1 . Ways to fight the flu

The flu is annoying enough on its own. In order to keep yourself from it, follow these tips.

★Get the flu vaccine (疫苗). It’s the best way to protect yourself against the flu.     1     It also helps the people around you because there’s less chance you will catch the flu and pass it on.

★Wash your hands often.   Hand washing is an important way to protect against germs (细菌) like flu viruses.     2       So get in the habit of washing your hands when you come home from school, the mall, or anywhere else where you are around a lot of people.

★     3     Flu viruses travel through the air, so try to stay away from people who look sick. It’s also a good idea to avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth –three places flu viruses can easily enter the body.

★Cough or sneeze into a tissue (手巾纸) –not into your hands. That way, you’re not spreading the virus when you touch surfaces that other people may touch too.

★     4     You don’t want to pass your germs to someone else. And staying home is a great excuse to watch your favorite movie, play video games, or read to have a good rest.     5    

You also can fight the flu by getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and getting regular exercise.

Don’t let the flu ruin your fall and winter fun. Fight back!

A．Stay home if you have the flu.

B．Rest can help the body recover faster.

C．Keep your distance if someone is sick.

D．Take some medicine as soon as you have the flu.

E．It also helps protect against other germs and illnesses.

F．Getting vaccinated doesn’t just protect your own health.

G．Don’t let the flu fall at one of the most exciting times of the year.

2 . The next generation of robots will be able to see objects, will have a sense of touch, and will make critical decisions.

Engineering skilled and computer technology are developing artificial vision for robots. With the ability to “see”, robots can identify and inspect one specific class of objects out of a pile of different kinds of materials. One robot vision system uses of electronic digital cameras containing many rows of lights sensitive materials measure the intensity of light and convert the light rays into a range of numbers. The numbers are part of a gray-scale system in which brightness is measured in a range of values. One scale ranges from 0 to 15, and another from 0 to 255. The 0 is represented by black. The highest number is white. The numbers in between represent different shades of gray. The computer then makes the calculations and converts the numbers into a picture that shows an image of the object in question. It is not yet known whether robots will one day have vision as good as human vision. Technicians believe they will, but only after years of development.

Engineers working on other advances are designing and experimenting with new types of articulated (有关节的) metal hands and fingers, giving robots a sense of touch. Other engineers are writing new programs allowing robots to make decisions such as whether to abandon defective parts in finished products. To do this, the robot will also have to be capable of identifying those perfect and defective parts.

These future robots, assembled (装配，组合) with a sense of touch and the ability to see and make decisions, will have plenty of work to do. They can be used to prospect for minerals on the ocean floor or in deep areas of mines too dangerous for humans to enter.

They will work as gas station attendants, firefighters, house-keepers, and security personnel. The robot business will continue to grow also. Financial analysts believe this business will soar from a $ 100 million-industry at the start of the 1980s to a $5-billion industry by the early 2010s. Anyone wanting to understand the industry of the future will have to know about robots.

1. Why is it so important for robots to be able to “see”?

A．Because they can criticize human factory personnel.

B．Because they can make critical decisions.

C．Because they can work as human beings.

D．Because they have a strong desire.

2. Why will those people interested in industry have to know about robots?

A．Because robot-business will grow rapidly.

B．Because robots will be very useful.

C．Because robots will become very popular in industry.

D．For they can make a lot of money.

3. What is the meaning of “defective” in the third paragraph?

A．Having a noticeable or desire effect.

B．Unquestionable and undoubted.

C．Imperfect, having serious errors.

D．Not enough in quantity.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Future Robots Will Have Plenty of Work to Do.

B．Future Robots Will See, Touch, and Think.

C．Engineers Care Designing New Types of Robots.

D．Future Robots Will Have Visions as Good Human Vision.

3 . Throughout my 41 years at General Electric, I’ve experienced a lot. In the media, I’ve gone from prince to pig and back again. And I’ve been called many things.

In the early days, some called me a crazy, wild man. When I became CEO two decades ago, Wall Street asked, “Jack who?”

When I tried to make GE more competitive by cutting back our workforce in the early 1980s, the media called me “Neutron Jack.” When they learned we were focused on values and culture at GE, people asked if “Jack has gone soft. ” I’ve been No. 1 or No. 2 Jack, Services Jack, Global Jack, and, in more recent years. Six Sigma Jack and e-Business Jack.

When we made an effort to acquire Honeywell in October 2000, and I agreed to stay on through the transition (过渡期), some thought of me as the Long-in-the-Tooth Jack hanging on by his fingertips to his CEO job.

Those characterizations said less about me and a lot more about the stage our company went through. Truth is, down deep, I’ve never really changed much from the boy my mother raised in Salem, Massachusetts.

When I started on this journey in 1981, standing before Wall Street analysts for the first time at New York’s Pierre Hotel, I said I wanted GE to become “the most competitive enterprise on earth.” My objective was to put a small-company spirit in a big-company body, to build an organization out of an old-line industrial company that would be more high-spirited, more adaptable, and more flexible than companies that are one-fiftieth our size. I said then that I wanted to create a company “where people dare to try new things, where people know that only the limits of their creativity and drive, their own standards of personal excellence, will be the ceiling on how far and how fast they move. ”

I’ve put my mind, my heart, and my courage into that journey every day of the 40-plus years I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of GE.

1. According to the first two paragraphs, the author ______.

A．had many ups and downs	B．had a poor image in public
C．became CEO of GE 41 years ago	D．suffered from some mental illnesses

2. As the author sees it, the many nicknames of him indicate ______.

A．his company’s different stages of development	B．the various opinions of different journalists
C．the change of his character with the time	D．his popularity among his friends and relatives

3. According to the author, GE in 1981 ______.

A．was a big company with a small-company’s spirit	B．was the most competitive company in the world
C．differed from many old-line industrial companies	D．should seek broader space for development

4. What does the underlined word “journey” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Seeking a higher position in GE	B．Travelling from home to office
C．Taking GE to a new height	D．Growing from a baby into an adult

4 . Scientists have searched for many years for a method to tell whether a volcano(火山)explosion will be small or large. Now, four scientists say they have discovered something in lava(熔岩)that will help do this. They did the research on Mount Unzen on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.

Mount Unzen exploded in November, 1990. Since then, more explosions have killed 43 people and destroyed the homes of more than 2,000 others. The volcano is still active today.

The scientists say the lava of the volcano contains high level of an element(成份)，which is a sign of the presence of the lava from deep in the earth, not from the surface. They say it shows that the lava coming directly from inside the earth is connected with huge explosions instead of smaller ones.

The scientists examined the lava from 18 explosions of Mount Unzen that took place during many thousands of years. They also studied the lava from other volcanoes in the area that are older than Mount Unzen. The lava studied came from both large and small explosions. The scientists found that large explosions contained more of the element than small ones. The scientists say if they had known this two years earlier, they could have warned the people living in the area near Mount Unzen and saved many lives.

1. Scientists have searched for a long time in order to ______.

A．tell whether a volcano explosion will be small or large

B．tell whether a volcano explosion will be worthy or not

C．tell the number of active volcanoes in the world

D．find if there is any volcano in Japan

2. From the passage we learn that Mount Unzen is the name of ______.

A．an active volcano	B．a Japanese island
C．a huge volcano explosion	D．a kind of lava

3. Where does lava come from?

A．It comes from the deepest part of the ocean.

B．It comes from the earth surface.

C．Not mentioned in the passage.

D．It is from deep part in the earth.

4. The four scientists discovered that the level of the element contained in the lava could tell______.

A．the place of a possible explosion

B．the degree of a volcano explosion

C．the number of volcano explosions

D．the time of a possible explosion

5 . Twenty years ago, I was a school bus driver. Charlie, who was eight years old, became a rider. All the students had stories to tell me but Charlie ignored me.

From that day on, Charlie was a trial. If a fight broke out I didn’t have to turn my head to know who had started it. If a girl was crying, the chances were Charlie had pulled her hair. No matter how I spoke to him, he wouldn’t say a word. He’d just stare at me with his eyes.

Toward the end of that year, the kids on my bus gave me a small medal with the words “To the Best Bus Driver Ever ”. I put it up on the dashboard (仪表盘).

One day, when I got on the bus I realized that the medal was gone. One boy said, “Charlie was the first one on the bus. I bet he took it.” Other children also said, “Yeah! Charlie did it!” I asked Charlie, “Have you seen the medal?” “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said. All the children shouted, “Check his pockets.” I asked Charlie to come forward. I stuck my hand into one of his pockets. I felt it. Charlie stared at me for a long time. I was about to pull the medal out of Charlie’s pocket when I stopped myself. “It must have fallen off before I got here,” I said to the kids. Without a word, Charlie returned to his seat. That summer Charlie moved away.

Some years later, when I was in a department store, someone called my name. It was Charlie. To my surprise, he hugged me. He pulled an old key chain which was actually the medal from his pocket and gave it to me. “You were the only one who didn’t give up on me. Thank you! You are so beautiful!” he said.

1. It can be known from the passage that Charlie was ______.

A．a trouble maker	B．an easy-going boy
C．proud of what he had done	D．an honest boy with few words

2. The underlined word “it ” in Paragraph 4 refers to______.

A．the small medal	B．the dashboard
C．an old key chain	D．Charlie’s pocket

3. What was Charlie’s attitude towards the author when he met her years later ?

A．He hated her and stared at her without a word.

B．He thought highly of her and was grateful to her.

C．He appreciated her but he was too shy to say it out.

D．He respected her because she was the best driver.

4. Which of the following words can be used to describe the author?

A．Brave and generous	B．Helpful and impatient
C．Caring and kind – hearted	D．Polite but dishonest

6 . 根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Now there is an increasing number of inactive people, namely the “mouse potato”. A mouse potato is someone who sits in front of his or her computer all day and eats junk food instead of regular meals. Why are we becoming potatoes and what can we do to avoid it?

One reason behind it is our modern way of life. We don’t have as much time to prepare and eat food as we used to.     1    Not all of these are bad for us, of course, but they make it more difficult for us to control what we eat.

If we want to be healthy, we should make good choices about what we eat.   It is not necessary to become a vegetarian, but we must make sure that our diet is varied and balanced. A healthy diet should give us the calories we need but not contain too much fat and sugar. The number of calories our body needs depends on what our body type is, how much we weigh and how active we are.

Teenagers need about 2,500 calories a day.    2    Getting the calories we need is not enough. If we want to be healthy, we must make sure that we get the calories in the best way possible. The best source for calories is carbohydrates, which are found in gains, vegetables and fruit. Our bodies store carbohydrates in our muscles so that we can get energy when we need it.

Junk food has a lot of calories but few nutrients, vitamins and minerals, Some food does have nutrients, for example pizza, but because it contains too many calories, it is still called junk food. A healthy diet should include a variety of food, most of which should be rich in nutrients.     3     Those of us who love French fries, sweets, ice cream and cheeseburgers can still enjoy an unhealthy bite every now and then. All we have to do is to be careful how often and how much we eat of it.

If we make the right choices about what we eat, we will be healthier and have more energy to enjoy the good things in life.     4    And remember, it is better to eat a potato than to be one.

A．Choosing what to eat is no longer as easy as it once was.

B．That does not mean that we are never allowed to eat junk food.

C．A balanced diet combined with exercise is the recipe for a healthy life.

D．Girls usually need a bit less and people who play sports may need more.

E．A large breakfast, one containing about 700 calories, will help lose weight.

F．Fast food restaurants are everywhere and supermarket shelves are filled with ready-made pre-prepared dishes.

7 . 阅读下面短文和问题，在答题卡相应题号后的横线上写下相关信息，完成对该问题的回答。答语要意思清楚，结构正确，书写工整。

Dear headmaster, As president of Sullivan Junior High School’s student council, I have been chosen to write to you on behalf of the eighth grade class. We would like to propose an eighth grade promotion trip to Sea World in San Diego, California. We chose Sea World for several reasons. In science class, we have been studying oceans and the marine life. Going to Sea World would provide us with the opportunity to visit these creatures and to better understand their habitats. This could be a once in a lifetime experience for those of us who have never been outside Arizona. We will have lots of fun and learn at the same time. The close location of San Diego was also a factor in planning this trip. San Diego can be reached by bus in about six hours. If the buses leave Sullivan after school on Friday afternoon, we should arrive in California in time to have a late dinner and get settled into our hotel rooms before midnight.

You may be asking yourself. “How will this trip be financed?” We are suggesting that the school host an “Oceans of Fun” night for family, friends, and community members for a small fee. The activities would be organized and supervised by eighth grade students. Some of our ideas for the night include a Surfer’s Snack Shop with homemade treats for sale, Pirate Pete’s Treasure hunt, and a short production of “A Whale of a Tale.” This would the best chance to show our ocean animal reports. Many of the eighth grade students have gone to school together since kindergarten. We believe that this trip would be a fantastic way to celebrate friendships. This trip may also be one of the last times we see our friends because students from Sullivan Junior High School attend four different high schools. We invite you to our next student council meeting on December 7, 2013, to discuss your thoughts and work out any concerns you still may have. Thank you for taking the time to consider our request for an eighth-grade promotion trip. Sincerely, Julie Martino

1. Who has written this letter? What is she?
__________________________________________
2. What idea has the author mainly expressed in Paragraph 4?
__________________________________________
3. Why has the author written this letter?
__________________________________________
4. Why does the author mention that many students have gone to school together since kindergarten in Paragraph 5?
__________________________________________

8 . Dear Juliet, Paul and all the stall in ACE,

How is everything going? I have been in Leeds for more than 3 months. I miss you all so much during this time, especially at this turning of the year. I still remember the Christmas and New Year party we had together last year. It is a pity that I cannot celebrate this great festival with you this year, but I hope I can share my happiness with you through this letter.

After I entered in the British University, I realized that the foundation course I have taken is extremely important and helpful. Actually, most of the content of my present module has already been covered by IFY. Therefore, it is not difficult to follow the lectures and tutorials. Compared to the other Chinese students who took the foundation course in Britain, we are in a better stage in terms of both academic English and the knowledge of re levant subjects. More importantly, the IFY course has fully prepared us for the new style of study here. I would like to thank Juliet, Paul, Net, Scott and Chris with all my heart, because without your help, I wouldn’t be able to cope with the study in Britain.

I would also like to thank Cynthia, Sophia, Cathy and all the other staff in Qingdao ACE Programme. Thanks for your help in the last year, and thanks for your advice on my choice of university. It is you who make studying abroad possible for me.

The last one year’s study in IFY course was one of my most pleasant memories. While coping with the challenges of life in Britain, I always think back to the time when I was with you. I cannot forget every lectures and tutorials, and I cannot forget the times that we played together. You are not only my teachers, but also my good friends . I will miss you all. Hope I can see you when I go back to Chin a in summer.

Wish you every success in your life and keep good mood every day!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Phoebe

1. This letter was written by ________.

A．a Chinese student now in China

B．a Chinese student now in Britain

C．a Britain student now in China

D．a Britain student in Britain

2. According to the letter, IFY is a kind of ________.

A．a course opened in British universities

B．a course opened only in summer

C．a foundation course taken before going to British universities

D．a foundation course taken while in British universities

3. The underlined phrase “cope with” can be replaced by “________”.

A．start with

B．deal with

C．go on with

D．go with

4. The letter is written with a chief tone of being ________.

A．happy

B．thankful

C．sorry

D．respectful

9 . For the first 19 months of her life, Helen Keller was like other pretty happy babies in every way. Then in 1882, a sudden illness destroyed her sight and hearing. Because she could not hear what other people were saying, the child could not learn to speak. For the following 5 years, she lived in a world of darkness, without sounds or words and her parents could do nothing but let her be.

The person who changed Helen’s world was her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who entered her life. Miss Sullivan had accepted a job, which seemed impossible. She had agreed to teach a blind child who had never learned to act like a human being, because no one had ever been able to guide her in any way. No one could control Helen. She acted like a young animal, rushing wildly around, throwing things, and hitting anyone whom she could reach. Who could believe that such a child could be taught?

But Anne Sullivan was a very special kind of teacher. She had been blind during part of her own childhood and had learned to read Braille, a system of writing that uses raised dots which can be felt by the finger of a blind person. She had learned to see again after several operations, but she had never forgotten the experience of being blind.

Miss Sullivan understood Helen. She loved her and believed she could teach her.

Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned. The little girl had to learn to control her actions and feelings. She had to learn that she could not always do what she wished to do. She had always been able to get what she wished by using force. The teacher had to change such habits without breaking the child’s spirit.

Miss Sullivan’s battle began. Sometimes, there was real fighting between the wild child and the strong young teacher. At last, however, the battle was won by Miss Sullivan, who had succeeded in showing Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her. The child and her teacher became friends. They continued to be friends until the teacher’s death, 50 years later.

The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helen’s life. After that the teacher could begin to teach the child language.

1. Helen became blind and deaf after ________.

A．an unexpected accident	B．a football match
C．a sudden disease	D．fighting with her teacher

2. Sullivan probably passed away in ________.

A．1917

B．1932

C．1937

D．1939

3. To begin with, she taught Helen ________.

A．to pronounce a few words	B．to control herself properly
C．to copy some letters	D．to make different sounds

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Sullivan learned the Braille when she was blind as a child.

B．Blind as Sullivan was, he accepted the challenge to teach Helen.

C．At first Sullivan and Helen often fought each other.

D．Sullivan died when she was fifty years old.

10 . To Their Own Beat

When Los Lobos perform in concert today, audiences in the thousands cheer them on. It’s hard to believe that the group started out as just another garage band playing popular rock-and-roll tunes from the radio, In 1974 four high school friends from East Los Angeles formed Los Lobos ( Spanish for “The Wolves” ) .

Like many garage bands, these friends might have simply gone their separate ways after high school. But the members of Los Lobos wanted to keep making music together. They decided to change their musical style and began focusing on traditional Mexican music that showed their tradition.

“We pulled out all those records we used to beg our parents not to play around our friends and found an incredible wealth of music,” says Perez. “These guys (on the records) were doing amazing things with their instruments, and we started trying to pick up on it. ”

The group put aside its electric guitars for the acoustic ones used in traditional Mexican music. For several years Los Lobos played at weddings or parties—any event that needed live music. They also landed a regular engagement (合同)   at a Mexican restaurant.

By 1978 Los Lobos had made enough money to record their first album   (唱片) , and they sold copies of it wherever they performed. They also returned to their electric guitars to get closer to a Tex-Mex sound, which is a mixture of traditional Mexican music, rock and roll, country music, and the blues. This new, louder sound produced one unexpected result: the group was fired from the restaurant.

But it didn’t matter that Los Lobos had lost their one steady job, because they had found a position that no other group took up. They had combined electric and acoustic instruments and blended (混合) musical styles in their own way. Steve Berlin joined the band in 1983 as the saxophone and keyboard player, adding to the band’s unusual sound.

“We didn’t so much want to recycle the music we’d grown up with as much as find the common links between it and all the other styles and sounds that were all around us,” Perez explains.   “It became a mission ...   bringing music together to bring people together. ”

In the 1980s Los Lobos gained the attention of several record companies. They were hired to perform on the soundtrack to the film La Bamba, which earned them a Golden Eagle Award. They have since earned many awards, including two Grammys and an MTV Video Music Award. Their many records have been very successful, and they have toured the world.

Even after 30 years of making music together, Los Lobos continues to experiment with their sound. They never moved far away from their Mexican roots, however.   They still include traditional music in their live performances, sharing their history—and their culture—with their fans.

1. Los Lobos recorded their first album after they_______.

A．lost their job at a restaurant

B．began playing acoustic guitars

C．won an award for a film soundtrack

D．added saxophone and keyboards to their sound

2. Which paragraph writes about the great success of the band?

A．Paragraph 1.

B．Paragraph 4.

C．Paragraph 6.

D．Paragraph 8.

3. What makes Los Lobos special and successful?

A．The way they recorded their first album.

B．Their blending of different types of music.

C．Their decision to play traditional Mexican music.

D．The fact that they performed and toured the world.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Music is best when played with traditional instruments.

B．Music must be recorded to be passed down.

C．Music should remain the same over time.

D．Music can show many cultures.