1 . “Have you ever considered giving up during a race?” a runner asked me during the Geneva Marathon. We’d _________ and keeping going felt like walking through a marsh (沼泽). Even the appealing scenery along the way wasn’t enough to _________ our spirits.

“I can’t think of a single race when I haven’t!” I answered _________. The runner beside me looked a little relived. Encouraged, I went on to _________ a few of the weak moments I’d overcome to persuade her to _________. My biggest _________ came during the first half of the 56-mile Marathon in South Africa, I told her. Running it was a _________ dream, but when I found myself on a steep hill with painful blisters (水疱) between my toes after a(n) _________ decision to wear no socks.

“If I give up now, I’ll _________ myself six hours of pain,” I continued. In that moment, 1,000 km of __________ training and the thousands of pounds I’d spent on flights and accommodation didn’t __________ at all.

__________, someone at my running club had laughed at the idea of a slow runner like me entering the marathon like this, and recalling this inspired me to keep moving.

“I may not finish this race before the 12-hour __________, but I’m not going to give that man the chance to say, “I told you so”, I said. Soon afterwards, I buddied up with another __________, a six-hour chat __________ and we got each other to the finish with 17 minutes to spare.

1.

A．gone away

B．fallen behind

C．taken off

D．come back

2.

A．lift

B．break

C．lower

D．feel

3.

A．confidently

B．proudly

C．honestly

D．rudely

4.

A．seize

B．relate

C．make

D．copy

5.

A．stop

B．rise

C．continue

D．quit

6.

A．opportunity

B．mistake

C．practice

D．test

7.

A．lifelong

B．forgotten

C．distant

D．disappointing

8.

A．thoughtful

B．unwise

C．careful

D．difficult

9.

A．leave

B．get

C．spare

D．offer

10.

A．simple

B．relaxing

C．enjoyable

D．tiring

11.

A．work

B．matter

C．appear

D．exist

12.

A．Fortunately

B．Surprisingly

C．Regrettably

D．Undoubtedly

13.

A．headline

B．limit

C．journey

D．work

14.

A．runner

B．judge

C．worker

D．student

15.

A．concluded

B．interrupted

C．failed

D．followed

2 . An experimental treatment rejuvenates (使...恢复活力) the immune (免疫的) systems of older mice, improving their ability to fight infections. If it works in humans, the treatment could reverse (逆转) age-related decreases in immunity that leave older adults susceptible to disease.

These decreases may be due to changes in our blood stem cells which can develop into any type of blood cell—including key parts that make up the immune system. As we age, a larger proportion (比例) of these stem cells tend to produce some immune cells over others, says Jason Ross at Stanford University in California. This imbalance damages the immune system’s defenses.

Ross and his colleagues have developed a treatment using antibodies (抗体), which are proteins that recognize and attack certain cells to target these abnormal stem cells. They tested the treatment in six mice between 18 and 24 months old, which is roughly equal to an age of 56 to 70 years in humans.

A week after receiving an antibody injection, the mice had about 38 percent fewer of these abnormal stem cells than six mice of the same age that didn’t receive the treatment. “You can think of it as kind of turning back the clock,” says Ross. “We’re making the proportion of these immune cells more similar to those of a younger adult mouse.”

To test if the changes resulted in a stronger immune system, the researchers vaccinated (打疫苗) 17 older mice against a mouse virus. Nine of these mice had received the antibody treatment eight weeks earlier. The researchers then infected (感染) the mice with the virus. Two weeks later, they measured the number of infected cells in the animals and found that nearly half of the treated mice had cleared the infection, compared with only one of the eight untreated mice.

The findings indicate that the antibody treatment rejuvenates the mouse immune system. “Since humans, like mice, also see abnormal blood stem cells increase with age, a similar antibody treatment may rejuvenate our immune systems,” says Ross.

1. What does the underlined word “susceptible” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Strongly resist.	B．Easily suffer from.
C．Completely unaffected by.	D．Highly immune to.

2. What may cause age-related decreases in immunity?

A．Changes in our nervous system.

B．An increase in antibodies in our body.

C．Changes in blood stem cells.

D．A decrease in the number of immune cells.

3. How did the researchers measure the effectiveness of the antibody treatment on the mice?

A．By analyzing changes in their lifestyle.

B．By observing differences in their behavior.

C．By conducting blood tests to measure immune cell counts.

D．By counting the number of infected cells after virus contact.

4. What conclusion can be drawn from the findings of the study?

A．The antibody treatment has no effect on the mouse immune system.

B．The antibody treatment increases the risk of infections in mice.

C．The antibody treatment only works on young mice, not older ones.

D．The antibody treatment improves the mouse immune system.

3 . It’s not hard to see how welcoming Berlin is to families. There are kid-orientated (儿童导向的) cafes and imaginatively themed playgrounds. Parks and woodlands provide plentiful picnicking opportunities and, in hot weather, lakes offer sunbathing.

Getting around is easy, too. The city’s neighborhoods are walkable, and its public transport network efficient and cheap. Its wide, flat streets, bike lanes and family-friendly cycle hire make two wheels a great way to explore while taking in the city's impressive sights—all of which make Berlin a memorable family destination.

What to do with toddlers (学步的儿童)

A popular neighbourhood with families, Prenzlauer Berg has playgrounds, parks and pretty streets with shops selling kids’ clothes and toys, as well as family-friendly cafes. For those gifted in music, the Frank Gehry-designed concert hall at the Barenboim-Said Academy hosts morning concerts for babies under 12 months and afternoon concerts for one-to-five-year-olds. Meanwhile, central Tiergarten is a wonderful spot for walking, picnicking or kicking a ball in the grass; wander through the woods, spotting cultural sights. Of the park’s six playgrounds, the one close to Thomas-Dehler-Strasse is best equipped for toddlers.

What to do with tweens and teenagers

The Deutsches Technik museum will absorb transport and technology fans for hours. For those ready to learn about the darkest chapter of German history, the Topography of Terror museum is located on the site of the former SS and Gestapo (盖世太保) headquarters. Checkpoint Charlie is a few minutes walk away and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe can be reached in around 20 minutes on foot. To experience a little of Berlin's alternative side, Bearpit Karaoke is held on Sundays at Mauer park.

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a family-friendly activity in Berlin?

A．Visiting kid-oriented cafes.

B．Enjoying concerts at the Barenboim-Said Academy.

C．Shopping for kids’ toys in stores.

D．Swimming and surfing in lakes.

2. Which activity is recommended for families with toddlers in Tiergarten?

A．Visiting museums.	B．Picnicking and walking.
C．Riding bikes.	D．Shopping for toys.

3. For teenagers interested in German history, which place would be most suitable to visit?

A．Deutsches Technik museum	B．Prenzlauer Berg
C．Topography of Terror museum	D．Mauer park

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the speaker trying to do?

A．Start a school magazine.

B．Look for some part-time editors.

C．Get materials for the school magazine.

2. What are not needed any more?

A．Jokes.

B．Photos of school life.

C．Drawings and paintings.

3. Which page is the most popular?

A．The sports page.

B．The center page.

C．The diary page.

4. Which team won in a national competition this summer?

A．The football team.

B．The basketball team.

C．The tennis team.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Who usually cooked New Year’s dinner?

A．The man.

B．The woman.

C．The man’s parents.

2. What does the woman want the man to do?

A．Shop for food.

B．Make a dinner reservation.

C．Take care of children.

3. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．What to have at New Year’s dinner.

B．Where to have New Year’s dinner.

C．When to prepare New Year’s dinner.

6 . 清明节（Tomb-Sweeping Day/Qingming Festival) 即将来临，假如你是李伟，为了让同学们更加了解这个中国的传统节日，请你用自己的英文博客发表一篇博客文章。简要介绍一下清明节，要点如下：
1.清明节时间：每年的4月4—6日，可追溯到2000年前
2.节日的意义和习俗：1）追思亲人2）祭祖扫墓3）出游踏青
注意：1.字数要求在100字左右：
2.内容完整，书写工整，表达通顺，语言连贯。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who first made the nickname “The Big Easy” popular in the early 1970s?

A．A newspaper writer.

B．A crime novel writer.

C．A politician.

2. What is the way of life in New York City?

A．Gentle and slow.

B．Easy-going.

C．Quick and busy.

3. Why is New Orleans called “Mardi Gras City”?

A．For its yearly music festival.

B．For its wild celebrations each year.

C．For its shape.

4. Which of the following is not a nickname of New Orleans?

A．NOLA.

B．The Crescent City.

C．The Birthplace of Rock and Roll.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When should you arrive when invited to a party at 8:00 in America?

A．From 8:00 to 8:30.

B．From 8:30 to 9:00.

C．From 9:00 to 9:30.

2. What will be provided at a party besides alcohol and food?

A．Music.

B．Cigarettes.

C．Games.

3. What would probably be served at midnight during a party?

A．Beer.

B．Wine.

C．Cookies.

4. What do we know about the man?

A．He will attend a party.

B．He has never been to a party.

C．He is good at dancing.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In February, I traveled to York in the UK to participate in the Jorvik Viking Festival, Europe’s largest Viking festival, which     1     (hold) annually since 1985.

In the city center were hundreds of people with swords, axes and helmets, all dressed as Vikings. Some played old instruments as more than a hundred Vikings took part in a great march through the city center. Stalls were busy selling Viking tools, costumes and mead, an old Viking wine     2     (make )from honey.

According to the Archeology in Europe Educational Resources website, the Vikings conquered York in     3     late 1800s and ruled there for almost a century. This was part of the Viking Age, which lasted     4     800 to 1150. During this time, approximately 200,000 Vikings from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark left Scandinavia in boats to settle in     5     (vary)parts of the world, including England.

    6     this period was far from peaceful. The Vikings were a warrior people who believed that being killed in battle would send them to Valhalla, the resting place for warriors. So their expansion took the form of brutal war, as well as exploration and trade. Their influence is still     7     (strong) remembered across Britain.

Today, there is a great fascination in the UK with Viking history. Besides the Jorvik festival, people hold Viking weddings     8     the couple may tie their hands together, drink from animal horns and even jump over a sword to get blessings from the Viking gods. In these ceremonies, guests are encouraged to dress in Viking clothes. Some people even name their children after Viking legends! For instance, one of my     9     (nephew) is named Heimdall, after the watchman of the gods in Norse mythology. The Viking legacy continues to interest and inspire people in the UK,     10     (find) its way into different aspects of our culture.

10 . In America, the “Big Dig”, a highway project that resulted in a mess of traffic in the centre of Boston for years, came in five times over its initial budget. Even the Germans get huge projects wrong. Conception to operation of Berlin Brandenburg Airport has taken 30 years, with seven missed opening dates. The airport ended up costing $8.2 billion. However, the original estimate was about $2.7 billion.

Huge projects like Berlin Brandenburg Airport are the subject of an amusing new book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. Mr. Flyvbjerg sets up a database of over 16, 000 projects and data analysis reveals that only 8.5% of the projects meet their initial estimates on cost and time, and 0.5% of them achieve what they set out to do on cost, time and benefits.

Over-optimistic time and cost estimates originate from both psychological and political perceptions: the reliance on intuition (直觉) rather than data, and a problem that Mr. Flyvbjerg calls “strategic misrepresentation”. This is when budgets are intentionally reduced in order to get things going. And once the projects are under way, they will not be stopped, because money spent on them will thus be wasted.

Mr. Flyvbjerg speaks highly of Pixar’s methodical approach to developing and testing films in great detail before they go into production. He also tells the story of how Frank Gehry’s well-developed architectural models helped ensure the success of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Narrowing down the producing window of a project before it is actually carried out reduces the probability of unexpected events.

Big customized projects are particularly likely to run into trouble. However, the more a project can be divided into standardized processes, the better its prospects are. Projects run into problems for specific reasons as well as general ones: Britain’s trouble is not something that China has to worry about, for instance. But the iron law is that if you plan strictly and standardize where possible, you are less likely to dig yourself into a hole.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?

A．By making a contrast.	B．By giving an explanation.
C．By presenting examples.	D．By showing an experience.

2. What message does Bent Flyvbjerg’s data analysis convey?

A．Projects’ success rates can be estimated.

B．Projects’ desired outcome can’t be achieved.

C．Most projects suffer overspending and delays.

D．Most projects lack comprehensive data analysis.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Failures in decision-making.	B．Methods of reducing massive costs.
C．Strategies for getting work done.	D．Reasons behind inaccurate estimates.

4. What is the key to preventing projects getting into trouble?

A．Planning thoroughly in advance.

B．Analyzing specific and general reasons.

C．Focusing on efficiency of projects.

D．Drawing lessons from former experiences.