1 . It was one of those moments every new parent dreads (恐惧). My baby son was screaming as if I’d just dipped him in a bucket (桶) of battery acid. It felt as if he’d been screaming like that for years, though he was only two months old. Even worse, this was happening in public— I was sitting with my howling baby in the food court of a Los Angeles mall, despairing (绝望) as other diners silently judged me while watching us over plates of food.

Until, that is, one woman— a complete stranger— did something and taught me a lesson about kindness that lingers to this day. She walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. “This won’t last forever,” she said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but things will get better. He’ll stop crying. You’ll get some sleep.”

It was such a small thing, a tiny kindness, really, but it made all the difference. It was 2001 and I was living in a foreign city with a newborn, without friends or family, and I was terribly lonely. This woman had seen me, if only for a moment, and taken the time to make a human connection. It was just a minute out of her day, but it has stayed with me for nearly two decades.

We all want to be better in the world and more giving to others. But we can easily get hung up on the sheer (完全的) importance of that challenge— making time to regularly volunteer or finding money to donate to a cause. Doing good doesn’t have to be an important task, though; it can be incremental (递增的). It can be as quick as a smile, a word, a phone call, an email. It can be the note you send to a friend who is feeling blue or the baby carriage you help carry down the subway stairs for a parent on their own, even though you’re late for work.

I’m reminded of a line from Brian Goldman’s bestseller, The Power of Kindness: “The opposite meaning of empathy is apathy (冷漠).” That is, the opposite of doing good isn’t doing harm; it’s doing nothing. Every tiny act of generosity— every door held open, every coffee bought for a stranger— builds a bridge to another person. It says, “I see you.” Today, when we spend most of our time looking at our phones, and not at people’s faces, that’s invaluable.

So, while I’m not particularly good at regularly volunteering or running marathons to raise money for charity, I’m committed to small gestures. I try to send a note of praise every day to someone whose work I admire. I’ve become phone friends with a lonely 87-year-old woman who contacted me about something I wrote, and who lives in a city far from her own children and grandchildren. On airplanes, I find the new parents with panicked eyes and offer to hold their babies. I remember what it felt like when the screaming baby was mine. I remember when a tiny kindness felt monumental, enough to change the world.

1. Why did the author mention her baby son’s crying in Paragraph 1?

A．To create a disappointing atmosphere.	B．To prove her opinion.
C．To show her helplessness.	D．To introduce the topic.

2. What holds people back from being more giving to others?

A．Always trying to do important deeds.	B．Being short of time.
C．Being lacking in money.	D．Keeping looking at their phones.

3. A line from Brian Goldman’s The Power of Kindness is used in Paragraph 5 to show that ________.

A．doing harm to others is better than doing nothing

B．people are supposed to pay more attention to others’ faces

C．every small gesture counts in connecting people

D．spending most of our time looking at our phones is invaluable

4. What can be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．The Kind Strangers	B．The Small Mercies
C．The Power of Words	D．The Power of Kindness

2 . 阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段, 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Wrinkles of confusion spread across Holly’s forehead as she unwrapped the gift from her best friend, Susan. “I...I thought you could use it for something.” Susan’s explanation did nothing to help us understand why a carpet remnant（零料，布头）was being presented as a birthday gift.

My heart went out to my daughter. Starting over at a new school had been a difficult adjustment. Until she met Susan, Holly had experienced little success making new friends.

The whispered “thanks” was barely audible（听得见的）as Holly tried not to allow her disappointment to show. She laid the carpet on the kitchen counter, and they headed outside to play. The extent of Holly’s disappointment didn’t become evident until the following evening when she came downstairs to say good night. “Well, I guess we know how much my best friend thinks of me, huh, Mom?” she said in tears. “I’m so sorry, honey” was all I could manage to say.

The next morning, I carried the kitchen rubbish outside. My heart sank as I lifted the lid of the trash can and saw Susan’s carpet lying there. Hesitating only for a moment, I took it out and brought it into the house.

“Susan invited me to come over to her house tomorrow,”Holly announced a week later. Although her voice carried a so-what attitude, I sensed she was pleased by the invitation. Susan had visited us many times, but our invitations were never returned and it would be the first time for Holly to go.

The next day I drove Holly to the destination. A tall woman stood in the doorway to greet us. The house was shabby but neatly decorated with used furniture. From the chat with the woman we knew Susan had long been separated from her parents and that she was Susan’s stepmother.I came to respect this generous-hearted woman who had opened her home to a young girl.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

As daylight began to fade, I picked Holly up from Susan’s home.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I placed the carpet on the table in front of her.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Every day Yang Hongwei takes the bus home from work, staring silently at the European-style villas(别墅), luxury cars and twinkling lights from the shopping center that he sees through the window.

Yang works for a software company in Zhongguancun. He dreams of such a life, away from poverty, and that hope has kept him in Beijing for three years since he graduated from university.

Soon Yang squeezes his way off the bus to the reality of his life: his home-a 10-square-metre room that costs 550 yuan or about one-fifth of his salary in rent every month. It’s very cold inside the house as it has no central heating system. He has to stand the long and cold winter. Determined to achieve his dream, Yang says he has changed jobs “numerous” times in the past three years and is considering quitting his present job.

Yang’s frustration over his life as a migrant(移民) is shared by many other graduates that have moved into big cities. Together they have come to be called the “ant tribe”, a term created by Chinese sociologists to describe the struggles of young migrants, who, armed with their diplomas, flood to big cities in hopes of a better life only to put up with low-paying jobs and poor living conditions. They share every similarity with ants. They live in colonies in crowded areas. They’re intelligent and hardworking, yet unknown and underpaid. The term, sociologists have said, also reflects their helplessness in a world governed by the law of the concrete jungle-only the strongest survive.

A survey in Ant TribeⅡ found nearly 30 percent of the “ants” are graduates of famous key universities-almost three times the percentage of 2009. Most have degrees in popular majors, such as medicine, engineering, economics and management. In addition, 7.2 percent of the “ants” have at least a master’s degree compared to 1.6 percent in 2009. Most said the economic recovery did not really improve their financial situations, and 66 percent said their incomes fell short of their expectations, the survey also found.

For two years, Lian Si, a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Chinese and Global Affairs of Peking University, who has studied the phenomenon, led a team of more than 100 graduate students to follow the groups in university towns like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Xi’an. Lian evaluates the total population of the “ant community” in major cities at one million across China, with about 100,000 found in Beijing alone. Lian predicts that an increasingly challenging job market will see the ant tribe growing further in number. Another 6.3 million graduates are expected to join migrant workers and other job hunters in what promises to be a fierce labor competition.

The ant tribe’s embarrassing living situations have become a serious social issue, and the government should develop “second-and-third-tier cities” to attract more graduates from big cities. However, “ants” expect more study and training opportunities in big cities, which keeps them in positive mindsets despite their situations. As in the case of Yang, he is optimistic about getting a new job soon, having received eight interview offers in a week after sending out his resume. The prospect of landing a higher-paying job keeps him hopeful of moving out of the slum district(贫民区) soon. The sooner, the better.

1. Yang has worked in Beijing since graduation from university ______.

A．to live in a beautiful villa of European style

B．to have more opportunities to be promoted

C．to enjoy a busy life in a software company

D．to struggle for a better-off life in a big city

2. Which of the following best describes “ant tribe”?

A．It refers to the group of low-income graduates living in embarrassing conditions.

B．It refers to the people who work hard like ants but are paid little.

C．It refers to the sociologists and scholars researching into some social phenomena.

D．It refers to some well-educated people who can’t survive in society.

3. What does the writer think of the phenomenon of “ant tribe”?

A．“Ant tribe” has become too serious a social problem to solve.

B．It is the government’s duty to solve the problem of “ant tribe”.

C．Both the government and the graduates have the responsibility.

D．The existence of “ant tribe” has little influence on job markets.

4. The passage is mainly about ______.

A．the “ant tribe’s” dream and reality

B．a recent survey about the “ant tribe”

C．the “ant tribe’s” living conditions

D．a new urban lifestyle-”ant tribe”

4 . I've come to the conclusion that I'm rubbish at saying “No”. For example, last Sunday I was sitting at my desk alone, totally ____ in my own business, when a colleague of mine phoned and asked me to get involved in ____ with her. I found myself getting all caught up in her enthusiasm and didn't want to ____ her. So I said “Sure, why not？” and before the call had ____, I found myself agreeing, without giving any ____ whether it was worth doing.

We are both window­shoppers and ___ a whole day in the street. Actually, I hardly have any time to spare because I am very busy ____ my normal job - I've also got a book to write, a business to ____ and a family to look after. And then there are my other projects to ____ - my voluntary work and a couple of other interesting investments that I want to ____. I'm going to have to be more ruthless (无情的) and not just agree to ____ people ask me to get involved in. In other words, I'm going to have to get ____ at saying “No”.Usually I hate saying “No”, because having to disappoint someone usually ____ me. Now I realize ____ I haven't learned to say “No”, I've been feeling very ____.

We had better do what we think is right and what we are ______ to do. Sometimes it does not seem that bad to ______ others. If I focus on the things I ______ want to be involved in, I'll reach a much higher standard and do it quite ______. I'll be enthusiastic and motivated (有积极性) and do something that is good for everyone and everyone will be happy. It'll be a win-­win ______. What's not good about that？So sometimes, we have to say “No”.

1.

A．experienced

B．absorbed

C．concerned

D．disappointed

2.

A．reading

B．discussion

C．shopping

D．travel

3.

A．displease

B．force

C．support

D．shock

4.

A．explained

B．announced

C．developed

D．ended

5.

A．thought

B．suggestion

C．idea

D．question

6.

A．lost

B．kept

C．enjoyed

D．wasted

7.

A．because of

B．regardless of

C．apart from

D．instead of

8.

A．visit

B．run

C．inspect

D．invent

9.

A．consider

B．fetch

C．catch

D．enlarge

10.

A．take in

B．work on

C．turn out

D．make up

11.

A．something

B．none

C．everything

D．either

12.

A．further

B．cooler

C．faster

D．better

13.

A．attracts

B．beats

C．upsets

D．puzzles

14.

A．after

B．because

C．if

D．although

15.

A．impressed

B．anxious

C．merciful

D．depressed

16.

A．likely

B．afraid

C．willing

D．proud

17.

A．join

B．refuse

C．invite

D．choose

18.

A．highly

B．hardly

C．suddenly

D．really

19.

A．patiently

B．well

C．seriously

D．accidentally

20.

A．situation

B．environment

C．appearance

D．spirit

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the first prize?

A．A two – week holiday.

B．A 500 – pound camera.

C．Two plane tickets to Jamaica.

2. When will the result of the competition come out?

A．On August 25.

B．On August 31.

C．On September 15.

3. What requirement do the photos need to meet?

A．They must be in black and white.	B．They must be taken by kids over 18.
C．They must have been taken on holiday.

4. What does the speaker remind the competitors to do?

A．Write their information on the back of the photos.

B．Take part in next month’s super sports competition.

C．Get their photos back after the competition.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is one thing the man is not going to pack for the trip?

A．A sweater.

B．A coat.

C．A jacket.

2. Which occasion will the man take part in definitely?

A．A party.

B．A date.

C．A wedding.

7 . How will the woman go to the city church?

A．By bike.

B．By bus.

C．By car.

8 . What does the man want to do first?

A．See the elephant.

B．Have a cup of tea.

C．Watch the dolphin show

9 . Alabama: Priester’s Pecans

Dessert in the South basically starts and ends with an ooey-gooey pecan(核桃) pie. Especially in Alabama, where the pecan is the official state nut. While there are plenty of farms that pick and package pecans, perhaps the most famous is Priester’s, a family-run business that’s been supplying Alabama with its favorite nuts for over seven decades.

Alaska: Salmon jerky

Forget beef jerky(肉干)—in Alaska, it’s all about the salmon jerky. Home to five different species of the flavorful fish (king, red, pink, silver, and chum), the northernmost state produces nearly one-third of the wild salmon consumed around the world. Bonus: Salmon is one of the seven healthiest fish you can eat.

Arizona: Saguaro cactus

The largest cactus(仙人掌) in the United States, the saguaro cactus is found only in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Living to be up to 200 years old, the cacti, whose flower is also the state’s flower, are generally around 30 feet tall and can grow unlimited arms. Want to see for yourself? Visit one of these 10 outstanding desert escapes in America.

California: Wine Guide

It isn’t called “Wine Country” for no reason. Northern California, specifically Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, produce over 60,000 registered wine labels, making vino(酒类产品) the state’s most valuable agricultural product. If you’re looking for the most popular varietals(优质酿酒葡萄汁), the top two frequently planted grapes are chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.

1. How long has the Priester’s farm lasted?

A．About 7 years.	B．About 30 years.
C．About 70 years.	D．About 200 years.

2. Which state is famous for salmon?

A．Alaska.	B．Arizona.
C．Alabama.	D．California.

3. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A library guide.	B．A news report.
C．A project handbook.	D．A travel guide.

10 . If you have never heard of pawpaw, you are not alone. Most Americans do not know of the fruit, although it is native to the United States. Once, however, it was one of the most popular fruits in North America. Happily, those who love the pawpaw are trying to return it to its former position in American foods.

The pawpaw is a kind of fruit that grows on trees found all over the eastern United States. It is similar in size to a typical mango. It has a dull green-colored skin, and a soft, almost creamy orange inside. Most people agree that the pawpaw tastes like a combination of bananas, apricots (杏）and mangos. Most people are very surprised by its sweet taste. The fruit has a very short harvest season to three weeks in September and October.

The pawpaw has sold commercially (商品化地).The fruit requires a very special environment—low, wet areas that sometimes flood. In addition, the fruit is good to eat for only two to three days after harvesting. This makes it hard to sell anywhere distant from the pawpaw trees.

Planters are again growing pawpaw trees and harvesting the fruit In several states farmers have organized pawpaw festivals to reintroduce the food to people.

Farmers are trying to grow different kinds of pawpaws that will be easier to ship and sell commercially.   Donna and Jim Davis are pawpaw fanners in Westminster, Maryland. They told National Public that they purchased their pawpaw trees in the 1990s and now sell the fruit at farmer markets and online.

So, who knows? Maybe the pawpaw will up soon at a market near you.

1. What is the pawpaw's most outstanding ?

A．It is very rich in sugar.

B．Its sour taste is like an apricot

C．It grows on trees all over the US.

D．It I like a combination of bananas and mangos.

2. Why difficult for the pawpaw to become a big business?

A．It has to be sold far from the pawpaw tree.

B．It is hard to keep its freshness for long.

C．It is difficult to harvest in the low and wet areas.

D．It needs expensive transportation to the market

3. What do farmers do to deal with the disadvantage of pawpaws?

A．They advertise on National Public Radio.

B．They organize pawpaw festivals.

C．They plant improved pawpaw trees.

D．They sell the fruit at farmer markets.

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

A．A traditional fruit has changed people's diet

B．Most people have hardly eaten fresh pawpaws.

C．Fruit of pawpaw ploys an important part in America.

D．A forgotten American fruit is becoming popular again.