According to the driver’s explanation, it was not his carelessness but the bad road conditions that _________ for the accident.

A. was to blame

B. was to be blamed

C. were to be blamed

D. were to blame

When we give our kids holiday gifts, many of us can’t wait to hear their appreciative cries of “thank you!” once the wrapping gets ripped off. But here’s a tip: You’d be wise not to expect much gratitude from them for what they receive.

Gratitude can make us happier, healthier, and even fitter. But do the kids show their gratitude for the stuff we buy them? All the research I’ve done has convinced me that it won’t happen. One mom told me that when she asked her 16-year-old son to thank her for buying him a cellphone, he said, “But that’s what moms should do.” From a teenager’s angle, it’s a parent’s responsibility to take care of the family. According to Dunham, Yale’s assistant professor of psychology, “When teenagers code it that way, a gift is no longer something given freely and voluntarily”—it’s just mom and dad living up to their obligation.

Parents do have the right to demand good manners and children should thank sincerely whoever gives them something. But kids can’t know how blessed they are unless they have a basis for comparison. And they don’t learn that by a parent complaining that they’re ungrateful. We need to give our children the gift of a wider world view. Show by example that gratitude isn’t about stuff—which ultimately can’t make any of us happy anyway. It’s about realizing how lucky you are and paying your good fortune forward.

You can collect all the charitable appeals and sit down together with the kids to go through them. You set the budget for giving and the kids decide how it’s distributed. Once the conversation about gratitude gets started, it’s much easier to continue all year. Also you can set up a family routine at bedtime where kids describe three things that have made them grateful. When kids go off to college, you can text them a picture each week of something that inspires your appreciation.

Teaching children to focus on the positive and appreciate the good in their lives is perhaps the greatest gift we can give them. And we can all learn together that the things that really matter aren’t on sale at a department store.

1.How do children respond when receiving gifts from their parents?

A. They show no interest in their parents’ gifts.

B. They can’t wait to open their parents’ gifts.

C. They show much gratitude to their parents for the gifts.

D. They take their parents’ gifts for granted.

2.To make children grateful for what they have, parents should _________.

A. live up to their obligation

B. ask their children to have good manners

C. teach their children by setting an example

D. complain their children are ungrateful

3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A. No gifts are greater than teaching children to be positive and grateful.

B. Children ought to realize how lucky they are to have considerate parents.

C. Children are supposed to decide how to distribute their own money

D. It is easy for parents to start the conversation about gratitude.

4. What’s the purpose of the author writing this text?

A. To explain the reason why children offer no gratitude to their parents.

B. To give advice to parents on how to help children develop gratitude.

C. To encourage parents to do things together with their children.

D. To remind parents of their responsibility to educate their children.

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 a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of great singers. 1. （ask）to be a part of a show for some old World WarⅡsoldiers, he told them he was very busy and he could afford only a few minutes, 2. he would come if they wouldn’t mind his singing one short song and immediately leaving for his next appointment. Of course, the show’s director agreed 3. (happy).

But when Jimmy got on stage, something surprising happened. He went through 4. short song and then stayed. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept 5. (stay). Pretty soon, he had been on stage 6. fifteen, twenty, and then thirty minutes. One of his 7. (assist) behind the stage stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?”

Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason why I stayed. You can see for 8. (you) if you look at the front row.” In the front row were two men, both of 9. had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that was exactly what they 10. (do) , loudly and cheerfully.

A team of engineers at Harvard University has been inspired by Nature to create the first robotic fly. The mechanical fly has become a platform for a series of new high-tech integrated systems. Designed to do what a fly does naturally, the tiny machine is the size of a fat housefly. Its mini wings allow it to stay in the air and perform controlled flight tasks.

“It’s extremely important for us to think about this as a whole system and not just the sum of a bunch of individual components (元件),” said Robert Wood, the Harvard engineering professor who has been working on the robotic fly project for over a decade. A few years ago, his team got the go-ahead to start piecing together the components. “The added difficulty with a project like this is that actually none of those components are off the shelf and so we have to develop them all on our own,” he said.

They engineered a series of systems to start and drive the robotic fly. “The seemingly simple system which just moves the wings has a number of interdependencies on the individual components, each of which individually has to perform well, but then has to be matched well to everything it’s connected to,” said Wood. The flight device was built into a set of power, computation, sensing and control systems. Wood says the success of the project proves that the flying robot with these tiny components can be built and manufactured.

While this first robotic flyer is linked to a small, off-board power source, the goal is eventually to equip it with a built-in power source, so that it might someday perform data-gathering work at rescue sites, in farmers’ fields or on the battlefield. “Basically it should be able to take off, land and fly around,” he said.

Wood says the design offers a new way to study flight mechanics and control at insect-scale. Yet, the power, sensing and computation technologies on board could have much broader applications. “You can start thinking about using them to answer open scientific questions, you know, to study biology in ways that would be difficult with the animals, but using these robots instead,” he said. “So there are a lot of technologies and open interesting scientific questions that are really what drives us on a day to day basis.”

1.The difficulty the team of engineers met with while making the robotic fly was that __________.

A. they had no model in their mind

B. they did not have sufficient time

C. they had no ready-made components

D. they could not assemble the components

2.It can be inferred from paragraphs 3 and 4 that the robotic fly __________.

A. consists of a flight device and a control system

B. can just fly in limited areas at the present time

C. can collect information from many sources

D. has been put into wide application

3.Which of the following can be learned from the passage?

A. The robotic flyer is designed to learn about insects.

B. Animals are not allowed in biological experiments.

C. There used to be few ways to study how insects fly.

D. Wood’s design can replace animals in some experiments.

4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Father of Robotic Fly

B. Inspiration from Engineering Science

C. Robotic Fly Imitates Real Life Insect

D. Harvard Breaks Through in Insect Study

完形填空

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Here You Grow Again

“You’re having problems? No problem.”That’s what I try to tell myself when I begin to feel overwhelmed. And then I________myself that the only people I am________ who don’t have_______are gathered in peaceful neighborhoods. There is never a________, never a moment of stress to ruin a day. All is calm. Most_______have at least one such worry-free zone. We call them cemeteries (墓地).

But if you’re still________, you have difficulties. It’s the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be________for you than you think. Let me explain.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, ________some 1, 800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to________the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked a question. “I notice that the lagoon(浅水湖) side of the reef looks________and lifeless, while the ocean side is lively and colorful, ”a traveler observed. “________is this?”

The guide gave an interesting answer, “The coral(珊瑚) around the lagoon side is in_______water, with no challenge for its survival. It________early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being_______by wind, waves, storms—surges of power. It has to fight for________every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and________. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces.”Then he added this telling note, “That’s the way it is_______every living organism.”

Like coral______by the sea, we grow. ________demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce strength and determination. Spiritual testing can produce ________of character and faithfulness.

1.A. warn B. remind C. inform D. persuade

2.A. aware of B. ashamed of C. concerned about D. worried about

3.A. purposes B. troubles C. plans D. opinions

4.A. wonder B. miracle C. care D. wish

5.A. campuses B. halls C. countries D. towns

6.A. worrying B. breathing C. thinking D. working

7.A. bigger B. smaller C. better D. heavier

8.A. covering B. running C. reaching D. stretching

9.A. view B. dig C. protect D. find

10.A. healthy B. pale C. strong D. colorful

11.A. how B. when C. why D. what

12.A. dirty B. cold C. deep D. still

13.A. grows B. dies C. rests D. settles

14.A. tested B. washed C. cleaned D. killed

15.A. nutriment B. development C. survival D. energy

16.A. enlarges B. breaks C. disappears D. adapts

17.A. for B. with C. on D. in

18.A. struck B. flooded C. swallowed D. supported

19.A. Social B. Emotional C. Spiritual D. Physical

20.A. feature B. result C. strength D. influence

So many of us hold on to little complaints that may have come from an argument ，a misunderstanding，the way we were raised，or some other painful events. Stubbornly，we wait for someone else to reach out to us — believing this is the only way we can forgive or rekindle a friendship or family relationship.

A friend of mine，recently told me that she hadn't spoken to her son in almost three years. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn't speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out，she said，“ I can't do that. He’s the one who should apologize. ” After a little gentle encouragement，however，she did de­cide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement，her son was grateful for her willingness to call and offered an apology of his own. As is usually the case，when someone takes the chance and rea­ches out，everyone wins.

Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn“ small stuff”问题）”into really“ big stuff” in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. They are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person you must understand that being right is almost never more important than allowing yourself to be happy. The way to be happy is to let go，and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn't mean that you're wrong. Everything will be fine. You'll experience the peace of letting go，as well as the joy of letting others be right.

You'11 also notice that，as you reach out and let others be “right”，they will become less defen­sive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But，if for some reason they don't， that's okay too. You '11 have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world，and certainly you'11 be more peaceful yourself.

1. The underlined word “ rekindle” in Paragraph 1 probably means “ ”.

A. recover B. develop

C. accept D. replace

2.In the author's opinion, we hold on to our anger often because we think .

A. we can turn small issues into big ones

B. our positions are higher than others

C. our own opinions matter most

D. others will be less defensive

3.The best thing to do after a quarrel is to .

A. let go of our own rights

B. realize that you are wrong.

C. expect others to give in

D. apologize to others first.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. People should keep peaceful when facing small stuff.

B. Reaching out and apologizing wins one peace and happiness.

C. We should tell apart small and big stuff in our daily life.

D. It's necessary to enjoy our friendship and family relationship.

Cursive (手写体)is about to become extinct. Do we raise the red flag? To teach or not to teach cursive is the question that several state education departments are struggling with.

Before you read this write-up $ do a simple exercise. Pick a pen and paper and start writing in cursive. Yes，that fancy handwriting that you learned in grade school. You may not have forgotten the good times you had while writing loopy Ps and Gs as well as curly Ms and Ns. However，the chances are that you won't be able to write it as excellently as you used to. Some people are good at making the perfect loops and curls，while some are bad. I am still terrible at it.

Cursive is hardly used by kids anymore as even adults don 't write in this style，unless they are using it for their signature. Learning this handwriting was a usual practice in school for several dec­ades. However，in 2011, the Indiana Department of Education made it optional (可选择的)for schools to teach cursive writing to the students. In fact, there were 46 more states who have done the same. There are some who believe that it is high time for cursive to retire from school curriculum. After all，if we don ’ t leave the past behind，we cannot make way for new things. If you walk into any classroom，you would find children using keyboards to communicate in written form. On the other hand，fans of this cursive insist on its usefulness. They remind us that if we stop teaching and learn­ing cursive in schools，very soon most of our historical documents will become hard to us.

Where do we stand on this subject? Is it the right time to erase an almost forgotten handwriting and live in the keyboarding world? Or can we do both without compromising (妥协)on our school curriculum? Let me know your thoughts on this matter by leaving a comment in the section below.

1.People use cursive when they

A. give their signature B. are in Indiana

C. grow up as adults D. are at school

2. In Indiana school, children

A. must learn cursive

B. are interested in cursive

C. can choose to learn cursive

D. learn cursive everyday

3. It can be inferred that the author

A. prefers to learn cursive

B. is a cursive teacher

C. welcomes people to show their opinions

D. is a very famous expert in education

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

A. Is Cursive Writing Necessary?

B. Is Keyboarding World Good?

C. A Keyboarding World

D. Advantages of Cursive

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。有两项为多余 选项。

How to Study for a Test or Final

The end of the term is drawing near，and that means final exams are on the way. 1.

The most important thing you can do is to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Then follow this plan：

Start Early

Gather all the material you've received during the term. Read through your class notes twice.

Some things will sound familiar and some things will sound unfamiliar. That's normal.

Establish a Study Group or Partner.

Schedule at least one meeting time with a study partner or study group. If you can't completely get together，then exchange email addresses. 2.

Collect your old exams from the year (or semester) and make a photocopy of each one. Write out the test answers and copy each one again. Use Old Tests

3.

To get the best results，you should make several copies of each old exam and keep taking the tests until you score perfectly on each one.

Build up Your Class Notes.

Organize your notes by date and make note of any missing dates/pages. Get together with a study partner or group to compare notes and fill in any missing material. 4. Everybody zones out once in a while. After you organize your new set of notes，underline any key words formulas，themes，and con­cepts.

Make yourself a new practice test with fill-in sentences and term definitions. Print out several tests and practice several times. 5. Then exchange.

Make Use of Old Assignments.

Gather some old assignments and redo the exercises. Review the exercises until you can every question easily.

A. Instant messages will work well, too.

B. Have a set of practice tests.

C. How can you give yourself a chance to improve your scores?

D. You might find one that makes something clear for the first time.

E. Ask the members of your study group to make practice tests as well.

F. Don’t be too surprised if you missed key information from the lectures.

G. Have your friend or study partner raise questions and compare them.

完形填空

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

This is the story of two lovers, who finally got married. Both of them were romantic at first, ________on the walk of life, problems, quarrels, profession came into their life.

One day, she finally decided “I want to break up”. “Why?” he asked.

“I am ________ .” She answered.

He kept silent the whole night, seemingly in deep ________ . Finally he asked, “What can I do to ________ your mind?”

Looking into his eyes, she said, “Answer my question. If you can ________ my heart, Let’s say, I want a flower ________ on the face of a mountain cliff(悬崖), we are both sure that picking the flower will cause your ________ . Will you do it for me?”

He said, “I will give you my ________ tomorrow.”

She woke up the next morning, found him gone, and saw a piece of paper on her bed, which ________ , “My dear, I would not pick that flower for you. The ________ are ...”

“When you use the computer you always ________ the software and you cry in front of the screen. I have to save my fingers so that I can help to ________ the programs(程序). You always leave the house keys behind, so I have to save my ________to rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way in a ________ city. I have to save my eyes to show you the way. You always ________at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes. I have to save my eyes ________ when we grow old, I can help to cut your nails and help to remove those________ white hairs.”

“Thus, my dear, ________ I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do, I can not pick that flower yet, and die...”

That’s life, and ________. Flowers, and romantic moments are only used and appear on the ________ of the relationship.

Under all this, the pillar (柱子) of true love stands.

1.A. but B. and C. while D. so

2.A. lonely B. worn out C. dead D. alone

3.A. sorrow B. anger C. shade D. thought

4.A. speak B. keep C. blow D. change

5.A. represent B. expand C. convince D. warm

6.A. grown B. growing C. living D. planted

7.A. death B. hurt C. wound D. injury

8.A. decision B. choice C. opinion D. answer

9.A. wrote B. informed C. read D. printed

10.A. answers B. messages C. purposes D. reasons

11.A. run out B. put up C. mess up D. use up

12.A. restore B. repair C. fix D. mend

13.A. strength B. life C. energy D. legs

14.A. big B. strange C. modern D. crowded

15.A. glance B. stare C. glare D. look

16.A. as if B. now that C. in case D. so that

17.A. inspiring B. annoying C. rough D. refreshing

18.A. unless B. even if C. although D. if

19.A. warmth B. couple C. love D. power

20.A. nature B. way C. course D. surface

语法填空

阅读下面材料，在空格处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或使用括号中单词的正确形式。

How Learning Habits Influence on Learning Results

It's useful and necessary to discuss learning habits. There is a famous saying “ Good habits lead to good endings”，which shows the1. (important ) of habits.

“ An apple a day keeps a doctor 2. ” also shows how a healthy everyday habit helps 3. (build）up our body. Thus， good learning habits can help us gain great learning results， 4. (include) high scores and abundant(丰富的) knowledge. At first，learning habits form our ways of thinking and attitudes to the content of our learning. 5. ( obvious)，a good habit can help us to speed up to reach our destinations. As we can see，developing a good habit is so important 6. I would like to introduce one kind of good learning habits — keep a learning diary every day. We can start the habit by7. (write) learning summaries and remember to record something8. (impress) and meaningful. Keep 9. in mind, we can gain this good learning habit and benefit from it.

What's more，I find out that I still have some bad learning habits as well. I can only concentrate on reading for a short time and I will conquer this problem by spending more effort 10. ________ concentra tion practice in future.

I believe that through my efforts，I can gain good learning results by having good habits.