Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really make a self-effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.
　　Sometimes you remember things that did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remembered locking it carefully the night before.
Memory “trick” works the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber(理发师) shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.
　　We always seem to find something funny in incidents（小事） caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness(心不在焉). Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never got tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “trick” of our memory can cause us great trouble. （words: 169）
【小题1】If you want to have a good memory, ________.

A．you should force yourself to remember things

B．you should make a self-effort of practice and exercise

C．you should never stop learning

D．you should try hard to remember things

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

A．One night the writer forgot to lock the front door.

B．One night the writer forgot having locked the front door.

C．The writer remembered to lock the door.

D．The writer remembered unlocking the front door.

【小题3】From the sentence "We never get tired of hearing new ones", we can infer that______.

A．we enjoy hearing new stories about absent-mindedness of professors

B．we don’t want to know anything more about absent-mindedness of professors

C．we will never get rid of（摆脱） listening to new stories about absent-mindedness

D．absent-mindedness happens not only to professors but to many other people

Maybe you’ve just invented something better than the iPhone or a solar-powered car. You don’t want anyone to steal your design. What should you do? Patent (申请专利) it! Patents are the best way to get credit for your work and help others continue advancing in that field. Here’s what you need to know.
A patent gives you the right to an invention. The patent protects its owner, which means the invention can’t be copied or sold without their agreement. In exchange, the owner must reveal information about the invention. This contributes knowledge that helps other inventors improve on their own research. A patent usually lasts about 20 years.
The first step to getting a patent is the application. The person applying must name the invention, explain its use and describe it clearly. The invention must be practical and contain some new characteristic — something that hasn’t been seen or used before. But not everything “new” can be patented. Many countries don’t allow patents on things like new concepts, scientific theories, medical procedures or substances already found in nature.
You may not be able to see patents, but they’re connected to nearly everything. There are patents on things you use every day, like plastic, medicine and your computer. There are patents on things that are unavailable on the market, too. Apple is well-known for its patents on potential products, such as the “iBike” or the “iKey”.
Of course there are also patents on inventions like this. Take the anti-eating face mask for example. This device locks around your head with a metal cage covering your mouth. You can breathe and speak, but you can’t eat!
Although many patented inventions can be failures, there’s plenty of room for success. So if you have a cool invention, try to patent it.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A．A patent can last for around 20 years.

B．Everything new can be patented.

C．Your invention is protected after you have applied for a patent.

D．Some patents are on the things that we use every day.

【小题2】We can infer that Apple’s iBike is _____.

A．a popular product	B．a mere new concept
C．a famous brand in the world	D．a practical bike on the market

【小题3】The underlined word “device” in Paragraph 5 can best be replaced by “_____”.

A．weapon

B．medicine

C．equipment

D．strength

【小题4】The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.

A．advertise

B．persuade

C．warn

D．inform

Come for Dinner by Leslie Revsin
Make every meal a feast and every moment with loved ones an occasion with Come for Dinner. Revsin, the former owner and chef of Manhattan’s Restaurant Leslie, offers a collection of over 150 recipes designed for small get-togethers of friends and family. There are various ethnic dishes that draw from Asia，the Mediterranean, Latin cultures and more. Revsin believes cooking at home provides the opportunity to connect with friends and family on a good level.
Retro Beach Bash by Linda Everett
Grab your beach blanket and your surfboard — it’s time for a beach party! With more than 100 recipes (菜谱) for beach picnics and barbecues, Retro Beach Bash, is the beach lover’s companion for fun in the sun.
Half information and half cookbook, you can browse the pages that are filled with beach fun tips and advice. The second half of this book is a cookbook, complete with delicious picnic and grilled foods to satisfy every taste on the beach.
Entertaining Edibles by Sidney Escowitz
You’ve seen them decorating plates at restaurants, admired them at weddings, and expressed great surprise at the chefs who designed them — and now you can produce them at home.
Sidney shares lots of practical tips that will give your finished food sculptures a professional look and send you on your way towards creating your own original works of food art.
Recipes from a Tapas Bar by Olivier Said
If you’re a fan of Spanish Tapas bars, this book is a must-have for your library. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll still want this book if you’re a fan of Tapas bars, only for the lively discussions of the cheeses of Spain along with other Spanish wines and spirits.
【小题1】If you want to prepare a delicious dish for your family at home, you’d better choose _____.
A. Entertaining Edibles                              B. Retro Beach Bash
C Recipes from a Tapas Bar                        D. Come for Dinner
【小题2】 Retro Beach Bash tells us _____.

A．how to make picnics on the beach	B．how to repair your surfboard
C．how to make Spanish wines	D．how to satisfy your taste at home

【小题3】Who can tell you how to make the works of food art?

A．Leslie Revsin.	B．Linda Everett.
C．Sidney Escowitz.	D．Olivier Said.

【小题4】The books mentioned in the text are mainly about _____.

A．people

B．traveling

C．cooking

D．sports

Dear Parents,
As we start the second half of the spring term, I thought it important to update you on some key developments.
Post-16 Collaboration(合作)
We have entered into an exciting new collaboration with Bassaleg Comprehension School, Duffryn High School, St Joseph’s High School, and Coleg Gwent—The Newport West Post-16 partnership. We will be working together to deliver nearly 40 different courses at other schools and likewise, students from other schools will study some subjects here. Information about the courses available to students can be found on the partnership website www. Newftartwest. corn. uk.
Uniform
I would take this opportunity to remind all parents that students are not permitted to wear non-school uniform cardigans (开襟羊毛衫) in Newport High School. It is the responsibility of parents to make sure your son or daughter wears the correct uniform to school. This includes completely black shoes. Over the next half term we will be working with students to develop a cardigan with the school logo which will provide an alternative to the current school jacket.
School Catering.
We are currently seeking a new company to provide school meals. Our new catering provider will be in place at the start of the summer term and will be working with students, parents and staff to provide improvements to our current provision. I look forward to keeping you updated on this development.
Some key dates for you to be aware of over the next half term are:

Tuesday 15March	Year 9&10 Revision Conference
Wednesday 23 March	Year 12& 13 Parents Evening (4：00—7：00 p.m.)
Thursday 31st March	Academic Review Day
Friday 1st April	Teacher Training Day (school closed to students)
Friday 15st April	End of Spring Term
Tuesday 3rd May	Start of Summer Term

Thank you for your continued support.
Your faithfully,
Karyn Keane
【小题1】Karyn Keane wrote the letter on behalf of ______.

A．Bassaleg Comprehensive School	B．Newport High School
C．St Joesph’s High School	D．Duffryn High School

【小题2】What can be learned about the new collaboration?

A．It involves four schools altogether.

B．Course information will be mailed to every student.

C．Students can choose as many courses as they want.

D．It allows students to learn at other schools.

【小题3】When will the new catering company start working?

A．In May

B．In April

C．in March

D．In June

【小题4】What do we know from the passage?

A．Students will develop a logo for the school.

B．All parents will be invited to school on 23rd March

C．Students won’t go to school on 1st April.

D．The letter was written at the start of the spring term.

I live in north Celebes which is near Philippines. Since early December 2010 most tropical regions have been frequently hit by rain. Just like my hometown, tropical regions only have two seasons, including the dry season that usually starts from April to September and the wet or rainy season which usually happens from October to March. But, it could be indeterminate. Sometimes the rainy season can come a month earlier or later. It can be prolonged even more than 4 months and so can the dry season. Even during the dry season, rain can occur several times in certain areas.
The prolonged dry season in tropical areas usually causes a lot of losses. It will be very harmful to local farmers, because most of the tropical areas sre regions of the developing countries. Sometimes agricultural and plantation crops will be damaged because of so much dry land and the fact that the river used to flow the water for rice fields are also dry. Rain is very important for plants because rain contains many nutrients that plants are in great need of.
What’s more, if the prolonged rainy season arrives and then floods usually occur in certain areas of low lands. Even for the capital city of Jakarta floods have struck several times during the prolonged rainy season. In addition to floods, the rainy season can cause many diseases. During the dry season, diseases are usually caused by mosquitoes such as dengue fever. While in the rainy season, people who have the weak immune will be more easily attacked by some diseases such as flu, fever, diarrhea, and much more.
If you live in the other places and want to travel to the tropical regions, make sure that you have known much about the season and the effect for these months in which you want to travel as tourists. Only in that way, can you at least prepare to deal with tropical weather.
【小题1】The underlined word “indeterminate” in paragraph 1 can be replaced by “ _____”

A．uncertain

B．unknown

C．untrue

D．unbelievable

【小题2】The second paragraph mainly tells us something about _____.

A．the effects of the dry season.	B．the benefits of the rainy season.
C．the growth of dry land	D．the diseases in the dry season

【小题3】We can learn from the passage that in the wet season, _____

A．the capital of Jakarta is flooded every year

B．more crops will die after being flooded for so long.

C．mosquitoes will spread more diseases among the crowd.

D．people with weak immune might be attacked by some diseases

【小题4】The main purpose of this passage is to introduce _____.

A．some interesting facts of tropical regions

B．some knowledge about tropical regions to travelers

C．some knowledge about how to live well in different regions.

D．some differences between dry and wet seasons in tropical regions.

Teenagers in England do much the same as children in America do. They enjoy sending messages by their mobile phones and they also like swimming, listening to the latest music, watching TV and surfing the Internet.
How do teenagers in England spend their free time and holidays? Let’s follow Sally, a British teenager, and spend five days with her during her school holiday.
Day One
After breakfast, Sally’s mother went out and left her alone at home. She checked her mobile phone during lunch —one of her friends sent her a message early in the morning. Dinner was at 6:30 p.m. After that, she finished her English home-work. Then she surfed the Internet.
Day Two
Sally and her mother paid a visit to their friends and went swimming together. Later, they went shopping for clothes and books, and had dinner in a restaurant.
Day Three
She went to the supermarket with her mother to buy fish and chips for lunch as well as some pens. After she got back home, she spent the next few hours surfing the Internet and watching TV.
Day Four
She surfed the Internet. Her mother took her out for lunch before she went to work. She then read stories after lunch.
Day Five
She woke up at 2 p.m., and so did her mother. They went to a park. Her mother met some friends there. When they got home, it was already time for dinner. Afterwards, she did her homework until 10 p.m.
【小题1】When did Sally do her homework?

A．In the morning.	B．In the afternoon.
C．At lunch time.	D．In the evening.

【小题2】Sally and her mother went shopping again to buy __________.

A．food for lunch and pens	B．some books and pens
C．some fish and clothes	D．food and books

【小题3】Which of the following things did Sally do on Day Four?

A．She went swimming.	B．She went out for breakfast.
C．She read books.	D．She went shopping.

【小题4】How many times did Sally and her mother meet their friends during the five days?

A．Once.

B．Twice.

C．Three times.

D．Four times.

【小题5】According to the passage, it can be inferred that ________.

A．a park is the best place to meet a friend

B．parents shouldn’t leave teenagers alone at home

C．teenagers don’t usually do their homework during their school holidays

D．surfing the Internet has become an important part of teenagers’ lives

I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for close to four hours with my big Jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, “NEED A JACK（千斤顶）”.
Right as I was about to give up, a truck stopped and a man got off. He sized up the situation and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife produced a large water jug for us to wash our hands in.
I tried to put $20 in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went up and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl, their daughter, where they lived, thinking maybe I’d send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches, and then go back home.
After I said my goodbyes and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I’d had lunch. When I told her no, she ran up and handed me a tamale（玉米粽子）. I thanked them again and walked back to my car. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $20 bill! I ran to the van and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand, started shaking his head smiling, and with what looked like great concentration said in English: “Today you, tomorrow me.” Then he rolled up his window and drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back.
This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly.
Since then I’ve helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn’t accept money. But every time I was able to help, I felt as if I was putting something in the bank.
【小题1】From the passage we know that __________.

A．the Mexican man couldn’t speak English

B．the author’s car broke down on the road

C．the Mexican family came to Oregon for a visit

D．$20 was a small amount for the Mexican family

【小题2】Why did the author give the money quietly to the man’s wife?

A．Because the man had refused to accept it.

B．Because the man’s wife needn’t wash her hands.

C．Because the author thought the Mexican family was poor.

D．Because the author thought the man’s wife would take it.

【小题3】The Mexican man helped the author because he tended to think that ___________.

A．it was completely wrong for others to pass by quietly

B．it was quite easy to help the author mend the jeep

C．it was possible that everyone might get into trouble

D．the author was a polite stranger and deserved the help

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE about the author?

A．He hated those who didn’t offer help.

B．He would send a present to the family soon.

C．He wondered why they didn’t take the money.

D．He considered helping others as saving money in the bank.

【小题5】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The Mexican family lived a richer life than the author.

B．The Mexican family did seasonal work in Oregon each year.

C．The author was inspired to help others by the Mexican family.

D．What made the writer moved was the tamale given by the girl.

It seems hard to watch someone yawn and not to yawn ourselves. Even reading about yawning can make you do it. Now, a new study has found why yawning has such a powerful force.
Yawning when others yawn, the study suggests, is a sign of pity and a form of social connection. Kids don’t develop this deeply rooted behavior until around age four, the study found. Kids with autism (自闭症) are less likely to catch yawns. In the most serious cases, they never do. Yawning might help doctors to see whether the children are developing rightly. The work could also lead to a better understanding of the ways that people communicate and connect.
"Emotional infection seems to be a born thing that connects us together," said Molly Helt, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Connecticut. "Yawning may be part of that." Inspiration for her study came when she tried to get her own autistic son to clear his ears on an airplane. She repeatedly yawned at him, hoping he would yawn back. He never did.
"The fact that autistic kids don’t do it might mean they’re really missing out on that emotional connection with people around them," she said. "The biggest thing people try to figure out after birth is how we become humans and understand that humans have minds that are different from others’," she added. "Autistic people never seem to understand that."
Like infectious laughter and crying, scientists have found that yawning is a shared experience that promotes social connection. Helt said it could fight stress after a period of being nervous and spread a feeling of calm through a group.
【小题1】What does the new study suggest, according to the first two paragraphs?

A．It is easy to stop yawning when you see others yawn.

B．Yawning has some mysterious force which is related to God.

C．Children follow others in yawning just after they are born.

D．Yawning is a form of communication.

【小题2】According to Molly Helt, _________________.

A．emotions are infectious, but yawning is not

B．yawning helps clear ears on planes

C．humans differ from animals because they communicate with others

D．yawning is a kind of emotional connection among humans

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

A．It is natural to yawn back if people around you yawn.

B．Some kids are too young to yawn after others.

C．Yawning can be used to test children’s development.

D．Kids with autism yawn easily when others yawn.

【小题4】The author implies in the last paragraph that ________.

A．it is bad manners to yawn on some social occasions

B．yawning can make people feel relaxed

C．yawning is different from infectious laughter and crying in theory

D．the more you yawn, the happier you will be

How difficult change is depends a lot on your attitude towards it and your resistance to it. Your attitude to change can make the whole transformation process much easier.
Imagine change as a pair of shoes and this will help you understand change and how it works. I am sure that you have ever had a comfortable pair of shoes in your life. A pair of shoes is so comfortable that you really don’t want to get rid of them.
You know you need a new pair, and may even have them, but you don’t want to wear them because you are comfortable with your current pair. Besides, the new pair may hurt your feet, give you blisters(水疱) or be awkward to wear to start with. So, you resist the new shoes. However, you know that this new pair would be much better for your feet, and after the initial discomfort they would probably be even more comfortable, yet you still resist.
Do you know I’m doing this now? I’m wearing my comfortable shoes and they feel good. They have a hole in each heel, and the sole is starting to fall off, but I’m persisting in wearing them.
This describes change exactly; change of our habits, change of our thought patterns. We stick with the old patterns because they are comfortable. Yet once we get over the initial pain of the transformation, the new pattern will be comfortable and feel good until the time comes when we need another new pair of shoes.
【小题1】Why do people prefer old shoes to new ones?

A．They have much emotion in the old ones.

B．They are more comfortable.

C．New shoes always harm the feet.

D．They look better than the new ones.

【小题2】 According to the passage, we know that people ______.

A．don’t realize the benefit of the new shoes very well

B．are positive and open-minded to accept new things

C．actually know the change will finally be good for them

D．don’t accept new patterns because they are not good

【小题3】 What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Once we form a habit, it’s difficult to change it.

B．Most people pay more attention to the future life.

C．One’s attitude towards something is usually traditional.

D．The more often we change, the better our life will be.

Have you ever lost your temper? Did you yell or scream at those around you, even people you like or love? Did you want to break something or hit someone?
Everyone gets angry. We have lots of emotions. At different times, we may be happy, sad or jealous.    【小题1】  .
It’s perfectly okay to be angry at time--- in fact, it’s important to get angry sometimes. Anger can even be a good thing. When we are treated unfairly, anger can help us stand up for ourselves.
__【小题2】___ some people keep their anger buried deep inside. If you do this, you might get a headache or your stomach might start to hurt. You may just feel crummy (糟糕的) about yourself or start to cry. It’s not good to hide your anger, so you should find a way to let it out without hurting yourself or others.
When you start to feel angry, you can count to 10, draw a picture of anger, play a video game, run as fast as you can or do something active. An effective way is to talk to a friend you can trust.   【小题3】  .
【小题4】  Instead, admit to yourself that you are angry and try to figure out why you are angry and what you can do to keep the situation from happening again.
Never getting angry is impossible. But, you should always remember that how you act when you’re angry can make the situation better or worse.
【小题5】 Take charge of it!

A． Once you talk about anger, those bad feelings usually start to go away.

B． Taking it out on others never solves anything.

C． Anger is just another way we feel.

D． Here is an important way to deal with anger.

E.  But anger must be released in the right way.
F.  Every coin has two sides.
G.  Don’t let anger be the boss of you.