1 . Born in Pennsylvania in 1894, Martha Graham was one of the most famous dancers in the world. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture.
Earlier in her life, however, she did not know that she would become a dancer. Her family was very religious and were members of the upper class. She saw a dance performance accidentally when she was 16, and then decided to become a dancer. Martha’s parents, however, did not approve of her desire to dance. At that time, people saw American dance as a lower art form. Yet Graham chose to follow her dream in her early twenties, even though she was considered too old to begin dancing.
In school, Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance. She performed for several years before moving to New York City where she wanted to make greater experiments with dance. She cooperated with music composer L.H. until 1964.Later, Graham created “Chronicle,” one of her most significant dances. It was influenced by current events including the Great Depression and the Spanish Civil War. At that time, displaying strong emotions in dance was very rare. Graham also created dances based on ancient Greek tragic stories and famous heroines.
At first, people did not react well to Graham’s style of dancing for it was quite: distinct from European ballet, which was more commonly accepted. Graham’s dances were powerful, with strong and sharp movements. In 1951,Graham established the dance program at the Juilliard School in New York City. Many of her students became famous dancers. She also taught movement to many famous people, including singers, actresses and film directors.
Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime. She was the first dancer to receive the country’s highest civilian honor. In 1998, Time magazine listed her as The “Dancer of the Century”. Her dances are still performed in New York and around the world.
1. Why did Martha’s parents oppose her dream to be a dancer?| A．Their religion forbade any art form. |
| B．It was too late for her to begin dancing. |
| C．Their family belonged to the upper class. |
| D．They didn’t consider dance as an art form. |
| A．It focuses on current events. |
| B．It conveys intense human feelings. |
| C．lt talks about ancient Greek heroines. |
| D．It was created by Graham and L.H. |
| A．They enjoyed popularity once they appeared. |
| B．They were well accepted by celebrities. |
| C．They were mainly designed at the Juilliard School. |
| D．They have common features with European dancing. |
| A．Not all that shines is gold. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．when in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
2 . World Heritage sites in China
Now, China has 56 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Ancient City of Ping Yao
Built more than 2,700 years ago, the Ancient City of Ping Yao is the best preserved ancient Han Chinese city. It gives insight into the ancient prosperous business pioneers, who established the first banks in China during Ming and Qing dynasties (14th-20th centuries).
The city was listed as a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 3, 1997.
Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Suzhou, a city in East China’s Jiangsu province, is famous for its classical gardens. Built between the Northern Song Dynasty and the late Qing Dynasty (11-19th century), the classical gardens of Suzhou feature miniature rocks, hills and elegant pavilions set amidst murmuring waters. The classical gardens of Suzhou were added onto the list on December 4, 1997.
Ancient Villages in southern Anhui—Xidi and Hongcun
Located in southern Anhui, Xidi and Hongcun belong to the category of architectural complexes, with a high historical and artistic value.
The villages represent the architectural features of the Huizhou-style residential houses in the period of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Xidi and Hongcun were added onto the list on November 30, 2000.
Fujian Tulou
Located in East China’s Fujian province, the 46 multi-storey earthen houses were built on a base of stone for defense purposes. The architectural arts of the Fujian Tulou can be traced back nearly 1,000 years, and their design incorporates the tradition of feng shui. Tulou was added onto the list on July 6, 2008.
For more information about the world heritage sites in China, please click the link below.
1. Which of the following sites was first listed as a World Heritage Site?| A．Ancient City of Ping Yao. | B．Classical Gardens of Suzhou. |
| C．Xidi and Hongcun. | D．Fujian Tulou. |
| A．Fujian Tulou was built with the intention of defending. |
| B．Ancient City of Ping Yao was the best preserved Chinese city. |
| C．Classical Gardens of Suzhou were built for the ancient emperors. |
| D．Xidi and Hongcun represent the architectural features of northern Anhui. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A website. |
| C．A magazine. | D．A travel booklet. |
5 . Feel Happier Today
When I learned that the most popular course in the history of Yale University—a psychology class designed to teach students how to become happier—was available online to anyone who wanted to take it, I decided I had to see what it was all about. After all, I’ve been writing about happiness for years, offering techniques and advice from researchers who found that this idea or that habit can boost well-being. I was curious to see what Yale professor Laurie Santos was recommending, but I assumed I’d already be familiar with many of the concepts. So I invited my husband, Ian, to take the course with me. I wanted to see how someone who hadn’t heard it all before reacted.
Santos’s online course consists of 19 hours of video lectures and is supposed to take ten weeks to complete, but Ian and I spent three months soaking up what she had to offer. We learned that the things we tend to think will make us happier—bigger paychecks, nicer homes, slimmer bodies—don’t actually add joy to our lives. But practices such as exercising more, socializing, getting enough sleep, and enjoying free time over making money do. “These constant practices are really what’s required to increase your happiness,” Santos told me after Ian and I completed her course. “It’s like a tire that you put air into. Occasionally it leaks, and you have to put more air into it. It’s not a one-time thing where you learn it and you’re good. You actually have to put the work in.”
Although part of the course focuses on the desire to get good grades and land the perfect job, we realized that these lessons aren’t helpful just for college students; Ian and I are both middle-aged, with six children between us, and most of what Santos said was relevant to us. “What the science suggests is that these tips apply cross-culturally, across ages, and no matter what job you have,” Santos says. After taking the course, I’m convinced that anyone who adopts and practices the strategies that Santos suggests can truly become happier.
1. What does the underlined part “boost well-being” in Paragraph I mean?| A．Focus on fitness. | B．Improve happiness. |
| C．Make achievements. | D．Deal with stress. |
| A．Having much money to spend. | B．Having a good time at a party. |
| C．Living in a wonderful house. | D．Owning a beautiful figure. |
| A．Her husband is expert at happiness. |
| B．She always knows the content of the course. |
| C．The course is not useful to college students. |
| D．The course is related to people of her age. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
1．在家和学校的表现；
2．兴趣与爱好；
3．对高中生活的展望．
要求：
1．除以上内容外，可适当发挥．
2.100词左右；首尾句已给出，不计入总词数．
Hello, everybody! My name is Li Hua. I’m from the Hope Middle School.
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Thank you!
7 . Two Chinese police officers were sitting in the car at Guilin Highway. Suddenly a cute dog appeared by their window, seemingly asking for help. According to the media, a cute golden retriever (寻回猎犬) sought the help of the two police officers. Obviously, the dog was lost and his owner was nowhere near the neighborhood.
One of the police officers said that it was already 1 a.m. when the dog approached them with his leash (狗链) in its mouth. The dog even followed them while they worked, but because people might get frightened and for the dog's own safety, the two decided to just take the dog to the police station. There, they gave him food and water to drink.
The dog stayed in the police station until the policemen came back at 8 in the morning. To their surprise, the dog quickly jumped inside the police car after they got ready to work that day. He just sat there as if asking the two officers to help him find his way back to his owner. Touched by the dog's friendly behavior, the officers decided to ask the public to help them find the owner.
A couple of hours later, the dog's owner was informed and quickly rushed to the police station. The owner said that his 2-year-old golden retriever had a habit of hunting for mice and must have wandered far from home and got lost. He said that his dog was trained for a short while at a Nanning police base.
1. What happened to the dog?| A．It couldn't find its owner. | B．It was driven away by its owner. |
| C．It escaped from hunters. | D．It was terribly frightened. |
| A．The trouble brought by the dog. | B．The pressure from the public. |
| C．The dog's friendly behavior. | D．The dog's strange behavior. |
| A．It stayed at the station for over a day. |
| B．It didn't want to go home. |
| C．It likes eating mice. |
| D．It was once trained by the police. |
8 . When I speak to other parents about how responsible my kids are, I often get laughed at or they make a comment about how strict a parent I must be. Giving kids responsibilities is a must. It is parent’s job to make their kids become responsible adults and to prepare them for the real world and life as an adult.
Kids as young as toddlers(学走路的孩子) can be given small jobs to do and can help you around the house, in the garden, at the grocery store, etc. They can do little jobs like setting the table, helping to make the bed, washing dishes, washing the car and so on. When you let children do small jobs at a young age and make it fun, encourage, praise and thank them, it quickly becomes normal and a part of life. Kids who are given different responsibilities grow up with a much greater sense of self-worth, self-esteem and are more confident. As the children grow, their responsibilities grow and expand.
Doing everything for children or not allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them is not being a positive, responsible parent. The kids will more than likely end up with bad attitudes, and usually have no respect for their parents or other adults and at times have no respect for themselves. When your kids are ready to leave home, they should be responsible, capable and confident.
It is my opinion that parents are to be thanked or to be blamed(责备) for just how kids take control of their lives. They are a product of their environment, mirroring what they have seen and what you have taught them. Parenting is the hardest job in the world and none of us are perfect, but it is our job!
1. What do other parents think when the author says her child is responsible?| A．They think it not good. | B．They think it acceptable. |
| C．They think it not rare. | D．They think it unbelievable. |
| A．making small jobs fun | B．praising and encouraging them |
| C．giving them simple jobs to do | D．setting a good example to them |
| A．shows parents’ responsibility | B．shows no respect for children |
| C．is difficult for every parent | D．is bad for their development |
| A．To explain the responsibilities of parents. |
| B．To show her experience in raising children. |
| C．To encourage kids to be responsible. |
| D．To advise parents to make children responsible. |
I am a 30-year-old woman with no friends. I have always been shy and a bit of lonely.
In the first couple of years after graduation I kept in touch with most of my friends but gradually they scattered(分散) around the country. My best friend Lily and I were roommates for a while but we had a fight. We both admitted mistakes but refused to apologize. After that she grew very close to the new roommate she got after I moved out. Then she moved across the country and that just made it harder to repair our friendship.
About three years ago I was seriously injured in an accident. After that I got chronic(慢性的) pain. I had to change my job as a result. I get along well with the colleagues (同事) at my new job but no friendships really form, mostly because of large age differences. And at the same time, the friends from my old job gradually gave me up. They said that I never gave them enough attention.
I live in a small town with very little to do. The entire social place is only made up of bars, bars and more bars. It’s really not my thing. I can’t drink because of the medicine I take, and it’s really no fun to go to a bar and be the only person there who doesn’t drink.
I don’t think I’m a difficult person. I’m kind, patient, and a good listener. People seem to like me, but no one seems to want to be friends with me. What should I do?
Yours,
Erica
1. What is Erica’s problem?| A．She can’t find a job. |
| B．She suffers from chronic pain. |
| C．She has difficulty making friends. |
| D．She can’t get along well with her colleagues. |
| A．she doesn’t enjoy drinking |
| B．she pays little attention to her colleagues |
| C．she is too shy to communicate with others |
| D．she isn’t in the same age group as her colleagues |
| A．ask for advice | B．share her problems |
| C．complain of her loneliness | D．apologize to Lily |
注意：1. 词数100左右。
2. 开头已给出，但不计入总词数。
Now let me predict what my life will be like in five years.
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