1 . In a recent announcement, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology（MIT）said that they have joined forces to offer free online courses in an effort to attract millions of online learners worldwide.

Beginning this fall, a number of courses developed by teachers at both universities will be offered online through a new $60 million program, known as edX. “Anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world can use our online courses,” Harvard President Drew Faust said during a meeting to announce the plan.

MIT has offered a program called OpenCourseWare for ten years that makes materials from more than 2,000 classes free online. It has been used by more than 100 million people. In December, the school announced it also would begin offering a special certificate, known as MITx, for people who complete certain online courses. Harvard has long offered courses to a wider population through a similar program.

The MITx will serve as the foundation for the new learning platform.

MIT President Susan Hockfield said more than 120,000 people signed up for the first MITx course. She said Harvard and MIT hope other universities will join them in offering courses on the open-source edX platform.

“Fasten your seatbelts,” Hockfield said.

Other universities, including Stanford, Yale and Carnegie-Mellon, have been experimenting with teaching to a global population online.

The Harvard-MIT program will be monitored by a not-for-profit（非盈利的）organization based in Cambridge, to be owned equally by the two universities. Both MIT and Harvard have provided $30 million to start the program. They also plan to use the edX platform to research how students learn and which teaching methods and tools are most successful.

1. According to this text, edX is _______.

A．a part of the free MIT OpenCourseWare

B．a free computer program by MIT and Harvard

C．a Harvard-MIT platform of free online courses

D．a free program online for universities worldwide

2. What is said about online education in the text?

A．Universities have been trying online courses.

B．About 2,000 online courses have been offered.

C．Over 100 million people have finished courses online.

D．Stanford and Yale together have courses similar to edX.

3. The underlined part in the text probably means “         ”.

A．Get ready for the difficulties

B．Get ready for this educational change

C．Get prepared to complete the online courses

D．Get prepared to make materials for the edX courses

4. What can be said about MITx according to the text?

A．It is first offered as part of the edX learning program.

B．It is another free MIT-Harvard online learning program.

C．It is a standard to recognize online learners’ achievement.

D．It is a new kind of free online course of Harvard and MIT.

2 . When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as    1    (quick) as possible and head     2     safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk    3    (kill) by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.

“Storm chasing” is becoming an     4    (increase) popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States,     5     there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.

Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents     6    (cause) by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a     7    (begin), it is much     8    (safe)   to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.

Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”

    9    , for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is     10    example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”

3 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文．文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改．
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词．
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉．
修改：在错词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词．
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分．

I will share one experience with you. With the College Entrance Examination draw near, I was filled with great anxiety. However, I couldn't be absorbed in study, resulting from my failure in the examination. I got very discouraging. Just then, my teacher, Miss Zhang, approached me and said, "In life we all have moments when we can't achieve what we want . It is natural. Don't let those moments to weaken you, and turn them into motivation to inspire yourself." Her words were reminder that provided me with constant encouragement to smile at life. Consequently, I gained that I deserved. So it is an optimistic attitude which matters most of all. It gives you the confidence to deal with difficulties and to achieve what you want in your life.

4 . Do you have any strong opinion on co-educations or single-sex schools?

A supporter of co-educational schools would probably say that schools should be like the societies they belong to. In Hong Kong, men and women mix socially on a day-to-day basis．In many fields men are even likely to have female bosses. It is, therefore, desirable that boys and girls grow up together, go to school together, and prepare themselves for a society that does not value sexual separation．

Some would go on to argue further that growing up with members of the opposite sex is important for personal development．Regular contact can remove the strange ideas about the opposite sex and lead to more natural relationships. Single-sex conditions are seen as leading to more extreme opinions, and possibly even as encouraging homosexuality(同性恋), though there is no proof that this is the case.

Those who are against co-education often also fix their attention on the sexual side. Some parents fear that close contact with members of the opposite sex is dangerous for teenagers. They want their children to be attentive to their studies. Such parents feel uncomfortable with modern ways and the free mixing of the sexes.

A stronger argument comes from research into school results. Girls grow up earlier than boys, tend to be more orderly and are likely to be better at languages. In a mixed class, boys who might do well in a single-sex class become discouraged and take on the role of troublemaker. Certainly in the UK this situation has greatly alarmed the government for it to be encouraging co-educational schools to have some single-sex classes. In the UK the best schools are all single-sex, strongly suggesting that co-education is not the best answer. This may, however, not be as simple as it looks. It may simply be that the famous old schools that attract the best students happen to be single-sex, rather than that being single-sex makes them better schools.

1. The underlined word “attentive” in Para.3 most probably means ________.

A．accessible	B．addicted
C．devoted	D．accustomed

2. Alarmed by the situation, the UK government encourages ________．

A．co-education	B．single-sex classes in co-educational schools
C．single-sex education	D．co-educational classes in single-sex schools

3. At the end of the passage the writer suggests that ________．

A．single-sex schools are the best schools in the UK

B．being single-sex does not necessarily make a school better

C．co-educational schools are better for both sexes in personal development

D．because boys cannot compete with girls in study, they go to single-sex school

5 . 假如你是李华。你下周四因故不能出席外教Smith的英语文学课，打算向他请假。请给Smith写一封邮件，内容包括：
1.写信目的；
2.原因及歉意；
3.弥补措施；
4.希望批准；
注意：1. 词数100左右；

2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

____________________________________________________________________________________________
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6 . Since finishing my studies at Harvard and Oxford, I’ve watched one friend after another land high-ranking, high-paying Wall Street jobs. As executives (高级管理人员) with banks, consulting firms, established law firms, and major corporations, many are now ____ on their way to impressive careers. By society’s ____, they seem to have it made.

On the surface, these people seem to be very lucky in life. As they left student life behind, many had a ____ drink at their cheap but friendly local bar, shook hands with longtime roommates, and ____ out of small apartments into high buildings. They made reservations at restaurants where the cost of a bottle of wine ____ a college year’s monthly rent. They replaced their beloved old cars with expensive new sports cars.

The thing is, a number of them have ____ that despite their success, they aren’t happy. Some ____ of unfriendly coworkers and feel sad for eight-hour workweeks devoted to tasks they ____. Some do not respect the companies they work for and talk of feeling tired and ____. However, instead of devoting themselves to their work, they find themselves working to support the ____ to which they have so quickly become ____.

People often speak of trying a more satisfying path, and ____ in the end the idea of leaving their jobs to work for something they ____ or finding a position that would give them more time with their families almost always leads them to the same conclusion: it’s ____. They have loans, bills, a mortgage (抵押贷款) to ____, retirement to save for. They recognize there’s something ____ in their lives, but it’s ____ to step off the track.

In a society that tends to ____ everything in terms of dollars and cents, we learn from a young age to consider the costs of our ____ in financial terms. But what about the personal and social costs ____ in pursuing money over meaning? These are exactly the kinds of costs many of us tend to ignore — and the very ones we need to consider most.

1.

A．much

B．never

C．seldom

D．well

2.

A．policies

B．standards

C．experiments

D．regulations

3.

A．last

B．least

C．second

D．best

4.

A．cycled

B．moved

C．slid

D．looked

5.

A．shared

B．paid

C．equaled

D．collected

6.

A．advertised

B．witnessed

C．admitted

D．demanded

7.

A．complain

B．dream

C．hear

D．approve

8.

A．distribute

B．hate

C．applaud

D．neglect

9.

A．calm

B．guilty

C．warm

D．empty

10.

A．family

B．government

C．lifestyle

D．project

11.

A．accustomed

B．appointed

C．unique

D．available

12.

A．yet

B．also

C．instead

D．rather

13.

A．let out

B．turn in

C．give up

D．believe in

14.

A．fundamental

B．practical

C．impossible

D．unforgettable

15.

A．take off

B．drop off

C．put off

D．pay off

16.

A．missing

B．inspiring

C．sinking

D．shining

17.

A．harmful

B．hard

C．useful

D．normal

18.

A．measure

B．suffer

C．digest

D．deliver

19.

A．disasters

B．motivations

C．campaigns

D．decisions

20.

A．assessed

B．involved

C．covered

D．reduced

7 . One of the greatest gifts one generation can give to other generations is the wisdom it has gained from experience. This idea has inspired the award winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. He interviewed and took photos of fifty over sixty-five year-olds all over the world. His project explores various aspects of their lives. The photos and interviews are now available on our website.Click on the introductions to read the complete interviews.

Let us now have a culture of peace.——Federico Mayor Zaragoza, SpainFederico Mayor Zaragoza obtained a doctorate in pharmacy(药学) from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1958. After many years spent in politics, he became Director General of UNESCO in 1987. In 1999, he created the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, of which he is now the president. In addition to many scientific publications, he has published four collections of poems and several books of essays.

Writing is a discovery.——Nadine Gordimer, South AfricaDue to a weak heart, Nadine Gordimer attended school and university briefly. She read widely and began writing at an early age. She published her first short story at the age of fifteen, and has completed a large number of works, which have been translated into forty languages. In 1991, Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Jazz is about the only form of art today.——Dave Brubeck, USADave Brubeck studied music at the University of the Pacific and graduated in 1942. After World War Ⅱ he was encouraged to play jazz. In 1951, he recorded his first album(专辑). Brubeck’s 1959 album has become a jazz standard. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.For more figures CLICK HERE.

1. Why did Andrew Zuckerman choose the fifty elders for his project?

A．Because their wisdom deserves to be passed on.

B．Because they are physically impressive.

C．Because their accomplishments inspired him.

D．Because they have similar experiences.

2. According to the web page, Federico Mayor Zaragoza _______________________.

A．has won many awards for his work in politics

B．has made achievements in different areas

C．has devoted all his life to the field of science

D．has served as the president of a university

3. Who most probably said “My education has been the library and books” in the interview when reflecting on his/her experience?

A．Nadine Gordimer.	B．Federico Mayor Zaragoza.
C．Andrew Zuckerman.	D．Dave Brubeck.

4. What is the main purpose of this web page?

A．To show Zuckerman’s awards.	B．To publicize Zuckerman’s project.
C．To celebrate the achievements of the three people.	D．To spread the wisdom of the three people.

8 . The jobs of the future have not yet been invented.     1     By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

1. Curiosity

Your children need to be deeply curious.     2     Ask kids, “What ingredients (配料) can we add to make these pancakes even better next time?” and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time?

2. Creativity

True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it.     3     There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

3. Interpersonal Skills

Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what’s going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions.     4     “Why do you think she’s crying?” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face? If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?”

4. Self-expression

    5     There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas — music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A．Encourage kids to cook with you.

B．And we can’t forget science education.

C．We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways.

D．So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist?

E．Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill.

F．We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories.

G．Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill.

9 . Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．

Sounds unusual, doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic, with the development of China’s high-speed railway system. And that’s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe．

China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore．

China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．

If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days．

The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes．

China’s high-speed train, the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the World’s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．

Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge(轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．

But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of Yuan on domestic railway expansion．

China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．

It’ll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countries．

For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they’ll   trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．

1. China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because_____．

A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions

B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways

C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries

D．the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism

2. According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is       ．

A．technical issues	B．safety of the system
C．financial problems	D．maintenance of railway tracks

3. Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?

A．Critical	B．Reserved
C．Doubtful	D．Positive

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．New Railway Standards	B．Big Railway Dreams
C．High-speed Bullet Trains	D．International Railway Network