It’s not piano lessons or dance classes.Nowadays,the biggest extra-curricular activity in the west is going to a tutor.Pat,a mother in Canada,spends about 800 Canadian dollars a month on tutors when finding out half her daughter’s class have tutors.She feels like her child is going to fall behind because everyone else seems to be ahead.

Shelley,a mother of three,also has tutors constantly coming in and out of her home.She was always yelling when she couldn’t manage to get her children focused.When she gets a tutor once a week,they become focused for one entire hour and can get most of their homework done.

Tutoring isn’t simply a private school phenomenon.Nor is it intended only for lower-achieving students.In Canada alone,seven percent of high school students reported using a tutor in 2010.That increased to 15 percent in 2015.

Overall,parents hire tutors because they are worried school are not meeting their expectations,but there is also a culture shift.A special value is placed on education in Asia,where tutoring is viewed as an extension to the school day. As a large number of Asians emigrated to the west over the recent years,their attitudes towards education have had an influence.

Another reason for the growth in business is parental frustration and their packed schedules.A lot of parents just don’t have time to help their children with homework and some others couldn’t help their children after Grade 3,according to a president of an American tutoring company.

There has been a noticeable change in the attitudes,too.Children used to get bullied（被欺负）for having a tutor, now it’s becoming the norm to have one.

Children don’t seem to mind that they have a tutor.One parent feels surprised that so many of her child’s classmates have tutors.For the amount parents pay in tuition,children should have as much extra help children with a tutor because_______.

1.Shelley decided to equip her children with a tutor because_______.

A. her children’s school is not meeting her expectation B. over half of her children’s classmates have tutors

C. her children’s homework is too difficult for her D. she had a hard time getting her children focused

2.In Canada,the population of high school students using a tutor grew by _______from 2010 to 2015.

A. 7%. B. 8%. C. 10%. D. 15%.

3.According to the passage,which of the following statement is TRUE?

A. Pat got a tutor because she can’t help her children with homework.

B. Shelley spends about 800 Canadian dollars on tutors every month.

C. Asians usually place more emphasis on education that Canadians.

D. Most students with the help of tutors have poor grades at school.

4.The tutoring business in the west has been seen in growth in recent years because_______.

a.a lot of parents are too occupied to help their children with homework.

b.children no longer get bullied for going to a tutor and getting extra help

c.many schools cannot offer as much help as their students need

d.Asians emigrating to the west have affected people’s attitude to tutoring.

A. a,b,c. B. a,b,d. C. a,c,d. D. b,c,d.

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。

An old Hollywood movie Free Willy has touched so deeply so many large audiences.1.The story goes;

Little killer whale Willy is captured and sent to a marine park to be trained.The whale trainers find it so hard to get Willy into their expected process of learning the designed tricks.2..Jessie teaches Willy to perform tricks far more wonderfully that any other whale trained by other whale trainers.

3.He decides to help Willy escape from the marine park.The two of them make it through chains of adventures and risks and Willy eventually gets back his free in the open sea.The closing scene of the movie goes to a great length of the director’s effort to level it high up as a film to touch deep into people’s heart,in which Jessie guides Willy in its repeated desperate attempts to jump over the fence into the sea.4.

Later,people get to know that the real whale who stars in the movie is still leading a Willy’s life in a Mexican sea park.That annoys the public and people want the entertainment industry to give up some of their gained interests and follow what is finally conducted in the case of Willy.5.And the film studio and the Mexican park had to eventually surrender to the public and children and fund for the whale’s free life in the open ocean.

A.Willy balloons up in his self-pride for himself to be a performing whale.

B.And also it has brought in so huge profits for the film studio which produced it.

C.It wins large seas of tears from wildly-beating hearts of young kids and adults as well.

D.Jessie and Willy are planning to fight for a larger share of the gain from all the performances.

E.And there Willy encounters little Jessie and a close friendship soon develops between the two.

F.Kids and adults launch countless campaigns and demonstrations of varied scales all across the US to protest.

G.To his great shock,Jessie overheard by chance that the owner is plotting to kill Willy for the vast amount of insurance profit.

I drive daily to work on Highway Ⅷ.Each spring ___colorful wild flowers in the ditches____the road.There is one ___golden flower that has always caught my eyes.It blooms（开花）only in the __ hours-the afternoon sun is too warm for it.

Last spring,I stated a wildflower garden in our yard.I can look through the kitchen window while doing the___ and enjoy the flowers.Those lovely golden flowers from the ditch,I have often though,would look great in the bed alongside other wildflowers.I____past the flowers every day,thinking I’ll dig them home.“___,they may be hard to keep till the office time ends.” Or,“___,I don’t want to get my good clothes dirty.” Whatever the reason,I never stopped to dig them out.My husband even gave me a folding shovel to be used for that expressed ____

One day on my way to the office,I was____to see the highway department had weeded out the ditches and the golden flowers were____“You have on one to____but yourself-you waited too long.” I thought to myself,“You____have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring.”

Days later,I____the news that my sister has brain cancer.She is 12 years older than me and___,because of age and distance,we hadn’t been as____as we would have.I couldn’t help but see the____between the golden flowers and the relationship between my sister and me.__,thanks to God,we have some time left to____some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us.

And when I catch sight of the golden flowers again this spring,you can____I’ll surely stop an transplant them to my garden.

1.A. grows B. brings C. holds D. removes

2.A. along B. off C. around D. in

3.A. strange B. superior C. particular D. common

4.A. day B. evening C. morning D. noon

5.A. homework B. repairs C. dishes D. exercise

6.A. stopped B. walked C. dashed D. drove

7.A. What’s more B. Thus C. Never mind D. However

8.A. Remember it B. Make it C. Forget it D. Catch it

9.A. pleasure B. anger C. purpose D. anxiety

10.A. delighted B. shocked C. frightened D. saddened

11.A. falling B. gone C. standing D. abandoned

12.A. question B. blame C. hire D. follow

13.A. should B. must C. would D. might

14.A. discovered B. studied C. proved D. learned

15.A. unfortunately B. surprisingly C. frequently D. interestingly

16.A. deep B. close C. good D. long

17.A. connection B. combination C. condition D. competition

18.A. So B. In fact C. Still D. Above all

19.A. remember B. plant C. form D. harvest

20.A. doubt B. wonder C. bet D. understand

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Our brains naturally start slowing down at the cruelly young age of 30.1. used to be thought that this couldn’t be helped,but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster.“Your brain is a learning machine,”says Dr.Merzenich from University of California.2. (give) the right tools,we can train our acts as they did when we were young.All that 3.(require) is the practice designed just for this purpose: a few exercises for 4.mind.

Dr.Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process in5. the brain deals with information.Since much of the data we receive comes through speech,the Bain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to improve speed and accuracy.

Over the course of the training,the program starts asking you to distinguish sounds-between“dog” and “bog”,for example-6.an increasingly faster speed.It’s a bit like a tennis instructor,says Dr.Merzenich,hitting balls at you faster and 7.(fast) to keep you challenged.You may start out slow,but before long you’re pretty quick.

The biggest finding in brain research in the last decade is that the brain at any age is highly plastic.8. you ask your brain to learn,it will learn.And it may speed up in the process.

To keep your brain young and plastic,you can do one of a million new 9. (activity) that challenge and excite you: playing table tennis or bridge,doing crossword puzzles,learning a new language…“When it comes to10.(prevent) aging,you really do‘use it or lose it’”,says Barbara Sahakian ,a professor at Cambridage University.

下面的短文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误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。

Dear Nick,

I’m glad to hear if you’re coming to Sichuan in August.You had made the wise choice to travel here.Sichuan Province is rich for tourist attractions and enjoy many world-famous place of interest,such as Jiuzhaigou and Dujiangyan Irrigation Project.

Jiuzhaigou is well known for its beautiful lakes,of that the water is clear and looks colorfully.It can excite visitors’ imagination.Other attraction is Dujiangyan Irrigation Project.It is built over 2000 years ago and is still playing important part in irrigation today.Besides,the nice weather and convenient transportation here can make your trip easier but more enjoyable.I’m sure you’ll have a good time.

I’m looking forward to your coming.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

A large number of women in Western European countries wish that they were born men. The number is said as high as 60% in West Germany. “Women often wish that they had the same chance as men have, and believe it is still men’s world,” said Dr James Holden, one of the scientists who did the study.

Anne Harper has a very good job for an international oil company. She also believes in “Women’ s Liberation(解放)”. “I don’t wish that I were a man,” she says, “and I don’t think many women do. But I do wish that people would stop looking down upon us women. At work, for example, we often do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs that are usually the best ones and open only to men. If you’re a man, you have a much better chance of leading an exciting life. How many women pilots are there ... or engineers or scientists?”

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. 60% women in West Germany wish that they were born men.

B. Most women in Western European countries wish that their babies were all boys.

C. 60% Western European women wish that they were born men.

D. 60% Western European women who wish that they were born men are from West Germany.

2.“It is still men’s world.” means “______.”

A. There’re more men than women in the world

B. There’re more men scientists or engineers than women scientists or engineers in the world

C. Women have not been given the same chance as men

D. Women cannot live without men

3.Anne Harper considers that women should ______.

A. be well paid B. live a better life than men

C. be really liberated D. get better jobs than men

4.Anne Harper doesn’t wish that she were a man because she ______.

A. has got a very good job

B. isn’t looked down upon by anyone

C. does the work that a man can’t do

D. believes in “Women’s Liberation”

You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature. But, rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation (撤离) of an island nation — the citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.

During the 20th century, sea level has risen 8～12 inches. As a result, Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water which has polluted the country’s drinking water.

Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years. Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.

Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their green house gas emissions (排放), which are a main cause of global warming.“By refusing to sign the agreement, the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years,” Laupepa told the BBC.

Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries.

Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable (易受影响的) to rising sea levels. Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311 000 an“endangered nation”.

1.The text is mainly about___________.

A. rapid changes in earth’s temperature?

B. bad effects of global warming

C. moving of a country to a new place

D. reasons for lowland flooding

2.According to scientists, the DIRECT cause of more and fiercer storms is __________.

A. greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations

B. higher surface water temperatures of the sea

C. continuous global warming

D. rising sea levels

3.Laupepa was not satisfied with the United States because it did not _________.

A. agree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions

B. sign an agreement with Tuvalu

C. allow Tuvaluans to move to the US

D. believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real

4.The country whose situation is similar to that of Tuvalu is _________.

A. Australia B. New Zealand

C. the Maldives D. the United States

If you are interested to find a part time job or learn something different during your spare time, you can have a look at the following jobs offered by the DC Public Library.

Teens of Distinction Program

The DC Public Library offers part time jobs for teens through the Teens of Distinction Program. Teens work 10-12 hours per week all year long, helping the library with important tasks and projects. The Teens of Distinction Program is now hiring! To apply, you have to：

● be a DC resident

● have and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average

● be 16 to 18 years old

● be able to work 10-12 hours per week

● be able to work for DCPL for at least 9 months

Oh, and of course you have to impress us with your wonderful personality!

Teen Volunteer Opportunities

If you want to earn community service hours for school, Youth202 is a good choice.

Youth202 is a radio program created by youth and for youth. You can learn radio production skills, interview people around you, and help keep other teens to learn news, events, and anything else you think is important.

Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)

Every summer, teens can work here to help library customers organize books and learn lots of new skills, such as program planning, writing and media production.

On Friday, January 25 at 12:15 pm, the application for the 2014 SYEP will be open to teens between the ages of 14 and 21.

Applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis. Space is limited this year, so teens are encouraged to apply early, and remember not to miss the deadline, Saturday, February 16.

1.Working for the Teens of Distinction Program, teenagers will ___．

①become a DC resident

②work 10-12 hours per week

③work for DCPL for at least 9 months

④have a wonderful personality

A. ③④ B. ②③

C. ①②③ D. ①③④

2.Who has the biggest chance to work for the 2014 SYEP?

A. A teenager who applies early.

B. A teenager who is popular.

C. A teenager who is smart.

D. A teenager who gets high grades in exams.

3.The aim of the text is to ________．

A. introduce the DC Public Library

B. describe the job of library workers

C. offer teenager part time jobs in the DC Public Library

D. teach how to apply for parttime jobs

Recently, the TV show “Where are we going, Dad?” produced by Hunan SatelliteTelevision is a big hit across nation. Many famous stars brought their children to a strange village alone, and they had to spend 72 hours with their children there. The program fully showed us a modern version of the “how to be a good father”. As the young parents today are too busy to take care of their children, this new form of “Lost on the way” played by nanny Daddy and cute kids triggered（触发）a lot of people’s emotional resonance（共鸣）. Both the kids and their parents will find that their hearts are being drawn closer. But this kind of feeling has just proved that there is a big spiritual barrier between the modern parents and children.The TV shows like “Children are hard to support!”, “Where are we going, Dad?”, “hot mom” and “cute kids” are becoming more and more popular. All of these show the new parents’ confusion in children’s education and the appeal for the balance between career and family.

In the real life, on the one hand, the young parents feel helpless because they are too busy to accompany their children under the pressures of work and life; on the other hand, they continue to do so. The data collected by HNTV shows that nearly two-thirds of their audience are female, among whom 36% are aged from 25 to 34.We can imagine such a scene that one evening a young mother is watching the show with her young children, while her husband is still at work or trapped in socializing, or maybe is just playing computer games in the bedroom. The story of a child without the company of father is still going on. In fact, it is sometimes the same to mothers. In a modern family, it is often the old who take the responsibility of raising a child. The participation of mother in the children’s education is also very low.

It is just this kind of confusion where the parents have gone in the modern family education, and where the parents will guide their children to go that “Where are we going, Dad?” shows us. If a child wants to grow up healthily and safely into a modern citizen with independent personality and free spirit, it is very important for him or her to follow the parents who serve as their first teacher. Maybe this is the real reason why such kind of TV programs could get hot. The truth is that children will go where their parents go; and society will go where the children go.

1.To raise a child in modern society, parents should ________.

A. break down the barrier between children and teachers

B. play computer games with their children

C. balance well between family and career

D. keep their children at home to avoid socializing

2.Which of the following can be inferred in the passage?

A. 36% of the audience of the program are female aged from 25-34.

B. Parents shouldn’t entirely leave the education of children to the old.

C. In a modern family it is often mothers who are responsible for raising a child.

D. The program shows us the confusion where the parents and children will go to play.

3.What does the underlined word “participation” probably mean?

A. taking responsibility B. understanding

C. taking part D. keeping company

4.Which one is the best title of the passage?

A. New problems in Modern Children’s Education

B. Modern Education is Important

C. Confusion Behind “Where are we going, dad?”

D. Nanny Daddy and Cute Kids

There is distinction between reading for information and reading for understanding. 1.

The first sense is the one in which we read newspapers, magazines, or anything else. 2.Such materials may increase our store of information, but they cannot improve our understanding. And clearly we don’t have any difficulty in gaining the new information, for our understanding was equal to them before we started. Otherwise, we would have felt the shock of puzzlement.

The second sense is the one in which we read something that at first we do not completely understand. Here the thing to be read is at the first sight better or higher than the reader. The writer is communicating something that can increase the reader’s understanding. 3.Otherwise one person could never learn from another. Here “learning” means understanding more, not remembering more information.

What are the conditions in this kind of reading? First, there is inequality in understanding4.  Besides, his book must convey something he possesses and his potential readers lack. Second, the reader must be able to overcome this inequality in some degree. And he should always try to reach the same level of understanding with the writer. If the equality is approached, success of communication is achieved.

5.It is the least demanding and requires the least amount of effort. Everyone who knows how to read can read for entertainment if he wants to. In fact, any book that can be read for understanding or information can probably be read for entertainment as well.

A．Thus, we can employ the word “reading” in two distinct senses.

B．Such communication between unequals must be possible.

C．We can get access to the content of those materials easily.

D．The writer must be “superior” to the reader in understanding.

E. The writer should have a better communicating skill.

F. Besides gaining information and understanding, there’s another goal of reading—entertainment.

G. Reading for entertainment is capable of increasing our understanding for information.