This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13-19) from all over the world
will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form
impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other
countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
     Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's
family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America.
     Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language
began to come to him. The school was completely different from what he had expected-much harder.
Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six
that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
     Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather
than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
     "Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk,
but you soon learn to like it."
     At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should
criticize American schools," he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much.
In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your
schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two."

1. The whole exchange programme is mainly to ____.

A. help teenagers in other countries know the real America
B. send students in America to travel in Germany
C. let students learn something about other countries
D. have teenagers learn new languages

2. Fred and Mike agreed that ____.

A. American food tasted better than German food
B. German schools were harder than American schools
C. Americans and Germans were both friendly
D. there were more cars on the streets in America

3. What is particular in America schools is that ____.

A. there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings
B. there are a lot of outside activities
C. students usually take fourteen subjects in all
D. students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

4. After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought ____.

A. a better education should include something good from both American and Germany
B. German schools trained students to be better citizens
C. American schools were not as good as German schools
D. the easy life in the American school was more helpful to students

     Last week I visited Plattsburgh State University (PSU). People had told me that it was a good college, but
it was even 1._____ than I had expected.
     Located in the small city of Plattsburgh, PSU is 2.______ nice-looking school. Inside, the buildings have
signs to point you in the right direction if you don't know 3.______ you are going.
     The average class has 24 students. One thing I found interesting was that 4.______ you are a good note-
taker, the professor will pay you to photocopy (复印) your notes for the rest of the class.
     PSU offers a lot of majors, including art, history, science 5.______ nursing. All of these programs are
especially designed 6.______ students to meet their future work needs. The school also has many academic
programs, including an honors program.
     PSU has many clubs, ranging 7.______ dance clubs to sports clubs. This school has a great reputation
and offers a lot to 8.______ students. I think that PSU is certainly a college to consider.

     Contrary to common belief, social media websites such as Facebook do not weaken personal ties, they
strengthen them in unique ways for different age groups, according to a new study.
     The rapid spread of Facebook, which has more than 500 million users worldwide, has prompted concems
about its negative effects, but researchers at the University of Texas have reached a different conclusion.
     "Our findings suggest that Facebook is not replacing face-to-face interactions between friends, family and
colleagues," said S. Craig Watkins, an associate professor of radio, TV and film who headed the research team.
     "In fact, we believe there is sufficient evidence that the social media afford opportunities for new
expressions of friendship, intimacy and community."
     The researchers questioned 900 college students and recent graduates about how and with whom they
interact on Facebook.
     More than 60 percent of Facebook users said posting status updates was among the most popular activities,
followed by 60 percent who wrote comments on their profile and 49 percent who posted messages and
comments to friends.
     The researchers also found that although about the same number of men and women use Facebook, they
do so in different ways.
     "There is a noteworthy difference in aims in how to use a tool like Facebook. We found that for women
the content tends to be more affectionate, and they are especially interested in using it for connection," said
Watkins.
     "For men, it's more functional," he added.
     Watkins pointed out that, for example, women are more likely to post pictures of social gatherings with
friends, while men are more likely to post pictures of hobbies, or post a political or pop-culture related link.

1. What's the popular viewpoint of ordinary people about the function of social media websites?

A. They think it is positive to personal ties.
B. They think it has negative effects on personal ties.
C. They think it makes no difference to personal ties.
D. They think it has both good and bad effects on personal ties.

2. What's the meaning of the underlined word "prompted" in the second paragraph?

A. resulted from
B. had
C. showed
D. produced

3. What do Facebook users like to do mostly on Facebook? They like to ____.

A. create new expressions of friendship
B. write comments on their profile
C. update their personal status
D. post messages and comments to friends

4. According to the study, ____.

A. men concentrate more on the functional content
B. much more men use Facebook than women
C. men and women use a tool like Facebook for the same aim
D. Facebook is taking the place of face-to-face interactions between friends

     The average adult has about five litres of blood living inside of their body, flowing through their vessels
(血管), delivering essential elements, and removing harmful wastes. Without blood, the human body would
stop working.
     Blood is the fluid of life, transporting oxygen from the lungs to body tissue and carbon dioxide from body
tissue to the lungs. Blood is the fluid of growth, transporting nourishment from digestion and hormones from
glands (腺) throughout the body. Blood is the fluid of health, transporting disease fighting substances to the
tissue and waste to the kidneys (肾脏).
     Because it contains living cells, blood is alive. Red blood cells and white blood cells are responsible for
nourishing and cleansing the body. Since the cells are alive, they too need nourishment. Vitamins and Minerals
keep the blood healthy. The blood cells have a definite life cycle, just as all living organisms do.
     About 55 percent of blood is plasma (血浆), a straw-coloured clear liquid. The liquid plasma carries the
solid cells and the platelets (血小板), which help blood clot. Without blood platelets, you would bleed to death.
     When the human body loses a little bit of blood through a minor wound, the platelets cause the blood to
clot so that the bleeding stops. Because new blood is always being made inside of your bones, the body can
replace the lost blood. When the human body loses a lot of blood through a major wound, that blood has to
be replaced through a blood transfusion from other people.
     But everybody's blood is not the same. There are four different blood types. Plus, your blood has Rh
factors, which make it even more unique. Blood received through a transfusion must match your own.
Patients who are scheduled to have major surgery make autologous blood donations (donations of their own
blood) so that they have a perfect match.

1. The blood can do the following except ____.

A. deliver essential elements for the body
B. remove harmful wastes from the body
C. absorb oxygen from the air to body tissue
D. move carbon dioxide from body tissue to the lungs

2. Which of the following is the least related to blood's role?

A. Life.
B. Growth.
C. Health.
D. Waste.

3. What is the function of the liquid plasma?

A. It is a straw-coloured clear liquid.
B. It carries the solid cells and the platelets.
C. It gives the blood cells a definite life cycle.
D. It helps the blood clot so that the bleeding stops.

     When people want to know about the weather, they usually go to their radios, TVs, newspapers, or to the
Internet. However, you can also find many weather signs (征兆) among wildlife. A drop (下降) in air pressure
affects small animals in many ways. Mice and deer are good weather indicators. Before a storm, people outside
have observed that field mice come out of their holes and that Deer come down from the mountains.
     Birds are good weather indicators. For example, some birds become irritable (急躁的) and will fight over a
piece of bread. Other birds chirp (叽叽喳喳) and sing just before a storm. It seems they know they won't have
another chance for one or two hours. Birds also look for safe places before a storm. You will sometimes see
birds gathering together on a wire (电线) close to a building. Before the storm, the low pressure makes the air
so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
     It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime. Watch for other weather signs if you
see this. If they fly in the wrong direction, they may be flying ahead of a storm.
     By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature, we can become better prepared for any kind
of weather.

1. The word "indicators" in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.

A. maps
B. signs
C. services
D. stations

2. There will be a storm if birds ______.

A. make more noise than usual
B. keep quiet
C. come down from a wire
D. share food

3. How can birds feel the coming of a storm?

A. By feeling the change of temperature.
B. By noticing the change of time.
C. By feeling the change of air pressure.
D. By noticing what other animals do.

4. The best title for the text is ______.

A. A Storm
B. Air Pressure
C. Mice
D. Weather Signs

     If you want to improve your   1  , you'd better   2   (listen) to BBC English which is part   3   the BBC
World Service. It broadcasts all kinds of programs, such   4   difficult grammar points, life in Britain,
differences   5   written and spoken English and   6   on. It is easy for you to find out some information
   7   the programs. You just need to write to BBC English   8   ask for it.
     In China there are   9   English programs like Follow Me on TV  10  on the radio. They are usually easy
to receive and understand and they are very useful to you.
1.______ 2.______ 3.______ 4.______ 5.______ 6.______ 7.______ 8.______ 9.______ 10.______

    By the time a student starts to apply (申请) for a US university, much of his or her record, including grades
and after-school activities, has been set in stone. For this reason, the student must in his or her first year of
high school start getting ready for college. He or she also has to decide on the non-academic (非学业的) tasks,
which are important to improve the student's chances of getting in.
1. After-school activities
    When it comes to high school activities, quality is better than quantity (数量). Admissions (录取) officers
do not want to see a student who has joined dozens of organizations (组织) for a short period of time.
    Many students try to do this towards the end of their high school. But schools want to see a student who
has been with one organization for all or most of high school. A student who can do this shows maturity (成熟).
It is the quality that admissions officers look for as it is one of the markers of future success. 
2. Leadership
    Schools want to see a student who has taken on a leadership role in an organization. A student can show
leadership by taking on any role that needs extra commitment (奉献) and responsibility.
    If you do not have a great title (头衔) such as president, be sure to explain any leadership roles you have
taken. This kind of involvement (参与) in school activities shows you are the responsible person that admissions
officers look for.
3. Consistency (一致性)
    Admissions officers like an application (申请) to be consistent. For example if there is a high school activity
you particularly (特别地) love, it would help if that activity matches your future academic and career interest.
    Of course not everything needs to be consistent. Otherwise (否则) the student would be narrow and this is
not what schools are looking for. However, you cannot have different parts of your application saying
conflicting (矛盾的) things.

1. Who was the article written for?

A. US college students hoping to study in China.
B. Chinese college students hoping to study in the US.
C. Third year high school students hoping to study in the US.
D. Teenagers hoping to study in the US.

2. The underlined phrase "set in stone" in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.

A. made clear
B. something unchangeable
C. become obvious
D. at the right level(水平)

3. The author's suggestion is to _____.

A. try as many different organizations as possible
B. start planning for college at the beginning of high school
C. make everything in an application consistent
D. put non-academic tasks before academic tasks

4. According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Students should choose after-school activities they have great interest in.
B. It's already too late for first year students to apply for a US university.
C. It is necessary for a student to be a president if he/she is to apply for a US university.
D. Students should concentrate on just one activity in high school.

     People diet to look more attractive. Fish diet to avoid being beaten up, thrown out of their social group,
and getting eaten as a result. That is the fascinating conclusion of the latest research into fish behavior by
a team of Australian scientists.
     The research team have discovered that subordinate fish voluntarily diet to avoid challenging their larger
competitors. "In studying gobies we noticed that only the largest two individuals, a male and female, had
breeding (繁殖) rights within the group," explains Marian Wong. "All other group members are nonbreeding
females, each being 5-10% smaller than its next largest competitor. We wanted to find out how they
maintain this precise size separation."
     The reason for the size difference was easy to see. Once a subordinate fish grows to within 5-10% of
the size of its larger competitor, it causes a fight which usually ends in the smaller goby being driven away
from the group. More often than not, the evicted fish is then eaten up.
     It appeared that the smaller fish were keeping themselves small in order to avoid challenging the boss
fish. Whether they did so voluntarily, by restraining how much they ate, was not clear. The research team
decided to do an experiment. They tried to fatten up some of the subordinate gobies to see what happened.
To their surprise, the gobies simply refused the extra food they were offered, clearly preferring to remain
small and avoid fights, over having a feast.
     The discovery challenges the traditional scientific view of how boss individuals keep their position in a
group. Previously it was thought that large individuals simply used their weight and size to threaten their
subordinates and take more of the food for themselves, so keeping their competitors small.
     While the habits of gobies may seem a little mysterious, Dr. Wong explains that understanding the
relationships between boss and subordinate animals is important to understanding how hierarchical (等级的)
societies remain stable.
     The research has proved the fact that voluntary dieting is a habit far from exclusive to humans. "As
yet, we lack a complete understanding of how widespread the voluntary reduction of food intake is in
nature," the researchers comment. "Data on human dieting suggests that, while humans generally diet to
improve health or increase attractiveness, rarely does it improve long-term health and males regularly
prefer females that are fatter than the females' own ideal."

1. When a goby grows to within 5-10% of the size of its larger competitor, it _____.

A. faces danger
B. has breeding rights
C. eats its competitor
D. leaves the group itself

2. The underlined words "the evicted fish" in Paragraph 3 refer to _____.

A. the fish beaten up
B. the fish found out
C. the fish fattened up
D. the fish driven away

3. The experiment showed that the smaller fish _____.

A. fought over a feast
B. went on diet willingly
C. preferred some extra food
D. challenged the boss fish

4. What is the text mainly about?

A. Fish dieting and human dieting.
B. Dieting and health.
C. Human dieting.
D. Fish dieting.

     As the new term starts, freshmen around the world are asking the same question: how can I make the
best of four years at college? The New York Times received suggestions recently from PhD students and
seniors at some of the top US universities. Here's their advice.
     "Many young people today are raised in a protective cocoon (茧)", wrote Tim Novikoff, a PhD student
at Comell. "College is a time to explore the world beyond and a chance to learn new things about yourself.
Take classes in different subjects. Try lots of different clubs and activities."
     Remember also to take some time away from campus, suggested Willie Lin, a student at Washington
University. "If you spend all of your time in school, then it becomes too easy to let criticism from an unkind
professor or a conflict with a roommate take up large proportions."
     Try to find work assisting a researcher or a professor-this is the advice from Aman Singh Gill, a PhD
student at Stony Brook University. And he also said, "With a window into the world of research, you will
find yourself thinking more critically, accepting fewer states at face value and perhaps developing a brave
sense of what you can accomplish."
     Many young people cannot imagine even a single day without devices such as computers and cellphones.
But try to keep yourself off them, cautioned Christine Smallwood, a PhD student at Columbia University.
     Start by scheduling a few Internet-free hours each day, with your phone turned off. It's the only way
you'll be able to read anything serious. "This will also have the benefit of making you harder to reach, and
thus more mysterious and fascinating to new friends and acquaintances (熟人)," she suggested.

1. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 means we should ____.

A. spend more time at school
B. take some time out of school
C. listen to criticism more
D. not argue with roommates

2. Who thinks it is important to consider something critically?

A. Tim Novikoff.
B. Aman Singh Gill.
C. Christine Smallwood.
D. Willie Lin.

3. As for modern information devices, the last two paragraphs mean to tell us ____.

A. not to use them
B. to turn them off
C. to keep ourselves off them forever
D. to make a schedule to use them

4. This passage is mainly about ____.

A. tips from some students for college life
B. ways to read something serious regularly
C. days without cellphones and computers
D. chances to go to university you really like

     It's not easy being a teenager (13至19岁青少年)-nor is it easy being the parent of a teenager. You can
make your child feel angry, hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself. It is important
to give your child the space he needs to grow while gently letting him know that you you'll still be there for
him when he needs you.
     Expect a lot from your child, just not everything. Except for health and safety problems, such as drug use
or careless driving; consider everything else open to discussion. If your child is unwilling to discuss something,
don't insist he tell you what's on his mind. The more you insist, the more likely that he'll clam up. Instead, let
him attempt to solve (解决) things by himself. At the same time, remind him that you're always there for him
should he seek advice or help. Show respect for your teenager's privacy (隐私). Never read him his mail or
listen in on personal conversions.
     Teach your teenager that the family phone is for the whole family. If your child talks on the family's
telephone for too long, tell him he can talk for15 minutes, but then he must stay off the phone for at least an
equal period of time. This not only frees up the line so that other family members can make and receive calls,
but teaches your teenager moderation (节制). Or if you are open to the idea, allow your teenager his own
phone that he pays for with his own pocket money or a part-time job

1. The main purpose of the text is to tell parents _____.

A. how to get along with a teenager
B. how to respect a teenager
C. how to understand a teenager
D. how to help a teenager grow up

2. What does the phrase "clam up" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. become excited
B. show respect
C. refuse to talk
D. seek help

3. The last paragraph is about how to teach a teenager _____.

A. to use the phone in a sensible way
B. to pay for his own telephone
C. to share the phone quickly
D. to answer the phone quickly

4. What should parents do in raising a teenager according to the text?

A. Nor allow him to learn driving or take drugs
B. Give him advice only when necessary
C. Let him have his own telephone
D. Not talk about personal things with him