Blind imitation is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth, imitation appears attractive: to those who know their strength, imitation is unacceptable.

In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.

In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously(下意识地) hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others.

In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.

Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration, not desperation. The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.

Study your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not server. Then you can say, “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors’ tragedies and stories, and know that they are cheering me on.”

1.To avoid the bad result of imitation, we should ________.

A. forget daily fear and pain B. ask others for decisions

C. choose the right example D. stay away from stars

2.According to the author, the world moves on because of those who are ________.

A. desperate to insurance others with their knowledge

B. willing to accept others’ ideas

C. eager to discover what their ancestors did

D. ready to turn their original ideas into reality

3.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A. To highlight the importance of creatively.

B. To criticize the characters of role models.

C. To compare imitation with creation.

D. To explain the meaning of success.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

We all want to succeed, whether it’s in losing weight or learning the guitar. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. Why does one person succeed where another person fails? 1.

1. Identify your core values.

Finding your core values is in line with creating inner motivation. 2.Pick a handful of things and actually write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day, and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

2. Pick a goal and focus on it.

Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your core values. Focus is key here. 3.If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never complete your projects because they will take far too long.

3. Set a deadline for success.

Set a date for success. Identify when you hope to achieve your goal. 4.By setting a time limit, you are making the process more real.

4.5.

Failure can’t be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don’t fall into this trap! Remember your mindset earlier. Know it will happen. A failure is merely you working out the details, and learning what works and what doesn’t. Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and move on!

A. Stick to your goal.

B. Make the right decision.

C. I’ve made a list of four habits to help you set goals and achieve them.

D. Sit and reflect on what you value most.

E. Keep it realistic, while not giving you too much time.

F. The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success.

G. Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.

完形填空

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1--20各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I often read of incidents of misunderstanding or conflict. I’m left_____.Why do these people create mistrust and problems, especially with those from other____?

I was growing up in Kuala Lumpur in the early 1960s,____children from different races and religions played and studied_____in harmony. At that time my family lived a stone’s______from Ismail’s. And no one was bothered that Ismail was a Malay Muslim and I was an Indian Hindu-we just______our differences. Perhaps, our elders had not filled our heads with unnecessary advice, well____or otherwise.

We were nine when we became friends. During the school holidays, we’d____the countryside on our bicycles, hoping to____the unexpected. At times Ismail would accompany my family as we made a rare shopping trip to town. We would be glad of his_____.

When I was twelve, my family moved to Johor. Ismail’s family later returned to their village, and I____touch with him.

One spring afternoon in 1983, I stopped a taxi in Kuala Lumpur. I_____my destination. The driver acknowledged my_____but did not move off. Instead, he looked____at me. “Raddar?”he said, using my childhood nickname(绰号). I was astonished at being so____addressed(称呼). Unexpectedly! It was Ismail! Even after two_____we still recognized each other. Grasping his shoulder, I felt a true affection, something_____to describe.

If we can allow our children to be____without prejudice, they’ll build friendships with people, regardless of race or religion, who will be_____their side through thick and thin. On such friendships are societies build and_____we can truly be, as William Shakespeare once wrote, “we happy few, we band of brothers”.

1.A. interested B. pleased C. puzzled D. excited

2.A. parties B. cities C. villages D. races

3.A. why B. which C. how D. when

4.A. together B. around C. alone D. apart

5.A. drop B. throw C. move D. roll

6.A. refused B. made C. sought D. accepted

7.A. paid B. meant C. preserved D. treated

8.A. explore B. search C. discover D. desert

9.A. get through B. deal with C. come across D. take away

10.A. arrival B. choice C. effort D. company

11.A. lost B. gained C. developed D. missed

12.A. stated B. ordered C. decided D. chose

13.A. attempts B. instructions C. opinions D. arrangements

14.A. anxiously B. carelessly C. disappointedly D. fixedly

15.A. familiarly B. strangely C. fully D. coldly

16.A. departures B. months C. years D. decades

17.A. possible B. funny C. hard D. clear

18.A. them B. themselves C. us D. ourselves

19.A. from B. by C. with D. against

20.A. still B. otherwise C. then D. instead

In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most 1.(usual) way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world.

In June that year, a baby girl became 2.(serious) ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness with 3.(confident), so she was sent to big hospital in London 4.specialist help was available. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only 5.(discover) that they, too, were confused by the very unusual disease. Just then, a nurse asked to speak to them.

"Excuse me," said the nurse, "6. I think the baby is suffering from thallium(铊) poisoning. "

"What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is extremely rare."

"I read a detective novel 7. Agatha Christie a few days ago,” the nurse explained, "and in the book, somebody suffers from thallium poisoning, and all the symptoms 8.(describe). They’re exactly 9. same as the baby's."

The tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium, a rare metallic substance10. (use) in making special glass. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back home.

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：在错的词下划一横线，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。

Today is Sunday, I’ve been in Russia for two months. This is the first time that I’ve been away my family for such a long time. With the help of Katia, a roommate of me, I soon get used to live without my parents around. Katia, like many other Russian girls, are nice and lively. We became friends shortly after we meet each other. Although her English is a little hardly to understand, we enjoy chatting and we usually talk a lot about our own family. We’re both surprised that Chinese culture or Russian culture are so different. Now, we are planning a small party for the next Sunday. There, Katia will introduce me to some of her friends, one of who has been to China several times. I just can’t wait.

假设你是李华，两周前你从网上订购了一套英语书虫系列读物（Bookworm Series），昨天才收到货，且包装破损、数量不足。请就此向网点客服写邮件投诉。要点如下：

1．介绍购物情况；

2．反映存在问题；

3．提出解决方案。

注意：1．词数100左右；

2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3．开头语已为你写好，不计入总次数。

To whom it may concern,

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Li Hua

Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, it is also the most neglected . Common reasons for not eating breakfast include lack of time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike for breakfast, and dieting（节食）.

Breakfast simply means “break the fast”. Your body spends at least 6 to 12 hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy for the day’s work ahead.

A good breakfast should provide up to1/3 of your total calories needs for the day. On average（平均）, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If breakfast doesn’t attract you in the morning, try eating a lighter for the breakfast in the morning.

If you aren’t hungry in the morning, start with something small like juice or toast or have a nutritious (有营养的) mid-morning snack alter when you are hungry.

So, you say you’re on a diet. Some people fear eating breakfast will make them hungrier during the day and they will eat more. It is true that eating breakfast is likely to make you eat more. That’s because your body is working all day long , in fact, you are probably not.

Not eating breakfast can also cause you to overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slowed state it will not be able to burn those extra calories very quickly. If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals through the day, you are less likely to become hungry and fill yourself as soon as you begin to eat. Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right fuel is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits, juice, lean meat, and grain products such as bread, rice, noodles, and cereals.(谷物)。

1.Which of the following statement is Not the reason for not having breakfast?

A. Their time is limited. B. They want to lose weight.

C. Their stomachs are full. D. They want to start work early.[

2.What’s the meaning of the word “fast” in the phrase “break the fast”?

A. movement B. certain kind of food

C. quickness D. going without food

3.If you don’t want to have breakfast in the morning, the writer suggests you .

A. have some snacks when hungry

B. see a doctor to have an examination

C. have a good dinner

D. go to a restaurant to enjoy a good meal

4.From the passage, we can know the writer believes .

A. it’s OK not to have breakfast

B. it’s important to go on a diet at breakfast

C. you can decide whether to have breakfast

D. it’s necessary to have a right breakfast

Bad teeth can be painful and even be deadly. Infections of the gums (牙龈) and teeth can release bacteria into the blood system. Those bacteria can increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke and worsen the effects of other diseases. And adults are not the only ones at risk. For example, a 12?-year-?old boy died when a tooth infection spread to his brain in 2007 in Washington. Experts said it might have been prevented had he received the dental care he needed.

Experts say good dental care starts at birth. Breast milk，they say，is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow bacterial growth and acid production in the mouth. But dentists say a baby’s gums and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding by using a cloth with a little warm water. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, give only water.

When baby teeth begin to appear，you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently. The use of fluoride (氟化物) to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. For example, it is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel (釉质)，the hard surface on teeth, to help prevent holes from forming.

But young children often swallow toothpaste when they brush their teeth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry notes that swallowing fluoridated toothpaste can cause problems. So young children should be carefully watched when they brush their teeth. And only a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste, the size of a pea, should be used.

Parents often wonder what effect finger sucking might have on their baby’s teeth. Dental experts generally agree that this is fine early in life. Most children stop sucking their fingers by the age of four. If it continues，experts advise parents to talk to their children’s dentists or doctors because it could interfere with the correct development of permanent teeth.

Dentists say children should have their first dental visit at least by the time they are one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear—usually at around six months.

1.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. Bad teeth can be a threat to people’s health.

B. Bad teeth come along with other health problems.

C. Tooth infections can spread to brain easily.

D. Dental care should be done at an early age.

2.According to the passage, what is the function of fluoride?

A. Making the surface on teeth much cleaner.

B. Protecting gums from being infected.

C. Keeping holes on teeth from forming.

D. Slowing down bacterial growth and acid production.

3.What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?

A. To warn us of the deadly infections of gums and teeth.

B. To introduce the advantages of fluoridated toothpaste.

C. To draw our attention to the dental care of young children.

D. To present the research results about dental care.

Giving Mary Poppins’s magic umbrella some serious competition is the all new high-tech “Oombrella”---not only can it predict the weather, it’s also impossible to lose. The smart umbrella syncs(同步进行) with a smartphone app, sending users updates about weather conditions 30 minutes in advance, and reminders if they happen to leave the device behind. And here’s the added bonus – it won’t ever flip inside-out.

Designed by French company Wezzoo, the rainbow-colored umbrella comes in two versions – classic and modern. The classic is 3.1-ft long with a curved handle, while the modern version is 0.8-ft long with a straight handle. The company describes the device as a ‘portable weather station’, made of a reflective surface with built in sensors that record real-time data such as light, humidity, pressure, and temperature. The umbrella collects and processes this data as well as information from a social media community before sending out alerts about when it’s going to start raining.

And if the user happens to accidentally forget it at home on a potentially rainy day, or leaves it in a restaurant, similar alerts will be sent out using GPS technology to make sure you don’t lose it.

“We wanted to make this umbrella unforgettable in terms of design, too,” explains Alexandre, of Escabo design studio. “We developed an exclusive material. It makes you feel you are holding an aurora borealis(北极光) in your hands. It has effects that are amazing with the light and always changing. It really makes the umbrella special.” The ‘capsule’ that integrates all the technology, making the umbrella smart, is located in the handle.

The umbrella is all set to hit global online and physical stores this fall. According to a company spokesperson, it will retail at 79 euros ($86), but the early bird price on Kickstarter is 59 euros ($64). For those who are rather attached to their current umbrellas, the company will also release an ‘Oombrella capsule’ that can transform any umbrella into a smart device. Now, if only it could make us fly like Mary Poppins!

1.What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us about Oombrella?

A. Its special design B. Its working principle

C. Its functions D. Its structure

2.Which of the following best shows how Oombrella works?

A. collect—process—record—predict

B. process—record—collect—predict

C. record—collect—process—predict

D. record—process---collect---predict

3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Oombrella is already on sale

B. Early buyers of Oombrella will save money

C. It’s impossible to turn an ordinary umbrella into a smart one

D. Oombrella is a magic device that can make us fly

4.What’s the purpose of the author writing the passage?

A. To introduce readers a new type of umbrella

B. To show readers how to predict the weather

C. To remind readers to take an umbrella at any time

D. To persuade readers to buy the high-tech umbrella

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.

Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals(个人) long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth（财富） over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.

In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialized（过度商业化）society—changing from a meaningful time for family to a day devoted to products and shopping.

Black Friday has shown that with current common standards(标准), people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.

1.What does the underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 probably refers to?

A. The sign of a shift. B. The true value of Thanksgiving.

C. The shopping crowd. D. The material wealth.

2.In recent years, what will many families do when thanksgiving comes?

A. They’ll visit some newly-opened shopping centers in advance.

B. They’ll choose a big store for their first visit.

C. They’ll make full preparations for the Black Friday shopping.

D. They’ll go camping at the gate of shopping center for a good deal.

3.In the last paragraph, the author mainly intends to tell us that we should ______.

A. appreciate what we've possessed with our families

B. stay with our families as long as we can

C. try to spend less to get low cost products

D. set aside a single day to buy more

4.What's the author’s attitude towards the present ways people celebrate Thanksgiving?

A. puzzled B. unconcerned

C. happy D. worried