1 . In many ways, learning a foreign language has never been easier – online language apps and courses have flooded the market in the last decade.

Of course, different people have different goals for learning a new language. While someone may want to learn basic conversational skills in Japanese to be able to communicate during a vacation to Tokyo, someone else might strive for fluency to communicate real-world business deals overseas. Your level of existing language skills and learning style can also be factors in determining which language app is best for you.

Whatever your goals or purposes for wanting to learn a new language, we compiled our list of recommendations with three things in mind: price point, user experience, and proficiency goals. After reviewing the features, value, and customer success stories, we believe Rosetta Stone is the best overall for most people.

Manufacturer	Rosetta Stone
Price	$11.99
Specs	Number of languages: 25 IOS app: Yes Android app: Yes Free version available: No, but they offer a free trial.
Pros	Very good selection of languages The immersive method will have you speaking the language right away. Live videos, helpful cultural highlights, and stories help you practice.
Cons	Since the lessons aren’t in English, the grammar is unclear at times.
How to work	They introduce new words and phrases in a spaced-out process that helps you remember them. As you progress, you will use the vocabulary you’ve already acquired in order to learn new words and phrases. The key to their process is being able to recognise speech patterns in a new language. They incorporate speech recognition and repetition into short daily lessons.

1. Which of the following factors may not determine the language app choice?

A．Motivation of learning.	B．Styles of learning.
C．Levels of existing language skills.	D．Popularity of the app.

2. Which of the following statements about Rosetta Stone is true?

A．It teaches lessons in English.	B．It offers free version for users.
C．It provides a repetition process.	D．It is the cheapest language app.

3. What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?

A．To tell users how to learn a new language.

B．To recommend people to use Rosetta Stone.

C．To teach people how to use e-learning resources.

D．To give instructions on how to use Rosetta Stone.

2 . In 2010, my mother-in-law gave me her rather simple but graceful, antique “secretary desk”. The desk easily fit into the tiny room at the top of the stairs. I felt so secure, and confident when I sat down and began each writing session. Despite the desk’s appeal, its limited storage capacity meant that I often put file folders and books on the small floor space around me. After each writing session, I painstakingly gathered the tools of the trade and placed them on a nearby shelf until the next session.

A few years into my writing journey, we moved into a bigger home and I acquired my own office. My husband, Bill offered on more than one occasion to buy me a new desk for my office, but I ignored his offer.

One day, we stopped at the local office supply store. Bill found what he thought was the perfect desk for me. “I want to buy this for you, sweetie. My writer needs a bigger desk. ”He hugged me.

“Thanks, but I don’t want a bigger desk!” I said.

“Why don’t you want a bigger desk?” he said. “You must be afraid of something.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” I said. “Like I said, I really like my little desk. So don’t ask me again.”

He didn’t.

A few weeks later, while working in my new office. I looked around at the folders, books and papers lying all over my office floor but couldn’t find what needed to meet a contest deadline. My heart raced. I looked around my office. The room basically swallowed the tiny desk, making it look slightly out of place. Maybe I did need a bigger desk. Was Bill right? Was I afraid of something?

Unable to write, I pulled c. JoyBell C.’s book of poetry, All Things Dance Like Dragonflies (蜻蜓), from the bookshelf. I flipped through its pages, and her words about faith jumped off the page into my heart. She talked about how she had trained herself to love the feeling of not knowing where she was going, and just trusting that as she opened up her wings and flew off in an unknown direction, things would work out.

At that moment, I recognized that a bigger desk symbolized bigger possibilities, stepping out in faith, and leaving my comfort zone.

1. What was the limitation of the “secretary desk”?

A．It was too old to be functional.

B．It competed with the shelf for room.

C．It prevented the author focusing on writing.

D．It was a bit small in size.

2. When did the author want to buy a new desk?

A．After she was stuck in a mess.

B．When she finished writing a book.

C．When she moved into a bigger house.

D．After she missed an important contest.

3. What was the author afraid of before?

A．Unemployment.	B．Loss of inspiration.
C．Uncertainty.	D．Lack of trust.

4. What would be the best title of the passage?

A．My Writing Journey	B．On the Wings of Change
C．My Lifelong Faith	D．On the Desk of Fate

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

One of the most important discoveries during this period was how     1     (draw) things in perspective. This technique was first used by Masaccio in 1428. When people first saw his paintings, they     2    (convince) that they were looking through a hole in a wall at a real scene.     3    coincidence, oil paints were also developed at this time, which made the colors used in paintings look     4    (rich) and deeper. Without the new paints and the new technique, we would not be able to see the many great masterpieces for     5    this period is famous.

In     6    late 19^th century, Europe changed a lot, from a mostly agricultural society to a mostly     7    (industry) one. Many people moved from the countryside to the new cities. There were many new inventions and social changes.     8    (nature), these changes also led to new painting styles. Among the painters who     9    (break) away from the traditional style of painting were the Impressionists    10     (live) and working in Paris.

5 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

My fiance(未婚夫) and I were excited about shopping for our first home. But our funds were limited, and none of the houses in our price range seemed satisfactory.

One agent recommended a house in particular. Although her description sounded wonderful, the price was beyond our range, so we declined(谢绝). But she kept urging us to have a look at last.

We finally did and it was love at first sight. It was our home, small and charming, overlooking a quiet lake. Walking through the rooms and talking with the owners, a nice elderly couple, we felt the warmth and happiness of the marriage within that home. As perfect as it was, the price remained too high for us. But every day, we would sit by the lake, looking at the house and dreaming of what it would be like to live there. Days later, we made an offer—far below the asking price. Surprisingly, they didn’t laugh at us. They renewed their offer instead. It was also much more than we could afford, but far less than the original asking price.

The next day, we got a disappointing message that another buyer had offered a much higher price. Even so, we decided to talk with the owners directly. We made our final offer, which still was thousands of dollars less than the other buyer’s bid(出价). We knew it, but we had to try. Nobody knew if we could get it.

注意：1. 所续写的短文的词数应为150词左右；

2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；

4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

We went to the owner’s home after we made our final offer.

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Paragraph 2:

The owner looked at us and said, “

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6 . You probably laugh at something you find funny, but how much do you really know about jokes and humour? Reader's Digest (RD) questioned several experts to give us some facts about them.

RD: What’s the oldest joke in the world?

“We can't know the oldest joke in the world because it would have existed earlier than writing,” says Christie Davies, professor of sociology at the University of Reading in the UK. The oldest joke book that's been found so far is the Greek Philogelos. It dates from the 4th century AD, although the jokes date from an earlier time. According to psychologist Steve Wilson, director of National Humor Month (April in the US), it contains 265 jokes.

RD: Do some people fail to develop a sense of humour?

Rod Martin, professor of psychology at the Western University in Canada, believes that while everyone is born without a sense of humour, as we develop, humour and laughter begin to appear. “Of course, some children are more serious, quiet, and less likely to laugh frequently, but this doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humour.” And according to Steve Wilson, there are no adults who don't have a sense of humour. “Almost everyone is able to develop a sense of humour, and I teach people how,” he says.

RD: Do people share a sense of humour unique to their own nation?

Sense of humour does differ a lot by country, according to an author named Scott Weems. British humour is thought to be absurd (荒谬的) in nature, while American humour has an aggressive quality. According to a study, Germans are found to find everything funny.

1. What do we know about the oldest joke book?

A．It remains unknown.	B．It was written in Greek.
C．It was found in the UK.	D．It contains the oldest joke.

2. What does Rod Martin agree with about people's sense of humour?

A．Nobody is born with a sense of humour.

B．Some adults lose it when they grow up.

C．Childhood is the best time to develop such ability.

D．Children have a poorer sense of humour than adults.

3. What kind of humour has an aggressive feature?

A．British humour.	B．German humour.
C．Canadian humour.	D．American humour.

4. Where can you probably find the text?

A．In a popular magazine.	B．In a research paper.
C．In a personal diary.	D．In a textbook.

7 . Enjoy a fun day out at Alton Towers, the UK's most popular theme park with lots of great rides, including the six biggest roller coasters.

• Open every day from the 21st of March until the 8th of November.

• First admission is at 9.30 am, with rides opening at 10 am.

• Usually closed between 5 pm and 6 pm.

Tickets

Gate Price             Online Price

Adult            £58.80                  £50.28

Child            £52.80                  £44.88

Thorpe Park

As the UK's most exciting theme park, Thorpe Park is perfect for an exciting family day out. Great rides include Slammer and Tidal Wave alongside fantastic roller coasters.

• Open every day from the 12th of March until the 8th of November.

• First admission is at 10 am.

• Usually closed between 5 pm and 7 pm.

Tickets

Gate Price             Online Price

Adult            £56.00                  £49.78

Child             £51.00                  £49.78

Drayton Manor

As the UK's largest family owned theme park, Drayton Manor is home to a lot of exciting attractions with roller coasters, zoo and Thomas Land.

Tickets

Gate Price             Online Price

Adult              £36.00                  £27.75

Child             £5.00                   £5.00

• Open most days from the 21st of March until the 1st of November.

• First admission is at 9.30 am, with rides from 10.30 am, and closing time is usually 5 pm.

Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Chessington World of Adventures Resort is the UK's greatest family theme park. A fantastic day out with a great mix of rides. Chessington Zoo has lots of animals plus a Sea Life Centre.

• Open every day from the 18th of March until the 2nd of November.

• First admission is at 10 am.

• Closing times are usually between 5 pm and 7 pm.

Tickets

Gate Price            Online Price

Adult            £52.00               £46.22

Child             £48.00                £42.67

1. If a couple buy their tickets for Alton Towers on the Internet, they can save _____.

A．£7.92	B．£8.52
C．£16.44	D．£17.04

2. What's special about Drayton Manor?

A．It has a zoo.	B．It is owned by a family.
C．It offers some exciting rides.	D．It is suitable for a whole family.

3. Which theme park has the most opening days in a year?

A．Thorpe Park.	B．Alton Towers.
C．Drayton Manor.	D．Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

8 . There was once a lonely girl who wanted love very much. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two birds.    1     . She took care of them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted her with a beautiful song. The girl felt great love for the birds. She wanted their singing to last forever.

    2    . The larger and stronger of the two birds flew out of the cage. The girl watched worriedly as he flew above her. She was so afraid that he would fly away and she would never see him. So as he flew close, she caught him quickly. She felt very happy.    3    Her love had killed him. She noticed the other bird standing at the door of the cage. She could feel his great need for freedom and his need to fly into the clear, blue sky.     4     . The bird flew around her once, twice, three times. The girl looked happily at the bird’s enjoyment. Her heart did no longer care about her loss    5     . Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her hand. It sang the sweetest song she had ever heard.

The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tight; the best way to keep love is to give it wings!

A．One day the girl left the door to the cage open.

B．She lifted him from the cage and freed him.

C．She took them home and put them in a small cage.

D．The birds were so beautiful that she loved them very much.

E．She wanted the bird to be happy.

F．She realized her mistake.

G．However, when she opened her hand, she found the bird had died.

9 . If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this, and nobody would think of questioning this fact.

    1     When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by exercising it regularly, either consciously or unconsciously. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough opportunity to become strong.     2     One of them exercises his arms and legs by playing tennis, while the other sits in a chair or a motor car all day.

If a friend complains that his arms are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame, or that he is just unlucky, and few of us realize that it is just as much his own fault as if it was his arms or legs that were weak.     3     But all of us can, if we have ordinary bodies and brains, improve our strength and our memory by the same means—practice.

Have you ever noticed that people who cannot read or write usually have better memories than those who can?     4     It’s because those who cannot read or write have to remember things. They cannot write them down in a little notebook and they have to remember dates, time and prices, names, songs and stories, so their memory is being exercised the whole time     5    .

A．What do you think of it?

B．Yet many people do not seem to know that the memory works in the same way.

C．Not all of us can become extremely strong or extremely clever.

D．So if you want a good memory, practice remembering.

E．Someone else says that he is poor in health.

F．Why is this?

G．The position is exactly the same as that of two people.

10 . Body language is the quiet, secret and most powerful language of all! It speaks ____than words. According to specialists, our bodies send out more_____than we realize. In fact, non-verbal(非言语) communication takes up about 50% of what we really ____. And body language is particularly_____when we attempt to communicate across cultures. Indeed, what is called body language is so ____a part of us that it’s actually often unnoticed. And misunderstandings occur as a result of it._____, different societies treat the_____between people differently. Northern Europeans usually do not like having ____contact(接触)even with friends, and certainly not with ____. People from Latin American countries, ____, touch each other quite a lot. Therefore, it’s possible that in_____, it may look like a Latino is_____a Norwegian all over the room. The Latino, trying to express friendship, will keep moving_____. The Norwegian, very probably seeing this as pushiness, will keep_____— which the Latino will in return regard as ____.

Clearly, a great deal is going on when people ____. And only a part of it is in the words themselves. And when parties are from ____cultures, there’s a strong possibility of_____. But whatever the situation, the best_____is to obey the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be_____.

1.

A．straighter

B．louder

C．harder

D．further

2.

A．sounds

B．invitations

C．feelings

D．messages

3.

A．hope

B．receive

C．discover

D．mean

4.

A．immediate

B．misleading

C．important

D．difficult

5.

A．well

B．far

C．much

D．long

6.

A．For example

B．Thus

C．However

D．In short

7.

A．trade

B．distance

C．connections

D．greetings

8.

A．eye

B．verbal

C．bodily

D．telephone

9.

A．strangers

B．relatives

C．neighbors

D．enemies

10.

A．in other words

B．on the other hand

C．in a similar way

D．by all means

11.

A．trouble

B．conversation

C．silence

D．experiment

12.

A．disturbing

B．helping

C．guiding

D．following

13.

A．closer

B．faster

C．in

D．away

14.

A．stepping forward

B．going on

C．backing away

D．coming out

15.

A．weakness

B．carelessness

C．friendliness

D．coldness

16.

A．talk

B．travel

C．laugh

D．think

17.

A．different

B．European

C．Latino

D．rich

18.

A．curiosity

B．excitement

C．misunderstanding

D．nervousness

19.

A．chance

B．time

C．result

D．advice

20.

A．noticed

B．treated

C．respected

D．pleased