A fierce fire broke out there last night. ______, most of the building was burnt to the ground.

A．As a matter a fact                                       B．As result

C．As consequence                          D．Consequently

----What time do you start work?

---- _____________.

A．It’s none of your business.             B．It varies.

C．From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.                D．It doesn’t make any difference

A great many people are disappointed because of unrealistic expectations.

Walking up to a department store’s cloth counter, a（n）  1  young woman said,“I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?”

“Only one  2 per yard,” replied the smirking （自鸣得意的） male clerk.

Not to be 3   back by the funny words, the woman said,” That’s fine! I’ll take ten yards.”

With 4  written all over his face, the clerk 5  measured out and wrapped the cloth, then held it out teasingly, 6  forward to receive his “   7  ”.

The woman got the package quickly from the clerk and 8  to a little old man standing beside her. “Grandpa will pay the bill instead of me,” she  9  .

He was no 10   disappointed. But in the course of living, many people are 11  when others do not 12  their expectations. In order to be happy, some expectations must be  13  .These three particular 14  and unhealthy expectations are some of the main causes:

1． Expect too much  15  .When others say,“Thank you,” or in any way to show their gratitude, be  16  . It is a gift!

2． Expect others to make you happy. They simply cannot do that. Make yourself happy and 17  your joy with others.

3． Expect not to be 18  . At times, people will simply not come through for you in the way you  need. 19  them and move on.

Get rid of these three unrealistic expectations and you can begin to expect more 20  right away!

1． A．tricky          B．attractive                 C．ugly                    D．generous

2． A．kiss           B．pay                C．dollar                 D．cent

3． A．moved          B．forced                      C．fought                D．taken

4． A．happiness        B．enjoyment               C．expectation       D．courage

5． A．hurriedly         B．slowly                      C．patiently        D．curiously

6． A．setting           B．sitting                       C．leaning         D．taking

7． A．reward           B．payment                 C．bonus          D．money

8． A．tended          B．paid                          C．pointed         D．nodded

9． A．smiled            B．begged                    C．waved         D．thought

10． A．wonder       B．use                         C．good                   D．doubt

11． A．encouraged     B．disappointed            C．annoyed          D．surprised

12． A．live up to      B．go against                 C．go without         D．hope for

13． A．set            B．made                        C．dropped          D．completed

14． A．reasonable     B．proper                      C．unimportant     D．unrealistic

15． A．profit         B．kiss                          C．appreciation      D．disappointment

16． A．happy         B．sad                         C．angry          D．excited

17． A．spare          B．share                        C．make          D．control

18． A．put down      B．let down                  C．taken down     D．thrown down

19． A．Forgive       B．Punish                    C．Blame           D．Praise

20． A．happiness      B．encouragement          C．excitement      D．pride

The days of a pain-free visit to the dentist may not be far off. This is thanks to a little Japanese woman in a pink sweater, named Simroid. With a limited vocabulary, Simroid, the 160cm-tall robot is happy to feel your pain.

   Simroid is designed to be used at medical colleges. She has realistic looking skin, eyes, and a mouth fitted with replica （仿制）teeth. Her chest also rises and falls as if she is breathing. Simroid releases a clear “ouch!” whenever a trainee dentist presses her teeth too hard with a tool. And she gives a reassuring “that’s better” when the drill hits the right place.

   “We want to use the robots to train dentists to worry about whether patients are comfortable, and not just focus on medical techniques,” said Naotake Shubui, a professor at Nippon Dental University in Japan who helped develop Simroid.

   The robot was one of hundreds of cutting-edge devices on display at the world’s biggest robot exhibition last week in Japan.

As scientists improve the design of robots, they could soon be serving tea to office workers or directing shoppers. Today’s robots look and act much like the humans who invented them.

   In Japan, robots can already be found working as home helps, office receptionists and security guards, as well as on the factory floor. There were more than 370,000 industrial robots in use in Japan in 2005, according to a report by Macquarie bank，40 percent of the world total, with 32 robots for every 1,000 workers. The economy ministry believes that the Japanese robot market will be worth more than $52 billion by 2025．

20090323

   Human work is being helped, and even replaced, by mechanical efficiency in almost every area, from golf-bag carriers to public toilet cleaners.

   But many scientists believe the age of the service robot is not far off. It will arrive once machines are capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level. Judging by the Tokyo exhibition，that process has already begun.

1．Simroid is designed to _________.

       A．aid dental trainees to focus on their medical techniques

       B．train dentists to be able to share patients’ feelings

       C．help patients relax during dental surgery

       D．serve as the dentists’ assistance during dental surgery

2．Which of the following about Simroid is NOT true according to the text?

       A．She is a robotic dental patient with a realistic appearance.

       B．She will let out a scream whenever she feels a pain.

       C．She can communicate a lot with dentists.

       D．She is able to react in a human –like way to mouth pain.

3．We can learn from the text that ________.

A．robots are widely used in Japan

       B．Japan has taken the lead in developing robots

       C．the Japanese robot market has greatest potential in the world

       D．the world’s biggest robot exhibition is held in Japan every year

4．The phrase “that process” in the last paragraph refers to ________.

       A．replacing human work with robots

       B．improving mechanical efficiency

       C．entering the age of the service robot

       D．producing a robot capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level

Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning.

But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher. So I set out to become a habitual early riser. But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep. Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy.

The most common wrong strategy is this: You assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.

There are two main schools（流派） of thought on sleep patterns. One is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up. However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity. If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough. You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep.

If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need. Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times.

The solution for me has been to combine both methods. I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time. So I always get up at the same time （in my case 5 am）, but I go to bed at different times every night — sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight. Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm.

However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way. If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.

1．According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ____.

A．people who stay up until the next morning.

B．people who get up early in the morning.

C．people who feel sleepy in the morning.

D．people whose productivity is the highest in the morning.

2．Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?

      A．Because he / she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early.

      B．Because he / she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early.

      C．Because he / she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right.

       D．Because he / she was told the high relationship between success and rising early.

3．The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ____.

      A．going to bed after midnight

       B．getting up early occasionally

      C．pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping

      D．asking scholars for advice on sleeping habits

4．The passage is mainly about ____.

      A．how to become an early riser

       B．how to have good sleep

      C．wrong strategies for getting up early

      D．main schools of thought on sleep patterns

BEIJING — The rescue operations at a coal mine accident have ended with 105 miners dead. The State Council has organized an investigation team to probe （调查）into what caused the disaster in the city of Linfen, North China’s Shanxi Province. Preliminary（初步的） investigations show the illegal mining of an unauthorized seam（未经授权的煤层）, and the number of miners who had been sent down the shaft far exceeded its capacity.

This mine was found to have long ignored the rules to steal state coal, and did not have a list of miners employed to check the number of miners missing after the accident.

How did such a coal mine get all the necessary licenses for production? How did it pass the three safety inspections the local government organized last month?

In response to this disaster, the Shanxi governor promised to set up hotlines for people to report illegal coal mines and rewards as high as 100,000 yuan for tip-offs.

We appreciate the action this governor has taken to solving the coal mining problems, and we believe that the reporting scheme will help to stop the existence of illegal coal mines.

But at the same time we have reason to question how governments at various levels supervise these mines.

The sad fact that such a mine with serious safety problems could pass three consecutive （连续的）local government safety inspections in a month is enough to tell us how ineffective the safety inspections were.

What if these inspections were just a formality（形式）? What if the inspectors were bribed by the mine owners to turn a blind eye to the safety dangers? We can well imagine what would happen if reports about mine problems were handled by such officials.

So a thorough probe must find out who are responsible for the death of so many miners. A real safety inspection and management system must be established to guarantee that safety dangers will be removed.

1．What is NOT one of the causes of this coal mine accident?

      A．The workers didn’t operate properly.

      B．The mine didn’t obey the rules to mine for coal.

      C．A lot more miners than allowed were working under the mine.

      D．The safety inspections were ineffective.

2．According to the writer, who should be further investigated?

 A．Mine owners and miners.

  B．Miners’ families and mine staff.

  C．Government officials and safety inspectors.

  D．The Shanxi governor and miners.

3．What can we infer from the passage?

      A．More than 105 miners died in the disaster.

      B．Some other coal mines like this one exist in Shanxi province.

      C．Safety inspectors just turned a blind eye to hidden dangers.

      D．The three inspections were only a formality.

4．What does the underlined word “tip-offs” probably mean in Paragraph 4?

      A．Some warnings.                         B．Some money for one’s service.

      C．Some secret information.                   D．Some pieces of advice.

The following are some important sights in New York.

American Museum of Natural History

   Four floors of exhibition halls here include the world-famous fossil halls with their skeletons of enormous dinosaurs and other creatures; the culture halls, representing a variety of indigenous peoples; and mammal, bird and reptile halls. The renovated Milstein hall of Ocean Life showcases the profusion of life in Earth’s “last frontier”. Also here: Rose Center for Earth and space, with Hayden Planetarium and exhibits on Earth and our universe.

   Open: Sunday-Thursday, 10:00-17:45; Friday-Saturday: 10:00-20:45

Empire State Building

   At 102 stories tall, the Empire State Building commands an inspiring view of Manhattan. Each year, over 3.5 million people come here for the view from the 86^th-floor observatory, where they can take in the sights of the city from a glass-enclosed pavilion or the encircling open-air promenade.

   Observatory Hours: 8:00am to midnight daily. Last elevators go up at 11:15pm. Open daily 365 days a year.

Metropolitan Museum of Art （One of the greatest museums in the world）

   It is impossible to “do” the entire museum in one day or describe everything you can see here. Go to the museum & spend some time in the Great Hall where you will find all types of help in many languages for planning your visit. If you can, get a guide before your visit or look at their website where you can plan well & learn about their many special exhibitions & programs.

   Fee: $12 adults, $7 students & seniors, under 12 with adult free.

   Open: Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday. 9:30-17:15; Friday-Saturday, 9:30-20:45．

Museum of Modern Art （MoMA）

   MoMA houses an outstanding collection of American & European paintings & sculptures from late 19th C．to present. Innovative in its definition of “art”, it was a pioneer in exhibiting film, photography, and industrial design. Its retrospectives can draw record-breaking attendance. A happy place to take small children, as strollers are allowed．

   Open: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10:30-17:45; Friday, 10:30-20:15．

1．Varieties of ocean life are exhibited in ________.

       A．American Museum of Natural History

       B．Empire State Building

       C．Metropolitan Museum of Art

       D．Statue of liberty

2．You can visit Museum of Modern Art at the following time EXCEPT ________.

       A．at 14:30 on Monday                      B．at 7:00 pm on Friday

       C．at 10:40 on Wednesday                D．at 12:00 on Sunday

3．Suppose you are a high school student, who is going to visit Metropolitan Museum of Art with your parents, your 70-year-old Grandpa and your 6-year-old younger brother, how much will you have to pay in total?

      A．$42              B．$38                C．$45                 D．$50

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。

May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever.    1  

   These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier.    2    On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists. Also, common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts.     3     

For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous.    4   The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student’s loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students.

    5   The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finish high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015．

       A．Besides, top colleges are facing changes in the population.

       B．What contributes to it?

       C．But a mistake can be costly if it happens.

D．But top colleges ignore them.

       E．They have international students who know English.

       F．It can mean several acceptances to choose from.

       G．They cannot afford college as planned.

英语课上,老师要求同桌同学相互修改作文。假设以下小作文为你同桌所写，请你对其进行修改。文中共有10处错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（^），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。

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。

3．必须按答题要求做题，否则不给分。

Henry likes fish in the river near our house. Once Henry caught a big fish and he was very exciting! All the other fishermen left their place and came to see his fish. One of whom had a camera and he took a picture of Henry with a big fish. One day, Henry fell into the river. The grass was slippery because there had some mud on it. While he was pulled his line, he slipped and fall into the dirty water. Henry could not swim, but the two nearest fishermen pulled him at once. He ran to home, with mud all over his clothes and face.

--Do you feel like doing anything this weekend，Jerry?

--__________

A．No，I don't mind doing anything．              B．Yes，all right．What do you suggest?

C．We could always go to Dave's party．          D．How do you like science fiction movies?