The average person learns most of the 30 000～40 000 words whose meanings he or she recognizes by hearing them or getting familiar with them in the context or simply absorbing them without conscious effort. The best way to build a good vocabulary, therefore, is to read a great deal and to participate in a lot of good talks. There are relatively few words that we learn permanently by purposefully referring to dictionaries or keeping word lists. However, even those extra few are of value, and no one will make a mistake by working on developing a larger vocabulary. Here are some suggestions of how to do it.
Read plenty of good books. When you come across a new word, or a new meaning of an old word, stop and see if you can understand it from its context. If you can't, and if you can manage without interrupting the thought of the book too much, look it up in a dictionary or ask somebody and then repeat its meaning to yourself a couple of times. If you are really conscientious(认真的), write the word and its meaning in a personal vocabulary list － preferably using it in a sentence, or you can keep a special vocabulary notebook. Go over the list from time to time. Further, try to use a new word in writing or conversation a few times over the next several days.
Listen to good talks and be alert to new words you hear or to new meanings of words you already know. Then treat them just as you treat the new words you read.
Learn and be alert to the parts of words: prefixes, suffixes and roots. Knowing them enables you to make intelligent guesses about the meanings of words.
If you are studying a foreign language, be alert to words in that language which relate to words in English. English has inherited(继承) or borrowed much of its vocabulary of 500 000～600 000 words from Latin, Greek, French, Spanish and German.
【小题1】When you meet a new word in reading, what should you do?

A．Guess its meaning.	B．Ask somebody.
C．Look it up in a dictionary.	D．All of the above.

【小题2】According to this passage, the best way to build a good vocabulary is ______.

A．to remember a lot	B．to read a great deal
C．to take part in a lot of good talks	D．both B and C

【小题3】 The phrase “be alert to” in the third paragraph may best be replaced by “______”.

A．look at

B．pay attention to

C．write down

D．learn by heart

【小题4】 In the fourth paragraph, the word “them” refers to ______

A．the parts of words

B．prefixes

C．suffixes

D．Roots

Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement.
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron（紫褐色）cap and gown(方帽长袍).
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(对美国的效忠宣誓).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (核心) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing（开始领悟） their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
【小题1】What’s the article mainly about?

A．An American graduation ceremony.

B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting.

C．A presentation of college diplomas.

D．A US college’s farewell party.

【小题2】According to the text, which of the following statements about the author is TRUE?

A．Hollywood superstars went to attend the ceremony.

B．Every single senior became a superstar at the ceremony.

C．When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were cheers.

D．All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives.

【小题3】The right order of the following events is________.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates.        b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played.            d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.

A．b-c-a-d-e

B．b-d-c-e-a

C．e-d-b-a-c

D．e-d-c-b-a

【小题4】 From the text, we can infer that_______.

A．foreign exchange students could get a diploma

B．a diploma guarantees a bright future

C．the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life

D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma

【小题5】We know from the text that the author _________.

A．felt lost about the future

B．was actually one of the graduates

C．received her diploma on May 10

D．felt it boring to be at the presentation ceremony

If you will be cycling, you will need to know what these traffic signs and signals mean.








A sign like this one means that there is a bike lane. If there is a bike lane, you are required to use it. If there is not a bike lane, you should ride with traffic as far to the right side of the road as possible.
When the signal light turns green, cars go. When you cross the street at a signal light, you should wait for the walk signal. Be sure to look carefully to the left, right and left again, before crossing the street.
When the signal light turns yellow, car drivers should slow down and prepare to stop. You should not cross if the light is yellow. The light is about to turn red, and cars will enter the intersection.
This signal is the WALK sign. It has a picture of a person walking instead of using the word WALK.
This signal is the DON'T WALK sign. It is part of the signal with the picture of a person walking.This is a picture of a red hand, meaning you should stop. You should wait to cross the street until the green picture of the person walking is showing.
Car drivers and bikers must come to a complete stop at STOP signs.
A yield sign means to slow down and be ready to stop.
If there are pedestrians(行人)or vehicles in or nearing the intersection，you must stop.
If there is no traffic in or nearing the intersection and it is safe，you may go through.
This sign means you are coming to a crosswalk. Car drivers, anti­bikers must stop to allow people in the crosswalk to cross the street.
When people are working on the roads, parts of the road are often dug up or rough. Be careful when cycling. Rough roads could make you fall off your bike. If you must move into the road to go around a work area, you should stop and look carefully to be sure there is no traffic coming before going into the road.
A detour is a way of getting around a roadway that is closed. Roads are usually closed because of road work or dangerous conditions. If you must take a detour, be careful of roads you aren't used to.
【小题1】The passage is intended for ________.

A．car drivers

B．skaters

C．bikers

D．Pedestrians

【小题2】If you see the signwhile riding a bike，you are required to ________.

A．take the bike lane	B．stop your bike
C．ride close to the right side of the road	D．ride in the middle of the road

【小题3】Cyclists may see the sign when ________.

A．they come near a crosswalk

B．the bad weather is on the corner

C．they are about to pass a school

D．the road ahead is blocked because of the landslide (山崩)

It's not a new phenomenon, but have you noticed how many nouns are being used as verbs? We all use them, often without noticing what we're doing.
I was arranging to meet someone for dinner last week, and I said “I’ll pencil it in my diary”, and my friend said “You can ink it in”, meaning that it was a firm arrangement not a tentative one!
Many of these new verbs are linked to new technology. An obvious example is the word fax. We all got used to sending and receiving faxes, and then soon started talking about faxing something and promising we'd fax it immediately. Then along came email, and we were soon all emailing each other madly. How did we do without it? I can hardly imagine life without my daily emails.
Email reminds me, of course, of my computer and its software, which has produced another
couple of new verbs. On my computer I can bookmark those pages from the World Wide Web that I think I'll want to look at again, thus saving all the effort of remembering their addresses and calling them up from scratch. I can do the same thing on my PC, but there I don't bookmark; I favorite—coming from “favorite pages”, so the verb is derived from an adjective not a noun.
Now my children bought me a mobile phone, known simply as a mobile and I had to learn yet more new verbs. I can message someone, that is, I can leave a message for them on their phone. Or I can text them, write a few words suggesting when and where to meet, for example. How long will it be before I can mobile them, that is, phone them using my mobile? I haven’t heard that verb yet, but I’m sure I will soon. Perhaps I’ll start using it myself!
【小题1】 “I’ll pencil it in my diary” in the second paragraph probably means         .

A．it was a firm arrangement

B．it was an uncertain arrangement

C．the arrangement should be written as a diary

D．he prefers a pencil to a pen

【小题2】A website address can be easily found if it has been______.

A．emailed

B．messaged

C．favorited

D．texted

【小题3】Which of the following has not been used as a verb, yet?

A．message

B．page

C．email

D．mobile

【小题4】The best title for this passage is____.

A．New Verbs from Nouns

B．The Development of the English language

C．New Technology and New words

D．Technology and Language.

Lucky is the man who has no “skeleton in his closet.” When a man has done something in his life that he is ashamed of, that he wants to hide, he is said to have a “skeleton in his closet.” Some people may have more than one skeleton.
As we have noted many times, it is hard to find out how these expressions begin. Sometimes, we get some hard facts. But more often we have to depend on guesswork. And that is true of this phrase, which came from England.
Before 1832, English law did not permit a doctor to cut open a dead human body for scientific examination, unless it was the corpse(尸体) of an executed(处决) criminal.
But when it became legal, more and more doctors demanded skeletons for a more scientific study of medicine. It was helping in the advance of modern medicine. The demand had become so strong that men began to rob tombs and sell skeletons to doctors at high prices.
We are told that a doctor would usually buy just one skeleton for scientific study. It became very important in his work. But he had to keep it hidden because most people objected to keeping such a thing. As a rule, the doctor keep his skeleton in some dark corner where it could not be seen, or hide it in a closet.
After a time, people began to suspect every doctor of hiding a skeleton in the closet. From this suspicion, the phrase“a skeleton in the closet”took on a broader, more general meaning: to describe anything that a man wanted to keep others from discovering. It could be proof of a criminal act, or something much less serious. Well, that is one theory.
One writer, however, believes that the phrase might have come from something that really happened. It is his guess that a hidden closet in some old English country home may have turned up a real skeleton, clear proof of some old family shame or crime. Well, one man's guess is as good as another. But this sounds like a story by the great French novelist, Balzac.
Balzac tells us of a man who suspected his wife of having a lover. The husband comes home by surprise. But she hears him and quickly hides her lover in the closet of her bedroom. He enters her room and asks her if she is hiding her lover. He says he will not open the door to the closet if she promises him there is no one there; He will believe her. She answers firmly that she is not hiding anyone in the closet.
The husband then begins to build a solid brick wall against the closet. His wife watches, knowing that her lover will never come out alive. But she will not change her story and admit her guilt.
【小题1】Which of the following situations is now suitable for using the phrase “skeleton in the closet”?

A．You have stolen something precious and hide them in the closet.

B．You are a doctor and have to keep a skeleton for research.

C．If you have cut open a dead human body for scientific examination you should keep the skeleton secret.

D．You have done a crime or done something foolish, but you want to keep others from

discovering it.
【小题2】Which of the following is right according to the text?

A．In the 19th century, doctors realized the importance of anatomy (解剖) in the development of medicine.

B．The doctors of the ancient times liked to collect as many skeletons as possible

C．The thieves stole skeletons from tombs in order to help the doctors.

D．It is legal that corpses of anybody are cut open for scientific examination in history.

【小题3】From the story Balzac told we know that the wife's lover must have become ______.

A．a corpse

B．a phrase

C．a skeleton

D．a story

John keeps a record of new words and expressions in English. He usually writes them in a note-book. Then, later in the day, he asks his teacher about them. “Mrs. Thomas, these expressions are new to me. ‘She’s blue today.’， ‘You’re yellow’, ‘A little white lie’, ‘She has green fingers’.” After looking at the note-book, Mrs. Thomas says, “In everyday English, John，‘blue’ sometimes means sad.  ‘Yellow’ means afraid. A person with ‘green fingers’ grows plants successfully. And ‘a white lie’ is not a bad lie.” “I don’t understand. Please give me an example.” “ For example, I offer you some cake. The truth is that you don’t like my cake. You don’t say that. Instead, you say, ‘No, thanks, I'm not hungry.’ That’s a white lie.” John says, “I see , thanks for the explanation!”
【小题1】“Blue” sometimes means in spoken English “_____”.

A．angry

B．lucky

C．glad

D．unhappy

【小题2】A person with “green fingers” is one who _____ planting.

A．is a new hand in	B．is good at
C．works hard at	D．is interested in

【小题3】“You’re yellow to fight.” means “_____.”

A．You dare not fight	B．You dare to fight
C．You're afraid to see a fight	D．You’re able to fight

【小题4】If you say “It’s a white lie.”, it means that someone _____.

A．says something unreal and harmful	B．is unfriendly to talk to others
C．refuses to tell the truth in a polite way	D．is telling a big lie

Bolivia has a population three and a half million . About one tenth of the total population are white ; one-fourth are mixed Indians and white ; and more than half are full-blooded Indians . The government and the industries are under the control of the white people .
The Indians today live in much the same way as their ancestors . Most of them are farmers . Many work in the mines , for mining is the most important industry on Bolivia’s . Of all the mining products , tin is the most important , which makes up three-fourths of all Bolivia’s exports . The eastern slopes of the Andes , since there are very few roads there , are fertile but not highly developed . The two primary means of transportation are river boats and porters . East of the hill region are the great plains where tropical plants are grown . A serious problem for Bolivia is the transport of food from the warm regions , where it is grown to the mountainous regions , where most of the people live .
Bolivia gained its independence from Spain about a hundred years ago . It has been slow in developing , but its rich resources promise a better future in it .
【小题1】The majority of the Bolivian population are        .

A．full-blooded Indians

B．mixed Indian and white

C．white citizens

D．all whites and mixed-blooded people

【小题2】The Indian’s way of life today is       

A．quite different from that of their ancestors

B．quite interesting

C．almost the same as their ancestors’

D．very exciting

【小题3】The main product Bolivia exports is       

A．tropical plants

B．gold and silver

C．tin

D．food

【小题4】Bolivia has been slow in developing , but it has hope for a better future because of its        .

A．mining products	B．rich resources
C．independence from Spain	D．two primary means of transportation

Everyone should visit a lighthouse at least once.
The most important reason for such a visit is to realize how our ancestors (祖先) battled nature with the basic tools they had . They had only basic ways of creating light , and yet they found a way of using this simple technology in isolated (孤零零的) places to save ships from hitting rocks .
Secondly , visiting lighthouses will help us to understand the lives of lighthouse keepers .By their very nature , lighthouses were built on some rocks or cliffs . Thus , the lighthouse keepers often lived lonely lives . To walk around their small home , and imagine the angry storm outside beating against the walls , is to take a step towards understanding the lives they had.
The reasons for a visit to a lighthouse are not all so backward-looking in time . It is true that lighthouses were built in out-of-the –way places . But on a pleasant sunny summer day. This very isolation has a natural beauty that many people will love to experience . Therefore, with the gentle waves touching all round the lighthouse . the visitor is likely to think it is a world preferable to the busy and noisy modern life.
Another reason for considering a visit is that the lighthouses themselves can be very attractive buildings . Mankind could often not be content just to put up a basic structure . but felt the need . even in such an isolated place , to build with an artistic touch . The result is a view for tired eyes to enjoy .
Finally , lighthouses have a romantic attraction , summed up by the image of the oil-skin coated keeper climbing his winding stairs to take care of the light to warn ships and save lives .
【小题1】What is the reason to look back into the past of a lighthouse ?

A．To escape from the busy and noisy city .

B．To look for the tools used by our ancestors .

C．To experience the natural beauty of a lighthouse .

D．To learn about the living condition of lighthouse keepers .

【小题2】The underlined phrase “out-of-the-way” in Paragraph of means        .

A．far-away .

B．dangerous

C．ancient

D．secret

【小题3】Lighthouses were often built with an artistic touch       .

A．to attract visitors	B．to guide passing ships
C．to give a pleasant sight	D．to remember lighthouse keepers

【小题4】How many reasons are mentioned for a visit to a lighthouse ?

A．Three .

B．Four .

C．Five .

D．Six .

Around the World in Eighty Days is a classic Adventure novel by Jules Verne. The story starts in London in 1872. One day in the Reform Club, Phileas Fogg, a wealthy gentleman, accepts a wager(赌注) for £20,000, which he will receive if he travels around the world in 80 days.
Phileas Fogg sets off immediately, with his servant Passepartout. They reach Suez(苏伊士) quickly. While landing in Egypt, he is watched by a British detective named Fix, who is in search of a bank robber. Because Fix mistakes Fogg for the criminal, he follows secretly, as they are getting on a ship to Bombay.
After more than 20-days of travelling, they arrive in San Francisco, and then get on the train to New York. During that trip, the train is attacked by Indians, who take Passepartout away. With some soldiers’ help, Fogg succeeds in freeing his companion. To make up for the lost time, Fogg and his companion hasten on to New York, and catch the steamer for the crossing of the Atlantics. They arrive in Ireland in time to reach London before the deadline. However, once on British soil again, Fix arrests Fogg. Although the misunderstanding is quickly cleared up—the actual bank robber had been caught several days earlier. Fogg has missed the train and returns to London five minutes late, sure that he has lost the wager.
However, the next day Fogg learns from the priest that he is mistaken in the date, which he thinks Sunday but which actually is Saturday, due to the fact that they gained a full day on their journey around the globe, by crossing the International Date Line. Fogg immediately sets off for the Reform Club, where he arrives just in time to win the wager.
【小题1】The reason that Fix wants to arrest Phileas Fogg is that                  .

A．Phileas Fogg is the bank robber whom Fix is trying to catch

B．Phileas Fogg doesn’t have a passport for his travels

C．Fix mistakenly takes Phileas Fogg for the bank robber

D．Fix intends to prevent Fogg from winning the wager

【小题2】During his time in America, Phileas Fogg spends a lot of “unexpected” time             .

A．travelling across the continent of America

B．rescuing his companion from the Indians

C．waiting for the ship back to London

D．getting rid of the pursuing of Fix

【小题3】Does Phileas Fogg win the wager at last? Why?

A．No. Because he doesn’t get to the Reform Club before the deadline.

B．Yes. Because he is not the bank robber； it’s a misunderstanding.

C．No. Because he wastes too much time during his trip.

D．Yes. Because he arrives at the Reform Club before the deadline.

A new research has uncovered that culture is a determining factor when people interpret facial emotions (情感)．The study reveals that in cultures where emotional control is the standard，such as Japan，the focus is placed on the eyes to interpret emotions. Whereas in cultures where emotion is openly expressed，such as the United States，the focus is on the mouth to interpret emotions.
“These findings go against the popular theory that the facial expressions of basic emotions can be universally recognized，” said University of Alberta researcher Dr.Takahiko Masuda.” A person’s culture plays a very strong role in determining how he will read emotions and needs to be considered when interpreting the facial expressions.”
These cultural differences are even noticeable in computer emoticons(情感符号)，which are used to convey a writer’s emotions by email and text message. The Japanese emotions for happiness and sadness vary in terms of how the eyes are drawn ，while the American emotions vary with the direction of the mouth. In the United States the emoticons∶)and∶­) show a happy face，whereas the emoticons∶(and∶­(show a sad face. However，the Japanese tend to use the symbol (‘­‘) to indicate a happy face，and (；­；) to indicate a sad face.
“We think it is quite interesting and appropriate that culture tends to mask its emotions. The Japanese would focus on a person’s eyes when detecting his or her emotions，as eyes tend to be quite subtle(微妙的)，”said Masuda. “In the United States，where an open emotion is quite common，it makes sense to focus on the mouth，which is the most expressive feature on a person’s face.”
【小题1】The text mainly tells us that ________.

A．cultural differences are expressed in emotions

B．culture is a key to interpreting facial emotions

C．different emoticons are preferred in different cultures

D．people from different cultures express emotions differently

【小题2】Which emoticon is used by Americans to show a happy face?

A．(；­；)	B．∶­)
C．∶­(	D．∶(

【小题3】If a Japanese wants to detect whether a smile is true or false，he will probably________.

A．read the whole face	B．focus on the mouth
C．look into the eyes	D．judge by the voice

【小题4】The computer emoticons used by Americans show that________.

A．they express their feelings openly

B．they tend to control their emotions

C．they are good at conveying their emotions

D．they use simpler emotions to show their feelings