1 . As I walked into the primary school, I looked down at my new black Mary Jane shoes — I wanted to be anywhere in the world but Fountain Inn Elementary School.
I stood at Mrs. Blackstone’s door. Before I tried the great escape, the wooden door suddenly opened to the singsong voice of Mrs. Blackstone, my new fifth grade teacher.
“We’ve been waiting on you!” she said in an unusually high voice. With a smile my mom walked away and I was left standing in the center stage in front of a group of students.
Over the next few days, Mrs. Blackstone made it her job to find me a new best friend and help me join a choir. During history lessons, as I didn’t want to speak in front of the class she would not only call on me but have me stand up to address my classmates. She laughed at my nervousness when I wouldn’t get in line to sharpen my pencil for fear of being embarrassed. Her silliness made me smile and finally feel much more relaxed in the new environment.
One spring afternoon, Mrs. Blackstone asked me to stay after class.
“I’d like to speak with you, Amanda”
My mind raced. Had I made a bad grade? Had I hurt someone’s feelings?
“Are you enjoying your new school?” She sat comfortably behind her desk.
“I want to tell you something, between you and me, not to be shared with anyone else.”
“Okay.” My throat all of a sudden felt very dry.
With her eyebrows raised she said. “I see something special in you. The way you communicate with others, the kindness you show — I think you have great potential to be something very important.”
I listened attentively to every word.
“I’ve been a teacher for over twenty-five years; I can see it. But you must believe in yourself. That’s very important. Remember that and you will go far.”
She then hugged me and said, “See you tomorrow.”
Her singing voice was music to my ears that day. I walked out of her class, not staring at my Mary Jane shoes, but looking straight ahead with my head high. My teacher saw something special in me!
1. What can we know about the author from the first two paragraphs?| A．She went to school unwillingly. | B．She liked the new school very much. |
| C．She was afraid of her new teacher. | D．She liked her teacher’s singing. |
| A．To tell her about her grades. | B．To encourage her to be confident. |
| C．To help her realize her mistakes. | D．To make her feel cared and loved. |
| A．A Teacher for Every Child | B．An Unforgettable Lesson |
| C．Magical Words | D．Special Treatment |
2 . The Sydney Opera House has become, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney’s best-known landmark and international symbol.
The base for the building was started in 1959 — years before the designs were finished. It took four years to design by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and by 1962 the designs were finalized and construction began. In total, it took 14 years to build and was officially opened on the 20th of October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Sydney Opera House is a fascinating building and heart of the city’s cultural scene. It opened with a concert hall, an opera theatre, a drama theatre and a recital (音乐演奏会) hall, as well as restaurants and bars. A fifth theatre was added within the structure in 1998.
The Sydney Opera House cost some $160 million to build and was paid for by the public who bought $10 tickets in a series of lotteries with a first prize of $1million.
More information about the Sydney Opera House:
Conducts 3,000 events each year
Provides guided tours to 200,000 people each year
Has an annual audience of 2 million for its performances
includes 1,000 rooms
Is 185 metres long and 120 metres wide
Has 2.194 pre-cast concrete sections as its roof
Has roof sections weighing up to 15 tons
Has roof sections held together by 350 kms of tensioned steel cable
Has over 1 million tiles on the roof
Uses 6,225 square metres of glass and 645 kilometres of electric cable
1. When were the designs of the Sydney Opera House started?| A．In1960. | B．In1962. | C．In1958. | D．In1973. |
| A．a drama theatre | B．an opera theatre |
| C．a concert hall | D．a reception hall |
| A．The Sydney Opera House has an audience of 2 million per year for its performances. |
| B．There are about 3,000 events held in the Sydney Opera House each year. |
| C．The Sydney Opera House is made up of more than 1,000 rooms. |
| D．The roof of the Sydney Opera House is made of concrete and steel. |
3 . In high school I had a math teacher, Mrs. Davies, who took her job seriously and expected her students to put forth the same degree of commitment (付出). Strict but fair, she held our attention with her great method. One of her classes was for students who were more advanced academically. I chose to
One Friday we were tested
Our test papers were handed back the following Monday. Everyone received a “C” except for me. To my surprise, I received an “A”. I
My teacher would have been justified (合理的) in giving me a
| A．run | B．take | C．teach | D．like |
| A．compared | B．struggled | C．connected | D．argued |
| A．on | B．at | C．in | D．for |
| A．tired | B．curious | C．lost | D．satisfied |
| A．effect | B．end | C．answer | D．interest |
| A．hoped | B．assumed | C．declared | D．dreamed |
| A．angrily | B．regretfully | C．disappointedly | D．nervously |
| A．Since | B．Unless | C．Though | D．Because |
| A．friendly | B．failing | C．corrected | D．wrong |
| A．learn | B．survive | C．inspire | D．manage |
China is
5 . Justice is something we all desire, and the hope is that our legal system can be fair. In the past, people often saw injustices taking place that went unpunished. Some of these people got fed up, took matters into their own hands, and became vigilantes (治安员). They played the role of judges, jury and executioners (执行者). Today, the same thing is happening on a much larger scale, and it is known as Internet vigilantism.
Internet vigilantism works by first identifying a person who has committed a crime or done something that is considered uncivil.
Our modern age that is filled with digital cameras has made injustice easy to record, and the Internet has made it easy to distribute the evidence instantly. This method has been successful in many cases for tracking down people who have committed crimes. It also has been very helpful in keeping those with power in check. Keeping power in check is the upside of distributing evidence only if justice is reached through proper channels.
However, there are two sides to Internet vigilantism. When Internet citizens gang up on people for minor crimes or small faults, those who are the focus of the gangs can have their lives ruined. The vigilantes gather information on the Internet and use it to publicly shame the person. The accused person thus loses all his or her rights to privacy and everything about him or her is brought out into the open. Internet vigilantism violates basic human rights to privacy and can cause serious damage to people or their reputations.
Another problem is that it also has a negative effect on the friends and family members of the person being shamed. Innocent people with the same name as the accused can also get caught in the cross fire. Worst of all, the person being targeted rarely gets a chance to defend himself or herself.
We need to ask ourselves how far we will go to punish someone and how much privacy they deserve. When it comes to Internet vigilantism, remember that it is very easy to post an opinion or video anonymously (匿名地) online and give a one-sided or partial account of the truth. Like so many other aspects of life, we must resist passing judgment before fully understanding a situation.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?| A．To explain what is justice. | B．To introduce the legal system. |
| C．To lead into the topic. | D．To compare some phenomena. |
| A．accuse the person who loses privacy |
| B．identify a person who broke the law |
| C．protect the privacy and reputation of the accused person |
| D．protect people with the same name as the accused person |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Approval. | C．Subjective. | D．Objective. |
| A．“Justice” on the Internet | B．How Much Privacy They Deserve |
| C．Criminals Tracked Down | D．Internet Vigilantism Works Well |
6 . The Teenage Brain
Parents, teachers, and others who deal closely with teenagers know how difficult the adolescent years can be. This was thought to be due to the “foolishness of youth.” Now, brain-imaging technology allows scientists to study the physical development of the brain in more details than ever before. Their discoveries have led a new theory of why teens act this way.
Recently, scientists have discovered that though our brains are almost at their full size by the age of six, they are far from fully developed. Only during adolescence do our brains truly “grow up”. During this time, they go through great changes, like a computer system being upgraded. This “upgrade” was once thought to be finished by about age 12. Now scientists have found that our brains continue to change until age 25. Such changes make us better at balancing impulses with following rules. But a still-developing brain does this clumsily. The result, scientists believe, is the unpredictable behavior seen in teenagers.
The studies show that teens are more likely to take risks. Luckily, the news isn’t all bad. As brain scientist B. J. Casey points out, the teen brain inspires such behavior in order to help teens prepare for adult life.
One way the brain does this is by changing the way teens measure risk and reward (回报).
Researchers have found that when teens think about rewards, their brains release more of the chemicals that create pleasure. Researchers believe this makes the rewards seem more important than the risks, and makes teens feel the excitement of new experience.
Research into the structure of the teen brain have also found that it makes social connection seem especially rewarding. As such, teens have a strong need to meet new people. Because it is still developing, a teen brain can change to deal with new situations. So it connects social rewards with even more pleasure. In this way, the brain encourages teens to have a wide circle of friends, which is believed to make them more successful in life.
Unluckily, this need for greater rewards can sometimes lead teens to make bad decisions. However, it also means that teens are more likely, and less afraid, to try new things or to be independent. And in the long run, the impulses of the teen brain are what help teens leave their parents’ care and live their own life successfully.
1. What can we know about our brains from paragraph 2?| A．They’re far from being their full size. |
| B．They have finishes upgrading by about age 12 |
| C．A teen brain can cause unexpected behaviors. |
| D．A ten brain is better than an adult brain at following role. |
| A．The fear of being alone. |
| B．The need to control others. |
| C．The desire to leave home sooner. |
| D．The excitement of new experiences. |
| A．parents’ care helps enlarge teens friend circle |
| B．teens’ extreme behaviors can benefit their adult life |
| C．the way the teen brain works makes risks less exciting |
| D．teens are less delighted than adults when getting prizes |
| A．describe how the teen brain grow up |
| B．compare teen brains with adult brains |
| C．introduce the brain imaging technology |
| D．explain why teens act in extreme ways |
7 . Wuthering Heights
Suddenly we heard the sound of a carriage in the courtyard. He went to the window and I hurried to the door to open it.
It was the two Lintons, Hindley Frances and Catherine. They all ran into the house and stood in front of the large fire in the sitting room to get warm.
I told Heathcliff to go and join them. He opened the kitchen door as Hindley was coming out of the sitting room. When Hindley saw him, he pushed him back into the kitchen saying Joseph! Keep him away from the sitting room.
Then he noticed Heathcliff’s nice clothes.
“Look at you!” he said sneering. “Who do you want to impress? Get out or I’ll pull your hair until it’s longer than it is now!”
“It’s long enough already,” observed Edgar Linton. He was standing at the siting room door. His hands over his eyes like a mane!
Edgar didn’t say this to insult Heathcliff but Heathcliff had a quick and violent temper. He suddenly picked up a pan of hot apple sauce and threw the contents in Edgar’s face. Edgar screamed. Hearing her brother’s cries, Isabella, followed by Catherine, came running out. Hindley grabbed Heathcliff by the arm, took him to his room and gave him a beating.
I didn’t have much sympathy for Edgar but I cleaned his face. His sister was crying and wanted to go home. Catherine was confused and embarrassed and didn’t say anything.
1. Hindley makes fun of Heathcliff because of________.| A．his appearance |
| B．his relationship with Isabella |
| C．his kindness |
| D．his bad cooking skill |
| A．selfish |
| B．friendly |
| C．aggressive |
| D．romantic |
| A．She loved him. |
| B．She did not care about him. |
| C．She was upset at him. |
| D．She felt sorry for him. |
1.介绍训练营的相关安排(如时间、内容等)；
2.邀请的原因。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
The Power of Silence
Once a farmer lost his precious watch while working in his bar. It may have appeared as an ordinary watch to others, but held a deep sentimental value for it.
After searching high and low among the hay for a long time, the old farmer got exhausted. The tired farmer did not want to give up the search for his watch and requested a group of children playing outside the bar to help. He promised an attractive reward for the person who can find his beloved watch.
After hearing about the reward, the children hurried inside the barn and went through and round the entire stack of hay to find the watch. After a long time looking for a watch in the hay, some of the children got tired and gave up. The number of children looking for the watch slowly decreased and only a few tired children were left. The farmer gave up all his hope to find the watch and called off the search.
Just when the farmer was closing the door, a little boy came up to him and requested the farmer to give him another chance. The farmer did not want to miss any chance of finding the watch so let the little boy in the barn.
After a little while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand. The farmer was happily surprised and asked how the boy succeeded in getting the watch while everyone including him had failed.
The boy replied “just sat there tried listening to the ticking of the watch. In silence, it was much easier to listen to it and direct the search in the direction of the sound.”
The farmer was delighted to get the watch and rewarded the little boy as promised.
A peaceful mind can think better than a worked-up mind. Once in a while, allow a few minutes of silence to your mind. Sometimes all you need to do is relax and listen.
1. Why did the farmer request the children to help search for the watch?2. How did the boy find the watch?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
The farmer did not want to disappoint the boy, so he let the little boy in the barn search for the watch.
4. In addition to helping us think better, what do you think are some other benefits of having a peaceful mind? (about 40 words)
10 . The future belongs to the flexible mind. This is the argument behind best-selling author Leonard Mlodinow’s new book, Elastic.
Do we need to develop a flexible mind?
Times and surroundings we live in demand a flexible style of thinking. In politics, we now have to cope with more scandals in a single year than we used to encounter in a lifetime. Meanwhile, the speed and processing power of computers makes it difficult for us to navigate a landscape in which the number of websites has been doubling every two to three years.
Logical thought is an analysis that can be described by an algorithm (算术) of the kind that computers follow. Elastic thought cannot. Logical thought is solved to help us face the everyday challenges of life while elastic thought helps us succeed when circumstances change.
One can also cultivate flexible thinking by adjusting one’s external conditions.
Studies show that sitting in a darkened room, or closing our eyes, can widen our perspective. Low ceilings, narrow corridors, and windowless offices have the opposite effect. Being able to think without any kind of time pressure is also important when striving for novel ideas.
Another way we can try is to pay special attention to one of our strongly held beliefs, take it seriously and recall times in the past that we were wrong about something, even though we’d been confident of being right. In fact, more generally, introducing a little disagreement to our intellectual interactions may also be helpful.
| A．The way we use and access them is also subject to frequent “disastrous changes”. |
| B．It examines the ever-increasing changes we find ourselves living through, and the ways of thinking best suited to them. |
| C．Flexible thinking comes naturally to all humans, but it may be blocked by our ability to tune out “crazy” idea. |
| D．In what way is it hard to think “flexibly”? |
| E．It is where our new ideas come from. |
| F．Just as important, interruptions are deadly. |
| G．How can we learn to be more flexible in our own thinking? |
