1 . Preparing different kinds of food to satisfy guests’ tastes usually ________ (require) a lot of time. (用适当的词填空)

2 . Yesterday, the next-door neighbor told me that my yard looked terrible, so I must remember________ (cut) the grass tomorrow. (用适当的词填空)

3 . The Bermuda Triangle is an area in the Atlantic Ocean in ________ hundreds of boats and planes have strangely disappeared. (用适当的词填空)

4 . 用方框中单词的正确形式完成下列句子，每个单词只能用一次。

creative        frightened        independent        novel        permit        organize        talent

1. While many popular ________ have been made into movies, most book lovers dislike movie adaptations.
2. The coach does not ________ his athletes to stay out late the night before a game.
3. Most people feel ________ when they see a snake.
4. Our club really needs a new ________ who is good at bringing people together.
5. In the opinion of many American youth, gaining ________ from their parents is very important.
6. Tomorrow evening, we will attend the concert of a ________ German violinist.
7. Josh, a teacher from the United States, ________ designed a lot of activities and games to get the attention of his students.

5 . Einstein’s $1.5 Million Tip to a Bellboy

In addition to being a scientist, a philosopher (哲学家), and somewhat of a funny guy, Albert Einstein was something even more admirable: a good tipper. We know this because a piece of paper the Nobel Prize winner gave a bellboy as a tip sold for more than $1.5 million at auction (拍卖).

   

As the story goes, Einstein was traveling to Japan to give a lecture series when he found out he’d been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. News of the award spread quickly and Einstein, somewhat bothered by all of the attention, kept himself in his room at a hotel in Tokyo.

A bit embarrassed by all the publicity he was receiving, Einstein tried to write down his thoughts and feelings. Just then, a bellboy came to Einstein’s room to deliver a message. Not expecting him, Einstein didn’t have any small change to tip him, and instead gave the bellboy a pair of the writings he’d been working on. Aware that his fame in the world was rising, Einstein supposedly told the Japanese messenger the notes would turn out to be more valuable than a regular tip if he was lucky.

The two notes were both written in German and signed by Einstein himself. The first note offered the professor’s “theory for happiness” It read: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness (不安).” The second one simply said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Tested or not, the theory does appear to be at least somewhat correct. According to a study of the connection between the life success and well-being of more than 275,000 people, happiness creates personal and professional success more often than success in those areas leads to happiness.

Even if his philosophical thoughts contain no scientific value, the notes do shine a little light on Einstein’s private thoughts. “What we’re doing here is painting the picture of Einstein — the man, the scientist, his effect on the world--through his writings,” said Roni Grosz, who is in charge of the world’s largest Einstein collection at Hebrew University.

Whether the bellboy was able to benefit from Einstein’s happiness theory is unclear, but the notes did eventually bring some joy to one of his relatives when they were sold — the second note brought in $250,000, while the first one that lists Einstein’s happiness theory sold for $1.56 million.

1. How did Einstein feel about the public attention brought by winning the Nobel Prize?

A．Confident.	B．Regretful.
C．Encouraged.	D．Troubled.

2. Why did Einstein give the bellboy the two notes as a tip?

A．He didn’t have small change with him at the time.

B．The bellboy was interested in his thoughts and feelings.

C．The bellboy delivered the message that he won the prize.

D．The notes would become more valuable than a regular tip.

3. From the passage we can know that________.

A．the second note sold for more money

B．Roni Grosz is painting a picture of Einstein

C．Einstein went to Japan to give some lectures

D．the two notes brought great wealth to the bellboy

4. Which of the following is most similar to Einstein’s “theory for happiness”?

A．People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.

B．The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.

C．Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy.

D．Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.

6 .

Some people have amazing memories. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Gert Mittring of Germany can look at a list of 22 numbers for just four seconds and remember all of them. Most people, though, have trouble just remembering where they put their car keys, or recalling the names of people they’ve recently met for the first time.

The process by which we store and recall information in our brains has been the focus of scientific research for many years. The brain is not fully understood, and theories about how it works remain a topic of debate. One area of the brain known as the hippocampus is important in the process of recalling information. When we experience something, the information is carried by our senses to the hippocampus, where it is processed.

Although the process of creating memories is only partly understood, it probably involves three main steps. Scientists believe that the brain cells called neurons first change the sensory stimuli (感觉刺激) we experience into images in our immediate memory. Then, these images are sent to the hippocampus and stored for a time in short-term memory. In the hippocampus, information is organised, and it is during this process that parts of the image of our experience disappear. Finally, certain information then becomes the long-term memory in the part of the brain known as the cerebral cortex, which may happen while we are sleeping.

Although memory function is difficult to understand, memory loss is something that many people experience and worry about as they age. In the past, neuroscientists believed that age-related memory problems were related to total number of brain cells. The thought was that the brain contained a limited number of irreplaceable neurons, and as we got older, we used up available cells. But recent research suggests new brain cells may be made throughout a lifetime. Also, now there is evidence that damage to the hippocampus may lead to memory loss. Patients still may recall memories stored before the brain was damaged, but are unable to remember new facts. In addition, diseases related to old age, such as Alzheimer’s, and other problems involving short and long-term memory loss, are now being connected to possible damage to the hippocampus.

Although the exact process by which memories are coded (编码) and recovered remains a mystery, we do know that the power to recall information has something to do with food and sleep. Studies suggest that eating foods containing vitamin E, such as green vegetables, is one way of limiting age-related memory loss. Also, getting a good night’s sleep can also help us remember things more clearly.

1. The passage is mainly about ________.

A．the parts of the brain that store information

B．illness that results in serious brain injury

C．the system and the function of the brain

D．memory formation and memory loss

2. What activity takes place in the hippocampus?

A．Information is organised.

B．Long-term memory is formed.

C．Immediate memory is created.

D．Sensory stimuli are changed into images.

3. Which two things have NOT been proven to be related?

A．Alzheimer’s disease and old age.

B．Eating habits and age-related memory loss.

C．The number of brain cells and memory length.

D．Sleep and remembering information more clearly.

4. Mr. Lee, whose hippocampus was damaged two years ago, is most likely to remember ________.

A．undergoing an operation after the accident

B．going to a summer baseball camp ten years ago

C．shopping in the supermarket yesterday morning

D．having Christmas dinner with his family last year

7 . Anyone working with pencils must always sharpen them to get the best results. Sharpening pencils by hand every few minutes takes time and effort. It is troublesome! Since we live in a technologically advanced world, buying an electric pencil sharpener is a good option.

We have listed the best electric pencil sharpeners. This may help you make an informed choice.

This machine operates quietly. It has a wide base to prevent itself from tipping over. It includes a smart safety stop. It is effective for coloured pencils. The automatic stop makes them last longer, since it sharpens them just enough. This model is designed to handle the heavy burden of classroom use.

This device has six different sized openings, allowing for multiple sharpening all at the same time. It also has an auto-stop function so as to avoid over-sharpening. It has a large shavings container for easy disposal (清理). This model is especially friendly to watercolour pencils.

This device is a compact (小型的) and basic model. It comes in blue and black colours. Although it can only take regular-sized pencils and doesn’t have an auto-stop function, it is much cheaper than most other electric sharpeners.

This device avoids over-sharpening and has an auto-stop safety function, too. This way your Angers stay safe! It works well with coloured pencils and watercolour pencils. It also has a large shavings container for easy disposal. This model is perfect for classroom, office and family use.

Is this list helpful? If yes, then pass it on to your friends and family members! They may need a good sharpener for themselves, for their kids or for the office. All the devices mentioned above can be found on Amazon! Happy shopping! Stay sharp!

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．School Smart is small in size.

B．Tihoo can operate quietly and safely.

C．Bostitch is intended for classroom use.

D．Humble Genius can sharpen watercolour pencils.

2. If you want a model with a large shavings container, choose ________.

A．School Smart or Tihoo	B．School Smart or Bostitch
C．Humble Genius or Tihoo	D．Humble Genius or Bostitch

3. Why does the author mention “sharpening pencils by hand” in Paragraph 1?

A．To encourage the sale of electric sharpeners.

B．To improve the quality of electric sharpeners.

C．To introduce four kinds of electric sharpeners.

D．To promote the technology of electric sharpeners.

8 . The Man with No Shoes

Shoes can tell you a lot about a person. Winston was a firm believer in this, being someone who looked at many shoes himself.

Winston was seated in his regular spot, a _________ in the back corner of the train station, watching the usuals pass by. A pack of shiny, black loafers went by after getting off the 7 o’clock train, a single pair of Louboutins clacked (发出咔哒声) against the dusty floor, and two pairs of Converse and some Nike sneakers shifted as they waited on the platform (站台).

Suddenly, he noticed two shoeless feet walk past, making an _________ sound as they made contact with the floor. Winston _________ what kind of a man couldn’t afford to buy himself shoes. A dangerous man, perhaps. A man who was of _________ intelligence. An unpredictable, angry man. Certainly not the kind of man Winston wanted to be anywhere near. The man then took the _________ beside Winston.

“Sorry, it has been a really _________ day,” the shoeless person said, placing a plastic bag on the bench. “I had to _________ my shoes, can you believe that?” He pushed his feet against the station’s dirty floor.

“It’s my little girl’s birthday. She’s seven. I can’t believe it.” He shook his head. “Said all she wanted this year was a cake. A(n) _________ one, with little candies and colourful frosting and her name spelled out nice and pretty on the top. So that’s what I went and got her.”

   

Winston curiously looked through the clear case. It was a small white circle with the name “Amelia” written on it. “It sure is pretty, ain’t it?” the man said, noticing Winston’s _________. “I just had to get it for her. But I had to get rid of my shoes for it... it was worth doing, of course.”

There was a sound in his voice like he was about to __________ and then Winston did something he hardly ever did; he looked up and met the stranger’s eyes. They were kind eyes, sad, sweet and beautiful eyes, __________ contrasting (对比) his dirty feet. Winston stared at them, not allowing himself to pull away.

   

While staring at the man, a sense of __________ washed over Winston. He was sorry that he had judged the man, sorry that he had __________ this stranger was a bad person simply for his lack of footwear, when in fact this man beside him was a more __________ person than Winston had ever been. Slowly, Winston reached down and slid off his white sneakers one at a time, __________ his socked feet to the cold air of the station. He picked up the shoes and handed them to the stranger beside him.

1.

A．chair

B．sofa

C．table

D．bench

2.

A．energetic

B．unfamiliar

C．ordinary

D．amazing

3.

A．remembered

B．realized

C．wondered

D．mentioned

4.

A．super

B．unknown

C．natural

D．questionable

5.

A．space

B．step

C．time

D．turn

6.

A．busy

B．hard

C．unlucky

D．strange

7.

A．sell

B．clean

C．borrow

D．hide

8.

A．expensive

B．home-made

C．real

D．uncommon

9.

A．satisfaction

B．worry

C．regret

D．interest

10.

A．smile

B．cry

C．argue

D．breathe

11.

A．sharply

B．secretly

C．carefully

D．widely

12.

A．safety

B．shame

C．duty

D．freedom

13.

A．suggested

B．criticized

C．complained

D．assumed

14.

A．popular

B．patient

C．generous

D．serious

15.

A．exposing

B．attaching

C．connecting

D．following

9 . 听下面一段独白，根据题目要求在相应的横线上写下关键信息，每小题仅填写一个词。

Tour Schedule at Red Oak Mountain Ranch (牧场)
	Activities	Things to Note
Friday	● A “welcome dinner” at 6:00 p.m. in the Lone Star restaurant. ●     1     around the campfire after dinner.	● Wear     2     for horseback riding. ● Feel free to bring a camera during the three days.
Saturday	● Horseback riding from     3     to 9:30 a.m. ● A country music concert at night.
Sunday	An     4     day: explore the ranch, feed the    5     or take photos with ranch cowboys.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the woman do last weekend?

A．She went to the beach.

B．She made a cheese cake.

C．She celebrated her birthday.

2. Why was there a cake in the woman’s room?

A．It was a surprise gift from her friend.

B．It was put in the wrong place by mistake.

C．It was given by the hotel for its celebration.