1 . “I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But             the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that             you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced             that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but             I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second             I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking             at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something             that is possible, make it happen.
1. What happened to the author in 2001?

A．She flew an airplane

B．She entered a competition

C．She went on a hot air balloon ride

D．She moved into a retirement community

2. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A．build up her own reputation

B．show her admiration for him

C．compare their health conditon

D．make her argument persuasive

3. How did the authou feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A．Excited

B．Scared

C．Nervous

D．Regretful

4. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A．The beautiful clouds	B．The wonderful view
C．The company of Jay	D．The one-minute free fall

2 . When I was struggling with cancer a few years ago，my wife and I formed our own “couple caution circle”．Anytime a doctor came with news of my progress，my wife would give me a big hug. The reports were seldom good during the early stages of my illness，and one day a doctor brought particularly frightening news.Staring at my reports，he said in a low voice，“It doesn’t look like you’re going to make it.”
Before I could ask him a question，my wife stood up，handed me my clothes，adjusted the tubes fastened to my body and said，“Let’s get out of here.This man is a risk to your health.” As she helped me struggle to the door，the doctor came near us.“Stay back，” demanded my wife.“Stay away from us.”
As we walked together down the hall，the doctor attempted to catch up with us.“Keep going，” said my wife，pushing the intravenous (静脉注射的) stand.“We’re going to talk to someone who really knows what is going on.” Then she held up her hand to the doctor.“Don’t come any closer to us.”
The two of us moved as one.We escaped to the safety and hope of a doctor who did not confuse diagnosis with conclusion. I could never have made that walk toward wellness alone.
1. From the passage we know ________.

A．hearing that the husband was not going to make it，the wife went out of her mind

B．the wife’s decision in crisis (危机) contributed to the husband’s wellness

C．the husband was diagnosed with cancer by mistake

D．the husband became weaker and weaker as a result of the treatment conducted by the doctor

2. What’s the author’s feeling when writing the passage?

A．Angry.

B．Thankful.

C．Excited.

D．Sad.

3. What can be inferred from the passage ?

A．The wife was a woman hard to get along with.

B．The doctor was a dangerous man.

C．The wife loved her husband very much.

D．The husband was a man who believed everything would be OK.

4. What would be the best title for the passage ?

A．A Happy Couple In Crisis	B．Struggle With Cancer
C．In Crisis，Become As One	D．Don’t Believe The Doctor

3 . Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.
    1     Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kids to learn to schedule their day and will give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.
Allow them to study in blocks of time, such as for half an hour with a five-minute break in the middle.     2     Ideal(理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner.
Never allow your children to study in front of the television, as that will encourage passive activity.     3    
You’ll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you’ve set up a good study time for little learners, set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing.
    4     Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair.
    5     This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and help make studying enjoyable.

A．Pick a place where your children can study properly.

B．Hold them to the schedule they create for themselves.

C．Finally, spend time with your kids when they’re studying.

D．Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement, too.

E．Instead, use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.

F．Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.

G．One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.

4 . Sally Donovan is cooking when a paper plane flies across the kitchen and lands at her feet. She picks it up, unfolds it and finds a child’s sketch (素描) of a tear-stained face with a speech bubble saying: “I’m sorry I was naughty—I’m a bad person.”
Sally, 42, draws a big smiley face on the back of the paper with “I love you, Rose, and we’re always going to look after you.” Then she folds it up and launches the plane back into the living room where her nine-year-old daughter is watching TV with brother Jamie, 13 and dad Rod, 40.
Jamie often makes pictures for his parents too—like the one showing a swift river with them on one side and him trapped on the other side.
It’s one of the many unusual ways that Sally and Rob have learned to communicate emotionally with their abused children in an astonishing eight-year journey of hope, healing and love.
Jamie was just four and half—sister Rose one when they were adopted by the Donovans in 2005. The youngsters had been taken from their natural mother and placed in foster care after a series of cruelty and neglect. They were left alone, hungry, and witnessed home violence on a regular basis.
Sally and Rob spent three years trying for a baby before deciding to adopt, and were well aware of the youngsters' poor background. But they were still unprepared for raising a child permanently scared by abuse or the lack of support on offer.
But now Sally has written a brilliant and heart-touching account of their family struggle in a book called “No Matter What”.   Sally said: “These kids come to you with a story that what happened to them was their fault—because they are bad and unlovable. To show them they are loveable and none of it was their fault takes a lot of time. They both still say “I’m bad”. Jamie is less stuck on it now but whenever life deals him a knock, he will fall back into ‘that happened because I am stupid, I’m rubbish, I’m bad’.”
Sally’s book is humorous, heart-touching and so wildly honest that academics, charity bosses, parents and adoptees are praising it as a major contribution to child welfare work.
1. Sally and Rob adopted the two children mainly because ____.

A．they knew the children’s background very well

B．they wanted to help the children out of trouble

C．they couldn’t have children of their own

D．they couldn’t bear the cruelty done to the children

2. Why did the two adopted children still say “I’m bad” ?

A．They know clearly they are not lovable enough.

B．They often put the situation in an embarrassment.

C．What they suffered rooted deep in their minds.

D．They are honest of what they have done.

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Rose was a baby when adopted by Sally and Rob.

B．Sally has written a book about how to adopt children.

C．Jamie still blames himself for whatever happens to him.

D．There is still a long way to go for helping the children out.

5 . 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

There’s no doubt that when it comes to friendship，you want positive people in your life and not negatives ones．    1     ．Support when you need it. With positive friends，you don’t need to beg for help when you need it because chances are they will be there for you without asking．    2         ．Health benefits of being positive．The more positive friends you have，the better you will be at remaining optimistic yourself．    3     . For example，it helps people to deal with stress and illness better．Health benefits may include lower rates of depression，a greater ability to throw off colds，and a reduced risk of developing disease．Bring out the best in you．    4     . This means trying new things，achieving goals，and having the kind of life you dreamed of for yourself．With positive people in your life，you’11 feel more comfortable sharing your goals because your friends will give you the emotional push you need to go after what you want in life．Attracting More Positive FriendsYou naturally attract the kinds of friends who are most like you．So if you’re a downer，you’11 probably find that negative people flock to you．    5     . The more you are able to maintain a positive attitude，the more likeminded people you’11 attract in return．

A．Here are some benefits of spending time with positive friends．

B．That’s why you’d better surround yourself with positive friends．

C．In most cases，they will go out of their way to help you when you’re in trouble．

D．The same is true for being positive．

E．As we all know，there are many benefits of being optimistic．

F．Your positive friends will inspire you to be the best you can be．

G．Most of the time，you have to ask them to help you when in trouble．

6 . Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father came to America from Kenya, which is a country in Africa. His parents, Ann and Barack, met when they were students at the University of Hawaii. Since Barack had the same name as his father, young Barack went by the nickname “Barry”.
In 1979, after he finished high school, Barry went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. There, he started to learn about his African roots and decided to use his African name, Barack. After two years in L.A., he went to Columbia University in New York City to study politics.
After college, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked to help poor people in his city. He traveled to Africa to meet his grandmother and cousins for the first time. He went back many times over the years to visit with his family and learn about where he came from. At work, he met a lawyer named Michelle Robinson. They worked together in a big law firm. Then he left Chicago to go to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did very well in law school.
After he was done with school, Barack moved back to Chicago and in 1992 he married Michelle. He worked as a lawyer, devoted to helping poor people for free who had been treated unfairly. He worked hard to get the people he helped to vote(投票).
He made many people believe that their votes were important, and helped them feel like they could make a difference.
1. Barack Obama’s father was probably born in _________.

A．Hawaii

B．California

C．Illinois

D．Kenya

2. Which of the following is the right order according to the text?
①Getting married to Michelle.
②Travelling to Africa to meet his grandmother
③Going to Harvard Law School
④Going to Columbia University
⑤Working in a big law firm.

A．④②⑤③①

B．④③②⑤①

C．③④①⑤②

D．②①⑤④③

3. How did Obama get people to vote?

A．By cheating them to do so.

B．By making a difference to people.

C．By showing them the importance of their votes.

D．By helping poor people who treat others unfairly.

4. According to the text, which of the following words can best describe Barack Obama?

A．Humorous

B．Polite

C．Brave

D．Kind-hearted

7 . Below is a passage adapted from the network edition of China Daily.
Event

Li Yang, one of China’s most famous English teachers, apologized for beating his American wife more than a week after she posted photos of her injuries on the web and set off a bomb of criticism. “I wholeheartedly apologize to my wife Kim and my girls for committing domestic violence. This has caused them serious physical and mental damage,” Li said on his microblog at Weibo.com, the country’s most popular social media site, on Saturday. Li, 42, is a mechanics major but is best known for his “Crazy English,” a popular method of language learning that involves yelling at the top of one’s lungs. He was at the center of public criticism after his wife Kim Lee put up posts on the web accusing him of abuse, showing her swollen forehead and knees.

Voices

@Xuemanzi, angel investor Anti-domestic violence laws should be made as soon as possible, giving protection to the rights of women and children lawfully. Police should not stand back from domestic violence any longer, even if no one reports them. Society, as a whole, should attach greater importance to the crime. @Zhangxiaomei Chinese are never taught about marital(婚姻的) relations, which mean not merely living together. A good marriage needs to overcome three differences: family background, gender and personalities. In addition to these, there is cultural gap in Li Yang’s case. If the effects of these differences are not well understood, after the honeymoon period, they will turn into conflicts and endanger the marriage. Li’s domestic violence is a reminder that China needs such education. @Wuxiaolong, Sina Weibo user Li Yang’s choice to resort to domestic violence really reflects his character. Students who have attended his Crazy English Camp may know what I mean: Li wants his students to worship him as an idol. I still remember he once had his students kowtow（叩头） to him. He always teaches English by imposition(权威强制), which directly reflects his desire for power. @Sikaozhe, Sina Weibo user In the US, the punishments for domestic violence are even more severe than stealing. If the police arrive at the wife’s call during a fighting between a couple and find injuries on her, they will immediately arrest the husband. Even if the wife doesn’t call the police, they may also show up as neighbors could well do their part. @ykxin Sina Weibo User Don’t blindly worship anyone, because in every closet there may hide a skeleton. As a famous Chinese saying goes, “Only they who do well in their daily routine tasks can fulfills their dreams on great occasions”. Not surprisingly, one who focuses too much on his career and ignores his family, like Li Yang, will fail in both. Don’t judge a person by his career success, wealth, or any other material aspect, because what finally decides a person is his character.

Aftermath(余波)

Although Li Yang publicly apologized to his wife, promising to love his daughters even if he and Lee divorce, the damage, perhaps permanently, has been done to his wife, his three daughters and the whole family. Wang Xingjuan, founder of the Maple Women’s Psychological Consulting Center, a non-profit organization, said nearly half of domestic violence abusers are people who have higher education, senior jobs and social status. She said this was probably because such people were usually under more mental stress.

1. This passage is focused on Li Yang’s          .

A．microblog article	B．domestic violence
C．English-teaching career	D．international marriage

2. Zhangxiaomei holds the view that          .

A．laws should be passed to protect women and children

B．crazy personality accounts for violence and ill temper

C．overcoming background gap is necessary for marriage

D．Li is wrong to have his students worship him as an idol

3. Who thinks that character plays the most important role in one’s life?

A．@Xuemanzi	B．@Sikaozhe
C．@ykxin	D．@Zhangxiaomei

4. According to Wang Xingjuan,       .

A．people of higher education won’t easily lose temper

B．people under stress tend to have domestic violence

C．people in lower social status often beat their wives

D．people with senior jobs seldom have family trouble

8 . I was telling my boy Sonny the story of the hare and the tortoise. In the end ,I said, “ Son, remember: Be slow and steady, and that will win the race. Don’t you think there’s something to learn from the tortoise?”
Sonny opened his eyes wide, “Do you mean next time when I’m entering for the 60-metre race I should wish that Billy, Tony and Sandy would all fall asleep halfway?”
I was shocked, “But the tortoise didn’t wish that the hare would fall asleep!”
“He must have wished that,” Sonny said, “Otherwise how could he be so foolish as to race with the hare? He knew very well the hare ran a hundred times faster than he himself did.”
“He didn’t have such a wish,” I insisted. “He won the race by perseverance (坚忍不拔的), by pushing on steadily.”
Sonny thought a while. “That’s a lie,” he said. “He won it because he was lucky. If the hare hadn’t happened to fall asleep, the tortoise would never have won the race. He could be as steady as you like, or a hundred times steadier, but he’d never have won the race. That’s for sure.”
I gave up. Today’s children are not like what we used to be. They’re just hopeless.
1. The writer argued with his son because ______________.

A．he liked tortoises while his son liked hares

B．they disagreed about whether the tortoise was foolish

C．he tried to teach his son a moral (品德) lesson but the son had totally different opinion

D．he liked the story of the hare and the tortoise while his son didn’t.

2. Sonny believed that the tortoise ______________.

A．won the race by his own hard working

B．took a risk by agreeing to run a race

C．was not given a fair chance in the race

D．in fact did win the race luckily

3. Billy, Tony and Sandy must be_______________.

A．boys who were unknown to Sonny’s father

B．boys who Sonny has run races with before

C．boys who Sonny has never raced with before

D．boys who Sonny did not expect to race with again

4. According to the passage, who do you think learnt a lesson?

A．The tortoise	B．Sonny
C．The hare	D．Sonny’s father

9 . When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners’ good luck didn’t last.
Then, I realized I was not alone after all.
A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.
Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug(地毯) on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The joy in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said affectionately, “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”
One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. “She always does that,” he explained, “It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child’s hair after she has brushed it. I don’t know why I do it. I just do it.”
As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. The man stared at the picture. “Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday,” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.”
That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.
Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you mustn’t do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so.”
Saturday finally came.   
I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.
Henry’s friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. “Drop that! Take the other.” he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew paler and paler. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.
In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go, gentlemen. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, “She? Poor thing, she’s been dead nineteen years!” “Dead?” I whispered. “That or worse.” he said.
“She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry ______ He thinks she is still alive. When June comes, he thinks she has gone on her trip to see her parents. Then he begins to wait for her to come back. We drop in here, three days before she’s due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. On Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We’ve done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he’s all right for another year.”
The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau.
1. You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.

A．Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislau.

B．There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor.

C．There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers.

D．A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman.

2. Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.

A．he was getting older and older

B．he was moved by the loving messages in the letter

C．he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife

D．he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late

3. Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because ______.

A．there was not enough whiskey for Henry	B．he didn’t want me to get drunk
C．that glass of whiskey was drugged	D．it was for Henry’s wife

4. The underlined phrase “went insane” probably means “lost his______”.

A．hope

B．mind

C．heart

D．temper

5. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen

B．Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times

C．the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost

D．the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories

6. The story is mainly about ______.

A．ever-lasting love	B．lifelong friendship
C．an unforgettable experience	D．charming Stanislau

10 . Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother.The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.
“Farah，aren’t you going to invite Hafsa？”her mother asked.Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.
“Mother，you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with，”Farah answered.
“Really？And what are the rules？”her mother asked.
“Well，only very pretty girls can be part of our group.And Hafsa is so...you know...dark.”
“I cannot believe it，”her mother said angrily.
As Farah left the kitchen，her father called   her from the living room.
Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands.“Farah，what has happened to your grades？You have failed in Mathematics，”her father said.
Farah had no answer.The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.
“Farah，it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考).If your grades don’t improve then，I’ll cancel(取消) your trip to Spain.”
Farah went to her room and called Gina，the leader of Purple Girls Club， “Gina，can you help me to complete my notes before the exams？”
Gina laughed.“Exams？Who cares about exams？”
One by one，she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help.
Farah knew Hafsa would help her.Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her，but Hafsa said，“If you need any help，just let me know.We can study together till your exams.”
Next Monday，as two friends entered the school together，Gina called out.
“Farah，you know our rules.You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”
“Gina，I have a new rule about friendship，”Farah replied.
1. After Farah became a member of Purple Girls   Club，she chose a friend according to a person’s________.

A．looks

B．usual activities

C．grades

D．favorite colors

2. Farah became pale after going to her father because________.

A．he didn’t allow her to go to Spain

B．she didn’t do well in her exams

C．she had to leave Purple Girls Club

D．he asked her to improve her grades

3. Which word can best describe Hafsa?

A．Silly.

B．Beautiful.

C．Rude.

D．Kind.

4. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B．A perfect friend will never be found.

C．Be slow in choosing a friend.

D．Friendship can be developed easily.