．hope | B．honesty | C．bravery | D．kindness |
