1 .
| A．This has led to debates about whether time travel is theoretically possible. |
| B．Einstein’s theories revolutionized our understanding of time and space. |
| C．These considerations raise fundamental questions about the nature of time. |
| D．Some cultures emphasize a cyclical view of time, while others focus on linear progression. |
| E．Our ability to perceive the passage of time is central to human experience. |
| F．Time’s connection to our personal memories and experiences is undeniable. |
| G．Philosophers have pondered whether time itself has a direction or purpose. |
Do You Think You Will Have Your Own Robot?
When we watch movies about the future, we sometimes see robots. They are usually like human servants. They help with the housework and do jobs like working in dirty or dangerous places.
Today there are already robots working in factories. Some can help to build cars, and they do simple jobs over and over again.
Scientists are now trying to make robots look like humans and do the same things as we do. Some robots in Japan can walk and dance. They are fun to watch. However, some scientists believe that although we can make robots move like people,
Some scientists believe that there will be more robots in the future.
3 . How to Make Friends with Neighbors
All of us have neighbors. Most of us want to be friends with our neighbors. But do you know how to make friends with neighbors? Here are some suggestions.
Try to know your neighbors. If you move into a new place and nobody comes to greet you, you can introduce yourself to your neighbors. Go up to your neighbors’ houses and say hello.
Wish them happy holidays. Take some cakes or candies to your neighbors and wish them a happy New Year.
Invite your neighbors to dinner or a barbecue. You can get to know them over a delicious meal. Ask them not to bring anything.
| A．Let your children play together. |
| B．You can also make some mooncakes. |
| C．If they bring something, accept it politely. |
| D．You can invite your neighbors to your home. |
A. We can easily download new e-books from the Internet.
B. But e-book readers are still more expensive than paper books, so not all people can afford them.
C. Just as email has changed the way we write to each other, e-books are changing the way we read.
D. Besides, it is much easier and quicker to search for passages now, and we can also write notes in an e-book.
E. However, with the rapid development of electronic technology, reading e-books will become cheaper and cheaper.
One day a famous teacher was walking with his student. On the way, they saw a lake. They stopped and the teacher told the student, “I’m thirsty. Get me some water from that lake.”
Just when the student reached the lake, a cow was walking in the lake. So the water became very dirty. He thought, “I can’t give the dirty water to my teacher!”
He came back and told the teacher, “The water is very dirty. We can’t drink it.” After about half an hour, the teacher asked the student to get some water again. So he went back to the lake.
But the lake was still dirty. So he told the teacher the same thing. After some time, the teacher asked him to go back again. But this time, he found the water was clear. The mud (泥) in the water came to the bottom. So he got some water.
The teacher looked at the water and said to him, “You did nothing to make the water clear. You just let it be... Your mind is also like that! When it is bothered (被打扰), just let it be. Give it some time.”
1. One day the teacher asked his student to get some water to drink.2. The water in the lake became very dirty because the cow was walking in the lake.
3. The student only went to the lake twice.
4. The teacher made the dirty water clear.
5. The story tells us that we should do nothing when our mind is bothered.
A. Based on people’s grammar scores and information about their learning of English, the researchers developed models that predicted how long it takes to become fluent in a language and the best age to start learning.
B. To find the answer, the research team turned to the Internet, to collect data on a person’s current age, language ability and time studying English.
C. The older you get the more difficult it is to learn to speak English like a British. But no one knows exactly at what age it becomes harder, to learn a new language.
D. They concluded that the ability to learn a new language is strongest until the age of 18. This is not to say that we cannot learn a new language if we are over 18, but most of us will not be able to master grammar like a native speaker.
E. They also created a short online grammar quiz that tested noun-verb agreement, pronouns, prepositions, and relative clauses, etc.
7 . It is most difficult for parents to decide whether to have a second child or not.
It is often heard that a single child is like to be a lonely child. There are no other children in the family for the child to talk or play with. An only child is not able to get along well with children of his age. Some parents regretted making the decisions to have only one child.
But the number of parents choosing to have only one child is increasing in many parts of the world. In the US, for example, more than 14 percent of women between 18 and 34 plan to have just one child. The same can be seen in the UK. In Japan, the average number of children born per family had gone down to 1.42 by 1996.
For some single-child parents, especially who are busy working every day, time and energy seem to be overwhelming. They don’t have enough time and energy to share with more children. For other people, money is their first consideration. Many couples in Japan choose not to have large families as the cost of supporting a child up to the age of 18 reaches around $ 160,000.
根据短文内容，判断下面各小题的正(填A)误(填B)
1. According to the passage, a single child doesn’t have a brother or a sister to talk or play with so he is likely to be lonely.
2. The number of parents choosing to have a second child is increasing in many parts of the world.
3. The underlined word “overwhelming” in the last paragraph means “宽松的”.
4. In the US, more than 14 percent of women between 18 and 34 plan to have just one child.
5. Parents in America choose not to have a second child because the cost of supporting a child is so high.
（根据图片，用一个完整的句子提问或应答。）A.
B: Sure, go along Main Street until you pass the bookstore, it’s on your left.
9 . The Choking Dog
Joanne beat impatiently on the steering wheel of her Mercedes sports car. Now she was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 p.m., and at 6:30 she was expected to hold a meeting of the tennis club.
At last, the traffic was moving, and she switched quickly to the fast lane to get home.After she parked her car, she leapt out of the car and ran for the house. As she opened the door, she almost knocked down Sheba, her dog, who was standing behind it.
She bent down to stroke the large Alsatian dog’s head, “I have to go now.” Sheba was coughing or choking as if she was trying to vomit something. She was obviously in real discomfort, and her sad eyes gazed at Joanne helplessly. Joanne examined the dog closely, and Sheba did look very sick. Joanne realized that it is necessary to take her to the vet immediately. Fortunately, the vet’s surgery is not far. Joanne quickly loaded the coughing and choking dog and took her to the vet.
As soon as she arrived at Dr. Sterne’s place, he brought her immediately into his office.
“Something is stuck in her throat,” said Dr. Sterne.
“Doctor, I have to go back to get changed for an emergent meeting. I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, OK?”
“Sure,” said the doctor.
Joanne hurriedly went back to her home. As she entered the door, the phone rang.
“This is Dr. Sterne. I'm coming with the police. Wait outside for us.” said the doctor with fear in his voice. Joanne was confused and also a little frightened.
When she ran into the street, two policemen were getting out of their car. After briefly checking that she was the owner of the house, they ran into the house, without explaining anything. Joanne was completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived.
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?’’ shouted Joanne.
“She’s fine, Joanne. I extracted the thing which was choking her.”
“Why are the police in my house?”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man who could hardly walk and with blood all over him.
“How did he get in there?”
“I think he must be a burglar,” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat, it turned out to be three human fingers. I don’t think he’s a very happy burglar.”
Circle the correct letter of the answer.
1. Why was Joanne impatient at the beginning of the story？
| A．She was lost. |
| B．She had lost a client at work. |
| C．She was stuck in a traffic jam. |
| D．Her dog was sick. |
| A．It was time for Sheba’s checkup. |
| B．The dog couldn’t breathe properly. |
| C．She wanted to get her out of the house. |
| D．The doctor had asked to see her. |
| A．The police arrived. |
| B．The phone rang. |
| C．The dog died. |
| D．A burglar was just escaping. |
| A．stared | B．cried | C．barked | D．laughed |
Direct speech and reported speech
Change the following direct speech into reported speech.
5. “Something is stuck in her throat,” said Dr. Sterne.
Answer questions in complete sentences and in your own words.
6. Use two or three sentences to describe what happened between the dog and the burglar.
7. What are the consequences of burgling?
8. Why did the doctor ask Joanne to wait outside her house?
10 . Drums
When we think of a drum we usually think of a musical instrument. The drum has also been used for years as an important tool for communication. The human voice is very good for communication, but it cannot be heard very far. As early humans began to live in groups, runners were sent from village to village with important messages, but that took a lot of time. It was discovered that beating on hollow logs could be heard for greater distances, and so a new form of communication called “talking drums” was born.
In many early communities, a large drum was set in the middle of the village to help send messages to nearby tribes. The drums could be hit with hands and sticks. Some of the larger drums could be heard up to sixteen miles away!
A group in West Africa made an amazing talking drum system. Their drums were made of round pieces of wood that were four to five feet long. A skin (often an elephant ear) was stretched over one end of the wood and was held in place by a rope. The skin was tightened or loosened to make higher and lower sounds. They had learned to use the drums so well that they could actually copy the language that they spoke! The drums sounded like a person speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard far away.
Most systems of drum communication used a series of beats that meant something. The messages usually told of danger, death, war, or other news of great importance. The message could be sent very far by a relay system. That is, one village would send a message and a nearby village would hear it. They would then repeat the message on their drums, sending it to their neighbors. Some relay systems worked so well that they could send a message about 200 miles very quickly.
Although “talking drums” became a good system of communicating over distances, it had one very big problem. Their enemies could understand the drum messages, so they would know what was being said or planned. Communication by drums certainly wasn’t perfect!
Question 1-4
True or False. Decide the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. The main idea of the passage is that drums can be heard over great distances.
2. Drums are only used as a musical instrument.
3. People in West Africa tightened the skin over the drum to make a lower sound.
4. Drums made by people in West Africa could speak.
Question 5-7
Select the meaning which most closely matches the word, as it is used in the text. Circle the correct letter.
5. communication
| A．traffic | B．speech | C．intercourse |
| A．extend | B．bounce | C．run |
| A．delay | B．pass | C．beat |
Question 8-10
Passive and active verb forms
These sentences are in the passive form and are adapted from the text. Rewrite the sentences below using the active form.
8. It was discovered that beating on hollow logs could be heard for greater distances, and so a new form of communication called “talking drums” was born.
9. A skin (often an elephant ear) was stretched over one end of the wood and was held in place by a rope.
10. The message could be sent very far by a relay system.
