1 . As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a(n) _______ when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is _______ to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. _______ you do, there’s a(n) _______ chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the _______ answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to _______ maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my _______, but _______ as an indication that I should study more. He _______ me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I ________ the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the ________ library on Saturday afternoons, when I ________ that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was ________ me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the ________ in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t ________ to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. ________ I reminded myself that those ________, the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go ________ to most people. No one was ________ born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of ________.

1.

A．advantage

B．disadvantage

C．trouble

D．discomfort

2.

A．enjoyable

B．humorous

C．simple

D．difficult

3.

A．Once

B．Where

C．Although

D．Until

4.

A．strong

B．poor

C．impossible

D．few

5.

A．wrong

B．complete

C．correct

D．missing

6.

A．think

B．astonish

C．know

D．decide

7.

A．marks

B．standards

C．characteristics

D．abilities

8.

A．extremely

B．simply

C．slightly

D．especially

9.

A．pulled

B．led

C．put

D．pushed

10.

A．designed

B．attended

C．got

D．took

11.

A．chemistry

B．engineering

C．biology

D．geography

12.

A．worried

B．agreed

C．knew

D．realized

13.

A．protecting

B．awaking

C．preventing

D．attempting

14.

A．girls

B．boys

C．students

D．classmates

15.

A．afford

B．try

C．help

D．manage

16.

A．Also

B．But

C．Though

D．So

17.

A．studies

B．grades

C．students

D．experiments

18.

A．actively

B．easily

C．difficultly

D．gradually

19.

A．never

B．ever

C．even

D．often

20.

A．honesty

B．knowledge

C．reality

D．faith

2 . Do boys and girls really deal with people in different ways? With Leaper’s help, we carried out some tests that showed us yes.

We offered the kids brightly wrapped (包装) gifts which may be disappointing: socks and a pencil. The girls responded very politely. Courtney said happily, “Just what I need. Socks and a pencil!” Her words made me feel good, while the boys weren’t about to make me feel good. “What?” Raja said, “Socks and a pencil? Rip-off!” Jacob had a similar reaction.

Are boys and girls simply born different?

Susan Witt, at the University of Akron, says boys and girls respond differently in situations like these because we parent them differently.

Witt means parents and society treat kids differently. A famous study called “Baby X” designed by Phyllis Katz tested adults on how they treated babies based on what they thought the gender (性别) was. When adults thought they were holding a girl, they held her gently and gave her dolls. When they thought the baby was a boy, they offered him a football. In the 1970s, some people took this to argue boys and girls were born entirely the same, and they behaved differently only because parents and society taught them to. Now, however, it’s accepted that society and biology both create the difference.

Witt also offered a few tips for the parents of girls: Don’t help them so much. Research shows parents tend to help girls more than boys. This can make girls feel helpless and less confident.

In the case of the boys who were honest in our test, we saw that their parents gave them a lot of freedom to act out. “Maybe too much,” says Witt. Witt said Moms should discourage kids who scream out demands.

Finally, a caution (警告) about generalizing about gender. The differences between individuals are frequently bigger than differences between sexes. In our experiments, some girls did speak their mind, and some boys were very polite.

1. What was the boys’ reaction to the gifts in the test?

A．They liked the gifts.

B．They were very polite.

C．They responded honestly.

D．They tried to make others feel good.

2. According to the text, the study “Baby X” ______.

A．tested adults on how they treated babies based on their gender

B．was designed to prove boys and girls are born different

C．was designed by Phyllis Katz from the University of Akron

D．proved that boys and girls are born entirely the same

3. Witt advised the parents of boys to ______.

A．give them more freedom

B．offer them more help

C．control them a little more

D．make them more confident

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The results of the experiments are confusing.

B．There’s no need to notice the differences between the sexes.

C．Differences between boys and girls aren’t true for all individuals.

D．Differences between sexes are more important than those between individuals.

3 . Is it important for teenagers to own the latest cell-phone models? There are different ways of looking at this question.

First, why do teenagers need to have the latest models? Often it’s just to show off. The paradox is that there are many teenagers who own the latest cell-phone models but don’t even know how to use them properly. This is true. They just want one because their friends have similar ones, or because they take very good videos and photos.

On the other hand, if they do know how to use them, the latest cell phones are really good. They not only help teens to stay in touch with friends and family, but also help them to access the Internet and download pictures, videos or music they need when studying. These new phones are so powerful that having one is almost like having a whole library in your pocket. It’s an instant (即刻的) source of information that helps young people get the latest news. But many parents, thinking only of such positive sides, do not take into consideration the potential dangers. For example, children may constantly be distracted (分心) during class by sending and receiving text messages.

Each young generation loves the new technologies available — just think back to when you were a kid. But your job as a parent is to make sure your child gets the most out of this technology with the least possible harm.

1. According to the second paragraph, teenagers want to have the latest cell-phone models because ________.

A．they want to show they are fashionable

B．they think the latest models help them a lot with study

C．they think they can keep in touch with others more easily

D．they want to learn how to use new technologies

2. The underlined word “paradox” in the second paragraph can be replaced by _________.

A．fault

B．problem

C．benefit

D．imagination

3. We can infer from the last paragraph that the author thinks _______.

A．a new generation always loves new things

B．parents also liked technological products when they were young

C．parents should make sure children use the new technologies properly

D．parents shouldn’t allow children to own a cell Phone

4 . 去年你作为一名交流生到英国学习和生活了大约10个月的时间，请根据下表用英语向同学介绍一下你在英国的学习和生活情况，并谈谈你对这段经历的感受或收获。

在英国的 学习和生活	住在英国人的家里，了解英国人的生活；
	学习多门课程，包括英文写作、英国文学、英国历史等；
	参观了许多图书馆和博物馆，到英国的很多城市参观旅游。
	其他……（至少1点）
感受或收获	(至少1点)

注意：
1. 对所给要点，逐一陈述，适当发挥，不要简单翻译。
2. 词数： 100左右。开头已经写好，不计入总词数。
3. 参考词汇：交流生 exchange student   文学：literature 文化Culture
Boys and girls,

I am glad to have the chance to share with you my experience in Britain for about 10 months as an exchange student.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you .

5 . Traveling can be a very fun and exciting way to vacation with your family, but it does not always turn out as expected. I have traveled a lot with my family over the years, but some experiences are worth forgetting altogether. I remember a particular traveling experience which sticks out in my mind for the wrong reasons.

My dad and stepmom had decided to drive to California for our family vacation. This was supposed to provide educational value, since we would be able to stop along the way and look at various sites in each state. Everything was going as planned until we decided to take a break and stop at the Grand Canyon(大峡谷). I had always wanted to see this exciting place and had decided to write a report on it for my eight-grade English class. We got out of the car and were walking on one of the paths to get to a cliff(悬崖) so we could take a family photo when I slipped(滑倒) and fell down. I fell on a piece of rock, and felt great pain run up my leg at once. My dad took me to the nearest hospital and, after an eight-hour wait in the emergency room(急诊室), found out that I broke two bones in my foot.

Needless to say, our vacation was no fun for me because I was in pain during the whole two-week trip. I ended up making an appointment the day we got home to see a doctor for a check-up. That was definitely not what I consider fun or a great vacation, and it really put a dent in our sightseeing plans.

1. What is the author’s attitude towards traveling?

A．Curious

B．Positive

C．Satisfied

D．Objective(客观的)

2. Why does the author always remember the particular traveling experience?

A．It was full of adventures. (冒险)	B．It was an unpleasant experience.
C．It was terribly boring and tiring.	D．It was of educational value to him.

3. The author slipped and fell down when he was ________.

A．parking his car	B．walking on a path to a cliff
C．taking a photo of his family	D．standing on the edge of a cliff

4. From the passage we learn that ________.

A．the bones of the author’s two legs were broken.

B．the author waited for 8 hours before the treatment

C．the author was taken to the hospital near his home

D．the travel of the family lasted about half a month

6 . Mozart was one of the greatest composers who ever lived. He was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. Even when he was very young, Mozart loved music. His father, who was the leader of an orchestra, was very happy that his son was so interested in music. When Mozart was three years old, he learned to play the harpsichord, which is a kind of piano. Mozart began to compose music at the age of five, and his father took him to play in front of the kings and queens of Europe.

At one concert, one of the violinists was missing from the orchestra. Mozart picked up a violin and played the music without a mistake. Mozart’s father and the other players in the orchestra were surprised. Mozart had never been taught to play the violin! Mozart continued traveling around Europe with his father, who was his teacher in everything. He composed many pieces for the piano, the violin, and later for full orchestra.

Mozart could write down a piece of music even if he had heard it only once. One day, he went to hear a group of people singing in a big church in Rome. The song was very special. The church leader said that people could sing the song only once a year, and only in his church. No one else was allowed to have the music. Mozart listened to the song. Although it was very difficult and long, Mozart went back home and wrote down the whole piece from memory. The head of the church heard about this, and instead of being angry with Mozart, he gave him a prize. When Mozart grew up, people were not so interested in him. He worked as a teacher and pianist, but he did not make much money. In 1791, at the age of 35, he died. He was so poor that there was not enough money for him to have a proper grave. No one knows where he is buried.

1. The story is mainly about ________．

A．Mozart and his music

B．a leader of an orchestra

C．the life of a great composer

D．the head of a church in Rome

2. Mozart’s father helped Mozart a lot by ________．

A．teaching him about music

B．giving him a violin to play with

C．sending him to a music school

D．giving him a lot of money

3. When Mozart was only three years old, he ________．

A．went to Rome	B．began to sing
C．began to compose music	D．played the harpsichord

4. Although Mozart was one of the world’s greatest composers, ________．

A．he died poorly

B．he did not teach anyone

C．he did not know many famous people

D．he couldn’t play the piano or violin

7 . 假如你是李华，新学期伊始，在新的学校遇见了许多新同学和老师，尤其对英语老师印象深刻，你想向你的英国笔友Tom介绍，请根据以下提示，完成一篇邮件。
内容要点：
1.我们的英语老师是一个精力充沛的人，在学习上对我们要求严格。
2.她在课堂上对我们非常有耐心。
3.她的课让我们感到很放松。
4.在她的帮助下，我们的英语已取得很大的进步。
5.我们很感激她的帮助，并且非常尊敬她。
注意：
1)不得少于词数100;
2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . It’s great to see you! It’s been six years since we last saw each other, you know. And _____________________ (这是我第一次参观你的家乡).Yes, I’m so glad you could come.

9 . I come from Sydney, Australia and I’m 18 years old. _____________________ (最近我第一次乘坐了长途火车去旅行。)And what a ride! A friend and I travelled on the famous Ghan train.

10 . I’d guess that Mrs. Chen is almost sixty. She’s very strict—we don’t dare to say a word unless she asks us to. _____________________ (她也很严肃，且不苟言笑。) When she asks you to do something, you do it immediately!