1 . Scientists have not found any signs of life on Mars yet,but they say a robotic vehicle called “Curiosity” is helping them learn a lot about the planet’s history and climate.

Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012 after travelling through space for more than eight months.It was sent to Mars by scientists from NASA in the United States.

Curiosity is about the size of a car and has six wheels.It also has a robotic arm,cameras,and instruments that allow it to examine things it finds on the surface.Then it sends the information back to the earth.

Curiosity’s main task is to find out if anything could live on Mars,either now or in the past.On Nov.2,NASA scientists held a press conference (新闻发布会) to discuss what Curiosity had found in its first two months on Mars.

Curiosity has found soil that is similar to the sand formed by volcanoes (火山) on the earth.Scientists say that studying the minerals in Martian soil will help them understand what conditions were like on the planet in the past.Curiosity also found smooth stones like the ones found on river beds and seashores on the earth,where their rough edges have been worn down by water.Mars is very cold and dry now,but scientists say the smooth stones tell them that a river used to run through the place where they were found.

Curiosity has been testing the atmosphere around Mars for a type of gas called methane (甲烷),but so far it has not found any.On the earth,most methane is produced by plants or animals.Methane on Mars might indicate that some type of tiny plants or animals lived there.

Curiosity is the fourth robotic vehicle to be sent to Mars.It will continue to explore the planet for about two years.

1. Which of the following descriptions about Curiosity is TRUE?

A．It landed on Mars in January 2012.

B．It is small in size and has four arms.

C．It took over eight months to arrive in Mars.

D．It was sent to Mars by scientists from Russia.

2. According to the information sent back by Curiosity,scientists believe that 　　　.

A．there’s no air on Mars	B．Mars is warm and wet now
C．the soil on Mars is rich	D．there used to be water on Mars

3. The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 5 refers to “　　　”.

A．smooth stones	B．rivers
C．robotic vehicles	D．volcanoes

4. We know from the sixth paragraph that 　　　.

A．some tiny animals once lived on Mars

B．there are no plants or animals on Mars now

C．the atmosphere around Mars is full of methane

D．Curiosity is designed to test the atmosphere around the earth

5. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Humans benefit a lot by going to Mars.

B．Scientists will stop the research on Mars soon.

C．It is possible to build an earth-like environment on Mars.

D．A robotic vehicle helps scientists get useful information from Mars.

2 . Not only kids of Tiger Moms go to Harvard.

Dawn Loggins of Lawndale，N.C.is on her way to Harvard，one of the eight world­famous universities in the eastern US.Nobody encouraged her to study or paid for her special classes.This girl created her own future.

The teen was abandoned by her family last summer，when her parents and two sisters moved to Tennessee.She found herself homeless and had to spend the night on friend's sofas.

The school bus driver learned about Dawn's situation and invited Dawn to move in with her family.Soon，Dawn had a job at Burns High School.She worked from 6 a．m.to 7：40 a．m.before the first school bell rang.She swept floors and picked up trash again in the afternoons，before diving into her studies in the evenings.

Dawn's hard work paid off.She finished school with a 3.9 GPA and scored 2，110 on the SAT.

“There were times when I felt like it would be easiest if I gave up，”the 18­year­old said.“But it was never in me to give up，because I realized that I was never going to be successful unless I got an education.”

Even before Dawn's family left her，she led a difficult life.Her family was poor and cups of noodles were often the only food.Dawn“studied by candlelight”because her parents couldn't afford to pay the electricity bill(电费)．

Dawn has now reconnected with her family.They are proud of her accomplishments(成就)and are attending her high school graduation.

1. Why didn't Dawn give up her studies?

A．To reconnect with her family.

B．To thank those who had helped her.

C．To get an education to be successful.

D．To realize her dream of going to Harvard.

2. Who helped Dawn when she found herself homeless?

A．Her teachers.	B．Her neighbors.
C．A Tiger Mom.	D．A school bus driver.

3. What does the underlined word“abandoned”mean in Chinese?

A．宠爱	B．抛弃
C．鼓励	D．虐待

4. Which of the following words describes Dawn?

A．Open-­minded.	B．Good-­natured.
C．Strong-­willed.	D．Warm-­hearted

5. What is the best title for the text?

A．Another Harvard girl

B．A girl in candlelight

C．From homeless to Harvard

D．The role of Tiger Moms

3 . We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs for each festival.

Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China

“It’ll soon be the Chinese New Year. Before it, we’ll clean the house and decorate (装饰) it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we’ll go out a lot to celebrate on the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”

Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia

“Australia Day is on 26th January and it’s an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there’s lots of music and dancing. What fun!”

Amy, 14, New York, the USA

“The first Thanksgiving was celebrated hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It’s still a very important day for family members to be together. This year we’re going to visit my grandparents and we’ll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”

1. How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?

A．Two.	B．Three.
C．Four.	D．Five.

2. During the Chinese New Year, tourists might________according to the passage.

A．do a lot of shopping	B．eat turkey
C．go to beach parties	D．see lion and dragon dances

3. On Australia Day, Wendy and her parents often________.

A．have a picnic in the countryside

B．go to a swimming pool

C．have a party at school

D．clean the house and dance

4. What do you think “turkey” is in this passage?

A．A country.	B．A festival.
C．A kind of food.	D．A kind of drink.

5. From the passage, we can learn that________.

A．Amy is from Sydney, Australia

B．different festivals have different customs

C．many people go out for a picnic with friends before the Chinese New Year

D．Thanksgiving Day is on 26th January in the USA

4 . As a six- year-old Canadian schoolboy, Ryan had trouble________the words spoken by his teacher that many people in developing African countries couldn't get enough clean water. “Why do some African children have to________ten kilometres to get water everyday? And why is the water so dirty that it makes them________?” Young Ryan thought,

“Life is easy for me, but hard for those people. Why don't I help?”

At first, his plan was to________money to build a single well somewhere in Africa. He cleaned windows and did gardening for his family and neighbours. He soon reached his first________of $70,________when he gave the money to a charity, he was told that it________cost $2, 000 to build a well.

Two thousand dollars was a lot of money, but Ryan didn't give up. He was________to help other children have clean water. He started to ask for help from his classmates and neighbours and persuaded them to________money. At the same time, a friend of Ryan's mother helped make his story go________.After several months, Ryan had________the $ 2,000,________which a well was built near a primary school in Uganda. The children at the school________needed to walk for hours to get water. They were grateful to him and invited him to visit.

In Uganda, Ryan at last saw the finished________with his own eyes. But that was not all. He also saw hundreds of delighted students who had turned out to welcome him. At first Ryan was nervous, but soon, a great warmth________ him. He really had made a________for these children. He________a joyful smile.

Later, Ryan's experience led him to set up a________to encourage more people to help. Many________people gave him their support. Today, over 800, 000 people in 16 countries across Africa have________from the life-changing gift of clean, safe water.

1.

A．hearing

B．accepting

C．believing

D．remembering

2.

A．drive

B．run

C．walk

D．ride

3.

A．annoyed

B．injured

C．sensitive

D．sick

4.

A．earn

B．send

C．give

D．take

5.

A．number

B．target

C．harvest

D．request

6.

A．but

B．so

C．or

D．for

7.

A．ideally

B．totally

C．exactly

D．actually

8.

A．joyful

B．determined

C．excited

D．grateful

9.

A．bring

B．donate

C．collect

D．ignore

10.

A．crazy

B．wild

C．public

D．social

11.

A．delivered

B．made

C．resolved

D．raised

12.

A．in

B．about

C．beyond

D．with

13.

A．no longer

B．by accident

C．in particular

D．by no means

14.

A．pump

B．well

C．house

D．bridge

15.

A．deceived

B．affected

C．filled

D．shot

16.

A．wish

B．success

C．difference

D．living

17.

A．rose to

B．broke into

C．ended up with

D．picked up

18.

A．business

B．record

C．shelter

D．foundation

19.

A．inspired

B．elegant

C．delighted

D．fascinated

20.

A．benefited

B．survived

C．suffered

D．transformed

5 . 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。

When an important holiday comes, I usually think of what gifts to buy or prepare for my family members. It is the act    1    (it)rather than the things you buy that matters. Either a small present, a text message or a phone call can mean a lot to the receivers.    2    , I had never got anything from my son, who is    3    university student. Parents never forget to celebrate their children's birthday, but their children seem to be very forgetful. They seldom do something in return.

Life is unpredictable, and you never know what will happen tomorrow. When my son came back during the summer vacation, my wife and I, as usual,    4    (meet)him at the station. On arriving home, much    5    my surprise, my son took out a fashionable wrist watch and gave it to me,    6    (say)it was a birthday gift for me. You can imagine how    7    (surprise)and excited I was at that moment!

Some people say children get too much care and love from their parents,    8    they never express thanks for. It is natural for people to have such concerns and    9    (worry), but things may not turn out as badly as    10    (expect).

6 . When Jack was eight years old, a terrible storm hit his hometown, Island Puerto Rico. He felt worried about his ________. It was around Christmas. Jack said he was ________ that some of the kids would not get toys, and he wanted to donate (捐赠) ________ own toys. However, he knew it wouldn’t be enough. So, ________ the help of his family, he organized an activity to collect toys. He ________ collected 300 toys and sent them to the kids.

After Jack sent the ________ to the kids, he also wanted to do ________ more. He found many homeless(无家可归的) dogs on the island, so he felt ________. Then he told his mother that he ________ his birthday money to do something for the ________. So he bought a lot of dog food. Jack kept thinking of more ________. He collected food for people in need there. He also ________ that some local families lost their houses, and then he designed a T-shirt to raise money for one of the ________ families.

The news about Jack’s ________ deed spread around quickly. A company ________ him $10,000 worth of kids clothes to donate to Island Puerto Rico. Jack ________ the clothes to 200 kids.

Jack’s latest activity includes ________ schoolbags for the kids because they ________ schoolbags.

“Giving is the best thing to do, “he says. “I love seeing the joy and ________ on people’s faces. ________ I just keep on helping others.

1.

A．pool

B．farm

C．factory

D．hometown

2.

A．worried

B．excited

C．satisfied

D．interested

3.

A．my

B．her

C．his

D．their

4.

A．with

B．of

C．at

D．On

5.

A．suddenly

B．finally

C．coldly

D．badly

6.

A．food

B．water

C．books

D．toys

7.

A．nothing

B．everything

C．something

D．anything

8.

A．happy

B．comfortable

C．shy

D．sad

9.

A．waste

B．hide

C．lose

D．use

10.

A．cats

B．dogs

C．pigs

D．monkeys

11.

A．ideas

B．titles

C．skills

D．drinks

12.

A．agreed

B．found

C．promised

D．wrote

13.

A．close

B．rich

C．homeless

D．old

14.

A．bad

B．dark

C．dirty

D．good

15.

A．threw

B．refused

C．gave

D．returned

16.

A．lent

B．sent

C．explained

D．announced

17.

A．collecting

B．mending

C．checking

D．washing

18.

A．produce

B．burn

C．need

D．rent

19.

A．smiles

B．changes

C．fear

D．anger

20.

A．So

B．Or

C．For

D．But

7 . A few years ago, David, a top manager, thought his life wasn’t moving forward. So he started to set himself 30-day challenges. The idea was simple: think of something you want to add to your life-or to give up-and try it every day for 30 days.

David began with easy projects like going to work by bike, not watching TV and giving up sugar. Then he tried more difficult ones, like writing a novel in 30 days. David learned that if you do something for 30 days. It can become a habit. If you stop doing something for 30 days, you can break the habit. As he did harder challenges, he got more confident. He learned that he could do something if he really wanted to do it. After doing the challenges for a few months, he had enough confidence to climb the highest mountain in Africa.

David gave an online talk about how the challenges changed his life. More than 5 million people around the world have watched his talk and the 30-day challenge quickly became very popular.

1. What was David a few years ago?

A．A doctor.

B．A teacher.

C．A manager.

D．A soldier.

2. What is one of David’s more difficult projects?

A．Going to work by bike.	B．Not watching TV.
C．Giving up sugar.	D．Writing a novel

3. How did David feel as he did harder challenges?

A．More confident.	B．More careful
C．Less lucky.	D．Less comfortable.

4. How many people have watched David’s online talk?

A．About 5 hundred.	B．About 5 thousand.
C．Over 5 million.	D．Over 5 billion.

5. What would be the best title for the text?

A．A working report.	B．The 30-day challenge
C．An important notice.	D．The life in Africa

8 . 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。

A small bike is lying     1     (quiet) in our garden. It     2     (be) quite old and I can not ride it any longer, but I still keep it there, as it often brings back to me a wonderful memory.

Many     3     (year) ago, it was a Sunday morning on my tenth birthday. My father bought me a new bike. I asked my father to teach me     4     the garden. After I sat on the new bike, my father     5     (help) me to ride the bike. Then, he pushed the bike and it started to move. I was afraid! But my father kept encouraging     6     (I). I could ride around the garden soon after my first try was     7     (wonder). But unluckily, I didn’t see a small tree in front     8     me. I hit it and fell off the bike. It hurt me     9     lot and I started to cry. My father encouraged me     10     (stand) up and try again. Finally, I was able to ride the bike.

9 . 假定你是李华，你的加拿大笔友 Peter来信询问你每周参加体育锻炼的情况，请你根据下列表格内容，用英语给他写封回信。

时间	周一至周五	周末
锻炼的时间	after school on weekdays	on Saturday/Sunday mornings
锻炼的项目	Run 1.5 km or play basketball	go cycling or climb the hill
锻炼的地点	In the playground	in the countryside
锻炼的益处	relax myself， be good for our health

注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头语已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,

How glad I’m to hear from you!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

10 . The secret powers of time

Do you think about the past?     1     Or do you worry about the future? Professor Philip Zimbardo describes three types (类型) of people.

● Past types.

You sometimes miss “the good old days”.     2    . You worry about making changes or new things trying You spend a lot of time with your family.

● Present types.

    3    . You like doing fun things with fun people. You don’t have a healthy lifestyle(生活方式). You avoid doing difficult or boring things.

●     4    .

You spend most of your time working, saving and planning for a better future. You eat well and exercise regularly. You don’t mind waiting for the good things in life.     5    . But they often don’t enjoy their free time because they are busy thinking about the next things.

According to Zimbardo’s research, everybody is sometimes the other types. However, we should try to have an equal balance of all three to be happy and successful.

A．Future types

B．Did you make friends

C．Do you enjoy the present time

D．You enjoy remembering your past

E．Many people dreamed to be teachers

F．The most important thing is to feel good at present

G．Future people are usually more successful in work