One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (引文) showing how it was used.

This was a huge task, so Murray had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as “Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire,” 50 miles from Oxford.

Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next 17 years, he became one of the staff’s most valued contributors.

But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897, Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum (精神病院) for the Criminally Insane.

Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.

In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave

goodbye to his remarkable friend.

Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volumes defined 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.

1.According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary _________.

A. came out before minor died

B. was edited by an American volunteer

C. was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary Murray

D. included the English words invented by Murray

2.How did Dr. Minor contributed to the dictionary?

A. He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers.

B. He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray.

C. He went to England to work with Murray.

D. He provided a great number of words and quotations

3.Why did Dr. Minor refuse to visit Oxford?

A. He lived far from Oxford

B. He was shut in an asylum

C. He was busy writing a book

D. He disliked traveling

4.Prof. Murray and Dr. Minor became friends mainly because __________.

A. They had a common interest in words

B. They both served in the Civil War

C. Minor recovered with the help of Murray

D. Murray went to America regularly to visit Minor

语法填空

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Mattie celebrated her 6th birthday earlier this month. For her birthday, she wanted to do something for other children.

“We _____1.____ (talk) about Mattie’s birthday cake when she said that she wanted a big one so no one was hungry at her party,” her mother said. “She didn’t want anyone to be hungry and she got big tears in her eyes and asked if we could donate food ______2._____ people.”

For her party, Mattie’s friends arrived _____3._____ (quick) with gifts, but the packages weren’t filled with toys, instead ______4.______ (can) and boxes of food. Once her party was over, Mattie, with some help, took _____5.______ donations of food to the Maryville Ministry Center.

Mattie was not the only local child ______6._____ recently did so. Her best friend Eliana celebrated her 5th birthday in February and decided that she wanted to give back as well.

Mattie and Eliana are still children, though, and enjoy ____7._____ (play) with their dolls and stuffed animals just like every other kid does.

“For being so young, it’s a blessing ______8.____ (have) kids that are living for something more than themselves,” Wall said. “I’m pretty _____9._____ (hope) that it will continue over time and it’s amazing to see ______10._____ (we) kids doing things for others.”

单词拼写

请根据括号内容提示的中文意思填空，该英文单词的首字母已给出。

1.I will e__________ （交换）my apple for your orange.

2.He lent them money for quite a__________ （正当的，恰当的）reasons.

3.The prisoner a__________ （企图，尝试）an escape, but failed.

4.Her t__________ （技术） has improved a lot over the past season.

5.Legal questions rarely exist in the a__________ （抽象）; they are based on real cases.

The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2009, a new form of sharing economy has been emerging in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world—— Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can withdraw (取出) and deposit (存入) books. Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults, or tour guides.

In 2009, Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. “I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other,” Bol said.

Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary.org, there are now 18,000 of the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. But an Atlantic article says the little structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads. The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries’ main appeal. “A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life,” says the Atlantic article. “Every book is a potential source of inspiration”.

1. How do Little Free Libraries get their books?

A. The communities bought them.

B. Tod Bol donated them.

C. US government provided them.

D. Citizens shared them.

2.Why did Tod Bol want to build more Little Free Libraries?

A. They can offer neighbors more chances to talk.

B. He was inspired by the sharing economy.

C. He wanted to promote his idea worldwide.

D. They are a gift to please his mother.

3.What does the author of the Atlantic article believe?

A. Little Free Libraries are more popular than e-reader downloads.

B. E-reader downloads are undoubtedly beneficial.

C. Little Free Libraries are physical and human.

D. The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries.

4. Little Free Libraries attract readers most in that ________.

A. they are in various shapes and sizes

B. they are located all over the world

C. they connect strangers together

D. they may give readers a sense of discovery

语法填空

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

There is 1. old Spanish Proverb which states, “Tomorrow is often the 2. (busy) day of the week”. How many 3. (time) have we put off our dreams until tomorrow? I’d say, too many. Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. We have to go for them now! Here are the reasons.

Tomorrow is not promised. Nobody likes to talk about 4. (dead), but the reality is—— 5. is going to die at one point. None of us know the day, or the hour. Therefore, today is all we have. Don’t go to your grave 6. unfulfilled dreams. Make the decision to go after every dream, big or small right now.

You’ll be much 7. (happy) if you go for it. Imagine how much happier you’ll be 8. you’re living the life you always dreamed about. The only thing 9. is stopping you is yourself. Take control of your own happiness. Don’t keep your dreams 10. (wait). Go after them today!

When I was a boy my father told me that he could do anything he wanted to．Dad said that he wanted to be the first to develop color prints in our city．and so he did．

When I was 16，dad looked closely at the violin I played and said that he wanted to make one．He read about violinmaking，and then became a violinmaker at the age of 43．He bought the tools and materials，opened a small store and set Mom up as the shopkeeper，while he worked at a local company．He retired from the company 17 years later and continued to make violins and other instruments．

Dad often guessed why the Stradivarius violins sounded so beautiful．Some experts told him that it was the special varnish(油漆)that gave the instruments their beautiful sound．Dad argued that chemists could analyze the varnish—if that was the answer．

One of Dad’s friends asked him which kind of wood was used to make violins．When dad explained that the top was made of spruce(云杉)，his friend said that he had all old piece of spruce which dad might be interested in．

He worked for the next 12 months making a violin from the wood that his friend had given him．It proved to be an excellent violin and it would become Dad’s masterpiece．He believed that the secret of the Stradivarius sound was in the wood itself．

Later, the instrument was stolen． Dad’s spirit was broken and he stopped making instruments. But he kept the music shop until he was 80 years old，selling guitars and violins．

The violin has been missing for more than 25 years．Somewhere a musician is playing a late-20th-century violin with an excellent tone．The owner today may never understand why this Ordinary-looking violin sounds so much like Stradivarius．

1.In Paragraph l，the writer mentioned his father's developing color prints to ．

A．let others know that he believed his father

B．show that his father would like to make violins

C．prove that his father could do anything he wanted to

D．give an example showing that his father was an inventor

2.What did the writer's father think about Stradivarius violins?

A．They were made by experts．

B．The wood of the violins was special．

C．The way of making them was unusual．

D．The varnish was different from the others．

3.From the underlined sentence，we learn that the writer's father ．

A．found another new job

B．wanted to become famous

C．lost interest in instruments

D．liked the violin very much

4.What could be the best title of the passage?

A．My Experienced Father

B．My Father and His Violin

C．The Secret of Making Violins

D．The New Owner of the Violin

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。

Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn’t mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or the other, you’ll have to stand up and say – problem, I don’t want you in my life.

1. Problems with friends, parents, girlfriends, husbands, and children – the list goes on. Apart from these, the inner conflicts within ourselves work, too. These keep adding to our problems. Problems come in different shapes and colors and feelings.

But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.

Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help. 2. Talking helps you move on and let go.

Write your problems. 3. When you write down your problems, you are setting free all the tension from your system. You can try throwing away the paper on which you wrote your problems. By doing this, imagine yourself throwing away the problems from your life.

Don’t lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don’t lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family… you should still have faith. 4.Your problems aren’t the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there’re another one million people whose problems are huger than yours. 5. Your problems might just seem big and worse, but in reality they can be removed.

Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.

A．When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it?

B．But the truth is that when you talk about it, you’re setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you.

C．Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don’t want a real person to talk with.

D．We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack.

E．Of course, we’ve been fighting troubles ever since we were born.

F．With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose.

G．Tell yourself: when they can deal with them, why can’t I?

There is growing concern about food insecurity in the developing world. Rising food prices, weather emergencies and political problems are deepening the struggle for families in many countries.

Three UN agencies have published a report recently, saying high prices are likely to continue. Gregory Barrow, who is with the World Food Program in Rome, says, “If you look at the places where the World Food Program works, particularly in developing countries, you see people who might be spending more than 60 percent of their salary in purchasing food for their families.”

East Africa is suffering its worst drought in years. In Kenya, at least three and a half million people are going hungry, mostly in the north. Yet food is going to waste in central Kenya. Now, farmers there want the government to buy their food and give it to those in need. Farmers say bad roads and lack of transportation make it difficult for them to get their produce to the market.

Mr. Barrow says, “It needs the government to make some arrangements such as providing transport. They can buy it at a good price, then give it to those people instead of asking for food from overseas, which is very bad. When we are throwing away food, they are asking for food from overseas.”

Economists say that imports reduce local food prices, decrease productivity(生产效率) and increase the dependency on other countries. Farmers in Kenya hope the government can pay higher prices for their crops so that they can feed more Kenyans.

1.What is the best title for this passage?

A. Kenya Imports Food from Abroad

B. A World Food Program in Rome.

C. The Poor Suffer from High Food Prices.

D. A Report Published by Three UN Agencies.

2.What do we know about Kenya from the passage?

A. The people in central Kenya are suffering from hunger.

B. At least three and a half million Kenyans lack food.

C. The Kenyan government wants to improve road conditions.

D. People in northern Kenya refuse to ask for food from overseas.

3.What does “they” in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A. The people of northern Kenya.

B. Government officials.

C. The farmers of central Kenya.

D. Kenyan economists.

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to this passage?

A. Gregory Barrow suggests that Kenya make good use of overseas food.

B. People in northern Kenya are suffering the drought less than the central.

C. Economists believe importing food from abroad may cause problems.

D. Kenyan government hopes to buy the native crops at higher prices.

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Some 1. (invent) happened in strange ways. “Potato chips” is one of them.

White Lake House was 2. restaurant in New York in the 1850s. George White was the cook there. Many highly-ranked people often came to the restaurant 3. (enjoy) his cooking.

One thing which really upset George was that a customer complained 4. the food and sent it back to the kitchen to be done over. He would often return it overcooked. He was unhappy to see the customer walk out of the restaurant 5. (angry).

On August 24, 1853, a customer returned his fried potatoes to the kitchen 6. they weren't crunchy (脆的) enough. George reacted in his 7. (usually) way. He cut the potatoes very thin and cooked them in hot oil. They were so crunchy and George was sure that the man would refuse to eat them. Instead, the man loved them. He even 8. (order) more.

Now, do you know 9. invented the potato chips? It's George White! He later set up his own restaurant. He named it George's House. He put baskets of his potato chips on all the tables. They made his restaurant a very popular place.

Today, potato chips are one of Americans' 10. (favor) foods!

At the age of ten I could not figure out what this Elvis Presley guy had that the rest of us boys did not have．I mean，he had a head，two arms and two legs，just like the rest of us．About nine o’clock on Saturday morning I decided to ask Eugene Correthers，one of the older boys，what it was that made this Elvis guy so special．He told me that it was Elvis’ wavy hair and the way he moved his body．

About half an hour later all the boys in the orphanage(孤儿院)were called to the main dining-room and told we were all going to downtown Jacksonville，Florida to get a new pair of Buster Brown shoes and a haircut．That is when I got this big idea，which hit me like a ton of bricks. If the Elvis hair cut was the big secret，then that’s what I was going to get．

A11 the way to town I told everybody, including the matron(女管家)from the orphanage who was taking us to town，that I was going to look just like Elvis Presley and that I would learn to move around just like he did and that I would be rich and famous one day, just like him．

When I got my new Buster Brown shoes, I could hardly wait for my new hair cut and now that I had my new Busier Brown shoes I would be very happy to go back to the orphanage and practice being like Elvis.

We finally arrived at the big barber shop，where they cut our hair for free because we were orphans(孤儿)．I looked at the barber and said，“I want an Elvis hair cut. Can you make my hair like Elvis?”I asked him，with a big smile on my face．“Let's just see what we can do for you，little man，”he said．I was so happy when he started to cut my hair．Just as he started to cut my hair, the matron signed for him to come over to where she was standing．She whispered something into his ear and then he shook his head，like he was telling her “No”．Then he told me they were not allowed to give us Elvis hair cuts．Then I saw my hair falling onto the floor．

1.In the author’s eyes，Elvis Presley was_________．

A．disgusting B．admirable

C．ambitious D．dynamic

2.From the passage，we can know that______________．

A．Buster Brown was more appealing than Elvis Presley

B．An Elvis hair cut cost the orphans a lot of money

C．The matron did not want the boy to have an Elvis hair cut

D．The barber was unwilling to give the boy an Elvis hair cut

3.We can learn from the underlined sentence that the boy was______．

A．excited to have an Elvis hair cut

B．worried to think about the secret

C．anxious to remove the ton of bricks

D．careful to seize the chance

4.How would the boy probably feel when he walked out of the barber shop?

A．Delighted． B．Guilty．

C．Self-satisfied． D．Depressed．