1 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. prey     B. internalize     C. attachment     D. initial       E. insufficient F. struggling G. capped H. edge I. imposed     J. suspected   K. ignorance

As colleges and universities nationwide revealed their admission decisions, news broke of a dramatic decline in acceptance rates-and not just at Ivy League schools. The shift meant that many high school students who pinned all their hopes on particular dream schools might find themselves     1     with real disappointment.

Why were admissions so low these years? It’s a number game. These years, colleges saw the number of applicants soar to record-high levels. But considering     2     budgets, the number of spots colleges could offer had to be     3    . As a result, both state schools and private colleges kept seeing their acceptance rates fall rapidly.

It’s not that most students won’t get into colleges at all. Instead, there are more than enough spots nationwide for every qualified applicant to find a place for study. But for many, the school they end up enrolling in may not have been their first, or even third choice. The     4     strike of rejection, in some cases, could be heartbreaking. These are kids who are used to being the best of the best.

But some of the pressure is     5    , without excuses, by students themselves, according to Laurence Steinberg, professor of Psychology. He thinks that Americans fall     6     to their own addiction to school rankings and fame. Students and their parents have formed strong commitments to particular schools long before admission decisions are made. “When they are rejected, it’s like being rejected by a boyfriend or girlfriend,” Steinberg says. “They     7     it: What’s the matter with me? What could I have done differently?”

That emotional     8     is often only about what school name students will paste on their parents’ cars but it may also lead to families’     9     of what may actually be the suitable school for the students.

Actually, painful as the rejection is, in the long run, getting into a high-ranking university doesn’t necessarily mean competitive     10     in terms of job prospects and earnings. A research shows that many students rejected by highly selective schools earn as much as Ivy League graduates. What really matters is how seriously students take their studies.

2 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Scientists confirmed Monday that a skeleton (骷髅) found under a carpark in the English city of Leicester was that of King Richard III, in a weird end to a 500-year-old mystery.

DNA from the bones     1     (match) that of existing generation of the king’s sister and the skeleton had the battle injuries consistent     2     contemporary accounts.

The remains of the king, viewed as one of English history’s worst guys, will be reburied later in the local church.

The discovery has caused huge excitement among historians, as it provides firm evidence about a ruler whose life     3     (shadow), in spite of official records, by rumours (谣言) concerning his cold blood since his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

According to historical accounts, Richard’s body was transported naked and bloody on the back of a pack horse to Leicester before being buried in an unmarked grave at Greyfriars, a Franciscan temple in the central English city.

Then the crown passed to the Tudor rulers who painted Richard as an ugly bad guy who stopped at     4     in his pursuit of power, even murdering his two young nephews, the so-called Princes in the Tower,     5     (secure) the power.

The hunt for his body began years ago when archaeologists (考古学家) started to dig beneath the municipal carpark     6     the king was supposedly buried. They finally found the skeleton.

On Monday archaeologists said the skeleton confirmed that the king had severe injury in the backbone. It may have been painful and caused his right shoulder to appear higher than his left, but there was no evidence of the deformed arm     7     (mention) in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”.

Historians now hope to clear some of the myths about Richard,     8     (publicize) evidence to argue against the claim that he killed the two young princes. They intend to focus on     9     Richard achieved in his brief two-year ruling, including the establishment of a system of legal aid.

According to Philippa Langley, a member of the Richard III Society,     10     cruel Richard III appeared to be in the past, a new image will emerge of the king. “We have searched for Richard and we have found him. Now it’s time to honour him,” she said.

3 . Things changed for Ben Southall when the Australian state of Queensland advertised a job for someone to look after Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. They knew it sounded like the best job in the world, but they were surprised when over 35, 000 people applied for the job. Then they had to make a difficult decision—which person to choose from so many candidates? After a lot of testing and interviewing, they announced 34-year-old Ben Southall from England as the winner. Ben now works for the Queensland Tourist Board and his job is to look after the island and to promote tourism there. Because of the unique nature of the job, the Tourist Board wanted a unique person, with a range of skills and qualities. It was a long interview process, involving a variety of tasks to find out about each candidate.

Fitness was very important; swimming ability was particularly essential. Ben can swim very well and he also likes running, climbing, diving and mountain biking. It is clear that, physically, he can do almost anything. The ability to communicate was as important as fitness. For the last part of interview process, the final sixteen candidates did various tests and tasks, including talking to TV and radio reporters. The competition was tough and the candidates needed to show what they could do. The interviewers were interested in how the candidates performed in the tasks, how they handled the press attention and their ability to write about their adventures in a daily log. The candidates did their best to impress the interviewers and they knew they couldn't make any mistakes at this final stage.

Before he went, Ben was confident about his abilities to handle the challenge. He couldn’t do everything they asked him in the interview, as he can’t speak any other language but he felt that his other skills and his personality were impressive. He made a huge effort during the interview process and he was able to convince the interviewers that he was the best person for the job. Even so, he says he was amazed when he got the job; he couldn’t believe it! He hopes to do a good job and promote the island successfully: he has to get to know every part of the island and tell the world about it in numerous media interviews. When you read Ben's blogs from his interview tasks, it is easy to see why they chose him. He is funny and easy-going and he will certainly get the attention of any potential tourist to this beautiful place.

1. According to the passage, Ben’s job includes the following EXCEPT ________.

A．drawing travellers' attention to the island.	B．going to Hamilton Island once a day.
C．being interviewed in different media.	D．knowing Hamilton Island very well.

2. During the interview process, the candidates were asked to ________.

A．go through a fitness training.	B．take part in various TV shows.
C．write about their own interviewers.	D．communicate with the press.

3. Why was Ben chosen for the job?

A．He used to be a swimming champion.	B．He kept his personal blog very well.
C．He is easy to get along with.	D．He can speak several foreign languages.

4. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Hamilton Island gets well protected.	B．The funniest job in the world.
C．Ben gets dream job.	D．Tourism in Australia.

4 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. honors       B. inspiring       C. cultural       D. awoke E. promoting       F. success       G. distinguished       H. similar I. considered       J. normally       K. incredibly

Sports Icons(偶像) Who Lead a Change

China’s sports industry has entered a new era when the superstars themselves become the absolute focus of public attention. Compared with the gold medals and    1    the Chinese team has received, sports stars play the role of    2    people and improving the status of their sports in China. The following is an overview of those stars who once were, currently are or in the future will become milestones to change China’s sports demographics(统计数据).

Yao Ming: China’s Ambassador(大使)

Standing at 2.29 meters, Yao Ming used basketball to become one of the mainstream    3    ambassadors in modern China. He first played for his hometown Shanghai Sharks team in the CBA where he became a CBA champion ad Finals MVP in 2002. Soon afterwards, Yao was chosen by the Houston Rockets as the top overall pick in 2002. Over an eight-year span with the Rockets, Yao became an eight-time NBA All-Star. Besides his    4    in the CBA and the NBA, Yao was also a big reason for China’s continued dominance in the Asia basketball scene and their constant presence at world-level competitions. To this day, Yao remains one of China’s most    5    sports and cultural icons.

Liu Xiang: A Great Breakthrough

China’s world champion hurdler, Liu Xiang    6    the nation’s long-sleeping interest in track and field events after he became the first man to ever win a men’s track and field event for China. Before Liu won a gold medal in the men’s 110m hurdle race at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and set a world record two years later, Chinese people had never shown such a strong interest in track and field events. Liu has become a significant player in China’s track and field events and the craze that has followed him is    7    to Yao Ming’s influence on China’s basketball. Both athletes prove how powerful a super sports star can be on    8    the development of a sport in China.

Li Na: New Image of China’s Tennis

Being the first Asian to win the singles title of a Grand Slam tournament, Li Na opened the door to tennis in China and even Asia. Her victory at the French Open 2011 was like a fairy tale and she has since been    9    as a national sports hero equal to Yao Ming and Liu Xiang. A record-breaking 116 million viewers from China tuned in to watch Li become the French Open champion, marking the start of a women’s tennis boom in a country    10    left out of the tennis conversation.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答一下小题。
1.

A．She had run a long way.	B．She felt weak and tired in the subway.
C．She had done a lot of work.	D．She had given blood the night before.

2.

A．By lifting her to the platform to get others' help.

B．By moving her with the help of his girlfriend.

C．By holding her arm and pulling her along the ground.

D．By waking her up and dragging her away from the edge.

3.

A．Danger in the subway.	B．A subway rescue.
C．How to save people.	D．A traffic accident.

6 . “A writer’s job is to tell the truth,” said Hemingway in 1942. No other writer of our time had so fiercely stated, or so consistently (一贯地) illustrated the writer’s duty to speak truly. His standard of truth-telling remained, moreover, so high and so strict that he was ordinarily unwilling to admit secondary evidence, whether literary evidence or evidence picked up from other sources than his own experience. “I only know what I have seen”, was a statement which came often to his lips and pen. What he had personally done, or what he knew unforgettably by having gone through one version of it, was what he was interested in telling about.

The primary intention of his writing, from first to last, was to seize and project for the reader what he often called “the way it was”. This is a characteristically simple phrase for a concept of extraordinary complexity, and Hemingway’s concept of its meaning subtly (微妙地) changed several times in the course of his career - always in the direction of greater complexity. At the core of the concept, however, one can invariably recognize the operation of three instruments of beauty appreciation: the sense of place, the sense of fact, and the sense of scene.

The first of these, obviously a strong passion with Hemingway, is the sense of place. “Unless you have geography, background,” he once told George Antheil, “you have nothing.” You have, that is to say, a dramatic vacuum. Few writers have been more place-conscious. Few have so carefully charted out the geographical ground work of their novels while managing to keep background so unnoticeable. Few, accordingly, have been able to record more economically and graphically the way it is when you watch the bulls running through the streets of Pamplona, Spain towards the bull-ring.

“When I woke it was the sound of the rocket exploding that announced the release of the bulls. Down below the narrow street was empty. All the balconies were crowded with people. Suddenly a crowd came down the street. They were all running, packed close together. They passed along and up the street toward the bull-ring and behind them came more men running faster, and then some stragglers (落后者) who were really running. Behind them was a little bare space, and then the bulls tossing their heads up and down. It all went out of sight around the corner. One man fell, rolled to the gutter (排水沟), and lay quiet. But the bulls went right on and did not notice him. They were all running together.”

1. What’s the main idea of the first two paragraphs?

A．Hemingway’s writing began from reality and then he would let his mind wander.

B．Hemingway’s primary purpose in writing was to report faithfully reality as he experienced it.

C．Hemingway’s writing reflects his preference for a simple story that the reader would thoroughly enjoy.

D．Hemingway would construct a story that would reflect truths that were not particular to a specific historical period.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that Hemingway preferred ______ as the sources for his work.

A．Stories that he had experienced rather than read about.

B．Stories that he had read about in newspapers or other sources.

C．Stories that he had heard from friends or chance acquaintances.

D．Stories that came to him in periods of deep thinking or in dreams.

3. The author calls “the way it was” a “characteristically simple phrase for a concept of extraordinary complexity” because ______.

A．it shows how Hemingway understated complex issues in his books.

B．it reflects Hemingway’s talent for making ordinary events difficult to understand.

C．Hemingway’s obsession for geographic details overshadowed the dramatic element of his stories.

D．the relationship between simplicity and complexity reflected the relationship between the style and content of Hemingway’s writing.

4. Why does the author include an excerpt (节选) from The Sun Also Rises in the last paragraph?

A．To vividly illustrate how exciting the bull run is.

B．To demonstrate that all kinds of runners can take part in the bull run.

C．To show Hemingway’s delicate description of the background of the bull run.

D．To place greater emphasis on the importance of geography, economically speaking.

7 . Each generation -- from Baby Boomers to Generation X to Millennials -- has its own set of values and characteristics. But one thing common to all generations is that they are suffering from stress. In a recent poll by the American Psychological Association (APA), all age groups now report higher levels of stress than in the past. Baby Boomers (those born roughly between 1946 and 1964, and who are now moving into their retirement years) said that they are stressed about earnings and health issues. Gen Xers (born roughly between 1965 and 1980) are concerned about work, income, and job stability. However, Millennials (born roughly between 1981 and 2004) are turning out to be the most stressed-out of all the generations. Poll results indicate that stress levels for these younger respondents are significantly above average. So what’s worrying the Millennials?

Millennials are the first generation to grow up with computers in the home and the classroom. Due to the rise of modern technology and social media, they are constantly showered with information. Over time, this information overload can become too much to handle and can result in stress, which in turn can cause serious physical, psychological, and emotional problems. Another contributing factor, according to author Michael D. Hais, is that many Millennials have lived sheltered lives due to overprotective parents. These young adults lack problem-solving skills and may struggle with fear of failure once they leave home. Making matters worse, the 2008 economic depression occurred when many Millennials were graduating from high school or college. The resulting economic slowdown reduced the number of available jobs for graduates. Sure enough, in the APA poll, Millennials said that work, money, relationships, family responsibilities, and the economy are the main stressors in their lives.

However, the poll results may be a bit misleading as they don’t take into account public attitudes toward stress and mental illness. Ronald Kessler of Harvard Medical School, who has studied the prevalence (流行) of mental disorders in the U.S., points out that changes in social attitudes have helped reduce the stigma attached to mental illness over the years. For example, the creation of health-related television programming and specialty magazines such as Psychology Today have contributed to greater public awareness of mental health issues. According to psychologists, younger people now are more willing to admit to them that they are under stress than in the past. “There is not a lot of evidence of true prevalence having gone up,” Kessler says. “It looks like younger people are in worse shape, but unfortunately, we just don’t know.”

1. It can be learned from the results of the APA poll that ______.

A．All age groups are experiencing more stress than before.

B．Millennials have more stress than before, but other age groups aren’t.

C．Compared with other age groups, Millennials have more overprotective parents.

D．Stress levels are down for all age groups, but they’re down the most for Millennials.

2. ______ is a cause of worry across all generations.

A．Health.

B．Occupation.

C．Money.

D．Weak economy.

3. What’s the possible meaning of the underlined word “stigma” in the last paragraph?

A．Behavior.

B．Shame.

C．Symptom.

D．Complexity.

4. According to the passage, what can be inferred about the young people today compared to the past?

A．They fail to keep good body shape.

B．They are more interested in health-related media.

C．They are more willing and courageous to face up to their fault.

D．They are more willing to seek professional help to deal with stress.

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once.   Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. mobility        B. concerning        C. joblessness        D. upcoming        E. unemployed F. automated       G. deliberately       H. inequality       I. quoted        J. assumed        K. significantly

Will a Robot Really Take Your Job?

It is one of the most widely quoted data of recent years. No report or conference presentation on the future of work is complete without it. It has been pointed to as evidence of a(n)     1     jobs disaster by think-tanks and government agencies. The finding that 47 percent of American jobs are at high risk of being     2     by the mid-2030s comes from a paper written by two Oxford academics, Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne. It has since been     3     in more than 4,000 other academic articles. Such misunderstandings reflect the polarized (两极分化的) debate     4     the nature of automation and the future of jobs.

At one extreme are the negativists. They warn of mass technological     5     just around the corner. One advocate of this position, Martin Ford, has written two best-selling books on the dangers of unemployment caused by automation. He worries that middle-class jobs will disappear, economic     6     will cease, and the richest people in a country could “shut themselves away in gated communities, perhaps guarded by self-directed military robots and drones.” The     7     masses will live on a universal basic income.

At the positive end of the debate, classical economists argue that in the past, new technology has always ended up creating more jobs than it has destroyed. It was several decades before industrialization led to     8     higher wages for British workers in the early 1800s. While automation is likely to increase     9     in the short run by pushing some people into lower-paid jobs, it eventually increases the overall size of the economic pie.

Frey is often     10     to be in the first camp. His paper simply wanted to point out that 47 percent of the current jobs in America were more likely to be affected by automation. It got more attention than they would ever have expected. In part, this is because fear sells, particularly when it is stirred up by a misunderstanding.