In the 1950s, a family that owned a farm near Beulah, Michigan kept a bull chained to an elm (榆树). The bull paced around the tree, dragging the heavy iron chain, which led to a groove (槽) in the bark . The groove deepened over the years. Though for whatever reason, it did not kill the tree.

   After some years, the family took their bull away. They cut the chain, leaving the loop around the tree and one link hanging down.

   Then one year, agricultural disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch Elm Disease. All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm became infected and died. Everyone thought that the old elm would be the next.

The farm owners considered doing the safe thing: pulling it out and cutting it up into firewood before it died. But they simply could not bring themselves to do it. It was as if the old tree had become a family friend. So they decided to let nature take its course.

   Amazingly, the tree did not die. Nobody could understand why it was the only elm still standing in the county!

Plant experts from Michigan State University came out to observe the tree. They observed the scar left by the iron chain, now almost completely covered by bark. The experts decided that it was the chain that saved the elm’s life. They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune to the virus.

　It’s said that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Or, as Earnest Hemingway put it, "Life breaks us all, but afterwards, many of us are strongest at the broken places."

1.What did the family do with the elm when the agricultural disaster hit Michigan one year?

A. They invited plant experts to observe it.

B. They pulled it out and chopped it up into firewood.

C. They prevented it from being infected by the disease.

D. They did nothing and just let it be.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. A groove formed because of natural forces.

B. The family decided to keep the tree because they had become attached to it.

C. All of the elms in Beulah, Michigan died of the disease.

D. The plant experts advised the family to chop it down.

3.What actually saved the elm?

A. The bull.   B. The groove.    C. The iron chain.  D. The experts.

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Let nature take its course

B. Strengthened by our wounds

C. Constant dripping wears away a stone

D. Bend, but don’t break

This charming table lamp is a wonderful way to add customized color and accented lighting to a room. Turn on this light and give your home the soft glow while adding a natural style to your home. The lamp comes with an on/off switch for easy lighting control.

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* Made with eco-friendly dark stained natural bamboo pole; parchment canvas shade.

* Designed for a 35 watt bulb (not included); on/off switch for easy lighting control.

* Measurements: (5.25 inches W×5.25 inches D ×8 inches H )

* Handcrafted by skilled artisan; light bulb not included.

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You will love this coffee table with a traditional style. You can place this elegant table in your living room for an instant style update. This beautiful pie-shaped table features a lift top for convenience, in a warm dark walnut finish that will add depth to your room. An angular apron(板) at the base, and silver metal feet complete the fine look. Create a warm and welcoming living room that is great for entertaining, with this excellent cocktail table.

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1.What is the purpose of writing the passage?

A. To make advertisements for the three items.

B. To attract more and more tourists.

C. To make more money from the goods.

D. To make preparations for an auction.

2.What’s the advantage of the coffee table?

A. It is worth collection.

B. It makes the room more convenient.

C. Its top is purely made of silver metal.

D. Its shape can be easily adjusted.

3.We can infer from the passage that the Home Office Desk is ___.

A. totally made of dark walnut wood

B. meanwhile sold with a personal computer

C. designed to protect individual privacy

D. only allowed to be used at home

4.Which of the above goods has the least discount?

A. A charming table lamp.     B. The Home Office Desk

C. The lovely coffee table.     D. None of them

LIKE many teachers, Cristi Derow and Jennifer Bradley have spent most of their careers giving classroom lectures to students who sat passively in their seats.

   The Lewisvillle, Texas, school teachers were aware that the hours they spent on preparing lessons were too often wasted on many students. So Forestwood High School, Texas, used the “flipped (翻转的) classroom” method of instruction. “We’ve completely done away with our lecture,” Derow said. And homework assignments “are all done in class,” Bradley said.

   With the flipped concept, a student’s usual homework assignment is to watch pre-recorded lectures on their computers or smart phones.They walk into class ready to discuss the topic, collaborate(合作) with other students and work on assignments based on what they learned from the video. Free from lecturing, the teachers can use class time to look deeper into the subject and focus on difficult concept. As students change from a passive to an active role, they learn critical thinking skills, learn to collaborate and become independent learners.

Instead of doing homework assignments alone at home, students are now “working together, talking about it,” Bradley said. “If they don’t agree on an answer, they debate it and have to justify their answers. It’s a higher level of learning.”

Her students give the flipped classroom high marks.

Sarah Lee, 14, watches the 30-minute videos on a home computer. She likes the ability to rewind the tapes if she doesn't understand a concept. She also likes being able to watch the lessons on her own schedule.

 One of her classmates, Dawson Depperschmidt has the same idea and thinks the time she spends in the classroom is more productive. “It gives us more time to learn at school,” Dawson said. “You get more in-depth in class.

1.What can we conclude from the first two paragraphs?

A. Teachers in Lewisville enjoyed giving classroom lectures.

B. It takes time for students to concentrate and understand in class.

C. Many students took an inactive part in lecture-style classes.

D. Teachers in Lewisville found that there was no need to prepare lessons.

2.What difference does the “flipped classroom”method make to students?

A. They have more arguments with classmates.

B. They have to be independent and cooperative.

C. They need to do more homework at home.

D. They have to prepare lectures by themselves.

3.What does the underlined word “productive” mean?

A. reducing difficulties         B. trying new methods

C. achieving a lot              D. causing troubles

4.What are the benefits of the “flipped classroom” method?

a. Teachers have time to solve deeper problems

b. Students are engaged in a higher level of learning.

c. Students study according to their own schedule.

d. Teachers don’t have to design homework for students

A. a, b, c,    B. a, c, d     C. b, c, d    D. a, b, d

Gray hair is simply a part of the normal aging process, and the rate you go silver is genetically predetermined. Going gray is not associated with earlier death, and premature graying is not, generally speaking, a sign of an illness or ill health in younger adults. There are, however, some specific health conditions associated with gray or white hair, but for most of us, going gray is just a fact of life.

Hair color comes from the pigment melanin(黑色素), which determines your individual shade. Hair without any melanin is pure white. The pigment is produced in cells called melanocytes, which inject pigment into the hair. At some point in everyone's lifetime, these cells slow down and eventually stop producing color. Scientists have yet to identify the exact mechanism by which melanocyte cell death occurs.

A study of more than 4,000 women and men from 20 countries determined that about 75% of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have some gray hair. In general, people of European descent gray earliest followed by Asians and Africans. It's interesting to note that a lucky 1 in 10 has no gray hair by retirement age. Beginning at age 30, your chances of having gray hair go up 10-20% per decade.

It may feel like you have more grays after a stressful event, but that's probably because middle age is basically a series of anxiety-ridden events. Between working, raising kids, and caring for older parents, the "sandwich" years of 45-65 can be stressful, especially for women. They are also when we naturally start to look older.

At this point, there is still no silver bullet to keep away the grays.

1.What would be the best title for this passage?

A. Going gray.                   B. Tips to make hair color last

C. Why does hair turn gray?        D. Gray hair is in fashion.

2.Which of the following is a true statement according to the passage?

A. Scientists have found out how to prevent hair from turning gray.

B. Europeans are more likely to gray than Asians and Africans.

C. Gray hair means poor health or a sign of illness.

D. Everyone will inevitably get gray hair by retirement age.

3.Which is not among the reasons for hair turning gray according to the passage?

A. Being physically weak.         B. Stress from different sides.

C. Death of melanocyte cell.       D. Genetic factors.

4.What does “silver bullet” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. Make-up     B. Scientific research.     C. Chemical weapon.     D. Cure.

You may have heard about the many benefits of yoga, but a recent New York Times story, has stirred up more than a little controversy in the yoga community.

"How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body," by science writer William J. Broad, quotes a long-time yoga teacher who "...has come to believe that 'the vast majority of people' should give up yoga altogether. It's simply too likely to cause harm." He goes on to describe a number of cases where people have been injured doing yoga, including himself.

The research in the article isn't groundbreaking: doing any form of exercise you could potentially hurt yourself. If you look at the injury rates of other physical activities, the number of injuries sustained from yoga would pale in comparison.

Practicing yoga is just like anything in life: You have to push yourself in order to grow. But you also have to know your limits and when you're breaking them. If you stick to your comfort zone, you'll never be able to increase your flexibility. If you push to the point where you're not only uncomfortable, but in real pain, you'll likely injure yourself.

The reasons that yoga causes "serious injury”, according to the Times story, range from students' physical weaknesses to inexperienced teachers pushing too hard to the growing number of inflexible "urbanites who sit in chairs all day" trying hard to twist themselves into difficult postures.

Yoga is called a "practice" for a reason. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to tackle every pose. It doesn't matter if you can touch the floor with your palms during your first forward bend or your thousandth, or if you never get there.

We go to the mat to learn to better listen to what our bodies are telling us, and to better hear that quiet inner voice drowned out by the noise of our busy lives. It's a shame to discourage the majority of people from practicing yoga and missing out on all of the mind-body benefits that going to the mat has to offer.

1.The underlined word is best replaced by __.

A. Injure    B. Benefit    C. Push   D. Shape

2.What does author mainly want to tell us in the 3rd paragraph?

A. All physical activities are equally harmful.

B. Yoga causes much less injuries than other physical activities.

C. Similar researches have been done before.

D. Yoga, like any other form of exercise, can hurt people.

3.Which is not mentioned among the reasons for yoga being likely to cause injury?

A. Teachers lack the knowledge of students’ limits.

B. Modern lifestyle decreases our flexibility.

C. The body doesn’t tell when you are in real pain.

D. Students themselves might not be in good physical condition.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards practicing yoga?

A. It’s a shame not to practice yoga.

B. One should push the limits in order to be perfect.

C. The majority should give up yoga for it may cause harm.

D. One should enjoy the physical and mental benefit that yoga brings.

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。

注意：每空格1个单词。

It’s often said that high self-confidence is key to success. In fact, low self-confidence is more likely to make you successful. Sure, extremely low confidence is not helpful, but just-low-enough confidence can help you readjust your goals so they are more realistic and attainable and have a better chance of succeeding. There are three main reasons for this:

★Lower self-confidence makes you pay attention to negative feedback and be self-critical: Most people get trapped in their optimistic biases, so they tend to ignore negative feedback. Although this may give them confidence, achievement is 10% performance and 90% preparation. Thus, the more aware you are of your soft spots, the better prepared you will be.

★Lower self-confidence can motivate you to work harder and prepare more: In fact, low confidence is only negative when you are not serious about your goals. If you really want what you say you want, your low confidence will only make you work harder to achieve it — because it will indicate a gap between your desired goal and your current state.

★Lower self-confidence reduces the chances of looking arrogant(自大的): Indeed, people with low self-confidence are more likely to admit their mistakes - instead of blaming others. This is the most important benefit of low self-confidence because it points to the fact that low self-confidence can bring success, not just to individuals but also to organizations and society.

In brief, if you are serious about your goals, low self-confidence can be your biggest help to accomplish them.

每个人的生活中都遇到过挫折(frustration)，挫折对于我们来说，到底意味着什么？请你以Is frustration a bad thing？写一篇120词左右的文章，谈谈你对挫折的理解。

1、有些人认为挫折会导致心理问题，以至于造成抑郁、暴力甚至自杀等。

2、有些人认为挫折不是坏事，有利于锻炼人们的能力，塑造坚强的品格，适应竞争。

3、就我而言，我认为挫折……

—Stay a bit longer，please. It's been such ________fun having you here.

—Thank you，but I've got ________early start tomorrow morning.

A．/；the      B．a；an      C．/；an      D．the；an

 I can't say which wine is best---it's a(n)_______of personal taste.

A. affair           B. matter         C. event        D. variety

 Our journey was slow because the bus stopped at different villages________．

A. normally                    B. gradually

C. constantly                   D. regularly