Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement（广告）for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent（出租）a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around￡14,000) and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
【小题1】If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.

A．￡300

B．￡500

C．￡4500

D．5000

【小题2】Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?

A．On Letpark.	B．On Roomspare.
C．On Grashpadder.	D．On Roommateeasy.

【小题3】 If you want to use energy free, you have to_____.

A．sign an agreement with the government

B．pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment

C．sell the roof to some energy companies

D．keep the roof unchanged within 25 years

【小题4】For whom is the text most probably written?

A．Lodgers.	B．Advertisers.
C．House owners.	D．Online companies

Briana, a student at John Fenwick School in Salem County, US, has a lot of free time. The 13-year-old girl used to hang out on the streets after school. “I know it wasn’t good, but I really had nothing else to do,” Briana said.
Briana was not alone. Many kids in her city had too much free time and nothing to do. To solve this problem, four school districts in Salem began a program called Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The program helps students make good use of their after-school time. Big Brothers/Big Sisters invites mentors to help students in grades 6 to 8 build healthy relationships and take part in productive activities.
The “Littles” and the “Bigs” are nicknames (昵称) for students and mentors. Most mentors are teachers. The “Bigs” and “Littles” usually meet once a week. They play games, share stories and go on trips.
The program has already helped many Salem students.
Briana’s mentor is the school principal (校长), Syeda Woods. Woods took Briana ice-skating, to pizza parties and for a visit to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. “When I got out, I saw that Salem is a very small place,” Briana said. “The program helps me experience the outside world and see many new things.”
Kathy Jennings, 13, said she was very shy before, but now is much more open.
“In the program, I see my mentor as a big sister, not a teacher. I can tell her anything,” Jennings said. “And she has taught me a lot about making good decisions. I think it will make a big difference in my life.”
【小题1】The program of Big Brothers/Big Sisters is designed for          .

A．students aged 16 to 18	B．students aged 8 to 16
C．students in senior high school	D．students in grades 6 to 8

【小题2】The underline word “mentors” in the second paragraph most probably means “          ”.

A．wise and trusted teachers	B．experienced police
C．community volunteers	D．careful parents

【小题3】The purpose of the program is to help students         .

A．live a full life after school

B．learn tips on shopping

C．have more free time

D．know more about the streets

【小题4】The writer uses the examples of Briana and Kathy to show          .

A．Syeda is an amazing principle

B．the success of the program

C．the colourful life in Salem

D．Briana was once very shy

It has always been said that women are not good drivers, because they simply don't have very good driving ability. On the other hand, most car accidents happen to men; very few happen to women.
From this, we can see that women are much more careful while driving. Another very interesting fact that we should point out is that in the past, women preferred to let their husbands be the only driver in the family rather than have a driving license. Somehow they were prevented from making this step in their lives, but nowadays there are many women that want to pass their driving tests from an early age.
However, we have to admit that men are more skillful drivers than women, but this does not mean that a woman cannot become a good driver by accumulating (积累) experience. So more and more teenagers and women around the age of thirty now want to pass their driving tests. While taking their driving lessons, they also have a number of special lessons with their parents or somebody in the family that has a driving license, this is just to improve their driving abilities and help them to pass the tests more easily.
To conclude, we can say that women are not such bad drivers. They just need more experience than men in order to be able to drive well. And on the other hand, there are a number of women that show better driving skills than the men around them.
【小题1】 Compared with the past, nowadays many women___.

A．prefer to have a driving license

B．have more accidents while driving

C．are somehow prevented from driving

D．are the only driver in the family

【小题2】What advantage do women have over men in driving?

A．They have more skills.

B．They are much more careful

C．They know more traffic rules

D．They have more driving experience

【小题3】What can we infer from the passage?

A．Teenage girls cannot take driving tests.

B．Men didn't allow women to drive in the past.

C．With enough experience, women can become good drivers.

D．Women can easily pass their tests by taking driving lessons.

【小题4】The passage mainly talks about___.

A．women and their driving ability.

B．men and their driving ability.

C．why men are better drivers than women.

D．why more women like to have a driving license

WASHINGTON—US President Barack Obama said Thursday that he had known about NBA star Jeremy Lin’s talent long before the“Linsanity”phenomenon swept the sport.
“I knew about Jeremy before you did because Arne Duncan, my secretary of education, was captain of the Harvard team,”Obama told the famous US sportswriter Bill Simmons in an interview.
“When Arne and I were playing, he said,‘I’m telling you, we’ve got this terrific guard named Jeremy Lin at Harvard.’And then when one of my best friends, whose son is a freshman at Harvard, went for a recruiting(招募) trip he saw Lin in action, so I’ve been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon(时尚) for a while,”said the president, who is a Harvard Law graduate.
Lin, the New York Knicks’ point guard, though he was cut twice in December 2011, had had a sudden rise in the past month to high points scoring stardom in Madison Square Garden, the world’s biggest basketball stage.
He is the first Chinese-American player in the NBA. He has already developed a devoted following among many Asian-Americans and in China, Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries.
Clicks to the NYKnicks. Com website surged as basketball fans from around the world search for Lin’s news and highlights.
“He seems like a wonderful young man. It elevates(提升) this great sport all round the world,”said Obama, a Chicago Bulls fan.“And what’s been encouraging is to see how fast the sport has bounced back(恢复) recently.”But he sounded a note of caution on how much basketball costs to watch.
“It’s really important for professional athletes and sports owners to just remember you got a whole bunch of folks out here, all across the country, who invest so much in their teams. All they ask is not to be so selfish that you’re not looking out for your fans,”Obama said.
【小题1】President Obama learned about Jeremy long before through      .

A．news reports

B．a friend

C．Bill Simmons

D．Arne Duncan

【小题2】The underlined word“surged”in Paragraph 6 probably means     .

A．moved suddenly and quickly	B．stopped gradually
C．moved slowly	D．suddenly broke down

【小题3】President Obama finds it encouraging that      .

A．Chicago Bulls is playing wonderfully

B．Jeremy Lin is becoming more popular

C．NBA matches have returned to normal

D．audience is concerned about basketball

【小题4】Both athletes and sports owners should care about folks because      .

A．they have made contributions to charities

B．all teams are in need of support from fans

C．they pay to watch their favorite teams play

D．they can decide the result of a game

Rome had the Forum. London has Speaker’s Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill.
Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 20s, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street corners. Just talk. 
Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, "Talk to Me," they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits.
They don't collect money. They don't push religion (宗教). So what's the point?
“To see what happens ,”said Liz. “We simply enjoy life with open communication(交流).”
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return.
“It started as a crazy idea,” Liz said. “We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their jobs, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything.”
Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went.
Marcia had lost her husband to a serious disease. “That was very heavy on my mind,” Marcia said. “To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good,” she explained.
To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people showed up, as well as some television cameramen and reporters.
They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something they say they'll consider.
【小题1】What did Liz and Bill start doing after September 2001?

A．Chatting with people.	B．Setting up street signs.
C．Telling stories to strangers.	D．Organizing a speaker's corner.

【小题2】What they have been doing can be described as______.

A．pointless

B．normal

C．crazy

D．successful

【小题3】Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?

A．They knew Liz and Bill very well.

B．They happened to meet the writer of the text.

C．They organized the get-together in the city park.

D．They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill.

【小题4】What will Liz and Bill do in the future?

A．Go in for publishing.	B．Do more television programs.
C．Continue what they are doing.	D．Spend more time reading books.

【小题5】 How do they like the idea of writing a book?

A．They have decided to wait a year or two.

B．They will think about it carefully.

C．They agreed immediately.

D．They find it hard to do that.

The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place．Now it is an ecological disaster area．Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence-other countries might learn from its mistakes．
For thousands of years，Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru，far from western civilization．The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798．He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship．He called the island Pleasant Island．
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first．The whaling ships and other traders began to visit，bringing guns and alcohol．These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island．A ten-year civil war started，which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐)on the island．In fact，it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate，which was a very important fertilizer for farming．The company began mining the phosphate．
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground；it is a strip mine．When a company strip-mines，it removes the to player of soil．Then it takes away the material it wants．Strip mining totally destroys the land．Gradually, the lovely island or Nauru started to look like the moon．
In 1968，Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world．Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate．
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars．In addition，they used millions more dollars for personal expenses．Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem—their phosphate was running out．Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing．By 2000，Nauru was financially ruined．Experts say that it would take approximately$433，600，000 and more than 20 years to repair the island．This will probably never happen．
【小题1】What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To seek help for Nauru's problems．

B．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war．

C．To show the importance of money

D．To give a warning to other countries

【小题2】What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
APeaceful and attractive             B．Modern and open
C．Rich and powerful                       D．Greedy and aggressive
【小题3】The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from

A．soil pollution	B．phosphate overmining
C．farming activity	D．whale hunting

【小题4】Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?

A．Its phosphate mining cost much money

B．It spent too much repairing the island

C．Its leaders misused the money

D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.

【小题5】What can we learn about Nauru from me last paragraph?

A．The leaders will take the experts' words seriously

B．The ecological damage is difficult to repair.

C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans

D．The phosphate mines were destroyed

I have been teaching in the United States for three semesters. During this time, I have been very impressed with the hardworking American students. Tuition fee (学费) in American universities are pretty expensive. Most American students receive little, if any, financial support. As a result, they have to work hard to pay for their tuition and other basic expenses. Tertiary (高等) education is a necessity in today’s workforce. Young people with higher education are rewarded with a good career and better salary. So how do American students support themselves?
All my American students have to work to pay for their tuition. For this reason, most universities provide limited jobs for students who need economic help. They also help students search for jobs in the community. I have been touched to see some students are so worn out from their jobs that they doze in my classroom. In addition to taking part-time jobs, students are also expected to take part in various social and sporting activities and, in fact, those who do not take part in are often looked down upon by their peers.
A number of American university students are married with families, or are single parents. These students are faced with the additional burden of raising a family. They have to spend much time, money and energy caring for their children and family. Most American university professors are strict. They test students on every unit in their course, in addition to mid-term and final exams in each semester. A lack of preparation by students may result in their failure. This means the loss of a lot of money and possibly future employment opportunities for these students. For this reason, many American students will study or stay up all night before an exam, in an effort to pass.
In contrast, Chinese students have a much easier time, because most Chinese parents pay for their kids’ tertiary education. Moreover, Chinese students do not need to worry about raising children or maintaining a family. So, Chinese students have no reason for not studying hard and achieving good marks.
【小题1】Which of the following is not the difficulty American students have to face?

A．They have to work hard to pay for the high tuition fee.

B．Many American students have a burden of a family.

C．They need a better education to get a best job.

D．They have to pass strict tests to complete their education.

【小题2】 Which of the following statement is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．American students have no time to think of physical exercise.

B．Sporting activities are popular among American students.

C．American students should take part in various social activities.

D．Those who don’t participate in social and sporting activities are usually unpopular with their peers.

【小题3】Compared with American students, Chinese university students __________.

A．have no difficulty in raising a family

B．live an easy life in universities

C．don’t have to take full-time jobs

D．have more duty to make greater progress

【小题4】This passage mainly deals with __________.

A．part-time jobs chosen by American students

B．the high fees of American universities

C．difficult lives American students have to face

D．different opinions on American universities

There are new findings that not enough sleep may cause people to gain weight. Researchers say a lack of sleep can produce hormonal(激素的) changes that increase feelings of hunger.
In one study, researchers in the United States examined information on more than 1000 people. The people had taken part in a long-term study of sleep disorders.
Some people slept less than five hours a night. They had 15 percent higher blood levels of a hormone called ghrelin than people who slept eight hours. And they had 15 percent less of the hormone leptin. Experts say ghrelin helps make people feel hungry; leptin makes you feel full.
The scientists say these hormonal changes may be a cause of obesity in Western societies. They note the combination that sleep limitation is common and food is widely available.
The results were not affected by how much people exercised. People who are awake longer have more time to burn energy. But the researchers say loss of sleep may increase hunger especially for high-calorie foods, so people gain weight. It seems that, for survival, the body may be designed to store more fat during times with less sleep.
Researchers from Stanford University in California and the University of Wisconsin did the study. They found that the best amount of sleep for weight control is 7.7 hours a night.
The Public Library of Science published the findings in its journal Medicine . Internet users can read the full study, free of charge, at plos. org.
【小题1】Not enough sleep can cause obesity by ______.

A．burning more of your energy

B．making you want to eat more food

C．keeping you from doing exercise

D．helping you feel great without food

【小题2】Which would be a point supported by the reported findings?
The more you sleep, the farther away you are from obesity.
Those who don’t sleep at all are the most likely to put on weight.
Sleeping contributes more to obesity than eating.
It’s not wise to use sleep hours for exercise.
【小题3】When you sleep 7.7 hours a night, you will ______ .
have your ghrelin level rise and leptin level drop
have your leptin level rise and ghrelin level drop
have your ghretin and leptin levels properly balanced
have your hunger increase and your weight decrease
【小题4】The writer wrote this passage to _______ .

A．make a news report

B．offer a piece of medical advice

C．make an advertisement

D．keep a record of the old findings

【小题5】You can read the findings________.

A．Only on the Internet

B．only in Medicine

C．Both on the Internet and in Medicine

D．Neither on the Internet nor in Medicine

It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That's what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true ? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day. They never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason ? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.
【小题1】The main idea of this passage is that _______.

A．a person was found who actually didn't need any sleep

B．large numbers of people do not need sleep

C．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive

D．people can live longer by trying not to sleep

【小题2】 The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting to _______.

A．cure him of his sleeplessness

B．find a way to free people from the need of sleeping

C．find that his sleeplessness was not really true

D．find out why some old people didn't need any asleep

【小题3】After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin _______.

A．was too old to need any sleep

B．needed no sleep at all

C．often slept in a chair

D．needed some kind of sleep

【小题4】One reason that might explain Herpin's sleeplessness was _______.

A．that he hadn't got a bed

B．that he had gradually got tired of the sleeping habit

C．his mother's injury before he was born

D．his magnificent physical condition

A study shows that about two-thirds of typical Chinese Internet users use the computer for news,often entertainment-related, or for online games, music or movies, all of which can be downladed for free． Most people prefer messages to e-mails, and seldom do online shopping at all．
Although they are now depending on the Internet more often than before to communicate with others who have the same professions, hobbies and interests, online shopping still remains unpopular in China． Three-quarters of users surveyed have never bought anything over the Internet, and 10 percent do shopping even once a month．Among those who do buy online.most pay for entertainment while others buy phone cards, or computer hardwares or so of iwares．
"Many people don't trust the quality of goods bought online," the researcher said． "If they buy something in a store and don't like it, they can easily bring it back．"
The survey was done in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Changsha． There-
sults do not necessarily show the situation countrywide because internet use in the countryside is lower than in cities． The study showed that the typical netizensc网民） in the five cities are richer and more highly educated． Males make up two-thirds of the group, and more than 80 percent of users are under 24． As the age increases, the percentage of netizens decreases．
China has more than 20 million people online, however, forty-two percent say they do not use search engines．Others seek entertainment news, as well as information useful for work or study online． Baidu．com is used by half of those surveyed, compared with a quarter for Go-ogle, the leading search engine in the United States．
【小题1】The passage is mainly about        ．

A．shopping online	B．Internet use in China
C．the typical Chinese netizens	D．popular search engines

【小题2】A typical Chinese lnternet user will be the one who        ．

A．likes to send e-mails	B．likes to buy goods online
C．likes to pay for entertainment	D．likes the games sites

【小题3】Online purchases still remain unpopular in China mainly because        ．

A．it is more difficult to return the goods

B．most people haven't got computers

C．people can't have a look at the goods

D．goods bought online are of good quality

【小题4】Which is NOT the character of most typical "netizens" in the five cities?

A．Well educated．

B．Richer．

C．Female．

D．Young．

【小题5】Which picrure shows the right relation between online people and their ages?