1 . Small talk has a reputation for being uninteresting, and for good reason. Pointing out the fact that it’s raining seems as ridiculous as pointing out the fact that you have a head—you’re fully aware of both things, and don’t require an outsider to confirm them. But despite being evident and often painfully dull, small talk has an important role to fulfil, enabling us to leap over a number of social obstacles towards improved, meaningful interaction.

Humans can be sensitive souls. We each have our boundaries and lists of potential upsets, which when broken, cause us to either gently back away to an alternative position in the room, or become cross at the person. Small talk is first a way to test the waters with an unfamiliar person, so that you may better understand their personality. When finding yourself positioned closely to a person who you know little about, it’s much safer to point out the rainy sky than to share your political views on a sensitive topic. Until you know the person better, heavier topics should probably be kept under wraps, so you won’t find yourself on the receiving end of a cold stare.

Though insignificant, small talk still has great power. When talking with fellow humans, much of our soul is exposed through non-verbal communication. A response to “how was your weekend” can unveil much about the person’s character. The length of their response might indicate their level of self-confidence; the tone of speaking might show how agreeable a person is; their slightly lowered head, as if protecting themselves from attack, a possible sign of a regrettable history of bullying.

As more of a person’s character is revealed, we have the insight needed to determine whether to broach more significant topics—the things that we actually want to talk about. Conversation is a great educator, and deep conversation establish lasting bonds with our fellow humans, forming precious friendships that paint our lives with vibrant colors. Such friendships begin with small talk.

1. What is described in the first paragraph?

A．The first stage of human interaction.

B．Ridiculous human behavior in communication.

C．Absence of communication between strangers.

D．The difficulty of having deep conversations.

2. Why do people find themselves “on the receiving end of a cold stare”?

A．Because they are fond of heavy subjects.

B．Because they are enthusiastic about politics.

C．Because they are too sensitive about topics.

D．Because they fail to manage interpersonal distance.

3. What might be a sign of friendliness according to paragraph 3?

A．The length of the answer.	B．The quality of the voice.
C．The position of the head.	D．The distance between speakers.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Reputation of Small Talk	B．Ways of Understanding Personality
C．Significance of Small Talk	D．Challenges of Deep Conversation

2 . It may seem hard to leave Sydney’s attractions and sights, but when the urge arises to explore beyond the city, many exceptional day trips await travelers.

Scenic World

On a visit to the World heritage-listed Blue Mountains, enjoy clean fresh air and breath-taking landscapes of ancient rainforests. Scenic World in Katoomba is the best way to access the beauty of this region. Besides climbing, you can choose cablecars, elevated boardwalks or the Scenic Railway—the world’s steepest train travelling through a rock tunnel, to reach the mountain top.

Royal National Park

Established in 1879, the Royal is the world’s second-oldest national park. Located an hour’s drive south of Sydney, the beaches are unspoilt, crowd-free and great for surfing or swimming. There’s dramatic scenery along the way with a range of unique heritage attractions. Bushwalking, boating, canoeing and fishing are also popular activities.

Featherdale Wildlife Park

Located 45 minutes west of Sydney, Featherdale has the world’s largest collection of Australian native birds, mammals (哺乳动物) and reptiles (爬行动物). Situated in a bushland environment, Featherdale provides a unique opportunity for up-close animal interactions (交往). Hand-feed a kangaroo, have breakfast with a koala and check out a huge variety of species including dingos, emus, penguins and more.

The Hawkesbury River

An hour north-west of Sydney, the Hawkesbury is one of New South Wales’ best-kept secrets. Experience what this picturesque region of waterways, farmland and national parks has to offer—from waterskiing and bushwalking to horse riding, river cruises and retail therapy.

1. What can you do when visiting Scenic World?

A．Ride horses.

B．Hand-feed a kangaroo.

C．Go surfing.

D．Climb mountains.

2. If you are an animal lover, you can go to ________.

A．Scenic World

B．Royal National Park

C．The Hawkesbury River

D．Featherdale Wildlife Park

3. What do Royal National Park and The Hawkesbury River have in common?

A．Both can be reached by cablecars.

B．Visitors can go swimming and fishing.

C．Bushwalking is available on the two trips.

D．Visitors can enjoy beautiful mountain scenery.

3 . For the last eight years, Jo Meade rode her bike each Sunday on a 16-mile round trip to her job washing dishes. It took more than an hour each way. Other days of the week she would spend two   hours on three buses from her apartment to get to the other work, for a four-hour round trip.

That was the “before” part of her life. The “after” part of her life was started by the community Police Officer Trevor Arnold, who delivered a used car to her with the help of a car dealer and other donors.

Arnold, who spotted Meade, red and sweaty, riding her bike in the worst heat this summer, decided he would get her a car. He intended to quietly buy her a used car out of his own pocket so he turned to his friend Kody Slaght, a car salesman, to ask about a car priced $ 1,000. That wasn’t enough for a reliable ride, Slaght said, but the dealership said they would find a good car for her at a good price. Soon others were donating. Slaght and Arnold wouldn’t say how much the car cost, but the value is about $ 4,000.

Arnold said he was motivated by Meade’s work ethic (职业道德) to help. “I see a lot of hardworking people but that’s when they are at work. Can you imagine spending four hours of your day getting to and from work?” he said.

Meade’s boss said she was awesome and really reliable when she worked and she got along with others. “She’s willing to ride the three buses to get in here on her day off if we need her to.”

Meade said she was planning to buy a car, “but I haven’t been able to afford it,” she said. “Trevor, he is a very good guy. I did not expect this.”

1. What can we learn about Jo Meade’s work?

A．It’s free but low-paid.	B．It’s time-consuming on the road.
C．It’s competitive and high-paid.	D．It’s not worth her devotion.

2. Why did Slaght disagree to Arnold’s buying a car priced $ 1,000?

A．The car was not in good condition of driving.

B．The car was too expensive for Meade.

C．The car was beyond Arnold’s affordability.

D．The car had been donated to another person.

3. What inspired Arnold to buy a car for Meade?

A．Her devotion to work.	B．His duty as a policeman.
C．His sympathy for Meade.	D．Her desire for a better life.

4. What’s Meade’s feeling for the donated car?

A．Normal.	B．Embarrassed.
C．Disappointed.	D．Surprised.

4 . Although onions taste delicious, watering eyes come with the process when you cut them up. Thankfully, Good Housekeeping has suggested some tips to prevent yourself from crying while trying to cut up an onion．

According to the findings from the Institute, putting onions in a fridge 30 minutes before cutting can prevent the annoying hurt, as the cold stops tear-jerking (催泪的) gas from being produced.

Another way to reduce the gas released by the onion is to put it in water for a while. Good Housekeeping recommends:“ Cut the end off the onion and then put it straight into a bowl of water. The water will draw out the acid making you tear up less when you cut it.”

When an onion grows, it mixes with sulfur (硫) in the soil to create a special mineral acid. When the onion is cut into pieces, it reacts and creates a gas. As it reaches your face, this annoying gas causes the eyes to produce tears．

The root is where the gases are most concentrated, so it is recommended that this part of the onion be left on as you cut it to avoid uncomfortable eyes. Do this by cutting the vegetable in half down the middle to create a flat surface. Then, place the onion with its flat surface down and cut it towards the root．

Also, to reduce the gas’s effect on your eyes, cut it next to a window or near a fan so the gas is blown away from your face. And take care to use a sharp knife; this will make it easier to move through the vegetable, causing fewer cells to be broken and less gas to be released as a result．

1. Refrigerating the onion before cutting can      ．

A．change its taste

B．make it easier to cut up

C．avoid the appearing of the gas

D．help the gases mix more quickly

2. From the fourth paragraph, what happens when the onion is cut up？

A．Some acid mineral is lost．

B．The tear mixture is created．

C．The sulfur inside it pours out．

D．A chemical reaction produces a gas．

3. Where is this passage most probably taken from？

A．Health Column．

B．Science Journal.

C．Fashion Magazine．

D．Food Guidebook．

4. The main purpose of the text is to      ．

A．advise and explain

B．examine and analyze(分析)

C．argue and discuss

D．present and compare

5 . Researchers have discovered the first Earth-sized planet. It was first marked by scientists' using NASA's Kepler telescope(望远镜), so it's called Kepler﹣186f. It lies about 500 light years from Earth and goes around its star.The planet is the right distance from its star for water: not too close or not too far. Water is one important condition that scientists guess is necessary for life. So it could have water and possible life. It's called a true Earth cousin.

"This planet is an Earth cousin, not an Earth twin," said Barclay, who is among a team of scientists reporting on the discovery in the magazine Science this week.

"It's very exciting to find a planet similar to the Earth，"Barclay said. "It's not easy work because things change as we get more measurements."

Scientists don't know anything about the air of Kepler﹣186f, but it will be a task for future telescopes which can study for chemicals that have something to do with life.

"It's possible for life to live in this planet, but that doesn't mean there is life in it," Barclay said.

So far, scientists have found nearly 1,800 planets in the universe.

"The past year has seen a lot of progress in the search for Earthlike planets. Kepler﹣186f is very important because it is the first planet that is the same temperature and is almost the same size as Earth,"scientist David Charbonneau wrote in an email.

1. Scientists have already found about ________ planets now.

A．500

B．186

C．1,800

D．1,801

2. Which of the following about Kepler﹣186f is NOT true according to the passage?

A．It could have water and possible life, so perhaps we might live there.

B．It's almost as hot as and as large as Earth.

C．In the future，scientists will study the chemicals of it by telescope.

D．It's an Earth﹣like planet.

3. What is the best title of the passage？

A．Space research

B．Journey to space

C．Is there water and possible life in Kepler﹣186f？

D．Scientists discover the most Earth-like planet

6 . A video show has become a hot topic on the Internet around China these days. The 35-second video shows that a man driver took a woman out of her red car, threw her to the ground and ______ her several times.

Later, the man driver told the police that was because the woman driver changed lanes（变道）______ and scared his child in the car. That made this man driver very ______. And his anger changed into this fight. The man was blamed (责备) a lot from Internet users, who regarded him as " Crazy or Mad".

However, public attitude (态度) soon took a u-turn when the video from the dashboard camera (行车记录仪) on the man driver's car was put on the Internet on Tuesday. The ______video shows the woman driver suddenly crossed lanes in front of Zhang's car twice and the two said angry words to each other ______ both cars came to a stop under an overhead bridge. And there the fight happened. The latest online poll（民调） shows that 78 % Internet users believe that the woman driver should be blamed for ______ she had done. However, the woman driver _______ to realize her own mistake and refused to say sorry at first. The discussion further grew when some people started a cyber hunt (人肉搜索) against the woman. Some of her personal ______ was put on the Internet, including her ID number, address, phone number and so on.

____ the morning of May 11, the woman driver finally wrote a letter to say sorry to the public, and put it on the Internet, saying that she felt sorry for what she had done and what her family had ______ about this accident. Both of the two have paid for what they had done! So when we drive on the road, try to be calm enough to avoid such happenings again.

1.

A．beating

B．to beat

C．beats

D．beat

2.

A．slowly

B．quietly

C．suddenly

D．politely

3.

A．excited

B．surprised

C．angry

D．pleased

4.

A．3-minutes

B．3 minute’s

C．3-minute

D．3 minutes

5.

A．after

B．before

C．while

D．until

6.

A．how

B．what

C．that

D．which

7.

A．chose

B．decided

C．agreed

D．failed

8.

A．news

B．information

C．matter

D．plan

9.

A．In

B．From

C．On

D．Till

10.

A．talked

B．said

C．told

D．spoken

7 .

A．Russia.

B．It’s great.

C．66 Chinese players.

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。

Believe it or not, have you ever noticed that you feel happier and more relaxed after you eat bread, pasta or fruit? Do you find that you are more energetic and awake after eating yogurt or beans? These things are not accidents. Food affect     1     we feel more than we think. Scientists researching     2     (it) effect on our moods are beginning to understand that we can influence our feelings with what we eat.

Although our moods relates     3     having various foods, it is not quite as simple as choosing the foods for the right occasions. If that     4     (be) the case, athletes would not eat a lot of carbohydrates before a race.

Another chemical     5     (connect) with our mood is caffeine, which     6     (find) in coffee, chocolate and many types of tea, is perhaps     7     worst thing you can have when you are feeling stressed.

Of course,     8     (enjoy) a nice meal with friends, whatever we eat, can also impact our spirits. Being with friends and family plays a big part in experiencing happiness.

Most     9     (important), though, remember the following old rule: try to eat different food,     10     not too much.

9 . 为配合我市开展“创建文明城市（build a civilized city）”活动，学校举办以“How to Behave Well”为主题的英语征文比赛。现在请你根据提示内容，用英语写一篇参赛短文。
提示：1.衣着整洁；2.保持环境卫生；3.待人有礼，乐于助人；4.遵守交通规则；5…….
要求：1. 词数：80-120词
2. 文中不能出现自己的姓名和所在学校的名称
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . While many students raise their hands in class to ask or answer questions, some people outside school raise their hands to get others' attention. Recently, the project "Raise Your Hands for Luca" has made people realize they can also do something amazing by raising their hands to help a brave boy named Luca Williams.

Luca comes from England. When he was three, he lost his legs because of a terrible illness. Luca's parents started the Raise Your Hands for Luca Project. They hoped to raise 1.5 million pounds to buy Luca prosthetic legs (假肢) and to pay for the care he needs.

Since then, many people have joined up by writing "For Luca" on their hands and putting the picture of it onto the website. The project has also caught many big stars' eyes such as the world famous football star Maradona. Mickey Mouse also joined the project to help Luca. By now, the project has raised about 225,000 pounds for the little boy.

1. Have many famous people joined in the project?
__________________________
2. What happened to Luca when he was three?
__________________________
3. Who started the Raise Your Hands for Luca Project?
__________________________
4. Do you like helping others in trouble? Why or why not?
__________________________