1 . Vehicles on our roads are now mostly petrol and diesel (柴油) cars, but their days cannot continue for much longer. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 percent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 percent by 2020.

One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” — drivers concerns about running out of electricity on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.

Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed greatly over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars were met with distrust, and their high prices drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade picky consumers. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine (内燃机) models a run for their money.

As well as development on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.

Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions (排放). If the US could replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 percent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim (声称) to be completely emission-free. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.

1. The underlined word “hurdle” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.

A．aim

B．difficulty

C．result

D．step

2. Why did many people refuse to buy the electric cars in the past?

A．They were very poorly made.	B．They were not widely promoted.
C．They were expensive.	D．They couldn’t travel at a high speed.

3. What is the function of Paragraph 4?

A．To introduce the history of electric travel.

B．To explain why the world needs more electric cars.

C．To show why more people have interest in electric cars.

D．To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used.

4. Which is the best title for this passage?

A．Driving into a Cleaner Future	B．History of Electric Cars
C．Problems with Petrol and Diesel Cars	D．Best Means of Transportation

2 . ________ you’ ve got a chance, you might as well make full use of it.

A．After

B．Now that

C．Although

D．As soon as

3 . Impolite cellphone users are anywhere where there’s a cellphone signal.     1    . Could that be you? Follow our expert phone rules to avoid being rude and annoying.

Know where not to use your phone.     2    , so avoid talking on your cellphone or having it ring while in such places as hospitals, libraries and movie theaters. Turn you phone off if necessary.

Don’t talk too loudly. When in public, try not to raise your voice while on the phone. Generally you don’t have to shout on the phone to be heard on the other end. In fact, doing so often makes it harder for you to be understood.     3    .

Don’t use your phone when having a meal with someone. If possible, turn it off. If you’re waiting for an important call, let the person you’re with know beforehand (事先) that you’re expecting a call that you’ll need to take.     4    . If you have to, step away but don’t stay away any longer than a bathroom break.

    5    . When you’re in an enclosed space, or you can’t put yourself 10 feet out of everyone’s way, it’s inappropriate (不适当的) to talk but it’s potentially acceptable to receive and send text messages. But you’d better not text while doing anything that requires you to be focused.

A．Learn to text

B．Focus on your messages

C．Some places are inappropriate for cellphone usage

D．Limit phone use during gatherings with your friends

E．Try not to hold a phone conversation at table

F．In addition, shouting on the phone disturbs people around you

G．Most people who are impolite don’t even realize what they’re doing

4 . High school is a magical time when students can learn and grow.     1     Many students are feeling more pressure than ever before when it comes to performing well at school. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make sure your high school experience is enjoyable and successful.

● Explore and find your passions (热爱)

As a high school student, one of the most important ways to prepare yourself for a successful future is to find your passions by doing explorations. Thus, you can discover the areas of study that you’re passionate about.     2    

● Learn for growth, not just for grades

    3     High school should also be a time when you enjoy the process (过程) of learning. The more fun you have in high school, the more fun you will learn to have throughout your life. If you can enjoy school now, imagine how much more satisfying your college experience will be later.

●     4    

Discovering how to use your time wisely will certainly help you enjoy high school more. Learning how to manage your time in high school will make the transition to college and your professional life much easier. Best of all, the better you become at time management, the more time you will hopefully create to have some fun with friends, as well as enjoying extracurricular (课外的) activities.

● Get involved in your community

Engaging (参加) with your surrounding community not only adds to your resume, but also creates happier students. Moreover, by doing that, you will have more opportunities to explore your interests, thus providing you with a better idea of which area(s) you might take up in the future. You might even find that you get more interested in your classes.     5    

A．Work on time management skills.

B．Learn to love the act of learning itself.

C．Create good habits, like reviewing notes.

D．However, high school can also be a stressful time.

E．Selecting activities you love will lead to success in those areas.

F．Finally, realize you are unique and create your own list of success tips.

G．That’s because you find you can apply what you learn in classes to the world around you.

5 . History Fair Competition

Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. It is an essential part of who we are today and who we will become. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!

This Year’s Theme

All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand—held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.

Individuals or groups may enter one of the following categories:

 Performance

 Documentary

 Essay Writing

Category Requirements

Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.

Documentary: A visual presentation ( such as a video,slide show,or computer project) no more than 10minutes long. A desktop computer,screen,projector,and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday,March 23.

Essay Writing: An academic paper of 2,000 to 2,500 words. No illustrations(图解) are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.

Important Dates

January 5 Submit a topic proposal to your history teacher. The teacher may require a second proposal if the first is off—topic or unclear.

February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.

March 9     Submit a final draft of your essay.

March 15   Performance and documentary committee preview

March 24   Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition

7:00A.M—9:00 A.M Participants signing in at the gym

10: 00A.M. 6:00PM. Competition and judges' review

7: 00P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic

1. What's the main purpose of understanding history?

A．To preserve national traditions.

B．To prepare for a history competition.

C．To better know the present and future.

D．To further explore historical mysteries.

2. What is the theme of this year's competition?

A．Technology advances science.

B．Science interacts with technology.

C．Science has made the study of history easy.

D．Technology has improved the life of Americans.

3. What will the committee of teachers do on February 19?

A．Make comments on the materials.

B．Improve the participant's second proposal.

C．Preview performances and documentaries.

D．Collect a second proposal from the participant.

6 . 假定英语课上，老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。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：在错的词下划一横线，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。

As is well-known to all is that nothing is more important than health. People with good health can do their work good and enjoy their life. On the contrary, being unhealthy, people may lose many chances.

There are many ways to keep healthy. To begin with, people should have enough sleep to rest and refresh them. Besides, having a balanced diet is great benefit to physical health. Obviously, it is necessary to eat fruit and vegetables contains various vitamins. However, what people should do most is participating in more outdoor activity regularly to build up their body. They shouldn't sat in front of TV or computers for a long time, that is harmful to our health.

In a conclusion, health is wealth. As for students, only when we are healthy can we keep on studying and live a happy life.

8 . Amanda works for Plato's Closet, the clothing chain that buys and sells used clothing and accessories (配件). When she performed a routine _________ on a coat that was _________ by a man earlier that day, she _________ $7,000 in $100 bills zipped inside a pocket.

No one was _________ ; Plato's Closet employees check clothes all day long. And _________,the man who brought the coat didn't _________ Some people would have _________ the “opportunity”. But not Amanda. She said, “It wasn't mine, so I didn't get too _________ about that thick pile of cash.” _________, she safely stored the money until it could be ____________ to its rightful owner.

Sure, Plato's Closet has ____________ about sending back personal items found in the clothing, but what Amanda did ____________ her character. It wasn't the result of outside pressure. “It's just about integrity (诚实),” She said. “You just have to make sure that you're ____________ and that you do the right thing.

Reputation is easy; character is hard. Doing the right thing when others are watching is easy.

____________ public integrity, resolve or sincerity often results in recognition and praise. Doing the right thing when no one is watching is hard. Your nonpublic integrity gains no ____________ Or applause. Doing the right thing is also hard ____________ it often runs against our best interests. The true test of ____________ is what you do when people aren't watching. Maybe ____________ is Amanda's main character and maybe it's not, but that doesn't ____________. The fact that she ____________ to do the right thing is more important.

1.

A．service

B．comment

C．inspection

D．experiment

2.

A．picked up

B．dropped off

C．paid for

D．tried on

3.

A．earned

B．donated

C．spent

D．discovered

4.

A．listening

B．chatting

C．watching

D．speaking

5.

A．obviously

B．fortunately

C．hopefully

D．consequently

6.

A．remember

B．determine

C．express

D．wonder

7.

A．provided

B．deserved

C．seized

D．confirmed

8.

A．annoyed

B．guilty

C．excited

D．confident

9.

A．Also

B．Otherwise

C．Indeed

D．Instead

10.

A．arranged

B．returned

C．applied

D．linked

11.

A．regulations

B．remarks

C．results

D．reservations

12.

A．preserved

B．reflected

C．developed

D．affected

13.

A．greedy

B．polite

C．honest

D．curious

14.

A．Covering

B．Measuring

C．Previewing

D．Displaying

15.

A．admiration

B．knowledge

C．apology

D．cooperation

16.

A．if

B．while

C．since

D．unless

17.

A．character

B．motivation

C．education

D．nationality

18.

A．weakness

B．cheerfulness

C．carelessness

D．selflessness

19.

A．occur

B．matter

C．match

D．continue

20.

A．expected

B．promised

C．forced

D．chose

9 . When you think about art, you might think of it as permanent. After all, that picture you drew in kindergarten might still hang on your refrigerator years later.     1     Think about a Broadway performance. When it's over, it's over. Sure, it might live on in your memory or on film. But the live show was a special event. It was limited to one time and place.

Can you think of other forms of art that are temporary? If you're a fan of the beach, sandcastles might come to your mind. Have you ever spent hours building a beautiful sandcastle?     2     You knew your work of art would be gone as soon as the tide came in. The sandy beach is a canvas that nature erases daily.

Most of the time, art made from sand can't last long. Still, many people love using sand to create their own unique vision of beauty. One of the most attractive types of sand art is sand animation (沙画).     3     Artists who work in sand animation use sand to make a set of images that usually tell a story. They often start with a large amount of sand on a flat surface, such as a table. They then use their hands and fingers to draw in the sand.

    4     However, the wide variety of beautiful and highly-detailed sand artworks might surprise you. Many of these works of art are temporary. That's where the animation part comes in.

Sand animation artists create a series of images that move to tell a story. They might also use music and special lighting to complete the effect. Sometimes they take photographs of or video their creation throughout the process.     5    

A．Not all works of art are permanent, though.

B．Sand animation is beautiful but lasts only at the moment.

C．If you have, you probably were sad when it was time to leave the beach.

D．It is a type of live performance art.

E．Then, they turn it into a sand animation movie when it's finished.

F．It might seem like using sand would limit the art you could make.

G．Building a sand castle is a family-friendly activity perfect for large groups.

10 . When consumers see a food, what they expect makes the palate (味觉) taste certain flavors. The strong associations between color and flavor are well established in the scientific community. Research on the subject dates back to the 1970s. For example, consumers expect yellow foods to be sour and black foods to be bitter.

Branding, packaging and color quality of the product itself play a big part in creating and maintaining expectations. Food brands have long understood this and worked to establish standards. Federal regulations grade the color of orange juice. Businesses provide color- matching services for companies to select the right color for a particular product. In some cases, color can overpower other senses and convince people they taste flavors that aren't there.

The Penn State researchers set out to confirm long-standing research into the relationship between color and taste. And they found what consumers see when they eat matters as much as- if not more than- what they taste, and the links could be more flexible than many thought in some cases.

“This might have potential impacts in the food industry if a company were to launch a new flavoured product with a color. Some consumers might not learn or accept a new color and flavor pairing (配对) as well as others," Penn State Food Science doctoral candidate Molly J. Higgins said in a written statement.

But while today's consumers have expectations of flavors of items with different colors, they also have expectations that natural materials are used. While these materials are often preferable, they present a challenge. General Mills changed artificial dyes (染料) to natural ones in Trix cereal. Consumer anger followed. Many found the earthier tones (土黄色) depressing, despite no change in flavor. Chemicals and all, they wanted the original back. The company eventually switched back, choosing to treat color as being more important than other things.

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as for creating and maintaining expectations for products?

A．Color quality.

B．Branding.

C．Shape.

D．Packaging.

2. What do Molly J. Higgins' words suggest in Para. 4?

A．An expected food color attracts consumers more.

B．Most people choose foods based on their colors.

C．Not all consumers welcome a new color-taste pairing.

D．Companies should release new products regularly.

3. Why is General Mills mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To stress the importance of color in food selection.

B．To stress the possibilities facing food companies.

C．To stress the difficulty in using artificial materials.

D．To stress the difference between color and taste.

4. What can be the theme of the text?

A．Why do foods have different colors?	B．How deep are color-taste associations?
C．What factors affect the flavors of food?	D．Do different colors mean different responses?