1 . As a college student in Boston, I formed the habit of buying used books. I enjoy the hunt, the good price and the unrecognized treasures. I find old textbooks, ex-bestsellers, and books on subjects I’ve never heard of and now must learn all about. I don’t search for rare books, first editions, or leather-bound editions but books that are worth reading.

Rereading, for me, is a pleasure during retirement. The theater and the concert hall become less appealing to me, along with crowds. Staying alone and reading books have become extremely important to me. Literature needs the flesh of experience to have its full effect. Different books offer me insights and ways of expressing that stuck in my mind as grains of sand in an oyster now shine like pearls. My taste in books improves with age.

While packing for a move, which occurs at intervals of five to seven years, I clear my shelves and pick my books. I abandon a few, later regret my decisions, and look for them again. Several years ago, I got rid of books related to my job-architecture. Some were design guides, reference books, product catalogs, and things that went out of date. Some were historical or centered on a period or an architect. These had given me many hours of pleasure. Will I ever open their covers again? Certainly. I held on to the red bulk of Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture and books on Paris, Rome, and Boston.

I gave away drafting equipment and instruments. I threw out rolls and rolls of paper, and old drawings of projects completed long ago, some of which had even been damaged. This time, I stay put in a cottage that suits my status and I’ve moved on in spirit. No doubt I will acquire more used books and throw away more books as passions grow and fade, like feathers changing with the seasons.

1. What does the author consider most important when choosing used books？

A．Their appealing covers.	B．Their reasonable prices.
C．Their excellent content.	D．Their collection value.

2. What does the author realize as he grows older?

A．He has a small circle of friends.	B．His attitude towards work changes.
C．His communication skills improve.	D．He has a deeper understanding of life and books.

3. Why does the author mention books on architecture?

A．To show some books are worth reading repeatedly.

B．To recommend Sir Banister Fletcher’s books.

C．To suggest we avoid making poor decisions.

D．To explain his love for architecture.

4. What can we learn about the author from the last paragraph?

A．He will stop throwing away used books.

B．He likes updating his collection of used books.

C．He is bad at using advanced drafting equipment.

D．He enjoys leading an active life in the countryside.

6 . Is there a place that you have a strong desire to visit before you are too old to travel? If so, you’re in my shoes. The following places are where I desire to visit very much and most probably your best choices.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

The region is famous for its amazing natural beauty. Many 5A scenic areas and geological(地质的)parks are located there. The park not only has natural wonders, such as strange looking peaks and a thick forest, but also rich animal and plant resources. Tourists can feel like stepping into a natural botanic(植物)garden and kingdom of animals. After visiting here, one will realize the great natural beauty of our world.

The Rainbow Mountains

These geographical(地理的)wonders look as if they were painted with a giant paintbrush. The bright colors stand obviously among the surrounding green plants. Wild as it is, these mountains are a part of our world in China’s Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park. This wild variety of color does exist in the real world. No Photoshop is necessary for the natural beauty of these mountains.

Bora bora.

This place offers the chance to live like a native Polynesian. The clear open sky and the calm waters offer you the unique opportunity to observe how the native people lead a life nearby the sea. Many holiday centers are built here and offer different tours and experiences.

The Galapagos Islands.

The islands consist of 13 volcanic(火山的)islands and six smaller islands. Although known for Darwin’s visit, they’re more attractive than you might imagine. There are 900 species of animals found on these islands. 200 of these species are specific(特有的)to the Galapagos. Most travelers come to this lovely place for the specific wildlife here.

1. What can we infer about the four places from the text?

A．They all consist of both man-made sights and natural scenery.

B．They all enable visitors to experience the local people’s life.

C．They all became well-known after some important visits.

D．They are all on the author’s list of places to travel.

2. What can visitors do in the Rainbow Mountains?

A．See beautiful rainbows.	B．Take photos of colorful plants.
C．Enjoy geographical wonders.	D．Paint pictures with giant paintbrushes.

3. Which feature(特征)of the Galapagos Islands attracts most travelers?

A．Various wildlife.

B．The volcanoes.

C．Darwin’s visit.

D．Dark green plants.

8 . Many times, the small things in life, which we often ignore, are more important than the ones that we consider far more valuable.    1    

In his song, Kenny Rogers tells the story of a wife whose husband loves her very much.    2     According to her husband, the best way of showing his love to his wife is by providing her with all the wealth and comforts of life. Consequently, he works hard day and night and is thus not able to devote any of his time to her.

His wife, however, argues that this is not what she wants. All she wants for him is to show her more affection by giving her more of his time, caring for her and by expressing his feelings for her.     3    

Although her husband loves her very much, his way of showing his love for her is creating distances between the two.     4    

The main idea of “Buy Me A Rose” is that people who are closer to us deserve more sincere expression of our love, which may be found in smaller things in life.     5    We should learn to express our feelings than to show our love through material goods. Express your love.

A．These are the things that she longs for in her life.

B．And as time passes by, the distance keeps increasing.

C．These are the big, flashy things that he has given her.

D．Spending time with them is a better way of expressing our love.

E．This theme is highlighted in Kenny Roger’s song Buy Me a Rose.

F．Spending more money on them is a better way of expressing our love.

G．However, she thinks that the way her husband shows her his love is not appropriate.

9 . How to Welcome Change in Your Life

Do you embrace (欣然接受) the road you are now on or resist and avoid change at all costs when a recent event has shaken you greatly?     1    

Don’t react.

What do we do when we don’t know what to do? First, stop, take a deep breath and don’t do anything.     2     It is having faith and trusting what you do know in the unknown.

Reflect on the past.

Another activity is to recall times in your life when you were faced with an unknown. Then, think about how you handled the situation.     3     Use your past experiences to bring you strength, and to remind you what you are capable of.

Make conscious decisions.

    4     However, more possibilities open up when we are at peace. Go over you list of what ifs and make a more balanced list of the best and worst situations possible. Then talk to loved ones about what you would do in each situation and the choices you do have.

    5    

We often see fears as our greatest enemy, yet they provide us with an enormous opportunity for self-growth. What if we were to see them as friends who want to help us become a better person? Let your fears help you instead of hurting you. Then, write down what comes to you. You may be surprised by the answers.

A．Don’t panic.

B．Befriend your fears.

C．When we are fearful, our options seem limited.

D．Then try to feel at ease with the state of “not knowing”.

E．Learning from past failures helps you make better decisions.

F．Remembering these incidents will remind you that you’ve gone through difficult situations.

G．Here are things you can do in the midst of uncertainty to choose differently to change the track of your life.

10 . The huge T-rex (霸王龙) bends over a large triceratops (三角龙) lying on his side below. With its mouth open wide, the T-rex looks ready to kill the triceratops with a final bite to the triceratops’s neck. The display will be found at the National Museum of Natural History.

The museum has sought a huge T-rex skeleton (骨架) for many years. Before, it used a model of one. But museum director Kirk Johnson says that was never good enough. “It’s been kind of deeply embarrassing to be the national museum and NOT have a T-rex,” he said. The T-rex display is now the centerpiece of the museum’s newest show, which will be available to the public on July 15.

That T-rex, named Sue, was found in South Dakota. Officials at the museum built a special area for the skeleton. It includes a gift store of all things related to Sue. Sue even has her own Twitter account and a media presentation of her life story.

In modern times, movies like “Jurassic Park (侏罗纪公园)” have helped grow dinosaur interest for a new generation of young fans. But such movies describe the T-rexes as mostly huge, stupid and dangerous animals, which are true threat in the fighting: quick, intelligent and aggressive hunters in groups.

1. What is described in Paragraph 1?

A．How a T-rex hunts in the wild.

B．How a T-rex will be displayed in a museum.

C．How a T-rex is painted in a picture.

D．How a T-rex is filmed in a movie.

2. What do we know about the T-rex skeleton?

A．It was found in Australia.

B．It has been open to the public.

C．It is valued by the museum.

D．It is still a model one.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Movies about dinosaurs should be reduced.

B．The young generation dislikes dinosaurs.

C．The T-rex is a kind of huge, stupid dinosaur.

D．Some movies are misleading in a way.