1 . Keeping Calm to Take Tests

Taking a test can be quite a stressful experience. Many people get nervous before taking a test.     1    . Try these tips to make sure that you’re in a good state of mind on test day!

Take plenty of time to prepare for each test

Use prep materials to get used to the test’s structure and guidelines. Look up the available instructions on taking computer-and paper-based tests for each exam.

Use sample questions and exercises

Examples of authentic questions and previously used topics are often available, as well as sample tests.     2    .

Simulate the test situation

    3    . Allow yourself only the time given for the actual test. Practice working through sections as quickly and effectively as possible, identifying and focusing on areas where you need to improve.

    4    

The more you know about a test and how it is scored, the more efficiently you can approach it. Use the internet as a resource. Nowadays, the internet provides all kinds of information that is helpful to you.

Follow the directions carefully

This one is critical — read all of the instructions thoroughly and completely before beginning. Don’t worry if you don’t know an answer. Concentrate on each question and do the best you can, but don’t spend too much time on any one item either.     5    . If you have extra time at the end, then you can go back to check your answers.

A．Take advantage of all the resources available to you

B．Practice taking the test — even if you’re taking it at home

C．Make good use of the internet to get prepared and released

D．But there are ways to help calm your nerves and be prepared

E．Use these to get as much practice as you can before taking the actual exam

F．Be aware of your time, making sure you have enough to answer every question

G．Close your eyes for a minute, and picture yourself in a place you really love to be

2 . There have been several incidents in recent years where people died because of unsafe crowd conditions and stampedes(人群的蜂拥), the latest one unfolding in Seoul, South Korea, with at least 155 deaths reported. This may leave some people thinking there’s little you can do to survive a stampede.     1     But crowd-safety experts say there are several strategies that could help you avoid a potentially deadly outcome. Consider these steps below:

The key to staying safe in a crowd begins as soon as you arrive at the location, says Randy Atlas, a safety consultant based in Fort Lauderdale.     2     It’s a piece of common sense advice that Atlas applies not just at big events, but even when entering almost any room.

If there’s a sudden panic and crowds begin to push in a certain direction, your instinct (本能) may be to fight back and push the opposite way.     3     If you go against the flow, you increase your chances of getting tripped and knocked down. Another risk, according to experts: If you fight the crowd, you will tire yourself out quickly in a situation where energy is needed.

As you move forward with the crowd, it’s best to move in a diagonal (对角线的) direction so you can potentially angle your way out of the situation. The goal is to get to the edge of the stampede where it’s less likely that you’ll end up stuck at a choke-point, like a doorway.

    4     Look for a solid structure to stand behind such as a pillar or a wall. Other places to duck: behind a car or even a lamp post.

In many stampede events, people die simply because they are crushed to the point they can’t breathe. But a possible way to avoid this is to place your arms in front of you, almost in a boxer-like position. That could give you some very valuable breathing room—literally.     5    

A．Another potential way is to shelter yourself.

B．But that could be a big mistake, Atlas warns.

C．In this case, you don’t necessarily have to wait and let time slip by.

D．Namely, he advises people to take note of where the nearest exits are.

E．It’s a simple pose, but surprisingly effective and possibly life-saving.

F．Other events, such as a Halloween gathering, are likely to turn deadly.

G．Indeed, it’s a frightening situation and circumstances may make it impossible to escape.

3 . My father loves his garden. He planted some seeds in it. But at that time, I didn’t understand why working in the dirt excited him so much.

Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He had to stay in bed for a while. My mother had several business trips, so she couldn’t take care of the garden. I didn’t want my father to worry, so I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often, so I didn’t think much about the garden.

One Saturday morning, my father said to me, “Christine, the vegetables should be about ready to be picked. Let’s have a salad today!” I went out to the garden and was upset to see that many of the lettuce leaves and carrots had been half eaten by bugs. There were hundreds of bugs all over them!

I panicked for a moment but then I quietly went to the nearest store to buy some vegetables. When I gave the salad to him, he said, “Oh, Christine, what a beautiful salad! I can’t believe the carrots are this big already. You must be taking very good care of my garden.” I felt a little bit guilty.

Coming home, my mother saw the bag from the supermarket in the kitchen. I was embarrassed, and I admitted Dad wanted a salad but the garden was a disaster. I didn’t want to disappoint him so I went to the store. She laughed but promised to help me in the garden and weeks later I was finally able to pick some vegetables.

I carefully made a salad and took it to my father. He looked at it with a hint of a smile, “Christine, the carrots are smaller in this salad, but they taste better.”

Now, I better understand how putting a lot of effort into caring for something can help you appreciate the results more, however small they may be. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for my father’s love of gardening.

1. Why did Christine originally promise she would do the gardening?

A．She was asked by her father to do it.	B．She was interested in growing vegetables.
C．She knew it was important to her father.	D．She wanted to improve her gardening skills.

2. Which of the following was a problem in the garden?

A．Insects destroyed the lettuce and carrots.	B．Animals often dug holes in the garden.
C．The plants were given too much water.	D．The vegetables were marked incorrectly.

3. Why could Christine secretly use the store-bought vegetables to make the salad?

A．Her mother helped her to buy the vegetables.

B．Her mother regularly helped her to make a salad.

C．Her father couldn’t see the progress of the vegetables in his garden.

D．Her father went on a business trip at that time.

4. What did Christine learn from her experience of gardening?

A．Always get ready for a rainy day.	B．Don’t be disappointed by bugs.
C．Working alone produces results.	D．Hard work can often be rewarding.

4 . 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。

In ancient times, our ancestors relied on stars to guide them       1    a clear night. Today,with the help of Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS),     2    is entirely built by Chinese engineers, we Chinese can easily find our way.

The BDS is one of four global navigation     3    (network),along with the United States' GPS,Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. With the last satellite launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on June 23, the global network of 59 satellites     4    (complete) since then. On July 31,Beidou started providing full-scale global services. It's difficult to imagine the great effect which those satellites have on our daily lives. This year, Hellobike, a popular bike-sharing company came out with two new bike models     5    （equip) with the positioning service.Users can find shared bikes more accurately thanks to Beidou's global positioning accuracy of 2.34 meters.

As the     6    (large) space-based system in China,Beidou adopts a unique two-way communication system, including its ability     7    (receive) messages sent by people from areas with poor signals.     8     (obvious), this exclusive function isn't designed for users to chat online. Instead,it plays     9     important role when terrible disasters occur and ground-based communications are blocked. As Sun Jiadong,former chief designer of the BDS,put it:" The application of Beidou is only limited by     10    （imagine)."

5 . At some point when you were a child,a trusted adult likely told you that if you held a seashell up to your ear, you'd hear the ocean.    1    Seashells are not special capsules that have stored the sounds of their native homes.

But what exactly is that rushing sound you're hearing?    2     “The sound of an empty shell held up to the ear is created by echoes(回声）from sounds made in the environment.”Geerat J. Vermeil, a distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California,told us.

    3    Other structures with openings, like empty bowls or bottles, can produce similar sounds. “When the noise around us hits the internal surface of this hard seashell, multiple reflection occurs,” said Vermeil. “Whether you hold a seashell or the mouth of an empty bowl around your ear, you experience the ocean-like sound quality as a result of a phenomenon called “resonance.”

    4     It says that you're hearing the sound of your own rushing blood in your body. But scientists also clarify that it doesn't change with variation of pulse or blood pressure. “All this is perhaps a bit unimportant, but a more interesting question is what controls the frequencies of echoes" Vermeil added,indicating that there's a need for further research into shape, volume and shell thickness in relation to pitch.     5     Actually, if you put a shell to your ear on the beach, the sounds you hear will include partly some ocean noises.

A．The same goes for shells.

B．The answer is less mystical.

C．This effect is not limited to shells.

D．Now you probably know that this is not true.

E．Scientists are working hard to find the answer.

F．Maybe the original myth is not completely false.

G．There's another explanation for the rushing sound in a seashell.

6 . There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school (寄宿学校). Before being sent away this boy was the _______student in his class. He was at the top in every _______. He was a winner.

But the boy _______ after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started _______. He hated being in a group. He was _______ all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like _______ himself. All of this _______ because he felt worthless and no one loved him. His parents started _______ the boy. But they did not _______ know what was wrong with him. ________ his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.

They sat ________ the bank of the lake near the school. The father ________ asking him casual (随便的) questions about his classes, teachers and ________. After some time his dad said, “Do you know, son, ________ I am here today?” The boy answered back, “To ________ my grades?” “No, no,” his dad replied, “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about ________. I care about you. I care about your happiness. You are my world.” These words ________ the boy’s eyes to fill with tears. He ________ his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.

Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this ________ who cared for him deeply. He ________ the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!

1.

A．richest

B．cleverest

C．laziest

D．prettiest

2.

A．competition

B．school

C．game

D．group

3.

A．fitted

B．changed

C．lost

D．refused

4.

A．growing

B．lasting

C．improving

D．dropping

5.

A．lonely

B．careless

C．worried

D．busy

6.

A．believing in

B．giving up

C．agreeing with

D．fighting against

7.

A．happened

B．stopped

C．came

D．disappeared

8.

A．worrying about

B．caring about

C．complaining about

D．talking about

9.

A．then

B．now

C．yet

D．even

10.

A．And

B．But

C．So

D．Or

11.

A．toward

B．along

C．opposite

D．on

12.

A．enjoyed

B．started

C．suggested

D．finished

13.

A．work

B．study

C．sport

D．education

14.

A．when

B．where

C．how

D．why

15.

A．check

B．watch

C．command

D．make

16.

A．classes

B．grades

C．appearances

D．ideas

17.

A．caused

B．permitted

C．taught

D．persuaded

18.

A．pushed

B．hit

C．hugged

D．begged

19.

A．side

B．day

C．trip

D．earth

20.

A．meant

B．lent

C．moved

D．left