“Time is a problem for children,” states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries “learn time slowly” because “they don’t wear watches” and “parents don’t really know how to teach them time.” The children grow up with this handicap and become adults-and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course-it’s the Flick Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.
The Flick Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely “takes their imagination” by presenting the “hour” hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the “minute” hand as a tall blue boy named Flick. Flick points to related “blue” minutes on the dial, while Flak points to “red” hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.
The watch comes equipped with a standard battery and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flick Flak, calls it “childproof: if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing machine.” The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.
【小题1】From the news report we know that ______.

A．parents are patient when teaching children time

B．parents have little idea of how to teach children time

C．children are likely to learn time quickly

D．children enjoy wearing the Flick Flak watch

【小题2】The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.

A．children will be on time if they have not learnt how to tell time

B．a Flick Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time

C．the Flick Flak can take children’s imagination

D．children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches

【小题3】The underlined word handicap (Para. 1) means ______.

A．displeasure

B．discouragement

C．disappointment

D．disadvantage

【小题4】The United State sales manager calls the new watch “childproof” because ______.

A．it is designed to teach children to be on time

B．it proves to be effective in teaching children time

C．it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children

D．it is the children’s favorite watch

Are you a media addict who would go mad after two hours without TV, friend requests, exciting online games and your mobile – or would you easily survive?
Recently, university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged. It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban by unplugging all forms of media devices for 24 hours.
Unplugged is being run by Dr Roman Gerodimos, a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University. The experiment is now over but he doesn’t yet know the full findings. However, during the experiment, Dr Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers. He said: “They’re reporting withdrawal symptoms(症状), overeating, feeling nervous, isolated and disconnected.” During their 24-hour painful experience, three of the experiment’s guinea pigs had to endure one intrusion(侵扰) from the media: a BBC reporter plus cameraman who followed them around for the day. They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day offline, but of course, they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops. Elliot Day wrote: “Today, my whole morning routine was thrown up into the air. Despite being aware of the social importance of the media, I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers.” From Caroline Scott, we read: “I didn’t expect it, but being prevented from the media for 24 hours resulted in my day-to-day activities becoming so much harder to carry out than usual… I didn’t break out in a cold sweat like our lecturer expected us all to, but it’s not something I would like to do again!” And Charlotte Gay wrote: “I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been my mobile; not only is it a social tool, it’s my main access point of communication.”
Earlier in the year, a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media, often plugged into several things at once. And a recent study by Nielson found that on average, US teenagers send and receive over 3,000 texts per month ---that’s about six texts per waking hour. So, with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate, how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?
【小题1】What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To ask for information.	B．To entertain the readers.
C．To lead to the topic.	D．To present an idea.

【小题2】About Dr. Roman Gerodimos’ experiment, we know that ________.

A．volunteers felt uncomfortable in it.

B．volunteers didn’t want to eat anything.

C．the experiment was still going on.

D．volunteers were allowed to take their laptops.

【小题3】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Three pigs were included in the experiment.

B．A BBC reporter discussed the experiment.

C．During the 24 hours’ experiment the volunteers wrote out their experiences.

D．The lecturer had expected sweat would suddenly appear on the volunteers through fear.

【小题4】What does the sentence “…was thrown up into the air” most probably means?

A．went on normally.	B．was completely disturbed.
C．turned out perfect.	D．was badly designed.

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

A．Surviving without the Media.	B．Unplugging Your Life.
C．Valuing Social Communication.	D．Setting Aside Time for Sleep.

There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penage. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back..
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.
【小题1】The author expected the train trip to be_________.

A．adventurous

B．dull

C．exciting

D．pleasant

【小题2】What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?

A．The mountains along the way.

B．The friendly country people.

C．The crowds of people in the streets.

D．The simple lunch served on the train.

【小题3】Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph?

A．choose

B．enjoy

C．prepare for

D．carry on

【小题4】Where was the writer going?

A．Butterworth.

B．The Causeway.

C．Johore Baru.

D．Singapore.

【小题5】What can we learn from the story?

A．Comfort in traveling by train.

B．Pleasure of living in the country.

C．Reading gives people delight.

D．Smiles brighten people up.

“Get out of the plane!” Justin shouted. Teddy and he dropped to the ground,….
When Kathy and Victor reached the edge of the grassland, flames(火焰)were shooting more than five meters into the air.
Kathy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. One glance told her they needed medical attention immediately. She questioned Justin, “ Is there anyone in the plane?”
“No,” he said.
“Where are you able to radio for help?”
“There was no time.”
“ I’m a distance runner.” Kathy said, “I’ll go for help.” Looking at the seriously injured men, she said, “It may take me several hours to get out.” She started out.
When she was 23, Kathy set a women’s-course record in a Marathon. She had run 42 kilometers. But now she was running the race of her life. She had nearly 30 kilometers of hard wilderness to cover to get help.
Kathy had been running for two hours. This was far back into the wilderness. The trail(小径) grew unclear. She stopped to take a quick compass(指南针) reading. She had run for more than 20 kilometers. Her heart fell, her muscle(肌肉) aching. Finally she saw her car in the distance.
She jumped into the car and sped away. She reached a holiday house and called the police.
During the wait she walked around, relaxing her legs and drinking water. It took almost two hours for a helicopter to reach her. They needed her for one more task.
【小题1】“Now, she was running the race of her life” means that ________________.

A．she would set up a new record

B．she was running for the lives of others

C．she would run a race without others

D．she couldn’t rely on Victor this time

【小题2】Why did Kathy stopped to have a look at her compass? Because ______________.

A． she didn’t trust her memory	B．she had lost her way
C． The trail grew vague	D．Of the wilderness

【小题3】Why did she walk around, relax her legs and drink water? Because ______________.

A．She was too tired

B．she felt thirsty

C．she wanted to regain lost energy

D．nothing else could be done then

【小题4】What do you think of her final task was?

A．Giving the injured food and drinks.

B．Taking them to the nearest hospital.

C．To show the police where the injured was.

D．To go back to put out the big fire.

Angry Birds is a video game developed by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Mohile. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple’s mobile operating system in December 2009.Since then, over 12 million copies of the game have been purchased from Apple’s App Store.
With its fast-growing popularity worldwide, the game and its characters---angry birds and their enemy pigs---have appeared in television programs throughout the world. The Israeli comedy A Wonderful Country ,one of the nation’s most popular TV programs, satirized(讽刺) recent failed Israeli-Palestinian peace attempts by featuring the Angry Birds in peace negotiations with the pigs. Clips of the segment (片段)went viral, getting viewers from all around the world. American television hosts Conan O’Brien ,Jon Steward ,and Daniel Tosh have referenced the game in comedy sketches for their programs, Conan, The Daily Show, and Dash. O. Some of the game’s more famous fans include Prime Minister David Cameron of UK, who plays the iPad version of the game, and author Salman Rushdie, who is believed to be “something of a master at Angry Birds.”
Angry Birds and its characters have also been featured in advertisements in different forms. In March 2011,the characters began appearing in a series of advertisements for Microsoft’s Bing search engine. In the same year, Nokin produced an advertisement in Austin, Texas that included the game’s characters on a downtown building for its new mobile phone. Later, a T-Mobile advertisement filmed in Spain included a real-life mock-up(实物模拟)of the game in a city center .Nokin also used the game in Malaysia to promote an attempt to set a world record for the largest number of people playing a single mobile game.
Angry Birds has even inspired works of philosophical analogy（哲学类比）.A five-part essay with the title“ Angry Birds Yoga（瑜伽）---How to Eliminate the Green  Pigs in Your Life” was written by Giridhari Dasar in Brazil ,utilizing the characters and game play mechanics to interpret various concepts of yoga philosophy. The piece attracted much media attention for its unique method of philosophical presentation.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To explain how the video game Angry Birds was devised.

B．To investigated why Angry Birds has quickly become well-liked.

C．To introduce Angry Birds characters in TV programs and advertisements.

D．To report on the spread of Angry Birds in different media around the world .

【小题2】Which of the following is closed in meaning to the word “viral “in Paragraph 2?   

A．apparent

B．popular

C．exciting

D．disgusting

【小题3】According to the text, Which of the following persons is good at playing Angry Birds?

A．Salman Rushdie

B．Conan O’Brien

C．Giridhari Dasar

D．Daniel Tosh

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE about the use of Angry Birds according to the text?

A．It has been used by UK Prime Minister to explain political issues.

B．Its characters are used in advertisements mainly for Apple’s products.

C．It has been developed into a film about the life of a Brazilian yoga master.

D．Its real-life mock-up has appeared in an advertisement for mobile phones.

In 490 B.C. the Greek messenger,  Pheidippides , ran about 40 kilometers from the town of “Marathon”to  Athens to announce the victory of  Athens over Macedon . Since then ,the 42–kilometer “Marathon”race has become a great test for athletes. However, for many years  , only men were allowed to run  this  race ,  because the distance was said to be unbearable for women. In 1966, an   American  women named Roberta Gibb proved that idea wrong.
Gibb had always enjoyed running .One day in 1964 , she saw the Boston Marathon happening as she was running in the woods. Since running meant a lot to her, she began training harder , hoping to join the marathon some day.
Gibb finally applied to run in the 1966 Boston Marathon, but she was not given entrance because the Boston Marathon Association considered that women were not strong enough to run 42  kilometers . Yet, this was no obstacle to Gibb, for she knew she had the physical and mental strength to complete the race .On the day the 1966 Boston Marathon was held , Gibb hid in the bushes and jumped into the race when it began. She finished the race in 3 hours and 21 minutes, defeating two thirds of the men in the race and proving that women could run the marathon.
Although what Gibb did was only to realize her dream, in doing so she showed the world that women could accomplish greater things than many people believed they could.
【小题1】why were women forbidden to run the 42–km marathon ?

A．Training was only provided for men .

B．Women could not work as messengers.

C．Women were believed too weak to finish it.

D．It was a race held only for professional athletes

【小题2】What  did  Roberta Gibb do to prepare herself for the  Boston Marathon ?

A．She dressed herself as a man.

B．She trained herself harder than before.

C．She found a job in the Boston Marathon Association .

D．She hid in the bushes, waiting for the end of the race.

【小题3】What happened to Gibb in the 1966 Boston Marathon?

A．Her application wasn’t accepted.

B．She was asked to train harder .

C．Her determination amazed people.

D．She was welcome to run the race.

【小题4】According to the text ,what can we learn from  Roberta Gibb’s story?

A．Most women ran slower than men in marathons.

B．Joining marathons is the best way to prove one’s strength.

C．It takes at least two years to train to become a marathon runner.

D．Women may be able to achieve greater things than they’re expected.

How do you address(称呼) people in English when you want to talk to them? The following may be some simple rules the beginners should follow.
1. When talking to strangers there is often no special form of address in English. Usually, if you want to catch the attention of a stranger it is necessary to use such phrases as “Excuse me”.
2. In British English “Sir” and “Madam” are considered to be too formal(正式) for most situations. They are used mostly to customers(顾客) in shops or restaurants. While in American English “Sir” and “Madam” are not so formal and are commonly used between strangers, especially with older people whose names you don’t know.
3. When you talk to some people you know, you can use their names. If you are friends, use their first names; if your relationship is more formal, use “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Ms”, etc, before their family names.
4. There are many other forms of address which can be used between friends and strangers. However, many of these are limited in use.  For example, “pal” and “mate” can be used between strangers, but are usually only used by men talking to other men.
【小题1】According to the passage, “Excuse me” is mainly used to ______.

A．address a person you don’t know	B．apologize to others
C．catch the attention of a stranger	D．suggest good manners

【小题2】If John Smith is your best friend, according to the passage you should often call him ______.

A．John

B．Smith

C．Mr. John

D．Mr. Smith

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．“Sir” and “Madam” are used more often in America than in England.

B．People often use “Mr.”, “Mrs.” or “Ms” before the first names of those people who they don’t know very well.

C．“Pal” and “mate” are usually only used between men.

D．While addressing friends, people just use their first names

【小题4】The passage is most likely taken from an English _______.

A．textbook

B．card

C．storybook

D．grammar book

Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure(奇遇)？Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four－hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride，there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation－in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two－day trip by train. She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home，although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life，different countries，and many  languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry，you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.
It sure beats driving the car，which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.
【小题1】According to the passage，the purpose of the author’s train ride was    .

A．to do business	B．to see her children
C．to visit places of interest	D．to see her old friends

【小题2】Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “distraught” in Paragraph 3?

A．Disappointed.

B．Satisfied.

C．Worried.

D．Pleased.

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE about the old lady sitting next to the author?

A．She is too old to drive now.

B．She does not like to take trains.

C．Although she is old，she has a good memory.

D．Her daughters live far away from her home.

【小题4】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Train ride－a cultural experience	B．A painful experience on the train
C．The history of Amtrak	D．A wonderful lady

People who like travelling have their reasons. They believe that travelling can help them expand their field of view，especially in the geographical and historical sense. They also think that touring will give them more chances to enjoy different kinds of food and experience new things that would never be brought by other activities. But those who dislike travelling also have some reasons.
Travelling，in my opinion，does more good than harm. Most importantly，it broadens(使扩大)our mind. We can get in touch with other civilizations(文明)，cultures，customs and ideas.
Through history，most people travelled because of necessity(必要性)－not for pleasure. People travelled just in order to remain alive. They searched for food to eat or places to live in. They sometimes ran away from enemies. This is not to say that no one ever travelled just for fun of it. In ancient times，for example，rich Romans travelled all the ways to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games，and festivals. Of course，some people decided to travel just out of curiosity(好奇心).They wanted to find out what it looked like beyond the horizon(地平线).Also business travel has been going on for centuries. Traders could not only make money but also learn to speak several languages and be introduced to different cultures.
So，travelling does enrich our mind and draw new ideas to us. There is no doubt that we can get much from it.
【小题1】The underlined word “expand” in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by“___________ ”.

A．widen

B．protect

C．lose

D．decide

【小题2】According to the passage，in the past most people traveled____________.

A．for fun

B．for knowledge

C．to get experiences

D．to make a living

【小题3】How many reasons for travelling are mentioned in Paragraph 3 ?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小题4】What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Different kinds of travelling.

B．Travelling enriches our mind.

C．Ways to enjoy yourself while travelling.

D．The advantages and disadvantages of travelling.

I’m lying on my back in my grandfather’s orchard (果园)，looking up at the branches above me. It is one of the last days of summer. Already the days are shorter and the nights are cooler. Some kinds of apples are already ripe(成熟的).Others will be ready to pick soon. I think of my grandmother’s apple pie，and how I used to make it with her. She died last year，before the apple harvest，and I have not had her pie since. I really miss her. I hear bees busily humming about，visiting the late summer flowers. The gentle hum of their wings nearly sends me to sleep.
The sky is as blue as my grandfather’s eyes. Above me，big white clouds race across the sky like pieces of cotton blowing in the wind. School starts in another week，and time seems to have slowed down.
“Sophie！” calls my grandfather. “Is that you？”I stand up，take his hand，and tell him all about my day as we walk through the orchard. We talk about apples，and bees，and Grandma. He tells me that he misses her too.
He puts his rough，brown farmer’s hand around my shoulder and pulls me close. “You know，Sophie，”he says，“I spent the morning in the attic(阁楼)，and you’ll never guess what I found. It’s the recipe (烹饪法) for Grandma’s apple pie. I used to help her make it sometimes. I can’t do it all alone，but you used to help her too. Maybe between the two of us，we can work it out. Want to try？”
“But it won’t be the same without Grandma，” I tell him.
“That’s true，”he says，“but nothing is the same without Grandma. Still，I don’t think that she would want us never to have another apple pie. What do you say？” I nod yes，and we walk towards home...towards an afternoon in the farmhouse kitchen，making Grandma’s famous apple pie.
【小题1】We learn from the passage that Sophie          .

A．likes to watch clouds in the attic

B．comes to the orchard after school

C．enjoys Grandma’s apple pie very much

D．picks many apples in the orchard

【小题2】Sophie’s grandfather spent the morning in the attic        .

A．looking for Grandma’s recipe for apple pie

B．helping Sophie’s grandmother make apple pie

C．trying to make apple pie all alone for Sophie

D．talking about apples，and bees，and Grandma with Sophie

【小题3】The underlined  part in the last paragraph shows          .

A．how much Sophie’s grandmother loved Sophie

B．how much Sophie’s grandfather likes apple pies

C．how much Sophie loves her grandfather’s orchard

D．how much Sophie’s grandfather misses Grandma

【小题4】Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．My grandfather’s orchard	B．My grandmother’s apple pie
C．A morning in the attic	D．The last days of summer