1 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm－hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1?| A．How the Irish fought against the English. |
| B．How Ireland gained independence. |
| C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
| D．How two “Irelands” came into being. |
| A．food shortages and a lack of work in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
| B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
| C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
| D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
| A．the Irish character | B．the Irish culture |
| C．Irish musical instruments | D．a famous Irish writer |
| A．Life in Ireland | B．A Very Difficult History |
| C．Ireland, Past and Present | D．The Independence of Ireland |
2 . Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(缺乏). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks(滴水) in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.
1. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?| A．Using river water. | B．Throwing batteries away. |
| C．Throwing rubbish into lakes. | D．Paving parking lots. |
| A．All water shortages are due to human behavior. |
| B．It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs. |
| C．There is much we can do to reduce family size. |
| D．The average family in America makes proper use of water. |
| A．show us how to fix leaks at home |
| B．tell us how to run a dishwasher |
| C．prove what drinking glass is best for us |
| D．suggest what we do to save water at home |
| A．how human activity affects our water supply |
| B．how much we depend on water to live |
| C．why droughts occur more in dry climates |
| D．why paving roads reduces our water |
| A．their | B．whose | C．of them | D．with whom |
4 . When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.
One big disadvantage is money---it costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
1. What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?| A．Staying on the farm. | B．Leaving home for the city. |
| C．Moving to the countryside. | D．Running away from the school. |
| A．He lives in the city now. | B．He is in good health. |
| C．He prefers driving a car. | D．He is very old now. |
| A．persuade the reader to live in the city |
| B．express his opinions about ways of life |
| C．show an interest in the outside world |
| D．describe his life in the countryside |
| A．By inferring. | B．By giving explanations. |
| C．By listing examples. | D．By comparing. |
5 . When I begain planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was worried about a lack of jobs and cultural differences. Ignoring these
Determined to do this
One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask
I was a little surprised, but had a
It seems that the world always
| A．doubts | B．concerns | C．instructions | D．reasons |
| A．Even if | B．Every time | C．Now that | D．Soon after |
| A．of | B．at | C．for | D．with |
| A．on my own | B．on my way | C．by any chance | D．by the day |
| A．any | B．much | C．some | D．little |
| A．why | B．wherever | C．whether | D．whenever |
| A．director | B．attitude | C．language | D．manner |
| A．answer | B．work | C．leave | D．refuse |
| A．for ever | B．at any time | C．as usual | D．for a while |
| A．returned | B．hesitated | C．passed | D．regretted |
| A．silent | B．busy | C．positive | D．comfortable |
| A．pick out | B．search for | C．take on | D．give up |
| A．dull | B．good | C．guilty | D．general |
| A．made use of | B．taken care of | C．run out of | D．become tired of |
| A．stopped | B．knocked | C．glanced | D．appeared |
| A．right | B．more | C．former | D．different |
| A．pressures | B．agreements | C．impressions | D．suggestions |
| A．lonely | B．funny | C．disappointed | D．satisfied |
| A．call | B．tip | C．present | D．report |
| A．turns off | B．goes over | C．gives back | D．looks up |
—________ Why didn’t you call us earlier?
| A．Good luck! | B．You did? |
| C．It’s no surprise. | D．You are welcome |
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
If we agree that the function of education is to prepare us for life, then there is very little time to waste. So, while we can, we ought to concentrate on teaching children something really useful. Here is what our school should teach.
Politeness is a mark of civilazation. The sooner children learn this, the better. In any case, a lot can be accoplished by a smile and good manners.
Like it or not, our adult lives will be consumed by the struggle for money, but we don’t make an effort to teach children how to manage it. So our schools have a duty to teach them this ability from the beginning.
We’re likely no accept something we are told, but that’s not what educated people do. Educated people are reasonable and they look at facts. If our schools teach nothing else, they should at least teach critical(批判性的)thinking.
Children should learn to take care of their health. They should know that if they eat junk food(垃圾食品), they will become fat and unhealthy. They should be very clear about what happens to their bodies when they drink or smoke.
All of us are part of society. We have rights and responsibilities. We ought to understand what they are. We have to know a little bit of history and geography, because we need to hava an environment in which to relate to the people around us.
How will we test students on these? We can’t. But that’s not a reason to avoid teaching what is important. Our schools should spend every moment they have telling this to our children:“This is life, this is what you are going to face, and this is how you deal with it.”
| Title | Very Useful |
| Introduction | Education should be a |
| Advice | Important things should be taught in |
| Teaching | ●How to behave ●The basic skill of ●How to ●How to keep ●The rights and responsibilities one has in |
| Conclusion | Children should be taught what |
8 . Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sai1a boat. Wind is one of our of our cleanest and riches power source(来源) ,as well as one of the oldest . Evidence shows that windmills(风车) began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC .They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s,when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power .
For many centuries ,people used windmills to grind(磨碎)wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground when electricity was discovered in the 1ate 1800s,people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This al1owed them to people in almost all1 areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used. During the course 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means higher coasts. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind .
1. From the text we know that windmills_________.| A．were invented by European armies. |
| B．have a history of more than 2800 years. |
| C．used to supply power to radio in remote areas. |
| D．have rarely been used since electricity was discovered. |
| A．Sailing a boat. |
| B．Producing electricity. |
| C．Grinding wheat into flour. |
| D．Pumping water from underground. |
| A．wind power is cleaner. |
| B．it is one of the oldest power sources. |
| C．it was cheaper to creat energy from wind . |
| D．the supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs. |
| A．The advantage of wind power. |
| B．The design of wind power plants. |
| C．The worldwide movement to save energy. |
| D．The global trend towards producing power from wind. |
| A．that | B．how | C．who | D．what |
—I put it there just now in case you needed it.
| A．does it land | B．has it landed |
| C．will it land | D．had it landed |
