1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Beijing is a city bridging the ancient and the modern. From Buddhist temples to museums, narrow hutong     1     royal palaces, it is home to more than 3,000 years of glorious history even down to its layout, with the city keeping its carefully     2     (build) system of ring roads.

But for all its ancient buildings, Beijing is also a place     3     welcomes the fast-paced development of modern life, with 21st-century architectural     4     (wonder) standing side by side with historical buildings of the past.

It is a distinct visual contrast (反差) that shouldn’t work,     5     somehow these two very different worlds make a good combination.     6     (visit) several times over the last 10 years, I     7     (amaze) by the co-existence of old and new, and how a city was able to keep such a rich heritage (遗产) while constantly growing. As a photographer, I have spent the last two years     8       (record) everything I discovered.

The     9     (remark) development of this city, which is consciously designed to protect the past while stepping into the modern world,     10     (mean) there is always something new to discover here, and I could be photographing Beijing for the next 50 years.

2 . Indoor plants might look as if they just sit around not doing much, but in many ways they are the unsung heroes of the home.     1    , but studies have shown that they can promote people’s wellbeing by improving their mood (心情), reducing stress and helping their memory. What’s more, indoor plants are easy to look after and are not very expensive.

What are indoor plants?

Indoor plants, also known as houseplants or pot plants, are plants that like to grow indoors. Many of these species (物种) are not ideally suited to growing outside in the UK, especially in the winter.     2    .

Why are indoor plants good for you?

Will Spoelstra, who works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, says, “    3    . I find during the winter months, plants around the house can really lift your mood.” Several studies have backed this up and found that indoor plants can improve creativity, focus and memory. There is also research showing that pot plants can clean the air around them by removing harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide. They also remove some harmful chemicals from paints or cooking.     4    .

Which plants can you grow?

Aloe vera, peace lilies and spider plants are some of the species that are easy to grow indoors. You can buy plants from supermarkets, garden centres or online. Younger plants are often cheaper than fully grown ones, and you get to care for them as they mature — which is part of the joy of owning plants. “    5    ,” Spoelstra says. “It can bring a new interest and focus into people’s lives and help to make the link between home and nature.”

A．All plants are different

B．Not only do they look beautiful

C．There are many benefits to growing plants indoors

D．Instead, they grow better inside, where it is warmer

E．Plants like peace lilies and devil’s ivy are among the best

F．Changing the pot of your plant from time to time will also help

G．Learning about the requirements of each plant can be very rewarding

3 . What comes into your mind when you think of British food? Probably fish and chips, or a Sunday dinner of meat and two vegetables. But is British food really so uninteresting? Even though Britain has a reputation for less-than-impressive cuisine, it is producing more top class chefs who appear frequently on our television screens and whose recipe books frequently top the best seller lists.

It’s thanks to these TV chefs rather than any advertising campaign that Britons are turning away from meat-and-two-veg and ready-made meals and becoming more adventurous in their cooking habits. It is recently reported that the number of those sticking to a traditional diet is slowly declining and around half of Britain’s consumers would like to change or improve their cooking in some way. There has been a rise in the number of students applying for food courses at UK universities and colleges. It seems that TV programmes have helped change what people think about cooking.

According to a new study from market analysts, 1 in 5 Britons say that watching cookery programmes on TV has encouraged them to try different food. Almost one third say they now use a wider variety of ingredients (配料) than they used to, and just under 1 in 4 say they now buy better quality ingredients than before. One in four adults say that TV chefs have made them much more confident about expanding their cookery knowledge and skills, and young people are also getting more interested in cooking. The UK’s obsession (痴迷) with food is reflected through television scheduling. Cookery shows and documentaries about food are broadcast more often than before. With an increasing number of male chefs on TV, it’s no longer “uncool” for boys to like cooking.

1. What do people usually think of British food?

A．It is simple and plain.	B．It is rich in nutrition.
C．It lacks authentic tastes.	D．It deserves a high reputation.

2. Which best describes cookery programme on British TV?

A．Authoritative.

B．Creative.

C．Profitable.

D．Influential.

3. Which is the percentage of the people using more diverse ingredients now?

A．20%.

B．24%.

C．25%.

D．33%.

4. What might the author continue talking about?

A．The art of cooking in other countries.	B．Male chefs on TV programmes.
C．Table manners in the UK.	D．Studies of big eaters.

4 . If you want to tell the history of the whole world, a history that does not privilege one part of humanity, you cannot do it through texts alone, because only some of the world has ever had texts, while most of the world, for most of the time, has not. Writing is one of humanity’s later achievements, and until fairly recently even many literate (有文字的) societies recorded their concerns not only in writing but in things.

Ideally a history would bring together texts and objects, and some chapters of this book are able to do just that, but in many cases we simply can’t. The clearest example of this between literate and non-literate history is perhaps the first conflict, at Botany Bay, between Captain Cook’s voyage and the Australian Aboriginals. From the English side, we have scientific reports and the captain’s record of that terrible day. From the Australian side, we have only a wooden shield (盾) dropped by a man in flight after his first experience of gunshot. If we want to reconstruct what was actually going on that day, the shield must be questioned and interpreted as deeply and strictly as the written reports.

In addition to the problem of miscomprehension from both sides, there are victories accidentally or deliberately twisted, especially when only the victors know how to write. Those who are on the losing side often have only their things to tell their stories. The Caribbean Taino, the Australian Aboriginals, the African people of Benin and the Incas, all of whom appear in this book, can speak to us now of their past achievements most powerfully through the objects they made: a history told through things gives them back a voice. When we consider contact (联系) between literate and non-literate societies such as these, all our first-hand accounts are necessarily twisted, only one half of a dialogue. If we are to find the other half of that conversation, we have to read not just the texts, but the objects.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．How past events should be presented.	B．What humanity is concerned about.
C．Whether facts speak louder than words.	D．Why written language is reliable.

2. What does the author indicate by mentioning Captain Cook in paragraph 2?

A．His report was scientific.	B．He represented the local people.
C．He ruled over Botany Bay.	D．His record was one-sided.

3. What does the underlined word “conversation” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Problem.

B．History.

C．Voice.

D．Society.

4. Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from?

A． How Maps Tell Stories of the World	B． A Short History of Australia
C． A History of the World in 100 Objects	D． How Art Works Tell Stories

5 . PRACTITIONERS

Jacqueline Felice de Almania (c.1322) highlights the suspicion that women practicing medicine faced. Born to a Jewish family in Florence, she moved to Paris where she worked as a physician and performed surgery. In 1322 she was tried for practicing unlawfully. In spite of the court hearing testimonials (证明) of her ability as a doctor, she was banned from medicine.	James Barry (c.1789 — 1865) was born Margaret Bulkley in Ireland but, dressed as a man, she was accepted by Edinburgh University to study medicine. She qualified as a surgeon in 1813, then joined the British Army, serving overseas. Barry retired in 1859, having practiced her entire medical profession living and working as a man.
Tan Yunxian (1461 — 1554) was a Chinese physician who learned her skills from her grandparents. Chinese women at the time could not serve apprenticeships (学徒期) with doctors. However, Tan passed the official exam. Tan treated women from all walks of life. In 1511, Tan wrote a book, Sayings of a Female Doctor, describing her life as a physician.	Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831 — 1895) worked as a nurse for eight years before studying in medical college in Boston in 1860. Four years later, she was the first African American woman to receive a medical degree. She moved to Virginia in 1865, where she provided medical care to freed slaves.

1. What did Jacqueline and James have in common?

A．Doing teaching jobs.	B．Being hired as physicians.
C．Performing surgery.	D．Being banned from medicine.

2. How was Tan Yunxian different from the other practitioners?

A．She wrote a book.	B．She went through trials.
C．She worked as a dentist.	D．She had formal education.

3. Who was the first African American with a medical degree?

A．Jacqueline Felice de Almania.	B．Tan Yunxian.
C．James Barry.	D．Rebecca Lee Crumpler.

6 . To become the Olympic champion in the individual (个人) all-around event, Gabby Douglas had to leave everything she _________ best. She had to _______   her bedroom in Virginia. She had to say _________ to her two dogs and to the beach, where she loved to _________ waves on her board. But it was _________ to take the leap (飞跃), however _________ it would be. Even at 14, Douglas knew that. So she _________ about 1,200 miles away from home, to _________ with a coach from China. She lived with a family she had never _________ and everything was new to her.

As it turned out, Douglas did __________ what she needed to do to become Olympic champion when she __________two Russians. The Chinese coach __________ Douglas into one of the best gymnasts in the __________, helping her skyrocket from an __________ member of the national team to the top of the sport. By __________ the Olympic all-around title, she became the first black woman to do so. She __________ the competition from beginning to end. She said she had felt __________ all along that she would win.

Not so long ago, Martha Karolyl the coordinator (联络人) of the women’s national team, did not think Douglas had what it __________ to be an Olympian. As time went by, she thought __________ that she could make the London Games — and win.

“I’m going to inspire so many people,” she said. “I’m ready to __________.” And shine she did.

1.

A．tried

B．thought

C．judged

D．knew

2.

A．take up

B．pack up

C．clean up

D．do up

3.

A．goodbye

B．hello

C．thanks

D．no

4.

A．cause

B．observe

C．ride

D．strike

5.

A．common

B．time

C．fun

D．tough

6.

A．breathtaking

B．heartbreaking

C．eye-catching

D．head-spinning

7.

A．dropped out

B．moved on

C．pulled over

D．went off

8.

A．reason

B．talk

C．compete

D．train

9.

A．met

B．helped

C．understood

D．needed

10.

A．approximately

B．gradually

C．exactly

D．possibly

11.

A．defeated

B．pleased

C．respected

D．assisted

12.

A．forced

B．transformed

C．persuaded

D．put

13.

A．world

B．city

C．team

D．state

14.

A．amateur

B．elected

C．average

D．enthusiastic

15.

A．clarifying

B．defending

C．winning

D．demanding

16.

A．followed

B．organized

C．watched

D．led

17.

A．confident

B．nervous

C．excited

D．uneasy

18.

A．viewed

B．appeared

C．mattered

D．took

19.

A．now and then

B．more and more

C．far and wide

D．on and on

20.

A．shine

B．fly

C．dance

D．score

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

A MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE

The twins were filled with excitement as they thought of the surprise they were planning for Mother’s Day. How pleased and proud Mother would be when they brought her breakfast in bed. They planned to make French toast and chicken porridge. They had watched their mother in the kitchen. There was nothing to it. Jenna and Jeff knew exactly what to do.

The big day came at last. The alarm rang at 6 a.m. The pair went down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. They decided to boil the porridge first. They put some rice into a pot of water and left it to boil while they made the French toast. Jeff broke two eggs into a plate and added in some milk. Jenna found the bread and put two slices into the egg mixture. Next, Jeff turned on the second stove burner to heat up the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until Jeff started frying the bread. The pan was too hot and the bread turned black within seconds. Jenna threw the burnt piece into the   sink and put in the other slice of bread. This time, she turned down the fire so it cooked nicely.

Then Jeff noticed steam shooting out of the pot and the lid starting to shake. The next minute, the porridge boiled over and put out the fire. Jenna panicked. Thankfully, Jeff stayed calm and turned off the gas quickly. But the stove was a mess now. Jenna told Jeff to clean it up so they could continue to cook the rest of the porridge. But Jeff’s hand touched the hot burner and he gave a cry of pain. Jenna made him put his hand in cold water. Then she caught the smell of burning. Oh dear! The piece of bread in the pan had turned black as well.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右。
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

As the twins looked around them in disappointment, their father appeared.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The twins carried the breakfast upstairs and woke their mother up.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Living in Iowa and trying to become a photographer specializing in landscape (风景) can be quite a challenge, mainly because the corn state lacks geographical variation.

Although landscapes in the Midwest tend to be quite similar, either farm fields or highways, sometimes I find distinctive character in the hills or lakes. To make some of my landscape shots, I have traveled up to four hours away to shoot within a 10-minute time frame. I tend to travel with a few of my friends to state parks or to the countryside to go on adventures and take photos along the way.

Being at the right place at the right time is decisive in any style of photography. I often leave early to seek the right destinations so I can set up early to avoid missing the moment I am attempting to photograph. I have missed plenty of beautiful sunsets/sunrises due to being on the spot only five minutes before the best moment.

One time my friends and I drove three hours to Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin, to climb the purple quartz (石英) rock around the lake. After we found a crazy-looking road that hung over a bunch of rocks, we decided to photograph the scene at sunset. The position enabled us to look over the lake with the sunset in the background. We managed to leave this spot to climb higher because of the spare time until sunset. However, we did not mark the route (路线) so we ended up almost missing the sunset entirely. Once we found the place, it was stressful getting lights and cameras set up in the limited time. Still, looking back on the photos, they are some of my best shots though they could have been so much better if I would have been prepared and managed my time wisely.

1. How does the author deal with the challenge as a landscape photographer in the Midwest?

A．By teaming up with other photographers.	B．By shooting in the countryside or state parks.
C．By studying the geographical conditions.	D．By creating settings in the corn fields.

2. What is the key to successful landscape photography according to the author?

A．Proper time management.	B．Good shooting techniques.
C．Adventurous spirit.	D．Distinctive styles.

3. What can we infer from the author’s trip with friends to Devil’s Lake?

A．They went crazy with the purple quartz rock.

B．They felt stressed while waiting for the sunset.

C．They reached the shooting spot later than expected.

D．They had problems with their equipment.

4. How does the author find his photos taken at Devil’s Lake?

A．Amusing.	B．Satisfying.
C．Encouraging.	D．Comforting.

9 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.    1    So the first thing we did was rent a fantastically expensive sixth-floor apartment the size of a cupboard. It was so tiny that we had to leave our suitcases in the hallway.

The place wasn’t entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.     2    Our building even had a tiny lift with a female voice that said, “Ouverture des portes,” in perfect French. That is the only French phrase I mastered, and it’s a shame I don’t have much use for it.

Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago, they eat great food and never gain weight.     3     French strawberries do not taste like cardboard. Instead, they explode in your mouth like little flavor bombs.

    4     On our first morning in Paris, I went around the corner to the food market to pick up some groceries. I bought a handful of perfectly ripe small strawberries and a little sweet melon. My husband and I agreed they were the best fruit we had ever eaten. But they cost $18!

In France, quality of life is much more important than efficiency.

You can tell this by cafés life. French cafés are always crowded.    5    When do these people work? The French take their 35-hour workweek seriously — so seriously that some labor unions recently struck a deal with a group of companies limiting the number of hours that independent contractors can be on call.

A．Not all the customers are tourists.

B．The quality of life in France is equally excellent.

C．There was a nice kitchen and a comfortable bed.

D．The amazing food is mainly consumed by local farmers.

E．That’s not the only reason the French eat less than we do.

F．Our aim was to see if we could live, in some way, like real Parisians.

G．The food is so delicious that you don’t need much of it to make you happy.

10 . By day, Robert Titterton is a lawyer. In his spare  time though he goes on stage beside pianist Maria Raspopova — not as a musician but as her page turner. “I’m not a trained musician, but I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”

Mr Titterton is chairman of the Omega Ensemble but has been the group’s official page turner for the past four years. His job is to sit beside   the pianist and turn the pages of the score so the musician doesn’t have to break the flow of sound by doing it themselves. He said he became just as nervous as those playing instruments on stage.

“A lot of skills are needed for the job. You have to make sure you don’t turn two pages at once and make sure you find the repeats in the music   when you have to go back to the right spot.” Mr Titterton explained.

Being a page turner requires plenty of practice. Some pieces of music can go for 40 minutes and require up to 50 page turns, including back turns for repeat passages. Silent onstage communication is key, and each pianist has their own style of “nodding” to indicate a page turn which they need to practise with their page turner.

But like all performances, there are moments when things go wrong. “I was turning the page to get ready for the next page, but the draft wind from the turn caused the spare pages to fall off the stand,” Mr Titterton said, “Luckily I was able to catch them and put them back.”

Most page turners are piano students or up-and-coming concert pianists, although Ms Raspopova has once asked her husband to   help her out on stage.

“My husband is the worst page turner,” she laughed. “He’s interested in the music, feeling every note, and I have to say: ‘Turn, turn!’ Robert is the best page turner I’ve had in my entire life.”

1. What should Titterton be able to do to be a page turner?

A．Read music.	B．Play the piano.
C．Sing songs.	D．Fix the instruments.

2. Which of the following best describes Titterton’s job on stage?

A．Boring.	B．Well-paid.
C．Demanding.	D．Dangerous.

3. What does Titterton need to practise?

A．Counting the pages.	B．Recognizing the “nodding”.
C．Catching falling objects.	D．Performing in his own style.

4. Why is Ms Raspopova’s husband “the worst page turner”?

A．He has very poor eyesight.	B．He ignores the audience.
C．He has no interest in music.	D．He forgets to do his job.