1 . New efforts are being made to prevent American college campuses from cigarette smoking. Twenty colleges in the United States recently received money to help protect their campuses from the harm of cigarettes.

Supporters say that every child deserves to grow up in a safe and healthy environment free from harmful second-hand cigarettes. And in November, smoking at college campuses may become illegal.

Before banning smoking at college campuses, the US has passed laws banning smoking at most workplaces. 27 American states ban smoking in all indoor workplaces.

Those supporting smoke-free at workplaces and college campuses give one major reason: the bad influence of smoking on health.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says smoking has a great influence on health. They think cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Smoking is responsible for 480,000 deaths every year.

Supporters say the bad influence of second-hand smoke makes it a public health problem. Some also say that college campuses are a good place to ban smoking.

Gary Reedy, the CEO of the American Cancer Society, said it was important to stop college students from smoking, and he expected to successfully create a cigarette-free generation (世代).

The CDC found that 13 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 24 smoke cigarettes. Reedy says that reducing the number of college students who smoke can help reduce the number of older adult smokers. He also says once a person starts smoking, it is hard to stop.

1. Who are the new efforts good for?

A．College students.	B．The CDC.
C．Young smokers.	D．People in public places.

2. What makes the action to ban smoking possible?

A．The bad influence of smoking.	B．Money wasted on cigarettes.
C．Laws passed by the US.	D．Public attention to health.

3. Which one is Reedy’s opinion?

A．Smoking spreads easily among college students.

B．Smoke-free campuses have a long-term influence.

C．It is easier for college students to stop smoking.

D．There’re more older adult smokers in the world.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Second-hand smoke is affecting college students too

B．Groups take steps to protect college students

C．Cigarettes should be totally banned in college

D．Banning smoking is being tried at US colleges

2 . Many questions can be expected in advance and it’s wise to have some well-constructed answers that you can tailor more closely on the day. It’s sensible to have a number of key phrases to use. Remember to always try and make your answers positive.

Q1: Tell me about yourself. (The interviewer is really saying “I want to hear you talk.”)

A1: This is just to get things started, but it is a very common question. Write a script, and practice it so that it sounds natural. Spend a maximum of four minutes describing your qualifications, career history and your range of skills. Emphasize those skills that are relevant to the job on offer.

Q2: What have been your achievements to date? (The interviewer is saying “Are you an achiever?”)

A2: Again, this is a common question, so be prepared. Select an achievement that is experience-related and fairly recent. Identify skills you used in this achievement and say what the results were.

Q3: What do you like about your present job? (The interviewer is really trying to find out whether you will enjoy the things the new job has to offer.)

A3: This is a straightforward question. All you have to make sure is that your ‘likes’ correspond to the skills etc. required for the job on offer. Be positive, describe your job as interesting and diverse, but do not overdo it. After all, you are leaving?

Q4: What are your strengths? (The interviewer simply wants a straightforward answer as to what you are good at.)

A4: This is the one question that you are definitely going to get, so there is no excuse for being unprepared. Concentrate on discussing your main strengths. List three or four explanations of how they could benefit the employer. Strengths to consider include technical proficiency; ability to learn quickly; determination to succeed; positive attitude; your ability to relate to people and achieve a common goal. You may be asked to give examples of the above, so be prepared.

Q5: Tell me about the most difficult situation you’ve had to face and how you handled it.

(The interview is really trying to find out your definition of “difficult” and whether you can show a logical approach to problem solving using your initiative.)

A5: This can be a trap! To avoid it, select a difficult work situation that was not caused by you and which can be quickly explained in a few sentences. Explain how you defined the problem, what the options were, why you selected the one you did and what the outcome was. Always end on a positive note.

1. The passage is mainly intended to ________.

A．highlight the importance of looking positive in an interview

B．give suggestions on how to answer interview questions

C．provide some sample answers to interview questions

D．illustrate how to look confident in an interview

2. When asked about what you think of your present job, you’d better ________.

A．talk about what you dislike about it

B．comment positively on your colleagues

C．relates it to the job you are applying for

D．describe how interesting it is as far as possible

3. If an interviewer wants to know whether you can solve a problem properly, what will he ask?

A．Tell me about yourself?

B．Tell me about your strengths?

C．What have been your achievements to date?

D．How did you handle the most difficult situation?

3 . By the time the British adventurer Ash Dykes reached Chongqing 178 days after starting to trek (长途跋涉) along the Yangtze River from its source to the sea, the most difficult part of the journey was over. Dykes had completed about 2,430 miles, and all he needed to do was cover the next 1,550 miles in 187 days or less to complete the whole journey.

On August 26 last year, a three-man team, including two guides and a horse, hit the road at the starting point, the source of the Yangtze River in the south of Qinghai Province. Then at different times for the next two months, different people had come to join them.

In order to cross the plateau (高原) and mountains in good weather, the journey was planned to start in summer. However, because of the problems in preparations, Dykes arrived in Qinghai in late August as the days were becoming shorter and colder. Not wanting to wait for another year, he decided to continue.

Within a few days three of the adventurers experienced serious high altitude sickness (高原反应). In the mountains, the team had to light fire to scare off bears, and once they had been followed by a group of wolves for two days. They were forced to quit the journey. In fact, Dykes has been walking alone since late October.

“The rest of the trip would be much easier,” Dykes said. He started from Chongqing on the second half of the journey on March 11. At the same time,he called on more people to join him in some parts of the trek as a way to encourage environmental protection.

“Travelling along the Yangtze River is not only a great act, it’s also a chance to enjoy the true beauty and wonders of China, and attract people’s attention to the environment and good work to protect it,” he wrote on his Weibo. “However, the kindness and warmth of the local people have struck me so much that it is they that make the journey unforgettable.”

1. What do we know about Dykes’ journey along the Yangtze River?

A．It will cover about 3,980 miles.

B．It will be joined by more and more people.

C．It began in Qinghai and will end in Chongqing.

D．It’ll take him over a year to finish the whole journey.

2. What made Dykes unable to start the journey as planned?

A．Bad weather conditions.

B．Not enough preparations.

C．No partners.

D．High altitude sickness.

3. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The importance of protecting the Yangtze River.

B．The best way to travel along the Yangtze River.

C．People’s effort to protect the Yangtze River.

D．Dykes’ journey along the Yangtze River.

4 . “Dad, I need your help. Come here!” My 5­-year­-old girl pulled me towards the computer. “Dad, please buy everything I have in the Amazon shopping cart (购物车). Here, take this cash from my savings!” The shopping cart showed ten items for a total of about 130 dollars. “Wait!” I replied.“That’s too much money! Why do you need all these things?”“Please, Dad! These items will get here before Christmas. I have a surprise for everyone. No peeking(偷看)!” she explained, and I bought everything.

A couple of days later, she got everything. I saw her then wrapping (包装) all her gifts. “Can I help you?” I asked.“No, Dad. I told you these are special surprises. No peeking!” she replied. Her excitement was obvious.

The day came. She was all around her gifts, planning, protecting, arranging. Everything had to be perfect. As soon as dinner was over, she jumped from her chair and took her gifts. She went around giving each one of us her piece of love. These were small items, but it was the meaning of giving her heart that we were really feeling. As she gave the gift to each person, she watched the expression on our faces. Our smiles were her greatest reward. Her last gift was for my 2-­year-­old boy—a toy car. It was hard to describe my little boy’s delight at getting this gift! For several minutes, everyone’s attention was focused on watching him go all around the house happily.

Seeing these acts of my 5­-year­-old helped me understand the power of giving—giving from the heart. Later that day, my girl received some gifts, but she didn’t need them. She focused on others, not on herself. It was clear that she was the one feeling true joy.

1. Why did the girl ask her father for help?

A．She didn’t have enough money.

B．She needed him to keep the secret.

C．She wanted to get his opinions on gifts.

D．She couldn’t make the online payment.

2. How did the girl feel when wrapping the gifts?

A．She felt proud.

B．She felt delighted.

C．She felt cautious.

D．She felt satisfied.

3. What did other family members think of the girl’s acts?

A．Pleasant.	B．Creative.
C．Reasonable.	D．Surprising.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To praise his daughter for her generosity.

B．To share his experience of raising his kids.

C．To discuss how to find happiness in daily life.

D．To share the lesson learned from his daughter.

5 . My aunt got sick after her only son died. She was beginning to forget things. Simple tasks became a challenge for her.

    1     Then she went through chemotherapy (化疗) and radiation. Although she could still walk and talk, she forgot a lot of things that happened in the past and even conversations that had taken place a few days before.

My grandmother became my aunt’s caretaker. After school, I would go to my grandmother’s home until my mom got off work.     2     I started preparing meals and talking to my aunt to keep her company.

As my aunt’s symptoms developed, she could not stand for a long period, so we began assisting her as she walked.     3     This was the hardest part for me. But I did it to help my grandmother. After a while I began administering medicine and massaging (按摩) my aunt’s legs to help with the circulation.

    4     I didn’t think I had the courage to help someone who was sick or who could not look after himself. But after assisting my aunt I began to care more about the needs of others. Seeing someone so strong and passionate (热爱的) for life fall sick to the point where she needed assistance with things most people take for granted was a new understanding.     5     This experience not only changed my view on life, but also inspired me to consider becoming a physician’s assistant, or another career where I can help others.

A．Next I was asked to help bathe her.

B．My heart became soft for the needs of others.

C．She had been cancer-free for about four years.

D．After some tests, we were told that she had brain cancer.

E．I realized that we all need help in life, whether physical or mental.

F．This experience changed how I viewed old people and the sick.

G．During this time my grandmother started asking me to help her care for my aunt.

6 . Each year, the women of Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, have an unusual “pancake racing”. This tradition is said to have started on Shrove Tuesday,1445, in Olney. Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent begins.

It is said that in 1445, an Olney woman was making pancakes. She suddenly heard the church(教堂) bells ring, signaling the beginning of the Shrove Tuesday service. Realizing that she was going to be late for church, she raced out the door still wearing her apron(围裙) and headscarf and holding her frying pan(锅) with a pancake in it. Olney women continue this tradition more than 500 years later.

In 1950, a person of Liberal wanted his town to join in Olney Pancake Race. He made some phone calls to Olney to set up a friendly competition, and the people of Olney accepted the challenge.

The rules are simple. Racers must wear the traditional headscarf and apron. They have to flip(抛) the pancake in the air so that it flips and lands back in the pan on the other side. After the race, there are Shrove Tuesday church services. Then Liberal and Olney connect through a video call to compare race times and announce a winner.

In both towns, the races have grown into larger festivals. Olney’s festival is an all­day event starting with a big pancake breakfast. Liberal’s festival lasts four days and includes a parade, a great show, and eating competitions.

Although the women’s race is still the main event, both towns now hold races for boys and girls of all ages. Emma Evans,14, was the winner of her age group’s race in Liberal last year. She wore an apron that her grandma made for her and used a pan passed down to her from her older brother. Her family cheered her on from the sidelines.

“It’s a family tradition, ”Emma says. “And there are only two places in the world that compete against each other in a race like this, so it feels special.”

1. What do we know about Olney Pancake Race?

A．It was founded by a cook.	B．It was started during Lent.
C．It is a centuries­old tradition.	D．It has been held every year since 1445.

2. What do the competitors have to do during pancake racing?

A．Wear their formal clothes.	B．Throw and catch the pancake.
C．Hand the pancake to another.	D．Eat the pancake while running.

3. Different from Olney’s festival, Liberal’s festival         .

A．lasts only one day	B．has more varied activities
C．holds different races for boys	D．starts with a delicious breakfast

4. How does Emma look at pancake racing?

A．It is family­friendly.	B．It is quite competitive.
C．It should be internationalized.	D．It should provide aprons for racers.

7 . The story of Santa Claus began hundreds of years earlier. During the fourth century, a Roman Catholic church official called Nicholas of Myra became famous for his many good actions. Nicholas was made a saint after his death and it became common in northern Europe to hold a celebration on December 6th, the day Nicholas died. All kinds of stories were told about saint Nicholas and the Dutch brought one of these stories with them to America. They believed that each year the saint rode a white horse from home to home. He gave presents to children who had been good, and coal or straw to children who had been bad. Other Americans who lived nearby greatly enjoyed the Dutch celebrations. They decided to make saint Nicholas part of their own celebration of Christmas. But he got a new name Santa Claus. It was taken from the Dutch words for Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus. The Dutch imagined Saint Nicholas to be a serious, even frightening person, who could punish as well as give gifts. But in 1822, an American named Clement C. Moore wrote a Christmas poem for his children, the poem called A Visit from St. Nicholas, created a completely new Santa Claus. Dr. Moore described a short, happy, little man who rode in an open sleigh. The sleigh was pulled from house to house by eight white reindeer. At each house Santa delivered gifts by dropping them down the chimney into the fireplace. Dr. Moore’s poem was published in a newspaper in New York, in 1823. It soon became popular all over America and it became the source for the Santa Claus American children still believe in today.

An American artist named Thomas Nast also played a part in creating Santa Claus. Beginning in 1860’s, Mr. Nast drew pictures of Santa Claus for an American publication called Harper’s Weekly. These pictures showed a fat, smiling old man with a red nose and white beard. He was dressed in a red suit with white fur and a black belt. Today more than one hundred years later, that same Santa Claus can be seen everywhere at Christmas time.

1. Nicholas died ________.

A．on December 25th	B．on December 6th
C．in 1822	D．in 1823

2. Nicholas became famous because ________.

A．he lived during the fourth century

B．he was a Roman Catholic Church official

C．he did a lot of deeds

D．he lived in Myra, the ancient capital of Lycia

3. The Dutch believed that Saint Nicholas ________.

A．gave presents to each child

B．gave nothing to the bad children

C．gave coal or straw to the bad children

D．gave presents to the adults

4. The Santa Claus that American children trust today comes from _______.

A．a newspaper	B．a poem
C．a chimney	D．a forest

8 . You may have been told in the past that reading to your children can help their development. Now an organization is trying to stress it even more.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now having doctors encourage parents to read aloud to their children, even at the earliest stages. They say it is an important part of the brain’s development in the first three years of a child’s life.

“Although reading to our children can be a simple thing, it has a huge effect on our children. It can encourage our children to read later on in life and give a good start to their education. It can enhance the vocabulary and other communication skills. We can continue to do something that doesn’t take a lot of time and energy to tell the children that love of reading is so important when they are babies,” said Dr Heidi Stoltenberg at Mayo Clinic Health System.

Reading to your children is very important. Stoltenberg said it is never too early to start. “It may seem kind of unusual because we don’t necessarily think babies are at an age when you would read to them, but immediately when you come home from the delivery (分娩) of your baby is a great time to start that,” Stoltenberg said.

Studies have shown that the poverty level plays a major role in parents who read to their children. Many times, that is simply because the families cannot afford books or other things to read. There are many resources (资源) in our area to help those families get reading materials. The United Way of Freeborn County, and many others across the region, have teamed up with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Many local hospitals, including Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin, also take part in Reach Out and Read.

1. What does the underlined word “enhance” in the third paragraph mean?

A．Choose.

B．Receive.

C．Increase.

D．Prevent.

2. What is Stoltenberg’s opinion of reading to babies?

A．She thinks it is completely meaningless.

B．She believes babies may get hurt if you do that.

C．She insists that the parents turn to some experts.

D．She holds that reading to babies should start as early as possible.

3. What’s the main difficulty for parents to read to their children?

A．Being short of time.

B．Being short of money.

C．The bad family environment.

D．The poor education background.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The importance of reading to children.

B．New ways to develop children’s reading ability.

C．Reasons that influence children’s reading habits.

D．Necessity of paying attention to children’s brain development.

9 . When mothers I know talk about their gifted kids, I will have a lot of conflicting emotions. I get it that the moms are proud, and surely, I don’t mind hearing about the kids’ other amazing achievements. It’s the gifted thing that gets me.

I would probably feel differently if my daughter Violet was some great prodigy. Maybe I would be out there bragging (吹嘘) with some mothers if she was reading on an eighth grade level instead of struggling through “I’ll Teach My Dog a Lot of Words”. Like every other parent, I had dreams of Violet being some kind of combination of Lincoln and Mozart. But in schoolwork at least, Violet seems solidly normal, ahead of some in her class, behind when compared to others.

But why do I care? Normal is a good thing! Normal is great! As it is, what I’d like to brag about seems like a thing people never care about. My Violet is a really great little girl. She’s a little hothead, with a temper, but she also cares about other people’s feelings. When friends of hers are sick, she wants to make them little cards and pictures to help them feel well. A new little girl came to her classroom last week, and Violet noticed she was feeling lonely and scared, so she asked the new girl to play at break.

But no one brags how nice their kid is. Too bad. That’s the kind of thing I’d like to hear. I don’t think I’d mind listening to lots of stories of kindness. “Oh yeah? Well, my kid took his plate to the sink without asking!” “Yeah? My kid lined up his shoes in rows in his closet and then sat on my lap and told me I was pretty!” Listening to those kinds of stories makes me feel cheery. They make me feel like the world is a good place, full of people who care for each other. Unlike those about kids who are trying to be the best.

1. Hearing other moms bragging about their gifted kids, the author feels______.

A．calm

B．proud

C．uncomfortable

D．surprised

2. What does the underlined word “prodigy” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．A person who studies hard.	B．A person who acts unwisely.
C．A person with unusual abilities.	D．A person with a great personality.

3. Which of the following can best describe Violet?

A．She is intelligent.	B．She is kind-hearted.
C．She is a perfect girl.	D．She is sometimes lonely.

4. The author prefers to listen to stories about______.

A．kids’ happy lives	B．kids’ achievements
C．kids’ good character	D．kids’ wonderful talents

10 . The rescue of an Austrian skier who was found alive after being buried by an avalanche is being called a “miracle”. Police in Upper Styria — the mountainous and forested region in southern Austria — said they were alerted on Christmas Day that a 26-year-old skier had not returned from the slopes. The man who alerted police said he had managed to get through to the skier’s mobile phone but heard only “cracking noises” on the line, the BBC reported.

A rescue team was able to trace the skier beneath more than 3 feet of snow using an electric avalanche victim’s transceiver (无线电收发两用机), which skiers are required to wear in avalanche-prone areas. They found the man was on a slope of Mount Pleschnitzzinken, in the northwestern area of Upper Styria. “You can’t move under a blanket of snow like this,” Stefan Schrock of the Styria mountain rescue service told Austrian public broadcaster ORF. “The man was extremely lucky that he had a big enough air pocket under the blanket of snow, so he had oxygen too and was able to breathe.”

The man was found about two hours after authorities were first alerted. However, the avalanche hit the region three hours before that when the man was buried in the snow. A rescue team and local police dogs dug the man out of the snow and he was taken down the valley suffering from hypothermia (体温过低). He was otherwise unharmed.

An avalanche also swept across a marked ski trail near the Swiss town of Andermatt on Thursday, injuring two people. Four others were either rescued themselves from the snow unhurt. Police and rescuers searched the snowslide after witnesses said more people might be buried, but the operation ended with police saying there were no more victims. The avalanche occurred mid-morning while many holiday skiers enjoyed mountain sunshine the day after Christmas.

1. Why did the man alert the police?

A．He found two people injured.

B．A 26-year-old skier got lost.

C．He heard only terrible noises.

D．Many people got lost on the slope.

2. How could the skier survive?

A．Only the dog helped him.

B．He had an electronic transceiver.

C．A blanket of snow helped him.

D．He had a big enough air pocket.

3. How long was the man trapped in the snow?

A．For two hours.

B．For three hours.

C．For five hours.

D．For a week.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．A terrible avalanche.

B．A Christmas miracle.

C．An exciting rescue.

D．A Christmas ski.