2 . Thanksgiving is basically a harvest-related festival which celebrates communal harmony. Though this festival is said to have originated in America, a number of other countries also celebrate harvest-related festivals. The festival is observed with different names and in different seasons. In Australia we can see a number of harvest festivals.

Apple Festival & Grape Festival

The harvest for apples and grapes takes place in the month of March in Australia in the granite belt, a special area. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. During the festival, various cultural and fun events are organized. Activities like grape crushing competitions, apple picking competitions, street carnivals (狂欢), and grand parades are also part of the festival.

Renmark Orange Week Festival

In August or September, the large orange growing area along the Murray River in South Australia holds a festival in Renmark, which is called the Renmark Orange Week. All kinds of games, competitions and fun last for a week during the carnival. Fireworks are another feature of the festival. The two varieties that are being harvested in Australia are the Valencia, which is from October to May and the Navel, which is from May to October.

Cane Festival

The cane is harvested from June to December in Australia. Most of the cane crop is grow n in Queensland and some in Maclean, New South Wales. And June is time for cane festivals. Just before harvest, the cane is burnt to remove dead leaves and to drive out pests. Machines are being used to cut the cane to the ground.

Wheat Festival

Wheat is harvested in the month of December and is usually finished by the end of January. Harvesting is done by machines. A new harvester invented by Headlie Taylor makes it easier to harvest crops which get flattened or damaged by bad weather.

1. Which festival takes place in June?

A．Cane Festival.	B．Wheat Festival.
C．Renmark Orange Week Festival.	D．Apple Festival & Grape Festival.

2. What can people do during Apple Festival & Grape Festival?

A．Appreciate fireworks.	B．Taste delicious grape wine.
C．Join in apple eating competitions.	D．Take part in grand parades.

3. What can be known from the text?

A．Wheat Festival begins in January.

B．Harvest-related festivals originated in America.

C．Oranges are being harvested in Australia all the year round.

D．Renmark Orange Week Festival takes place in the granite belt.

3 . I was watching a TV program when I came across a sorrowful sight: homeless people lying near the wall of a busy Manhattan train station. Dan Rather, a reporter, was covering the event. He ________ numerous people: the homeless, those who ________ the homeless, and those who didn’t.

One woman took the ________ every day. During the winter months, the number of homeless living in the station increased, because it was cold and this woman ________ disliked it. She complained to Dan Rather that most of the homeless people were able-bodied and could have ________ a job, but they chose not to. She also said that most of the homeless could have gone to ________ but they would rather live at the station. She just didn’t ________ that nobody could acquire a job without a home address and that many shelters across the country are being closed as a result of a shortage of funds.

________, a mother and son did a lot to help the homeless. The household ________ the homeless by giving them a hot breakfast in the morning and giving them money to eat a lunch and dinner.

Dan Rather then went along with a homeless person to the welfare office. It took the man three days to just fill out the proper applications. The complete ________ took six days. He met with a welfare lawyer who could give him a(n) ________. Dan Rather spoke with the lawyer and he said that it took time because the nation didn’t have enough money to provide welfare to everyone who ________.

After watching this program, I gave ________ consideration of becoming a welfare lawyer for the homeless, who are part of our ________. We must do something — anything — to ________ the situation now. Only when we solve this problem can the nation have a bright future.

1.

A．gathered

B．described

C．interviewed

D．observed

2.

A．recognized

B．assisted

C．worried

D．believed

3.

A．car

B．subway

C．bus

D．train

4.

A．eventually

B．obviously

C．rarely

D．temporarily

5.

A．landed

B．designed

C．quit

D．shared

6.

A．libraries

B．hospitals

C．stadiums

D．shelters

7.

A．admit

B．explain

C．understand

D．predict

8.

A．In comparison

B．Without doubt

C．Without difficulty

D．In return

9.

A．brought up

B．cared for

C．referred to

D．depended on

10.

A．ceremony

B．conversation

C．experiment

D．process

11.

A．hand

B．option

C．honour

D．gift

12.

A．improved

B．lost

C．applied

D．succeeded

13.

A．different

B．impractical

C．serious

D．unnecessary

14.

A．factory

B．society

C．party

D．club

15.

A．end

B．strengthen

C．copy

D．rebuild

4 . Handwriting is an essential skill for both children and adults. The following reasons demonstrate why it is very important to have good handwriting throughout life.

When in childhood, handwriting activates the brain more than keyboarding.     1     Good handwriting contributes to reading fluency because it activates visual perception (感观) of letters. Handwriting is a predictor of success in other subjects, because good handwriting has a positive impact on grades.

Cursive writing (草书) helps students, both young and old, with dyslexia (读写困难).     2     Also it can feel very uncomfortable and disjointed writing in print. Cursive writing offers each letter a very different look and allows the pupil to write in a flowing, comfortable way. This can decrease their dyslexic tendencies and make them more confident in their abilities.

As children get older, many standardized assessments are based on written work, particularly in time-limited written examinations.     3     Good handwriting remains as a major form of assessment for many formal qualifications.

    4     Otherwise, pupils will achieve lower marks, even where the content may be good. Many state-standardized assessments and handwritten essays emphasize the importance of handwriting.

People are judged by their handwriting even after getting into adulthood. Good handwriting is essential long after graduation. In our modern world, in all walks of life—making a shopping list, writing a birthday card, taking down a phone message, completing a form at the bank, filling out immigration forms—handwriting is part of our daily lives.     5    

A．Good handwriting is essential throughout life.

B．Examiners need to distinguish what is written.

C．Good handwriting shows the writer’s good personality.

D．This is because it involves more complex motion and learning skills.

E．Consequently, it is on show to others and may be used to make judgments about us.

F．Children can have a very hard time with writing in print because many letters look similar.

G．Without fast and clear handwriting, students may get low grades and fall behind.

5 . There are many fantastic health benefits of exercise, but does exercise affect hair growth? It may seem unlikely that your workout would be able to provide protection against the seemingly unavoidable hair loss associated with aging, but there may be some link.

For one, exercise increases blood circulation and oxygen in blood cells, which benefits hair follicles (毛囊). This can allow the growth phase of hair to be longer. Exercise can also put an end to certain stress, which is one of the factors involved in hair thinning. Consistent exercise may prevent hair loss. Additionally, exercise will always have a positive effect on your overall health, thus positively affecting your hair growth as well.

It’s unrealistic to think that a single run or a couple of yoga classes will immediately reverse hair loss and cause a bunch of new hair strands to spring up.

Interestingly, not all types of exercise are equal when it comes to promoting hair growth. Strength training is not as good as any sort of aerobic (有氧的) exercise.

Hair loss can be classified into two types: permanent and temporary. Most irreversible hair loss is a product of your gene (基因), whereas hair loss caused by lifestyle choices is usually temporary and can be changed by improving your general health.

Although hair loss is not associated with marathon running or any other intense endurance training, it can be affected if you aren’t taking care of your body to support your training. In addition to exercise, following a healthy lifestyle, such as getting enough sleep, not smoking and eating a nutrient-dense diet can promote hair growth.

Finally, leaving sweat on your hair after exercise can also make a difference. Hair can become blocked and weak if sweat stays on the head for a long time. Showering after exercise will prevent this.

1. How does exercise benefit the hair according to the text?

A．It can relieve people’s stress.

B．It can help produce some useful chemicals.

C．It takes away some bad things in people’s blood.

D．It increases the number of people’s hair follicles positively.

2. What does the underlined word “reverse” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Witness.

B．Speed.

C．Demonstrate.

D．Change.

3. Which can be regarded as a permanent factor for hair loss?

A．Exercising habits.	B．Lifestyle choices.
C．Genetic weakness.	D．Living environment.

4. Why is showering after exercise suggested in the text?

A．To stop sweat from harming hair growth.

B．To keep you smelling pleasant.

C．To better take care of your skin.

D．To make you feel relaxed.

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In Texas, a concerned father named Bradley learned that his 17-year-old son, Brad, was causing trouble at school. It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence; Brad’s physics teacher had complained multiple times about his constant talking during class. As a result, Bradley was faced with the challenge of finding an effective way to discipline his son and teach him a valuable lesson.

In a moment of inspiration, Bradley came up with an idea that parents around the world would later praise him for. He decided to teach his son a lesson. He declared, “If we receive another call from your physics teacher, I will go to your school and sit beside you in class.”

However, Brad didn’t take his father’s words seriously and continued his loose conduct in his physics class. And his father received another call from the teacher, and now it was time for the father to keep his promise.

Friday arrived, and Bradley, who normally had this day off from work, was awakened by his wife. He reluctantly got ready to go to his son’s school. Upon arriving at the school, he made his way to Brad’s physics classroom. The other students chatted joyfully, unaware of what was about to happen. Bra d entered the room as usual, and to his shock, he saw his father sitting by his desk. It hit him like a ton of bricks. His dad had actually come to school and was sitting right next to him in class. The once happy-go-lucky teenager was now filled with embarrassment and regret.

Throughout the class, Bradley silently observed his son’s behavior. He witnessed first-hand the disruptive comments and constant talking that had been causing so much trouble. It was clear that Brad was not taking his education seriously, and his father realized that something needed to be changed.

注意： 1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After the class ended, Bradley apologized to the physics teacher for his son’s behavior.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Later that day, when Bra d returned home, his father was already waiting for him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Animal Families, Animal Friends (NorthWord Books for Young Readers) is all about how animals work and play together, and how they help one another and keep each other safe.

I got the idea for this book from an article I read in a science magazine. It talked about how scientists, who used to focus on how animals compete in nature, are now studying how they coexist peacefully and even help each other.

I decided to write a book for children on the subject. I had lots of fun doing research for this book, I went to the library first and read about all sorts of animals. Then I made my choices based on my reading and my own experience. I love the sound of loons calling at night on a Maine lake. I watched beavers build a home on a stream in the Maine woods. I watched dolphins swim and dive alongside my sailboat in California. I visited Mission Wolf, a wonderful wolf refuge in Colorado. I saw prairie dogs in the Badlands of South Dakota.

I haven’t seen some of the animals in the wild—elephants, chimpanzees, caribou, emperor penguins. But I read books and watched videos online to learn how they live together. Who can watch the film March of the Penguins and not fall in love with them?

I used the Internet to listen to the sounds these animals make. And I made a collection of stuffed animals and puppets for my school presentation of Animal Families, Animal Friends.

Now I’m having a wonderful time visiting schools, libraries, and even a zoo to talk about the animals in my book. A highlight of these visits was a few days spent in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, speaking to children whose town was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. These children, their families, and their communities have given us all a fine example of how to live together and help each other.

1. What is the author’s purpose in writing Animal Families, Animal Friends?

A．To help adults know animals better.

B．To raise public awareness of wildlife protection.

C．To report some latest findings about the animal world.

D．To inform children how animals coexist with each other.

2. How did the author get materials about emperor penguins?

A．By visiting zoos.	B．By analyzing previous data.
C．By taking advantage of the Internet.	D．By consulting experts.

3. Why did Ocean Springs leave the author a deep impression?

A．It is an environment-friendly place.	B．People there live together harmoniously.
C．People there get on well with animals.	D．It was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

4. How does the author feel about his present life?

A．Confused.

B．Anxious.

C．Content.

D．Tired.

8 . Earlier this month, an opinion study said about 75 percent of the French public want to ban bullfighting (斗牛). But a small group of supporters say it is a tradition that should continue.

Baptiste is a 16-year-old boy training to be a bullfighter who lives in Arles, a town in southern France. He says opponents do not understand bullfighting. “Bullfighting is a tradition, an art, a dance with the bull,” Baptiste said. He is one of 12 students in Arles learning how to fight bulls.

Opponents wonder how it can be called “an art” when an innocent animal is killed in the end. During a recent protest march, one sign read: “Bullfighting is not a fight; it’s the killing of a tortured (折磨) innocent.”

Aymeric Caron is a French lawmaker who sent a bill to Parliament that would ban bullfighting. It is currently being debated. He said some parts of France permit bullfighting as long as fewer than 1,000 bulls are killed each year. Just because it is a tradition, he said, does not “morally justify a practice”.

Other lawmakers in Caron’s party are not supporting his bill, so it is unlikely to pass. But the news of the anti-bullfighting proposal started a discussion throughout France.

Frederic Pastor oversees the bullfights in the city of Nimes. He said the bull is “glorified (给予荣耀)” during the fight although it is killed. Nimes is home to 14 bullfighting shows each year. They bring in over $60 million to the city.

Tiphanie Senmartin Laurent is one of the protesters. She said most people are against bullfighting. “Torture is not a show,” she said.

Spain is considered the place where bullfighting began. People there are also questioning the practice. Bullfighting was banned in the Spanish province of Catalonia in 2010 but later brought back. A major court in Spain called the practice a “cultural asset”. That means it is considered a tradition that has value. A new proposal on animal safety in Spain does not discuss bulls.

1. What can be known about Baptiste from paragraph 2?

A．He is expert in bullfighting.

B．He is far from opposed to bullfighting.

C．He comes from a northern French town.

D．He doesn’t understand why bullfighting becomes a tradition.

2. Which may Aymeric Caron agree with about bullfighting?

A．It is sort of an art.

B．It means a lot of harm to the innocent animal.

C．It is a symbol of culture in Spain.

D．It makes humans know more about the bull.

3. What did Aymeric Caron’s bill lead to actually?

A．Bullfighting’s being banned.

B．The public’s interest in the sport.

C．A national discussion on bullfighting.

D．The higher frequency of bullfighting shows in France.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Bullfighting Is Increasingly Popular in France

B．Challenges Faced by Bullfighting

C．The Rise and Fall of Bullfighting

D．France Considers a Ban on Bullfighting

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

It is universally acknowledged that China has a long history of drinking tea. Tea     1     (create) in China about 5,000 years ago. Nowadays,     2     wide variety of tea trees are grown throughout China. China has been producing different types of tea, such as green tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, and herbal tea, and exporting tea to every part of the world.

Green tea is the     3     (old) type of tea in China, and it is also produced there in the greatest quantities. Many provinces and cities are renowned for their production of green tea, the most renowned provinces     4     (be) Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Anhui.

Green tea is also one of the most popular types, and its     5     (popular) has only grown in recent years.     6     addition to its unique flavor, it provides a caffeine boost that’s perfect for people     7     need some help in the energy department but aim to either reduce their coffee intake     8     stay away from it altogether.

There is no “best” or “worst” time to drink green tea for most people. It mostly comes down to personal preference. But, if you are     9     (sense) to caffeine, you might consider drinking your green tea earlier in the day     10     (avoid) potential interrupted sleep.