For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages．Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet planes fly people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago.
　　Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest (征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured (忍受).  The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow window of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.
　　 Then there is the time spent being “processed” at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being “processed” at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.
　　Man, however, is now a world traveler and cannot turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. speed controls people’s lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing—or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.
【小题1】What does the writer try to express in Paragraph 1?

A．Travel by plane has speeded up the growth of villages．

B．The speed of modern travel has made distances relatively short．

C．The freedom of movement has helped people realize their dreams．

D．Man has been fond of traveling rather than staying in one place．

【小题2】How does the writer support the underlined statement in Paragraph 2?

A．By giving instructions．

B．By analyzing cause and effect．

C．By following the order of time．

D．By giving examples．

【小题3】According to Paragraph 3, passengers are turning back to modern high-speed trains because______．

A．they pay less for the tickets

B．they feel safer during the travel

C．they can enjoy higher speed of travel

D．they don’t have to waste time being “processed”

【小题4】What does the last sentence of the passage mean?

A．They could enjoy free and relaxing travel．

B．They needed the clock to tell the time．

C．They preferred traveling on horseback．

D．They could travel with their master．

【小题5】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Air travel benefits people and industries．

B．Train Travel has some advantages over air travel．

C．Great changes have taken place in modern travel.

D．The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost.

I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn’t think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.
I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.
It takes confidence to make a new start — there’s a dark period in-between where you’re neither one thing nor the other. You’re out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you’re too ashamed to say, “Well, I’m writing a novel, but I’m not quite sure if I’m going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside.
Then I met an agent（代理商）who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.
The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal — that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.
It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck — of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there’s no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract（合同）of the publisher — to be a published writer — is unbelievably rewarding（有回报的）.
【小题1】What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．I was waiting for good fortune.

B．I was trying to find an admirable job.

C．I was being aimless about a suitable job.

D．I was doing several jobs for more pay at a time.

【小题2】The author decided to write a novel ______ .

A．to finish the writing course

B．to realize her own dream

C．to satisfy readers’ wish

D．to earn more money

【小题3】How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?

A．Disturbed.

B．Ashamed.

C．Confident.

D．Uncertain.

【小题4】What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph?

A．It pays to stick to one’s goal.

B．Hard work can lead to success.

C．She feels like being unexpectedly lucky.

D．There is no end in sight when starting to do something.

On a hill 600 feet above the surrounding land, we watch the lines of rain move across the scene, the moon rise over the hills, and the stars appear in the sky. The views invite a long look from a comfortable chair in front of the wooden house.
Every window in our wooden house has a view, and the forest and lakes seldom look the same as the hour before. Each look reminds us where we are.
There is space for our three boys to play outside, to shoot arrows, collect tree seeds, build earth houses and climb trees.
Our kids have learned the names of the trees, and with the names have come familiarity and appreciation. As they tell all who show even a passing interest, maple（枫树）makes the best fighting sticks and white pines are the best climbing trees.
The air is clean and fresh. The water from the well has a pleasant taste, and it is perhaps the healthiest water our kids will ever drink. Though they have one glass a day of juice and the rest is water, they never say anything against that.
The seasons change just outside the door. We watch the maples turn every shade of yellow and red in the fall and note the poplars’（杨树）putting out the first green leaves of spring. The rainbow smelt fills the local steam as the ice gradually disappears, and the wood frogs start to sing in pools after being frozen for the winter. A family of birds rules our skies and flies over the lake.
【小题1】What can be learned from Paragraph 2?

A．The scenes are colorful and changeable.

B．There are many windows in the wooden house.

C．The views remind us that we are in a wooden house.

D．The lakes outside the windows are quite different in color.

【小题2】By mentioning the names of the trees, the author aims to show that ______ .

A．the kids like playing in trees

B．the kids are very familiar with trees

C．the kids have learned much knowledge

D．the kids find trees useful learning tools

【小题3】What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．The change of seasons is easily felt.

B．The seasons make the scenes change.

C．The weather often changes in the forest.

D．The door is a good position to enjoy changing seasons.

【小题4】What is the main purpose of the author writing the text?

A．To describe the beauty of the scene around the house.

B．To introduce her children’s happy life in the forest.

C．To show that living in the forest is healthful.

D．To share the joy of living in the nature.

A good brand agency (代理) can create for you a brand identity (身份) of your products. Having the best agency to help with your business, no matter how small, can be one of the biggest steps you can take in letting the world know and get familiar with your products and brands.
Brand agencies work hand in hand with the company in advertising the brand and its products. The company has to tell the agency how they would like the public to see their products. The agency then talks with the company about the progress of the brand in the market.
Working with brand agencies is a two-way street. When the company is happy and satisfied with how the agency has advertised the brand, the trust the company has in the agency grows. Similarly, when the agency does well in its work, the company’s brand and products get good ideas from buyers and the market.
Regarding the identity of the brand, agencies can help a lot in this aspect. For a brand to have a lasting influence on the buyers, an identity of the brand needs to be formed. If the brand is good, then buyers will feel at ease (轻松自在) buying the products of this brand.
【小题1】We can learn from the text that the best agency is necessary for business EXCEPT for ______.

A．letting customers know about the products

B．earning money directly from the products

C．helping create brand identities for the products

D．helping the brand have a lasting influence on customers

【小题2】The text is mainly written for ______.

A．customers

B．salesmen

C．researchers

D．managers

【小题3】What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this text?

A．To explain the meaning of teamwork.

B．To introduce the importance of a brand agency.

C．To tell the roles of the salesmen.

D．To describe how to run the company.

【小题4】What’s the writer’s attitude towards the brand agency?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Worried.

D．Disapproving.

Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is on the Southern Hemisphere(半球)of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai.
Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish in the rivers. Plants grow very well.
Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flower exhibition. There we saw large numbers of wild flowers on show, most of which we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. Every year in spring Perth has wild flower exhibitions. After visiting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves very much. When we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill, we looked up, but what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to our car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us along the path.
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos(袋鼠). After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself among the white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere you can see sheep.
【小题1】Which country is the writer most possibly from?

A．Japan

B．Canada

C．China

D．America

【小题2】Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

A．Australia has enough laws to fight against pollution.

B．Perth is the biggest city in Australia.

C．The wild flowers in Perth must be different from what the author sees in his/her country.

D．The author enjoyed his/her visit in the countryside.

【小题3】The underlined word “exhibition” in the third paragraph probably means_______.

A．a public show for people to visit

B．a market where you can buy all kinds of flowers

C．a place where all kinds of flowers are grown

D．a field where there are flowers and animals

【小题4】From the passage we know Perth is famous for ____

A．its population

B．its size

C．its kangaroos

D．its wild flowers

I'm writing this letter slowly because I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happened within 20 miles from our home, so we moved.
I won't be able to send you the address because the last family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so that they wouldn't have to change their address. This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure it works so well though: last week I put a load in and pulled the chain (拉链) and haven't seen them since. The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice last week; the first time for three days and the second time for four days. About that coat you wanted me to send you, your uncle Stanley said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.
John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out. Your sister had a baby this morning, but I haven't found out what it is yet. The baby looks just like your brother.
Uncle Ted fell in a whiskey vat（桶）last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off playfully and drowned. We had him cremated（焚化）and he burned for three days.
Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up trunk. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. You other two friends were in back. They drowned because they couldn't get the tail gate down.
There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened.
Love,
Mom
P.S. I was going to send you some money but the envelope was already sealed.
【小题1】From the passage, we can infer that _____.

A．here is the letter by a son for his father

B．here is the letter by a mother for her son

C．the family moved to a new and nice place because it is really good there

D．the writer's daughter has got a male baby

【小题2】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The number of the family is four, including the new-born baby.

B．The son can't send his parents a letter because the address was taken by the other family.

C．The son will receive a coat with the buttons detached (拆下).

D．None is true.

【小题3】The underlined word "it"(Para.3) refers to _____.

A．the thing that the baby was born	B．the baby
C．the son's father	D．the son's mother

【小题4】What is the reason why the family moved to a new place?

A．The son asked them to do so .

B．The place is really nice and the climate there is not bad, too.

C．His dad read in the newspaper most accidents happened within 20 miles from their home.

D．His sister had a baby, so they wanted to find a fine place.

Driving In America
Keep Right
The traffic follows the “keep right rule”. While driving, drive on the right side of the road. On one-way, multiple lanes(车道) road, the right-most lane would be slowest and left-most lane is fastest.
Hand Signals
Though indicators(车的指示灯) are used for the purpose of showing which direction you are going, knowing some hand signals is very important and are usually always asked in a driving test. When you want to turn right, you can put your left hand out of the window and point upward. When you want to make a left turn, you can reach your left arm out of the window and point to the left. If you want to slow down or stop, you can just point downward.
School Buses
Yellow school buses have flashing red lights and stop signs that reach out from the driver’s side. The drivers use these warning signals when letting pupils on and off. No matter which side of the road you are traveling on, if you come upon a school bus with its lights flashing and a stop sign used, you must stop. It’s the law. Remain stopped until the lights stop flashing or the stop sign is removed.
Using the Horn
Using horns is not common in America. Actually they are very rarely used. You may use your horn to warn walkers or other drivers of possible trouble or to avoid accidents. Do not use your horn to express anger or complain about other drivers’ mistakes or to try to get a slow driver to move faster.
【小题1】If Freddy is asked to go to Florida in the shortest time from Missouri, on which lane in the picture below should he drive his car according to Paragraph 1?

A．Lane ①.

B．Lane ②.

C．Lane ③.

D．Lane ④.

【小题2】What could a driver do in America when turning left?

A．Place left hand out of the window pointing upward.

B．Put left hand out of the window pointing downward.

C．Reach left arm out of the window pointing to the left.

D．Place left hand out of the window pointing backward.

【小题3】According to the passage, which of the following is possibly accepted in America?

A．Use horns sometimes to warn passers-by of danger.

B．Drive on before the stop sign on a school bus is removed.

C．Use hand signals instead of indicators to show which direction you are going.

D．Do not use warning signals in the school bus until all the pupils get on the bus.

【小题4】Who is the passage most probably written for?

A．Passers-by.

B．Pupils.

C．Policemen.

D．Drivers.

Sometimes teens (十几岁的少年) need to have some time away from their families. They may want to move out of the family or home for a while.
Many parents will say no to this demand. But experts say it might be a good idea to let your teens live with a friend or a relative. “It was the break I needed at the time,” said Richard Lerne. He is talking about the time he spent living with his grandmother when he was 15. “It allowed me to be a more different person than I was with my parents.” Lerne said. He now heads the Institute for Children, Youth and Families at Michigan State University.
Experts say teens living away from their families can test new ways of thinking and getting along with people. They may see new ways to problems. Some teens who want some time away from family attend a structured summer program. Others live for a while with a relative or with the family of a friend.
If there is conflict (冲突) at home, having a teen live elsewhere can benefit other family members. It gives everyone space to develop better relationships.
Joseph Kett teaches history at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He says living at home until the late ten years has become the norm (准则) only in recent times. “In the 17th century, children were often sent to live in other people’s home when they were about 10 or 11”, he said.
Peter Sheras teaches education at the University of Virginia. He says parents should listen when a child wants to move out. They should try to find out why the child wants some time away.
【小题1】According to this passage, many parents may think it _____ for their children to live away from them.

A．right

B．happy

C．unsafe

D．reasonable

【小题2】When children seriously disagree with their parents, experts suggest that parents should ______.

A．punish them

B．let them live away from their family

C．send for a teacher

D．keep them in the house

【小题3】In the third paragraph the word “structured” means ______.

A．built

B．stuck

C．organized

D．drunk

【小题4】In history, ______.

A．teens never left their families

B．teens often left their parents

C．teens never went to school

D．teens never make friends with each other

My 17-year-old daughter went off to college and having her away from home brought back memories of watching Peter Pan when she was little. In the classic TV production, one scene in particular impressed me: when Mrs Darling puts her children into bed. As she turns off the last of the night lights, she takes one last look at the bedroom and says, “Dear night lights, protect my sleeping children.” As a mother, I know how much she loves her children.
It has been several weeks since we took our daughter to college and she seems to be adjusting (适应) well after a short period of homesickness. For us, though, it’s another story. Like most parents, I love checking in on my children at night. But now she’s gone, and I find nighttimes the hardest. I miss her most at night.
In my neighborhood, most of the parents whose kids are off to college are dealing with similar melancholy. My husband is filled with anxiety. One friend talked about getting this sick feeling in her stomach as she prepared for the college drop-off. We complained that many of us were too busy to truly enjoy being with our children while we had them.
For us moms, seeing Toy Story 3 only made the sadness worse as we watched the character Andy, who is the same age as our kids, say goodbye to his childhood as he prepares to leave for college. And it’s not just “first-time” parents like me. Two moms who have kids already well into college said the separation didn’t get any easier. “You feel like something has been taken away from inside you,” said one of them.
I imagine things will get easier with time, especially as I see my daughter adjust to college life. Meanwhile, as I keep my cellphone close to me in bed and text my daughter goodnight and sweet dreams every night, I like to think that messages serve as a night light that keeps her safe.
【小题1】The writer was deeply impressed by the scene in Peter Pan because ___________.

A．she watched the scene with her daughter

B．the scene was very exciting and interesting

C．the scene taught her and her daughter a good lesson

D．the scene showed a mother’s deep love for her children

【小题2】After he daughter went to college, the writer ___________.

A．didn’t get used to the change for a long time

B．often cried as she missed her daughter so much

C．realized she hadn’t done enough for the daughter

D．failed to have a good sleep every night

【小题3】What is the underlined word “melancholy” in Paragraph 3 similar in meaning to?

A．Happiness.

B．Anger.

C．Sadness.

D．Excitement.

【小题4】We can infer that watching Toy Story 3 ___________.

A．made the writer know her daughter didn’t want to go to college

B．improved the relationship between the writer and her daughter

C．helped the writer realize how important education was

D．made the writer miss her daughter even more

It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble．That's more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police Officer Floyd Hyde was on duty．
“I was on the way to a personal—injury accident in West Nashville．As I got onto Highway 40，blue lights and sirens(警笛)going，I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway．The driver somehow flustered at the sight of me．He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder．”
But Hyde couldn’t go after him．Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders，so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident．But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove，hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car．As it．turned out，keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult．Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene．
Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination。At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene．His help wasn't needed．Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird，who by this time had developed something new to panic about．
“Just about that time，”Hyde says，“I saw fire coming out from under that car，with blue smoke and oil going everywhere．He'd blown his engine．Now he had to stop．”
“After I arrested him，I asked him why he was running。He told me he didn't have a driver's license．”
That accident cost the driver of the Firehird plenty-a thousand dollars for the new engine-not to mention the charges for driving without a license，attempting to run away, and dangerous driving．
【小题1】The meaning of“flustered”in Paragraph 2 is related to        .

A．shame

B．hate

C．anger

D．fear

【小题2】Why did the driver of the Firebird suddenly speed down the highway?

A．Because he was racing with another driver on the road．

B．Because he realized he had to hurry to the accident scene．

C．Because he thought the police officer wanted to stop him．

D．Because he wanted to overtake other cars on the shoulder．

【小题3】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Someone else was taking care of the injured person．

B．The Pontiac reached its destination at the accident scene．

C．Hyde knew where he was going by following the right car．

D．The policeman was running after a speeder on Highway 40．

【小题4】The driver of the Firebird        .

A．took a wrong turn on the way	B．had some trouble with his car
C．was stopped by the police officer	D．paid for the expenses of the accident

【小题5】What is probably the best title for the article?

A．Losing His Way?	B．Going My Way?
C．Fun All the Way?	D．Help on the Way?