1 . Happy birthday! Do birthdays really makes people happy?    1    Birthdays celebrates the day when we were born. Besides, that extra candle on the cake suggest another year of growth and maturity (成熟) — or so we hope. We all like to imagine that we are getting wiser and not just older. Most of us enjoy seeing the wonder of growth in others, as well. For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud. For Americans, like people in most cultures, growing up is a wonderful process. But growing old?

    2    Growing old is not exactly for people in youth-oriented (以年轻人为中心) American culture.     3    As the old saying goes, “You’re young as you feel.” Older people joke about how many years young they are, rather than how many years old. People in some countries value the aged as a source of experience and wisdom. But Americans seem to favor those that are young, or at least “young at heart”.

Many older Americans find the “golden years” to be anything but golden. Economically, “senior citizens” often struggle just to get by. Retirement at the age of 65 brings a sharp decrease in personal income. Social security benefits usually cannot make up the difference. Older people may suffer from poor nutrition, medical care, and housing.    4    American sociologist Pat Moore once dressed up like an older person and wandered city streets. She was often treated rudely — even cheated and robbed. However, dressed as a young person, she received much more respect.

    5    Why? People are living longer. Fewer babies are being born. And middle-aged “baby boomers” are rapidly entering the group of the elderly. America may soon be a place where wrinkles (皱纹) are “in”. Marketing experts are already noticing this growing group of consumers.

A．That is a different story.

B．Most people in America like the young.

C．Of course they do.

D．Some even experience age discrimination (歧视).

E．People in America grow larger every year.

F．Most Americans like to look young, act young and feel young.

G．Unfortunately, the elderly population in America is increasing fast.

2 . Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high-tech devices, while driving, walking, shopping, even sitting in toilets. When connected electronically, they are away from physical reality.
People have been influenced to become technology addicted. One survey reported that “addicted” was the word most commonly used by people to describe their relationship to iPad and similar devices. One study found that people had a harder time resisting the allure of social media than they did for sleep, cigarettes and alcohol.
The main goal of technology companies is to get people to spend more money and time on their products, not to actually improve our quality of life. They have successfully created a cultural disease. Consumers willingly give up their freedom, money and time to catch up on the latest information, to keep pace with their peers or to appear modern.
I see people trapped in a pathological (病态的) relationship with time-sucking technology, where they serve technology more than technology serves them. I call this technology servitude. I am referring to a loss of personal freedom and independence because of uncontrolled consumption of many kinds of devices that eat up time and money.
What is a healthy use of technology devices? That is the vital question. Who is really in charge of my life? That is what people need to ask themselves if we are to have any chance of breaking up false beliefs about their use of technology. When we can live happily without using so much technology for a day or a week, then we can regain control and personal freedom, become the master of technology and discover what there is to enjoy in life free of technology. Mae West is famous for the wisdom that “too much of a good thing is wonderful.” But it’s time to discover that it does not work for technology.
Richard Fernandez, an executive coach at Google acknowledged that “we can be swept away by our technologies.” To break the grand digital connection people must consider how life long ago could be fantastic without today’s overused technology.
1. The underlined word “allure” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A．advantage	B．attraction
C．adaption	D．attempt

2. From the passage, technology companies aim to ______.

A．attract people to buy their products

B．provide the latest information

C．improve people’s quality of life

D．deal with cultural diseases

3. It can be inferred from this passage that people ______.

A．consider too much technology wonderful

B．have realized the harm of high-tech devices

C．can regain freedom without high-tech devices

D．may enjoy life better without overused technology

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the overusing of high-tech devices?

A．Neutral.	B．Skeptical.
C．Disapproving.	D．Sympathetic.

3 . New restaurants, galleries, temples and new architecture…These places are homes for people like us who live and work there. How would you want visitors to behave in your own home? Think about it.    1    There are many ways of doing this without sacrificing our own holiday.

Do your homework    2    Guides will help you when you get to site, but is that the best place to go? Is it popular only because the one-day tourist can see it easily or because it is really a worthwhile place to visit? You’d better check it out.

    3    Don’t go to your hotels for meals. Walk around, even if in the streets closest to your hotel. Eat in local restaurants.Talk to the locals. Learn a few in the local language and use them. You will surely get a smile from the hotel staff and street sellers .

Help preserve the sites. Most of the sites you visit may be visited by millions of people a year, so care needs to be taken to allow others to enjoy them as well. Some of these monuments are so old and fragile that they are sensitive to the touch of hands or bags and shows.    4    This way, you don’t encourage the use of those plastic bags that fly all over many sites.

And here’s the big one—good manners are nearly universal.    5    If that doesn’t sound like you, then give the world a break and stay home.

A．Experience the place.

B．Always have a cloth bag with you .

C．Read up on the places you want to visit.

D．Try to buy something from the local stores.

E．A good tourist is polite, positive and eco-sensitive.

F．We’ve cleaned up after ourselves and taken only good memories.

G．If we are good tourists, wherever we go, we try to make it a little better because of our visit.

4 . Low-cost Gifts for Mother’s Day

Gift No. 1

Offer to be your mother’s health friend. Promise to be there for all doctor’s visits whether she has a disease or needs a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say there is no need, but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor’s visit. The best part? This one is free.

Gift No. 2

Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what time she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother’s life,” Dr. Marie Savard said.

Gift No. 3

Enough sleep is connected with general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep,” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”

Gift No. 4

Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother’s Day by picking gifts, 10 percent of whose price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构). Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things — many of which are “green” — and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift she will be told that she has helped the                                        chosen charity.

1. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor’s visits?

A．To take notes.	B．To be with her.
C．To buy medicines.	D．To give her gifts.

2. Where can you find an idea for gifts to improve your mother’s sleep?

A．In Gift No. 1.	B．In Gift No. 2.
C．In Gift No. 3.	D．In Gift No. 4.

3. Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to ______.

A．enjoy good sleep	B．be well-organized
C．get extra support	D．give other help

5 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\） 划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

My father go fishing alone every Sunday. This morning when we were got up, it was fine. Father decided to go fishing, so mother stopped him, said that it was going to rain according to the weather forecast（预报）. She asked him to put off his raincoat, but he did not take her advices. When he got to the river, it was cloud. Soon the rain began to fall heavily and he was caught in it. After she got home, he was wet through.   “Did you catch some fish?” asked my mother. “No, but I caught bad cold,” he answered.

6 .        My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right—they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.

That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?

Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”

When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias (栀子花)?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage (胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.

The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.

“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away (眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.

1. According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.

A．interested in observing things around

B．good at judging one’s character

C．strict with her boyfriend

D．fond of challenges

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s.

B．Jack was different from any other boy.

C．Jack was getting on well with Mother.

D．Jack knew a lot about piano.

3. The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.

A．piece of advice	B．wedding ceremony
C．celebration of birthday	D．offer of marriage

4. On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt          .

A．pleased	B．worried
C．surprised	D．disappointed

5. Why did the writer’s mother cry?

A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her.

B．She had never received such a beautiful gift.

C．Her daughter found her life partner at last.

D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive.

7 . 完型填空（共20小题；                       
阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
     A girl complained to her father about her hard life. She didn’t know what she could do and wanted to _______. She was tired of fighting and fighting. One problem had been settled, but _______ appeared.
     Her father, a cook, took her into the _______. He poured water into three pots and boiled it. After the water came to a boil, he put some_______ in the first pot, eggs in the second and coffee in the last. He waited for them for a few minutes _______ any words.
     The girl closed her mouth and waited, impatient and _______ by what her father was doing. After about 20 minutes, her father _______ the stove, took out the carrots and put them in a bowl. He took the eggs and put them in another bowl. After that he _______ the coffee into a cup. Turning back to his _______, he asked, “Sweetheart, what do you see?”
     “Carrots, eggs and coffee,” she replied.
     Her father asked her to ________ the carrots. She did and felt that the carrots were ________
______ he asked her to take the eggs and break them. After peeling them, she felt the eggs were hard.
     Last, her father asked her to smell the coffee.
     She asked, “What does this ________, Father?”
     He ________ that each of the things had felt the same unfortunate fate. They were all boiled in ________, but with a ________ result. The strong and hard carrots became soft and weak after being boiled. The fragile eggs became ________ after cooking. Coffee grounds were very unique. They could change the water.

“________ one are you?” asked her father. “When calamity(不幸的事) ________ on your door, what will your ________ be? Are you carrots, eggs of coffee?”

1.

A．give in

B．give up

C．go on

D．carry on

2.

A．the other

B．the rest

C．another

D．the second

3.

A．kitchen

B．storeroom

C．backyard

D．bedroom

4.

A．potatoes

B．carrots

C．tomatoes

D．apples

5.

A．with

B．over

C．beyond

D．without

6.

A．confused

B．excited

C．surprised

D．relaxed

7.

A．turned on

B．turned down

C．turned off

D．turned out

8.

A．put

B．poured

C．flew

D．picked

9.

A．son

B．pot

C．kitchen

D．daughter

10.

A．touch

B．eat

C．smell

D．taste

11.

A．strong

B．heavy

C．light

D．soft

12.

A．Now that

B．Since then

C．After that

D．Once again

13.

A．mean

B．say

C．refer

D．think

14.

A．questioned

B．explained

C．required

D．suggested

15.

A．water

B．pot

C．stove

D．fire

16.

A．similar

B．same

C．different

D．wonderful

17.

A．hard

B．calm

C．delicious

D．broken

18.

A．What

B．Whichever

C．Whose

D．Which

19.

A．looks

B．touches

C．knocks

D．waits

20.

A．reaction

B．responsibility

C．answer

D．impression

8 . Mr. Reese was born in a big city. His father had several companies and got a lot of money. He could give his son all the young man wanted. He was busy with his business and never asked him how he got along with his studies. So the boy spent most time in the restaurants or cinemas. Of course he was weak at his lessons and learned nothing at school. He made many friends but none of them was good and when they knew he came from a rich family, they began to teach him to gamble(赌博). Of course he lost much money.
　　Now Mr. Reese was twenty and finished middle school. He could not do anything. But his father didn't mind it until one day he found the young man had sold one of his companies. He became so angry that he made him leave his house. The young man couldn't gamble any longer. His friends made him pay his debt. He had to ask his mother to help him and the woman often gave him some money. But one evening his father happened to find it. The old man stopped his wife from doing so. They began to fight in the room. The young man brought out a knife and killed his father. His mother helped him to run away, but soon after that he was caught and sentenced(判刑)to death.
　　It was a cold and wet day. Suddenly it began to rain hard when Mr. Reese was being sent to the execution ground(刑场). Soon both he and the soldiers were wet through. He said angrily,“Bad luck! I shall be shot in such bad weather!”
　　“Don't complain(抱怨), brothers” said one of the soldiers. “You're luckier than us all. We'll have to go back to the city after that!”
1. Old Reese never wanted to know about his son's studies because _________.

A．he was sure his son was good at his lessons

B．he spent all his energies on his business

C．he knew nothing about the education

D．his wife looked after their children

2. The bad young men taught Young Reese to gamble in order _________.

A．to play with him

B．to spend spare time

C．that the could get much money from him

D．that they could find jobs in his father's companies

3. Old Reese became angry because _________.

A．him son had learned nothing at school

B．his son was weak at all his lessons

C．his son couldn't do anything in the companies

D．his son had lost one of his companies

4. Mr. Reese complained _________.

A．he was sentenced to death

B．he would be shot

C．he went to the execution ground on foot

D．he would be shot in bad weather

9 . Share   with   us!
Would you like to have your writing published in this magazine?
Then let us know! We pay for stories, anecdotes and jokes:
Anecdotes and Jokes
$50
What’s made you laugh recently? A funny sign? A colleague’s behaviour? Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter is the Best Medicine!
Email: Juliet@sws.com
Smart Animals
Up to $100
Send us a tale about the strange behaviour of unique pets or wildlife in up to 300 words.
Email: audrey@sws.com
Power of Love
Up to $150
Acts of generosity can change lives or just give you that warm feeling full of love. Share your moments in 100-500 words.
Email: susan@sws.com
My Story
$350
Do you have an inspiring or life-changing story to tell? Your story must be true, unpublished, original and 800-1000 words.
Email: nanjc@sws.com
For more information, please visit: http://www.sws.com./share
1. How much will the magazine pay for a joke to be published?

A．$50.

B．$100.

C．$150.

D．$350.

2. If you want to share a story of your pets with the readers, you need to submit it to ________.

A．Anecdotes and Jokes	B．Smart Animals
C．Power of Love	D．My Story

3. A story showing people’s generosity should be emailed to the editor at ________.

A．juliet@sws.com	B．susan@sws.com
C．Audrey@sws.com	D．nanjc@sws.com

4. An inspiring story sent to the magazine should ________.

A．describe strange behaviour	B．contain less than 800 words
C．be real and original	D．be published before