The name England comes from the words “Angle land”．The Angles were people who came from northern Germany in the 5th and 6th centuries，after the Romans had left.The French name for England is Angleterre，which also means “Angle land”．There were also invasions (侵略) of southern England by Saxons and Jutes (people from another part of northern Germany)．English people are sometimes called Anglo­Saxons.The Celts who used to live in this area were forced to move back into Scotland，Ireland，Cornwall and into Western France (the area known as Brittany)．
England at first became a series of kingdoms，the strongest of which was Wessex (the name comes from West­Saxon)．The names of many of the areas in England come from this period—for example，the name Sussex comes from South­Saxon，Essex from East­Saxon，and East Anglia from East­Angle.The Vikings then came from Denmark，and later the Normans invaded from France. Eventually England，Wales，Scotland and Northern Ireland were united，forming the United Kingdom.
The English language is the main language spoken throughout England，although there are many different accents.It can be difficult to know how to spell or to pronounce some English words，because the language has been influenced by Latin and Greek (languages used at the time of the Romans，and used in religion and education until recent times)，German (the language of the Angles，Saxons and Jutes)，French(the language of the Normans)，Gaelic/Scots (Celtic languages) and Danish (the language of the Vikings)．
There are now many people throughout the United Kingdom who speak a foreign language either as their first or second language；mainly due to immigration (移民) from Europe or the Commonwealth (countries which used to be part of the British Empire)．
【小题1】According to the first paragraph，which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The Romans were forced to leave England when the Jutes attacked there.

B．The Celts used to live in England but left for some reason.

C．Southern England once was attacked by Saxons and Jutes.

D．Angles and Saxons came from different parts of northern Germany.

【小题2】In the history of England，________once was the strongest kingdom.

A．Sussex	B．Wessex
C．Essex	D．East Anglia

【小题3】What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．English words are hard to spell and to pronounce.

B．England had been invaded by most of the countries of Europe.

C．The English language was influenced by several foreign languages.

D．It’s hard for people who have different English accents to communicate.

【小题4】Why do many people in the UK speak a foreign language nowadays?

A．Because they are required to learn a foreign language at school.

B．Because they plan to live outside the UK in the future.

C．Because they have moved from other countries.

D．Because they have worked in other countries.

【小题5】The author writes this passage to________.

A．tell the history of England

B．tell how the United Kingdom was formed

C．introduce the main spoken language throughout England

D．tell the origin of the name of England

What is your favorite English letter?  Many of you may say Q. Why?  Because
so many of you chat with your friends on QQ. What do you like about QQ?  What do you talk about?  The CCTV reporter,  Miss Wang,  interviews three kids. Let’s listen to what they say.
When do you chat on QQ?  What do you talk about?
　Lin Yuhan,  Xi’an:  On weekends. We talk about homework and chat with each other.
　　Tang Xuting,  Shanghai:  At weekends and when I don’t have much homework. We exchange test answers and chat.
Yang Yuhang,  Dalian:  Our class goes online together at 4: 00～6: 00pm on weekends. We complain about homework,  chat and talk about computer games.
　　What do you put on your QQ blog(博客)？
　　Lin: I put good articles I have found online on my blog. I also write articles myself. They are about funny things that have happened in my class.
　Tang: I put pictures on my blog. Not my own photos,  but pictures from my favorite Japanese cartoons(动画片)like Tennis Prince Conan.
　　Yang: I put DV films on my blog. I shoot(拍摄)them during sports meetings and school parties. The most popular one is about a dancing teacher,   he is so funny that everyone watches it.
　　 How do you like QQ?
　Lin: It’s a good space for us to make a record of our lives of both good times and sad times.
　　Tang: My friends and I may not have time to chat at school. But we can do it on QQ. It’s very helpful to our friendships.
　　Yang: If you chat with friends on the telephone,  your parents sometimes listen to your conversation. There’s no such problem with QQ. You can relax and talk freely.
【小题1】What does Yang Yuhang talk about on QQ on weekends?
①homework　　　  ②chat
③test answers　　　④computer games

A．①②	B．②③
C．①②④	D．②③④

【小题2】What does Lin Yuhan put on her QQ blog?

A．Some pictures.	B．Good articles.
C．DV films.	D．Japanese cartoons.

【小题3】Which one is TRUE according to this article?

A．Lin says QQ is very helpful to their friendships.

B．Yang says he can chat freely with many friends and relax on QQ.

C．Tang says QQ is a good space for them to make a record of their lives.

D．Tang says he chats on QQ on weekends though he has lots of homework.

The London Eye is a giant 135---meter tall Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in the British capital. Since 20 January 2011, it has been officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye following a three---year deal with the company. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people every year. The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames In the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge( which has longer history than the famous Severn Bridge to the west of London) and Hungerford Bridge. When erected in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m Star of Nanchang in 2006, and the 165m Singapore Flyer in 2008. A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye’s capsules can see up to 40 kilometers in all directions. The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20^th century, and time turning into the new millennium(千禧年). Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium wheel. In 2009, a 4D Film Experience was added as a free extra to enjoy before your ride on the Eye. Once you get high enough and start coming down the other side, you will see people reach for their cameras. Here’s where the good stuff is right at your fingertips(or seems so). Parliament and Big Ben are beneath you, as are so many other historical things . If you are interested in other attractions in London, you can refer to the homepage.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is NOT correct ?

A．It is so popular that every year, more than 3.5 million people visit the London Eye.

B．London Eye is called the EDF Energy London Eye from 2011 because the company bought it.

C．It is designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team.

D．It is 135---meter tall and is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe.

【小题2】What cannot be seen from the London Eye ?

A．The beautiful sights of the River Thames.

B．The Westminster Bridge.

C．The famous Seven Bridge.

D．Big Ben

【小题3】We can infer from the passage that___________.

A．London Eye is the third tallest Ferris wheel in the world.

B．London Eye was named the Millennium Wheel at first.

C．London Eye is free of charge, and that's why so many people come here.

D．Before your ride on the London Eye, you can first enjoy a 4D film now.

【小题4】You can find this passage_________.

A．in a magazine

B．in a newspaper

C．from a guidebook

D．on a website

One of the greatest contributors to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations(引文) showing how it was used.
This was a huge task, so Murray had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as “Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire,” 50 miles from Oxford.
Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next 17 years, he became one of the staff’s most valued contributors.
But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897, Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum(精神病院) for the Criminally Insane.
Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volunteers defined 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.
【小题1】According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary ____.

A．came out before Minor died

B．was edited by an American volunteer

C．included the English words invented by Murray

D．was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary

【小题2】How did Dr. Minor contribute to the dictionary?

A．He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers.

B．He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray.

C．He provided a great number of words and quotations.

D．He went to England to work with Murray.

【小题3】Which of the following best describes Dr. Minor?

A．Brave and determined.	B．Cautious and friendly.
C．Considerate and optimistic.	D．Unusual and scholarly.

【小题4】What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The history of the English language.

B．The friendship between Murray and Minor.

C．Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary.

D．Broadmoor Asylum and its patients.

There are two ways to save money traveling. The first way is to get the best deals on the specific things you want. There is a limitation to this type of approach (途径，方法) though. If you find the lowest price on the best hotel in Honolulu at the height of the season, you will save money, but still have a very expensive vacation. Trying to get exactly what you want will generally be an expensive proposition, in travel and in life.
The other approach is to be a true opportunist. This will be difficult for some of you, and entirely unacceptable to others. Nonetheless (尽管如此)，the travelers who get to travel the most, go to the widest variety of places, learn the most and do the most, are the opportunists. This will be true until you are so wealthy that you have no monetary (货币的；钱的)limits.
The first time I went to Ecuador, I went there because it was cheap. If it wasn’t, I would have had a great time—somewhere else. The trip lasted a month, and cost $1045, which included airfare and even the $130 fee for a guide to take me to the top or glacier (冰川) covered Mount Chimborazo.
I cut the cost by taking a bus from my home in Michigan to Miami, and back again when I returned from Ecuador. The round-trip ticket cost $158. The round-trip flight to Quito from Miami was only $256, because it was a courier (信使，通讯员) flight, which meant I signed for some luggage(car parts), and  could only take carry-on luggage.
Never did I feel deprived, or bored. I had a great time, eating wherever it was cheap and clean, doing all sorts of inexpensive, but interesting things, and traveling across the country to climb Chimborazo. I also met and fell in love with my wife Ana.
Being an opportunist means you’ll have just as much variety, and probably almost everything you want—eventually. You just have to stop trying to get exactly what you want exactly when you want it. If the guide that took me up Chimborazo hadn’t dropped his price from $200 to $130, I would have spent $2 for a bus and gone hiking on EI Altar, another great Andean mountain. That would have left me with enough money for several other minor adventures.
【小题1】The underlined phrase “the best deals” in the first paragraph probably refers to ______.

A．the best service	B． the lowest price
C．the cheapest goods	D． the best approaches

【小题2】The return tickets from his hometown to Quito cost the author ______.

A．$128

B． $256

C． $207

D． $414

【小题3】The last paragraph was to tell us how to ______.

A．save money for minor adventures

B．cut down traveling costs.

C．deal with different situations

D．become opportunist travelers

【小题4】It’s suggested that the author _____.

A．went hiking on El Altar

B．traveled with his wife in Ecuador

C．is an opportunist traveler

D．likes traveling around the world

【小题5】Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?

A．Cheap Travel Secrets	B． Travel Secrets
C．A Travel Opportunist	D． Travel Tips

To son, Cecil,
Just a quick note before I start in earnest. When I wrote this, you were 8, still a little boy. In 2002, I was called to active duty in the Marine Corps in the war on Terrorism (恐怖主义). On the 11th of September 2001 when America was attacked, I knew that I would eventually(最终) have to go and I was filled with a deep sense of sadness. That night as you and Keiko were asleep, I looked at your little faces and couldn’t help but fight the tears. I knew it would be hard for you because I had a similar experience. When I was a little boy aged 6, my dad, your Grandpa Cawley, was sent to Vietnam during the war there. I remember how much I missed him, too. But now unfortunately I have come to realize just how difficult it must have been for Grandpa to be away from his children for a year. Thinking about this, I wanted to put my thoughts and feelings down for you and your sister. I am so sorry that I had to leave for such a long time. There is no place I would rather be than with you and Keiko. You two are the lights of my life. I have known no greater joy than in the few years since you two were born. I hope to have many more years with you. If this doesn’t happen, then know that I love you more than words can express. If for some reason I don’t make it home, I will need you to take care of your little sister and your Mom. You will be the man of the Cawley family. Be good my son and God will watch over you as he has me. I will be waiting impatiently for the time when we can all be together again.
【小题1】The writer of the letter may be ______.

A．an American policeman

B．an American soldier in the battle field

C．a soldier in the Vietnam War

D．a postman working far away from home

【小题2】Keiko is the ______ of the writer.

A．wife

B．son

C．daughter

D．sister

【小题3】One of the experiences the writer and his son had in common is that ______.

A．they both experienced the Vietnam War

B．their fathers had to leave them and fight abroad.

C．they used to study in the same school

D．they were both eight when the fathers had to leave them

【小题4】We can infer(推断) that ______.

A．the writer was a devoted son

B．the writer was a brave soldier

C．the writer realized he might die in the battle field

D．the writer’s wife was suffering from a terrible illness.

Honesty，my mum always used to tell me，is the best policy．Of course，this didn’t include her when she told me that if I didn’t eat all my vegetables Father Christmas would find out and wouldn’t give me any presents．
But when it comes to medicine．I had assumed it was important to always be honest with my patients．After all，the doctor-patient relationship is based on trust，and therefore honesty is essential．Or so I thought．
I had just started working in geriatrics(老年病科)．Mr. McMahon was brought in when his belly was found very swollen．I took a medical history from his daughter who’d accompanied him in the ambulance．She’d been his main carer for years．I stood looking at him as she gave a detailed history．“Has he lost any weight recently?”I asked．“Well，it’s funny you should mention that，but yes．”she said slowly．There was silence for a few moments．“Why? What are you worried about?”she asked．I hesitated．She was obviously very involved in his care and it was only fair that I told her the truth．“Well．we need to prove it’s not cancer．”I said and talked briefly about some of the tests I was going to order．
Half an hour later, a nurse called me：“Mr. McMahon’s daughter broke down--she said you told her he had cancer．”My heart sank．By the time I arrived at the ward，my consultant was already there，explaining that we still had to run lots of tests and that it was by no means confirmed that he had cancer．I stood silently at the end of the bed．My consultant was obviously angry with me and as we left Mr. McMahon，she turned to me．“Why on earth did you do that?”she asked in disbelief．I looked at her and bit my lip．“She asked me what I was worried about and I told her．”I said，hanging my head．“And give her more to worry about?”replied my consultant．“You don’t say the word‘cancer’until it’s confirmed．Even if you suspect it，think very carefully before you tell people.”
As it turned out, it wasn’t cancer．But I did learn that when someone is stressed and worried about their loved one they’re sometimes selective in what they hear and as a doctor it’s important to be mindful of this．In being truthful，I’d made the situation worse．
【小题1】The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that the author_____．

A．misunderstood the doctor-patient relationship

B．was anxious to receive Christmas gifts

C．regarded honesty as the best policy

D．had an unhealthy eating habit

【小题2】The author’s consultant was angry with him because________．

A．he told the daughter what he suspected

B．he delayed running the necessary tests

C．he failed to confirm the patient’s disease

D．he forgot what the consultant had advised

【小题3】The author hung his head (the underlined part in Paragraph 4) because he was feeling________．     

A．helpless

B．hurt

C．disappointed

D．guilty

【小题4】What lesson has the author learnt from his experience?

A．Learning from parents is necessary．

B．Jumping to a conclusion is dangerous．

C．Telling the truth may not always be the best solution．

D．Selecting pleasant words may not be the perfect policy．

Winners Club
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers．It has been made to help you better manage your money．The Winners Club is a transaction account(交易账户)where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24／7---that’s 24 hours a day，7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers：
●No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees．In fact，there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow．The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits(储蓄)without taking them out in a month．
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy—we get that．You may never need to come to a bank at all．With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet…You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account．This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report，you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money．There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members．
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers．And it is so easy to join．Simply fill in an application form．You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy．We can’t wait to hear from you．It’s the best way to choose to be a winner !
【小题1】The Winners Club is a bank account intended for__________．

A．parents

B．teenagers

C．winners

D．adults

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?

A．Special gifts are ready for parents．

B．The bank opens only on work days．

C．Services are convenient for its members．

D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping．

【小题3】The Winners Club provides magazines which___________．

A．encourage spending

B．are free to all teenagers

C．are full of adventure stories

D．help to make more of your money

【小题4】If you want to be a member of the Club，you must_________．

A．be an Internet user

B．be permitted by your parent

C．have a big sum of money

D．be in your twenties

【小题5】What is the purpose of this text?

A．To set up a club．

B．To provide part-time jobs．

C．To organize key-cards．

D．To introduce a new banking service．

The Apple iPhone’s impact was widely evident (明显的) at the Consumer Electronics Show, as new touch－screen devices could be found everywhere.
The consumer electronics industry came unbuttoned in Las Vegas this week. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show, companies from around the world unveiled many devices boasting (以拥有…而自豪) touch – sensitive technology, rather than traditional push-button controls.
Motorola, Sony, and LG Electronics all showed off touch-screen phones this week. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates praised and offered a touch-screen computer, the Surface, related to a flat panel TV for a tabletop. Even camera makers, such as Kodak，included touch-screen LCDs in their devices. Touch-screen tech has been in use for years，but the push to develop and weave it into consumer electronics gathered steam with the June introduction of Apple’s iPhone. “The touch-screen industry is really getting hot,” says Jennifer Colegrove, a senior analyst at iSuppli. “Since the iPhone came out, there are a lot of companies that did not have a relationship with touch screens before that decided, ‘OK, I want to make a touch screen, too.’”
The touch－screen tech ecosystem now includes more than 100 companies specializing in everything from smudge-proof (防污的) screens to sensors (传感器) able to detect fingers before they even contact the screen. Sales of leading touch-screen technologies，such as those used in mobile phones and navigation (航行) devices，are expected to rise to $ 4.4 billion in 2012, up from $ 2.4 billion in 2006，according to iSuppli estimates.
【小题1】What did the writer think about the Apple iPhone？

A．The Apple iPhone was beautiful.

B．The Apple iPhone was popular.

C．The Apple iPhone was expensive.

D．The Apple iPhone was attractive.

【小题2】What is the meaning of the underlined word “unveiled” in the second paragraph？

A．Invented.	B．Unlocked.
C．Discovered.	D．Showed.

【小题3】The touch-screen tech was used in consumer electronics mainly because of _______.

A．traditional push-button controls

B．Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

C．the introduction of Apple’s iPhone

D．the touch-screen tech ecosystem

【小题4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．The touch-screen technology will disappear.

B．The touch-screen technology will be replaced by traditional push-button controls.

C．The touch-screen technology will be as important as traditional push-button controls.

D．The touch-screen technology will be more widely used in electronics devices.

33 Chilean miners were trapped nearly a half-mile underground after the mine accident. They had no real hope that they’d ever be found. Luckily, though, the men had Luis Urzua. They were rescued to safety on October 13, 2010.Urzua, 54, was the shift leader at the time of the disaster, and used all his wisdoms and his leadership talents to help his men stay calm and in control for the 17 terrible days it took for rescuers to make their first contact with them.
It was no surprise that Urzua was the last of the 33 miners to leave the mine.
Urzua --- after shaking hands with rescue workers ---- climbed into a capsule barely wider than a man’s shoulders at 9:46 and was hauled up (拖上来) from a narrow hole drilled through 2,000 feet of rock. He arrived at the top 11 minutes later.
“We have done what the entire world was waiting for,” he told Chilean President Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue. “The 69 days that we fought so hard were not in vain.” Pinera greeted Urzua, saying “You have been rescued, coming out last like a good leader… You have no idea how all Chileans share with
you your hardships, your hope, and your joy. You are an inspiration.” With Urzua by his side, the president led the crowd in singing the national anthem.Robinson Marquez once worked with Urzua in a nearby mine. He described Urzua as a calm, professional person and a born leader. “He is very protective of his men and obviously loves them. He wouldn’t have left until all of his men were safely above ground,” Marquez said.
Under Urzua’s leadership, the men stretched an emergency food supply meant to last just 48 hours over two and a half weeks, taking tiny sips of milk and bites of fish every other day.He described the difficulties of the first days, saying that it took about three hours for the dust to settle before the men could inspect where tons of collapsed rock sealed off (堵住) the main way out. When the rescuers first made contact by drilling a narrow hole into their refuge (避难处), the miners were so excited that everyone wanted to hug the drill hammer.After the collapse, Urzua was the first to speak to Pinera and to urge him not to let him and his men down. “Don’t leave us alone,” he asked the president, who assured the workers that they would not be abandoned, telling them he would do everything he could to get them back to the surface.
【小题1】The mine collapsed on ____.

A．March 2

B．June 3

C．August 5

D．October 13

【小题2】Which word can’t be used to describe Urzua?

A．Selfish

B．Calm

C．Optimistic

D．Talented

【小题3】What do you know about the capsule?

A．It is very spacious.	B．It is very narrow.
C．It is made by Urzua.	D．It is used in space.

【小题4】The emergency food supply was designed to last ____.

A．over two and a half weeks	B．five days
C．one week	D．two days