1 . When Amanda Wanklin and Michael Biggs fell in love, they didn't realize the challenges they might face as a biracial couple. Amanda says, ''At first we only knew that we wanted together. '' They settled down in Birmingham, England, eager to start a family. On July 3, 2006, the black and white couple got their “one in a million'' miracle: Amanda gave birth to fraternal twin (异卵双胞胎) girls with completely different skin colors, and the greatly amazed parents gave their daughters intertwined names: one would be Millie Marcia Madge Biggs, the other Marcia Millie Madge Biggs.
From a young age the girls had similar features but very different color schemes. Marcia had light brown hair and fair skin like her English-born white mother, while Millie had black hair and brown skin like her black father, who is of Jamaican descent. ''We never worried about it; we just accepted it，'' Michael says.
''When they were first born, '' Amanda recalls, ''people would look at my one daughter and then look at my other daughter. Then I'd get asked the question: 'Are they twins? '''
''Yes. ''
''But one's white and one's black. ''
According to Amanda, people who commented on the girls weren't openly discriminatory (歧视的) or judgmental—just very curious, and then as time went on, people just saw the beauty in them.
The twins know what racism is. ''Racism is where somebody judges you by your color and not by your true self, '' Millie says.
Michael, the father, says he’s faced inequality at times throughout his life because of the color of his skin. '' But it's a different time now, '' he says. Neither he nor Amanda has ever witnessed racist behavior toward their twin girls.
''When people see us, they think that we're just best friends, '' Marcia says. ''When they learn that we're twins, they're kind of shocked because one's black and one's white. '' But when the twins are asked about their differences, they mention something else entirely. ''Millie likes things that are girlie. She likes pink and all of that, '' Marcia says. '' I don't like the color pink; I'm a tomboy. People should know about us by our true selves, not by our colors. After all, people are made how they are. ''
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Amanda and Michael are of the same race. |
| B．Amanda and Michael were not happy about the birth of their twins. |
| C．The possibility of twins with different skin colors is small. |
| D．It was easy for Amanda and Michael to start a family of their own. |
| A．Sometimes Michael is unequally treated because of his race. |
| B．The twin girls see their skin colors as their major difference. |
| C．People are curious but friendly to the twin girls. |
| D．People who are racists judge a person by his appearance. |
| A．She never answers them. |
| B．She is upset about their questions. |
| C．She answers with their different characters. |
| D．She tells them about colors. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Tolerant. |
2 . When I was 8 years old, I decided to run away from home after a quarrel with my mother. With my suitcase packed and some sandwiches in a bag, I started for the front door.
My mom asked where I was going. “I’m leaving home,” I said.
“What’s that you’re carrying?” she asked.
“Some clothes and food,” I replied.
“If you want to run away, that’s all right,” she said. “But you came into this home without anything and you can leave the same way.”
I threw my suitcase and sandwiches on the floor and started for the door again.
“Wait a minute,” Mom said. “You didn’t have any clothes on when you arrived, and I want them back.”
This infuriated me. I tore my clothes off — shoes, socks, underwear and all — and shouted, “Can I go now?”
“Yes,” my mom answered, “but once you close that door, don’t expect to come back.”
I was so angry that I shut the door forcefully and stepped out of my home. Then I noticed down the street two neighbor girls walking toward our house. I was so shy that I saw the big spruce (云杉) tree in our yard and jumped under the low-hanging branches (树枝). A pile of dried-up brown needles (针状物) were beneath the tree, and you can’t imagine the pain those sharp needles caused to my body.
After I was sure the girls had passed by, I ran to the front door and knocked at it loudly.
“It’s Billy! Let me in!”
The voice behind the door answered, “Billy doesn’t live here anymore. He ran away from home.”
Looking behind me to see if anyone else was coming down the street, I said, “Mom! I’m sorry. I’m still your son. Let me in!”
The door opened and Mom’s smiling face appeared. “Did you change your mind about running away?” she asked.
“What’s for supper?” I smiled back.
1. When the author was leaving home, his mother ordered him to _____.| A．stay at home | B．take some sandwiches |
| C．leave everything behind | D．check his suitcase carefully |
| A．surprised | B．warned |
| C．encouraged | D．angered |
| A．To avoid being seen. | B．To find some needles. |
| C．To play a joke on the two girls. | D．To attract the two girls’ attention. |
| A．changed his plan to leave home |
| B．felt very hungry at that time |
| C．wished to eat something before leaving |
| D．wanted to know what his mother prepared for supper |
3 . How do you get to Carnegie Hall(卡内基音乐厅)? "Practice, practice, practice" is the well known answer. But for some inspiring young musicians from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, the road to the famous concert hall was more difficult.
The Afghan Youth Orchestra(AYO) is made up of young people who study at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. It was the first orchestra created in Afghanistan in 30 years.
Gulalai Norestani, 14, plays a traditional string instrument. Like many students. Gulalai became an orphan when her parents were killed during the ongoing war. Music is her salvation (救星) . "Music for me is a language of peace," Gulalai said. "It connects people."
Milad Yousufi, t 8, is a piano student. "Music is my life," he said. Milad also lost many of his family members during the war. When music was banned, he couldn’t even touch a piano. So as a 12-year-old boy, he started painting and drawing. "I used to draw a piano," he said. Finally, Milad was free to play a real piano. "Our dream came true," he said. "It is everyone's dream to play in Carnegie Hall."
And he has more dreams. "I have a dream to continue my education in America," he explained. "I am working hard to make that happen. Then t have a dream to come back to Afghanistan and teach and serve people."
Because of continuing limits in Afghanistan, Gulalai and Milad listen mostly to the king of classical music they played at Carnegie Hall. But Gulalai says she' s heard a bit of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira and she likes them. Milad says he has heard of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, but Msn' t vet had a chance to listen to them.
Before Milad went onstage that night with the band of Afghan kids who had survived a war, I asked him if he had ever experienced true peace. "No. not yet," he answered, adding, "I hope I will be able to."
Later during the performance, as he played one of Carnegie Hall’s famous grand pianos, the look of pure joy on his face convinced me that he found peace in music.
1. What is Gulalai’s opinion on music?| A．It calms her down in the war. | B．It makes people understand each other. |
| C．It is a kind of violent language. | D．It saves her from the killing at war. |
| A．To serve his country . | B．To play a real piano. |
| C．To further study. | D．To play in Carnegie. |
| A．Classical music is not played in Afghanistan. |
| B．Gulalai knows Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber well. |
| C．The music Gulalai and Milad can hear is limited. |
| D．MiNd likes Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. |
| A．Traditional Afghan Music | B．Young Musicians |
| C．A Better Performance | D．A Peace in Music |
4 . In the kitchen of my mother’s houses there has always been a wooden stand (木架)with a small notepad(记事本)and a hole for a pencil.
I’m looking for paper on which to note down the name of a book I am recommending to my mother. Over forty years since my earliest memories of the kitchen pad and pencil, five houses later, the current paper and pencil look the same as they always did. Surely it can’t be the same pencil. The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one.
“I’m just amazed you still have the same stand for holding the pad and pencil after all these years.” I say to her, walking back into the living-room with a sheet of paper and the pencil. “You still use a pencil. Can’t you afford a pen?”
My mother replies a little sharply. “It works perfectly well. I’ve always kept the stand in the kitchen. I never knew when I might want to note down an idea, and I was always in the kitchen in those days.”
Immediately I can picture her, hair wild, blue housecoat covered in flour, a wooden spoon in one hand, the pencil in the other, her mouth moving silently. My mother smiles and says, “One day I was cooking and watching baby Pauline, and I had a brilliant thought, but the stand was empty. One of the children must have taken the paper. So I just picked up the breadboard and wrote it all down on the back. It turned out to be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem I was working on.”
This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work. Later, when my mother is in the bathroom, I go into her kitchen and turn over the breadboards. Sure enough, on the back of the smallest one, are some penciled marks I recognize as mathematics. Those symbols have traveled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible(看不到的) exhibits at every meal.
1. Why has the author’s mother always kept the notepad and pencil in the kitchen?| A．To leave messages. | B．To list her everyday tasks. |
| C．To note down maths problems. | D．To write down a flash of inspiration. |
| A．It has great value for the family. | B．It needs to be replaced by a better one. |
| C．It brings her back to her lonely childhood. | D．It should be passed on to the next generation. |
| A．blaming her mother wrongly |
| B．giving her mother a lot of trouble |
| C．not making good use of time as her mother did |
| D．not making any breakthrough in her field |
| A．strange in behavior | B．keen on her research |
| C．fond of collecting old things | D．careless about her appearance |
5 . I think a close friend is someone you get on well with，who helps you when you have problems, who gives you advice，and who always has time for you. I didn't use to have many close friends when I was at school because I was very shy，but now I have several. They are all women. I think it's difficult to have a close friend of the opposite sex（异性）.
---Marie
I think a close friend is someone who you've known for a long time，and who you still get on with. They have similar hobbies to you so you can do things together. I've got three close friends who I was at middle school with and we often go out together （without our parents of course）. We often go camping，play football，or walk outside in the open air．
---David
I'm not sure how to answer the question because I don't really have any close friends. I know a lot of people but mainly through work，and the social occasions（场合） when we meet are business dinners, things like that. I think if you come from a really close family，friends are a bit unnecessary. I like spending my free time with my family．
---Richard
For me close friends are the people you spend your free time with. I go out at weekends with a group of people，and they are all my close friends. They're also people who live near me. I don't think you can have close friends at a distance because you need to be able to see each other often. But I don't think you need to be doing the same things. I mean I'm at school but none of my friends are．
---Anna
1. Who doesn’t think women and men can be close friends?| A．Marie. | B．David. |
| C．Richard. | D．Anna. |
| A．They need to have much in common. |
| B．They’re less important than family. |
| C．They must work in the same place. |
| D．They come from social occasions. |
| A．They are all women. |
| B．They all do the same things. |
| C．They do not live far away. |
| D．They are all college students. |
6 . Does meeting new people make you nervous(紧张的)? If so, you’re not alone.
Look your best
Obviously the way that you look like decides people’s impression (印象) of you. But you don’t need to look like a model to make a good impression. You just need to take care of yourself. Make sure your clothes are clean, tidy and right for the situation. It is said that blue or black are best for job interviews.
Stand tall
Speak up
Speak loudly and clearly enough that people can hear you. If you don’t know what to say, ask questions. Most people enjoy talking about themselves. Listening is just as important as talking. When people are talking, pay attention to what they’re saying rather than planning what you’ll say next.
Most importantly, show people you care. Your concern for them will be clear if you smile and listen carefully. Respect other people’s time, too. Don’t keep them waiting because you arrive late or keep using your cellphone instead of talking to them. Everyone you meet, whether they’re a businessperson, a reporter or a bus driver, is important.
| A．Don’t forget little things like brushing your teeth and washing your hair. |
| B．Never be late |
| C．But meeting new people isn’t as hard as you might think. |
| D．Respect people |
| E．You are stubborn, and others’ opinions can’t change who you are. |
| F．The way you stand, sit and move tells others a lot about you. |
| G．If you’re not sure what they mean, ask! |
7 . Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an acceptable and valuable part of your neighborhood . the easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure you conduct yourself as a good neighbor should.
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property(房产) neat, clean, and in good repair.
Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously,. When going for a walk. Take a small garbage bag.
| A．In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone. |
| B．A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways. |
| C．Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior. |
| D．Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping. |
| E．Should you come across waste paper thrown out of a passing car, pick it up. |
| F．People tend to lake pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and inviting. |
| G．Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly |
1.高中生的特点：有自己的想法，向往独立的生活，渐渐跟父母产生分歧等；
2.处理方式：多跟父母沟通；多听父母的意见；多花时间陪伴父母等。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.文章需包含所给的全部要点，可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3.参考词汇：独立的independent
How to get along well with our parents
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Never Over-Study
When you spend too much time studying you will quickly lose focus and the time spent in studying will become ‘junk time’. You think you're studying but you're just sitting there re-reading the same sentence about 100 times and you're not getting anywhere. Instead, take regular breaks.
Top students don't just randomly sit down and complete work. They actually plan what they are going to do: They actually plan the time they will study and they set goals for what will be achieved. If you want to be successful, do as successful people do. Set a plan and, set a goal and stick to it, which will create a routine and a routine is the first step towards developing a habit.
Front Up To The Toughest Work First
Many of us like to do the easy things first to build our confidence. That’s fair enough. The only challenge with this approach is that you use up your primary energy at the start of any study period and so if you are dealing with the easy parts with your primary energy your batteries will be low when it comes the time to deal with the hard part. So what happens then?
Do we really have to explain this? Just turn them off for an hour, we promise the world will still be there when you log back in! Don't text your friends, don't chat while doing memory activities，don't make phone calls, just focus on what you're doing. Even if you focus on work' for 15 minutes followed by 5 mins of chatting, it’s better than 30 minutes of work while also chatting! You get that right?
| A．Plan Your Study |
| B．Achieve Your Goal |
| C．Positive habits decide future success. |
| D．Taking breaks can make you get everywhere. |
| E．You get tired and impatient and just give up. |
| F．Get Off Social Networking Sites And Turn Off The Phone |
| G．Taking breaks will make you energetic again and refresh your mind. |
Dad's also always been very understanding. At 15, I started a magazine. It was taking up a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a choice: stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision at first, as any good father would. When he realized I had made up my mind, he said, "Richard, when I was 23, my dad persuaded me to go into law. And I've always regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist, but I didn't pursue my dream. You know what you want. Go fulfill it."
As it turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national magazine for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I'd like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad raised me.
1. What can we know about the author’s father?
| A．He was a specialist in law. |
| B．He usually encouraged kids. |
| C．He seldom looked for the best. |
| D．He was a father without principles. |
| A．the school forced him to |
| B．he had a dream to realize |
| C．he had to work for money |
| D．his father understood him. |
| A．accuse me of |
| B．remind me of |
| C．agree with me on |
| D．persuade me out of |
| A．My Respectable Father |
| B．Be nice to Others |
| C．My Happy Childhood |
| D．Go Fulfill Your Dream |
