Shortly after the war, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented a cottage in the country, although he rarely spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture in it, many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked, making the whole house damp.

On our first evening, we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories which our uncle had to tell of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed; but I could not bear to miss any of my uncle’s exciting tales.

He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash from the bedroom above, the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.

“It sounds as if the roof has fallen in!” cried out my uncle, with a loud laugh.

When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door, we could see nothing at first because of the thick clouds of dust which filled the room. When the dust began to clear, a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen down, falling right on to the pillow of my bed. I was glad that I had stayed up late to listen to my uncle’s stories, otherwise I should certainly have been seriously injured, perhaps killed.

That night we all slept on the floor in the sitting room downstairs, not wishing to risk our lives by sleeping under a roof which might at any moment fall down on our heads. We left for London the very next morning and my uncle gave up his cottage in the country. This was not the kind of adventure he cared for either!

1.Why did the uncle seldom spend much time in the country cottage?

A. Because the roof of the cottage was falling.

B. Because the cottage was in bad condition.

C. Because he was used to living abroad.

D. Because there was no furniture in it.

2.When they opened the bedroom door, they could see nothing at first because __________.

A. it was completely dark inside

B. there was too much dust in the air

C. something strange blinded them

D. it was too bright inside

3.The writer felt glad that he had stayed up late because __________.

A. he did not miss the exciting stories

B. he spent more time with his uncle

C. he had a lucky escape

D. he saw a strange sight

4.Which of the following can best describe the writer’s uncle?

A. Adventurous and good at storytelling.

B. Humorous and good at making jokes.

C. Dependable and generous with money

D. Considerate and sensitive to danger.

Many people have bought insurance, either life or property (财产), commercial or compulsory. Yet some people know little about it and some even misunderstand its nature and function.

Insurance is the sharing of risks. Nearly everyone is exposed to a risk of some sort. The house owner, for example, knows that his property can be damaged by fire; the shipowner knows that his ships may be lost at sea; the breadwinner knows that he may die at an early age and leave his family poorer. On the other hand, not every house is damaged by fire nor every ship is lost at sea. If these persons each put a small amount of money into a pool, there will be enough to meet the needs of the few who do suffer losses. In other words, the losses of the few are met from the contributions of the many. This is the basis of insurance. Those who pay the contribution are known as the insured and those who manage the pool of contributions as insurers.

The legal basis of all insurance is the policy. This is a printed form of contract on a piece of paper in best quality. It states that every year the insured shall pay an amount of which is called the premium; in return, the insurer will pay an amount of money or compensation for losses if the risk or event insured against actually happens.

The premium for insurance naturally depends upon how likely the risk is to happen, as suggested by past experience. If companies fix their premiums too high, there will be more competition in their area of insurance and they may lose business. On the other hand, if they make the premium too low, they will lose money and may even have to drop out of business. So the ordinary forces of supply and demand keep premiums at a level satisfactory to both the insurer and the insured.

1.The underlined phrase in Para. 2 most probably means __________.

A. money paid by the insurers

B. each premium

C. money paid by all those insured

D. the cost of administering insurance

2.Insurance premiums do not become too high because __________.

A. not many people insure themselves

B. premiums depend on the risk of losses

C. insurers have to be more competitive

D. insurance companies can never lose money

3.According to the passage, insurance business gains profit because __________.

A. more and more people buy insurance

B. the firms have sound management

C. the premium is increased year by year

D. only a few of those insured suffer losses

4.The purpose of the passage is to __________.

A. explain an insurance policy

B. introduce insurance business

C. persuade people to be insured

D. warn people of possible losses

Famous resorts (度假胜地) on the earth

Maldives

Maldives is famed as the last paradise (乐园) on the earth. It’s made up of more than 1,800 coral islands, spreading over a sea area of about 90 thousand square kilometers on the Indian Ocean. People in Maldives believe in Islam. They must observe the religious rules strictly. However, tourists don’t need to follow these customs inside hotels, but they must do as the locals when they enter the community of the local people.

Jeju Island

Jeju Island, also known as the “Islands of the Gods”, is the biggest island of South Korea. It is a volcanic island with a pleasant climate. Its yearly average temperature is 16℃, which makes it the most attractive vacation stop in Northeast Asia. It has gained fame as a shopping paradise. Here all the luxury (奢侈品) brands are free of duty. Every summer thousands of tourists come here to look for the gods, enjoy the coolness of the gentle sea breeze and buy cheap luxuries.

Phuket Island

Phuket Island, the biggest island of Thailand, is called a pearl on the Indian Ocean. It is world-famous for its beautiful beaches. Some are quiet and tourist-friendly, and some are as luxurious as personal vacation beaches. Some are famous for sea sports, and some are attractive to lovers of evening entertainments. Therefore, you’ll have a good time here whether you’re single or accompanied by your friends.

Hayman Island

Hayman Island, a secret vacation island, is one of the coral islands that make up the Great Barrier Reef. Every year thousands of tourists come here to admire the beauty of the tropic sea and the charming scene of the Great Barrier Reef. However, they seldom see any waiters and waitresses around as they work in and travel through a special tunnel (通道). This is why it’s called the most secret resort.

1.If you intend to do some shopping besides sightseeing, __________ maybe is your best choice.

A. Maldives B. Phuket Island

C. Jeju Island D. Hayman Island

2.Tourists should __________ in Maldives when getting out of the hotels.

A. follow the local rules

B. watch out for sharks

C. stay in secret tunnels

D. stay away from the local people

3.Phuket Island is regarded as __________ by tourists.

A. the Islands of the Gods

B. a pearl on the Indian Ocean

C. a secret vacation island

D. the last paradise on the earth

4.Tourists think Hayman Island is secret because __________.

A. they are strictly limited within the hotel

B. they aren’t allowed to swim in the sea

C. they are forbidden to bargain in the market

D. they can’t meet servants around them

Our success, satisfaction and general happiness in life is not dependent on what happens to us but how we deal with it.

You will probably know from personal experience what a difference your attitude can make when, for example, you，re returning faulty goods or making a complaint. An open, polite and friendly approach，expecting a satisfactory result，normally results in one as people tend to respond with a similar attitude. If, however, you present an argument with an angry, accusing tone, expecting trouble, there is little doubt that this is what you’ll get!

Some people see the world through a filter of optimism and some through a filter of pessimism (悲观) which largely comes down to having a positive or negative (消极的) attitude. People who are suffering from a negative attitude primarily think that something can’t be done; they talk about problems, see all the difficulties, find fault with and criticize other people and focus on all the things they would like but haven’t got. On the contrary, people blessed with a positive attitude think that anything is possible. They look for ways to solve the problems, they see the good in everybody，and they are grateful for all the good things in their lives.

Whether suffering from or blessed with your attitude, this is not something that is put on us from the outside. We are very much responsible for our own attitude. We all start out with a “clean” board but this can get muddied by our experiences in life. As children we are made fun of and even get bullied (欺侮) and rejected, start to experience doubt and lose our self-confidence. If this continues into adulthood, it can result in a bad attitude in later life.

1.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that people are likely to treat others __________.

A. the way they are treated

B. better when they are satisfied

C. worse when they are in trouble

D. the way they consider appropriate

2.According to the writer, what affects people’s life attitude?

A. The situation they face.

B. The people around them.

C. Their expectations of life.

D. The way they view the world.

3.What is the purpose of the writer in writing this passage?

A. To show how to avoid a negative attitude.

B. To show the importance of a positive attitude.

C. To share his positive attitude with his readers.

D. To describe the effects of a negative attitude.

How to Choose a Topic for Your Paper

No matter what research paper you write, the first and most important step is to choose the topic. 1. Here are some tips for you to follow.

To choose a good topic, you’ll have to ask yourself some important questions. Is there enough research available on this topic? Is the topic new and unique enough that I can offer fresh opinions? Is it related to my subject and future occupation?

2. Writing about something you enjoy certainly shows in the final product, making it more likely that you will be successful in writing a paper about something you enjoy.

If you are writing a research paper for a class, consider the other students. 3. How can you keep your paper unique and interesting if everyone is writing about the same thing?

Ask your professor or classmates for advice, if you’re struggling to come up with a “right” topic. 4. Sometimes asking professors for help may seem frightening, but if they are worth anything as a professor，they want you to be successful in your work，and will do what they can to make that happen.

If you choose a topic, begin researching，and realize that it isn’t the right decision for you for some reason, don’t worry! 5. Although it requires a bit more time, yet changing your topic will make your writing more efficient.

A. Have a clear picture of organization in mind.

B. Be courageous and change it.

C. Is it likely that they will also be writing about your topic?

D. However, many students are discouraged by this first step.

E. Take a trip to your local library or university library.

F. Choose a topic that you have very strong emotion in.

G. They are likely to have great ideas.

Jenna had graduated from her middle school and was lucky enough to be admitted to Westwood College, She was ready for new ________ at the college and filled with confidence,________, she didn’t expect it that college life was quite ________. In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts for cheerleaders. She was competing against very talented girls, and she knew it would be ________ for her to be selected. Two hours later, the ________ read a list of the girls for a second tryout. Her heart ________ as the list ended without her name. Feeling ________, she walked back to her dormitory carrying her schoolbag full of homework.

Arriving at the dormitory, she started with ________. She had always been a good math student, but now she was ________. She moved on to English and history, and ________ to find that she didn’t have any trouble with those subjects. Feeling better, she decided not to ________ math for the time being.

The next day Jenna went to see Mrs. Biden about being on the school ________. Mrs. Biden wasn’t as enthusiastic as Jenna. “I’m sorry, ________ we have enough ________ for the newspaper already. Come back next year and we’ll talk then.” Jenna smiled ________ and left. “Why is college so different?” she sighed.

Later in math class, Jenna devoted herself to figuring out the problems that had given her so much ________. By the end of the class, she understood how to get them right. As she gathered her books, Jenna decided she’d ________ to try to fit in with her new school. She wasn’t sure if she’d ________, but she knew she had to try. College was just as her mom had said, “You will feel like a small fish in a big pond ________ a big fish in a small pond. The challenge is to become the ________ fish you can be.”

1.A. decisions B. challenges C. problems D. exercises

2.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D. Otherwise

3.A. normal B. necessary C. different D. desperate

4.A. simple B. troublesome C. certain D. difficult

5.A. editor B. judge C. boss D. candidate

6.A. stopped B. jumped C. sank D. changed

7.A. awful B. lonely C. happy D. strange

8.A. English B. history C. science D. math

9.A. working B. struggling C. complaining D. improving

10.A. bothered B. ashamed C. pleased D. shocked

11.A. show up B. make for C. give up D. prepare for

12.A. committee B. team C. newspaper D. radio

13.A. and B. so C. or D. but

14.A. writers B. players C. speakers D. readers

15.A. brightly B. weakly C. widely D. happily

16.A. courage B. lack C. hope D. sorrow

17.A. hesitate B. refuse C. continue D. attempt

18.A. succeed B. complete C. agree D. accompany

19.A. in the hope of B. in honor of C. in case of D. instead of

20.A. tallest B. best C. hardest D. gentlest

All of us have read thrilling stories. In many of 1. (they) the hero had only a 2. (limit) and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year; sometimes as short as twenty-four hours, 3. we were always interested in 4. (discover) just how the dying man chose to spend his last days or his last hours.

Such stories set up thinking, wondering 5. we should do under similar circumstances. What 6. (happy) should we find in reviewing the past, and what regrets? Sometimes, I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day 7. if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would stress 8. (sharp) the values of life.

I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being 9. (be) stricken blind and deaf for a few of days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him 10. (much) appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（?），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

One day, I was cooking in the kitchen when the telephone rings. I went to answer it immediately. She was my close friend, Lisa. When we were talking on phone, the fire alarm sounded. I ran back to the kitchen only to find the room full of smoke and the beef bad burnt. I quickly turned off the gas, opening all the windows, but then went out of the house. In my surprise, two fire engine were outside my house. I was quite worry. I told the firemen that it was my careless cooking that it caused the heavy smoke.

假如你是李华，获悉你校英语学习社团准备创办一份中学生英文校刊以促进大家的英语学习。请你用英语给社团负责人Smith写一封信，一来表达你得知此事的喜悦心情，二来提出你喜欢的栏目（column）并简要说明理由。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.信的开头和结尾已为你写好。

Dear Mr. Smith,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas city in 1918. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching the high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.

Fortunately he had a strong-willed caring mother. John remembered that his mother told him many times, “Son, you can be anything you want really to be if you just believe.” She told him not to depend on others, including his mother. “You have to earn success, ” she said. “All the people who work hard don’t succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard.”

These words came from a woman with less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don’t mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago.

Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for. John’s mother and stepfather could not find work. But here John could go to school, and here he learned the power of words—as an editor of the newspaper and yearbook at Du Sable High School his wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.

While others discouraged him, John’s mother offered him more words to live by. “Nothing beats a failure but a try. ”She also let him pawn(典当)her furniture to get the $ 500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.

It is natural that difficulties and failures followed John closely until he became very successful. He always keeps his mother’s words in mind. “ Son, failure is not in your vocabulary!”

Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America—worth $ 150 million.

1.John’s mother decided to move to Chicago because _____.

A. his father died when John was very young

B. life was too hard for them to stay on in their hometown

C. John needed more education badly

D. there were no schools for Negroes in their hometown

2.John’s mother _______.

A. didn’t believe in or depend on others

B. thought one could be whatever one wanted to be

C. believed one would succeed without working hard

D. thought no one could succeed without working hard

3.The underlined sentence “Nothing beats a failure but a try. ”means _____.

A. if you try, you would succeed

B. a failure is difficult to beat, even if you try

C. a try is always followed by a failure

D. no failure can be beaten unless you try