1 . 目前，越来越多的中学生使用电子词典笔来学英语。最近，你班同学就“Should students use electronic dictionary pens?”这一话题进行了讨论，大家对此看法不一。请你根据表格提示，用英语写一篇短文，介绍此次的讨论情况并表明自己的观点。

赞成(40%)的理由	1. 电子词典笔便于携带，查单词容易； 2. 功能多：可以纠正发音，练习听力等。
反对(60%)的理由	1. 电子词典笔有其它功能，导致学习分心； 2. 容易产生依赖性，不再下功夫记单词。
你的观点	……

注意：1. 词数120左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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2 . 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。

“We finally have the first look at our Milky Way black hole, Sagittarius A*,”an international team of astrophysicists(天文物理学家)and researchers from the Event Horizon Telescope team announced     1    (proud)on Thursday.

For years, the supermassive black hole in the dark center of the Milky Way galaxy     2    (study)——and eventually, it’s been captured(捕捉)in an image. The black hole is often referred to     3     Sgr A*. Its mass is about 4 million times     4     of the sun, and it’s about 27,000 light years from Earth.

What made capturing the image extra     5    (challenge)was the dynamic enyironment of Sgr A*, and the challenges of looking not only through the earth’s atmosphere     6     also through the gas clouds in the disk of the Milky Way galaxy towards the center. It took several years to refine the images.

“Although we cannot see the black hole     7    (it), because it is completely dark, glowing(发光的)gas around it reveals a telltale signature, a dark central region    8    (surround)by a bright ring-like structure,” the Event Horizon Telescope team said in its announcement.

The     9    (discover)comes three years after the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration released the first-ever image of a black hole—but that work focused on     10     center of galaxy Messier 87, tens of millions of light-years away from Earth in the Virgo cluster of galaxies.

3 . Influential people have a great impact on everyone they encounter. Yet, they achieve this only because they exercise so much influence from inside, on themselves. Their focused pursuit of excellence is driven by five habits that you can follow and absorb until your influence expands (扩大):

1. They think for themselves.

Influential people aren’t affected by the latest trend or by public opinion.     1     They’re more than willing to change their mind according to facts, but they aren’t influenced by what other people think, only by what they know.

2. They welcome disagreement.

Influential people do not react emotionally to different opinions.     2     They’re humble (谦逊的) enough to know that they don’t know everything and that someone else might see something they missed. And if that person is right, they accept the idea wholeheartedly because they care more about the result than being right.

3. They are proactive (主动出击的).

Influential people don’t wait for things like new ideas and new technologies to find them; they seek those things out.     3     They see what’s coming because they intentionally look for it.

4. They respond rather than react.

If someone criticizes an influential person for making a mistake, or if someone else makes a mistake, influential people don’t react immediately and emotionally. They wait. They think.     4     Influential people know how important relationships are, and they won’t let an emotional overreaction harm theirs.

5. They believe.

    5     They believe in their power to achieve their dreams, and they believe others share that same power. They believe that nothing is out of reach.

A．Instead, they welcome them.

B．And then they deliver a proper response.

C．Influential people always expect the best.

D．They’re influential because they see what’s coming.

E．They form their opinions carefully, based on the facts.

F．They never believe that one person can change the world.

G．They fight back against these critics as hard as they could.

4 . A new study from researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA)seems to suggest busy students listening to sped-up video lectures can actually understand a lot.

In the experiment, Alan Castel and a Dillon Murphy divided 231 undergraduate participants into four groups. Each group watched two video lectures: one about the Roman Empire and the other on real estate appraisals (房地产评估). The videos, at normal speed, ranged hetween13 and 15 minutes long. One group watched each video at its normal speed, the second watched them at 1.5 times normal speed, the third at double speed and the fourth at 2.5 times normal speed.

After each individual video, the participants were given a test made up of 20 questions to measure how well they remembered the information. The normal-speed group averaged 26 correct answers out of 40, and were closely followed by the 1.5-speed group and double-speed group, which each scored 25 out of 40. It wasn’t until participants watched the video at 2.5-speed that their performance on the test significantly dropped, to an average of 22 out of 40 questions answered correctly. A week later, when the same participants took new tests without rewatching the videos, the new scores saw the same order of decrease (降低).

The study suggests that, while sped-up videos did not improve student learning comprehension (理解力), they did not put them far behind, either —at least until the speed reached 2.5 times normal speed..

The increase in efficiency that students get from finishing a video in half the time could allow them to take more effective notes. “Students can spend the same amount of time studying, but in perhaps a better way,” Murphy said “That opens the door to the potential benefits of that additional study opportunity.”

The videos in the study were for subjects that can be explained in words pretty easily, Murphy explained, whereas students watching a difficult physics or chemistry lecture at high speeds might see different results. Further research on the same topic could provide details on how well students remember information offered at higher speeds when it comes to those kinds of more challenging topics, the researchers said.

1. Which best describes how the participants watched the two videos?

A．The first group watched videos at different speeds.

B．The second group watched the two videos twice.

C．The third group watched for less than 15 minutes.

D．The fourth group watched for more than 40 minutes.

2. What did the experiment show?

A．The normal-speed watchers did no better than other groups.

B．Sped-up videos sometimes affected only a little to the watchers.

C．There were great differences among the 4 groups in the testing result.

D．The content of the video made no difference in the experiment.

3. What is Murphy’s attitude to watching video lectures at higher speeds?

A．Critical.

B．Curious.

C．Doubtful.

D．Supportive.

4. What might the researchers at UCLA do in their future studies?

A．Give participants more difficult tests after they watch videos.

B．Observe the effects of watching videos at lower speeds.

C．Let participants watch videos of more complex topics.

D．Ask students from various majors to watch videos.

5 . For 18 years, I’ve feared the yearly event of writing a “vision statement (愿景宣言)” for our son, Ethan. He has autism (自闭症). In theory, the vision statement is a lovely idea — an opportunity for parents to express the future they plan for their child five years down the road. In reality, as Ethan grew up and his limitations became clearer, I found it harder every year to write the short paragraph.

This year, as Ethan completed his final year in the school system, we signed Ethan up to work at a local farm that employs young adults with disabilities assuming it would go the way he always has. He’d be interested at first, then bored, and then — because he was bored — silly and unsafe around the equipment in a way that would get him removed from the program. It was his pattern and if there’s anything we’ve learned, autistic kids love repeating their patterns.

Surprisingly, after a year, we were told he’d made it onto a landscaping team. “What do you do in the team?” we asked. Eth an listed a few machines we assumed he was watching other people operate. We’ve lived with Ethan for 21 years. We know his limitations.

At our last meeting for the vision statement, a man from the farm read a report on Ethan. Ethan was operating those machines, safely and effectively, along with the final line: “Ethan makes us laugh every day.” I could hardly believe it.

Ethan wrote his own vision statement this year. He read it aloud:

“I plan to work at Prospect Meadow Farm until I retire and live. at home with my family as long as I can. My goals for the future are to learn how to drive a lawn mower (割草机).”

I had tears in my eyes. Not simply because Ethan had made his own entirely reasonable vision statement, but because it involved the part of his present life that brings him joy. After years of making up visions for a future we never honestly thought possible, Ethan was offering one that was both hopeful and extremely simple: I want my life to keep looking the way it does NOW.

1. How did the author feel about writing a vision statement for her son?

A．It was difficult.	B．It was boring.
C．It was annoying.	D．It was embarrassing.

2. Why does the author mention Ethan’s pattern in paragraph 2?

A．To show her concern for Ethan’s safety.

B．To show her familiarity with autistic kids.

C．To show her low expectations for Ethan’s farm job.

D．To show her special responsibility as Ethan’s parent.

3. How did Ethan behave on the farm?

A．He went beyond his limits.

B．He made silly mistakes.

C．He liked watching others working.

D．He could hardly get along with others.

4. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

A．Success is built on failure.

B．Never lose faith in your high goals.

C．Family support helps to develop confidence.

D．The future should look like the best parts of the present.

6 . Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks but also seeking to understand the meaning and intention behind them. The word “active” implies that you are taking some type of action when listening to others.

    1    

Be fully present

Active listening requires being fully present in the conversation. It enables you to concentrate on what is being said. Being present involves listening with all your senses and giving your full attention to the speaker. To use this active listening technique effectively, put away your cell phone, ignore distractions, and shut down your internal dialogue.     2     And let everything else slip away.

Pay attention to non-verbal cues (非言语暗示)

As much as 65% of a person’s communication is unspoken,     3    . This involves not folding your arms, smiling while listening, leaning in, and nodding at key points. It can also be helpful to pay attention to your facial expressions when active listening so that you don’t convey any type of negative response.

Keep good eye contact

When engaged in active listening, making eye contact is especially important. This tells the other person that you are present and listening to what he or she says.     4     At the same time, you don’t want to use so much eye contact that the conversation feels strange. To keep this from happening, follow the 50/70 rule. This involves maintaining eye contact for 50% to 70% of the time spent listening, holding the contact for four to five seconds before briefly looking away.

Be patient

Patience is an important active listening technique because it allows the other person to speak without interruption. Being patient involves not trying to fill periods of silence with your own thoughts or stories. This also requires listening to understand, not to respond.     5     Also, don’t change the subject too abruptly as this conveys boredom and impatience.

A．Don’t prepare a reply while listening.

B．It also shows that you aren’t distracted.

C．This isn’t helpful during active listening.

D．So use open, non-threatening body language.

E．Don’t focus too much on insignificant details.

F．Place your focus on your conversation partner.

G．This involves using certain strategies or techniques.

7 . 学校英语社团计划开展“走进经典(Embracing the Classics )”读书分享系列活动，现向全校同学征集书目。假如你是李华，请你用英文给社团负责人Jason 写信推荐一本经典名著（中外皆可），内容包括：
(1)书目名称；
(2)内容简介；
(3)推荐理由。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jason,
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Yours sincerely

Li Hua

8 . 你校将举办主题为“阅读改变人生”的英语演讲比赛，请你根据下列提示写一篇演讲稿。
1. 阅读的重要性；
2. 你的阅读习惯；
3. 你的阅读建议。
注意：写作词数应为80左右。
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9 . I was hurrying to our basketball game one morning when Hillary Barnes, the most popular girl, in school, stopped me. “Are you the twin who won the art competition?” she asked.

“No, that’s Christine. I’m Katie.” I said.

We were not identical twins; we looked quite different. She could defeat Snow White in a beauty contest! Compared to Christine, I felt like one of Cinderella’s stepsisters.

One Saturday Christine gave me a painting lesson because I was always attempting to be artistic too. But I knocked over the vase of flowers, spilling water onto Christine’s painting. Instead of becoming angry, though, she turned the whole mess into a dreamy masterpiece(杰作). You could look at it five different ways and see five different things. With this brilliant creation, she won First Prize in the art competition. I really envied her, but I knew it wasn’t her fault and I was the one with wild, unmanageable hair and no talent.

Joining Christine’s basketball team was my latest effort to be like her.

On the way to the gym, I’d made up my mind to give my best performance in that day’s game. I made preparations with great enthusiasm. “Christine, here!” I tossed her a ball. But it was too high, she leapt for it, it slipped through her fingers and crashed into the tape recorder that was used to play the national anthem before each game.

I muttered apologies as I picked up the broken pieces of the recorder. Coach looked at the mess and asked, “How are we going to play the song now?”

Christine suggested, “Let Katie sing it! She’s always singing at home.”

Coach asked. “Would you?” I found myself nodding.

Coach announced the national anthem and everyone stood. Standing before a microphone, I looked up to the flag. The notes seemed to flow from deep inside me, and my voice was steady and clear. When I finished, the gym was silent. Then it was filled with applause. As the game started. teammates patted my back and gave me the “thumbs up” sign. Laura Jamison said. “You should try out for the school musical!” I Nodded and said that I might.

The next morning Hillary Barnes stopped me in the hallway and asked, “Are you the twin who sings?”

“Yes, that’s me,” I answered, grinning(露齿笑) as I walked to class.

1. The authur uses “Snow White” and “Cinderella’s stepsisters” to show ________.

A．how dissimilar the twins were in appearance

B．why Christine could win the art competition

C．who was the most popular girl at school

D．what the twins characters were like

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?

A．Christine was unpleasant to her sister.

B．Katie showed a lot of ability in painting too.

C．The masterpiece was painted by the two sisters.

D．Katie took a reasonably balanced view of her sister.

3. Christine recommended Katie for the national anthem because ________.

A．she knew perfectly well what Katie had a gift for.

B．she wanted to repair the damage she had caused.

C．she thought Katie should be punished.

D．she would like to help the coach.

4. What is the message of the story?

A．Bad situations help become popular.

B．People are talented in different ways.

C．People should always be nice to others.

D．Unsuccessful attempts are well worth the effort.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
W: Bruce, I’m thinking of     1     (buy) a new car, but I’m at a     2     (lose) for which one to get. It’s difficult to choose a new car just on its performance and appearance.
M: I recommend a hybrid car.
W: Why? They are so expensive.
M: Hybrid cars do little harm     3     the environment. Besides, you’ll get tax credits for owning a fuel-efficient vehicle.
W: I like the sound of that. Gas prices are rising, so the     4     (little) I have to buy, the better. On the other hand, you insist on eco-friendly, but I’m more attracted to user-friendly vehicles.
M: Why don’t you buy a car     5     (equip) with an advanced guidance system? The latest version is terrific. The system predicts traffic jams according to     6     record of busy travel dates. So it can tell you     7     you might run into traffic jams and suggest back ways.
W: Wow, the more I know about different cars, the harder it is     8     (decide) which one I should buy.
M: That’s     9    . But you must try to get more information. Anyway, it’s not easy to pick out a leaf among so many     10     (leaf).
W: Hi, Steve, have you been to that new supermarket yet?