There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers, he used two buckers. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one, which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.

Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled . The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked along the path.

Sometimes the new bucket would say, “See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don't know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are!”

And all that the old bucket could say was, “I know I’m not very useful, but I can only do my best. I’m happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least.”

One day, the gardener heard that kind or conversation. After watering the flowers as usual, he said, “You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back. I want you to look carefully along the path.”

Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.

1.What does the underlined word “dilapidated” probably mean?

A．Dirty             B．Dark             C．Worn-out         D．Plain-looking.

2.What was the old bucket ashamed of?

A．His past.          B．His aging.          C．His manner.        D．His leaking.

3.The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to

A．laugh at the old one

B．take pity on the old one

C．show off its beautiful looks

D．praise the gardener’s kindness

4.Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?

A．Because it was used to keep a balance

B．Because it stayed in its best condition

C．Because it was taken as a treasure

D．Because it had its own function

Women love shoes! They will sometimes go to look for the perfect pair of shoes to wear only once with the perfect outfit or the fashion of the day. Once worn, these fashionable designer shoes may spend weeks, months, or years in the closet without being worn again until another special occasion comes up. With that said, are expensive designer shoes really worth their cost?

Historically, shoes were invented to free feet from sharp rocks, hot sands, and blisters. Shoes were made to be simple and functional, with tough leather soles and straps. As society became more sophisticated (复杂的), the role of shoes changed; shoes were made to add status to the wearer.

Shoe designers began to work on the production of fashion shoes for the wealthy; shoes meant more for show than for practical use or simplicity. Good shoemakers became well known and printed symbols on their shoes, so people could recognize the maker of that particular design. Designer shoes were thus born.

Many women develop serious problems with their feet after wearing these designer shoes during the workday and the medical costs for dealing with these problems can get very high. Some popular makers of designer shoes have been working towards combining comfort and practical use into their shoes, but it has been noted that women still go for style, beauty and uniqueness above everything else.

So to answer the question as to whether or not designer shoes are worth the cost, the answer is certainly yes, but be smart and invest in a pair of comfortable, not so stylish shoes for the days when you stay outdoors for hours! They can also be very expensive, but I can surely say that they are worth the cost.

1.When shoes were first made, their main use was to _________.

A．increase the wearer’s image

B．protect the wearer from discomfort

C．make the wearer more noticeable

D．show the simplicity of life

2.From the passage, we can learn that __________.

A．women like to wear designer shoes only during the workday

B．designer shoes are more practical and beautiful than common shoes

C．shoemakers won fame for their shoes’ prices

D．shoemakers printed symbols on their shoes for being recognized

3.Designer shoes will remain on the market because they ________. 

A．make a lot of money for shoemakers

B．meet women’s demand for being special

C．will become increasingly comfortable

D．offer the wearer a chance to show off their wealth

4.In this passage, the author wants to            .

A．explain why expensive designer shoes are worth the money

B．talk about the necessity of owning comfortable shoes

C．warn women of the danger of wearing designer shoes

D．talk about the history and development of shoes

What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?

This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.

I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.

Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.

1.The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was______.

A．doing shopping                         B．having a debate

C．reading a message                       D．leaving for Wyoming

2.The author's inspiration for the gift came from_____.

A．a photo of a flower                      B．a story about a kid

C．a call from the mother                    D．a text about Christmas

3.The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refers to a poem by_____.

A．the father                             B．the author

C．William Blake                          D．Edgar Allan Poe

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To show how to design images for gifts.

B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart.

C．To explain how computers help create gifts.

D．To describe the gifts the author has receive

We can offer you a place at one of the best universities in Britain. We’ll provide you with a choice of 150 first-class courses developed especially to enable you to study in your own time. All of these courses are backed by the Open University’s own special study method — OU Support Open Learning.

We’ll give you the support of a personal teacher, and the chance to meet your fellow students. You can study for a diploma, a degree or a postgraduate degree. Subjects available include: Computing, Business Management, Technology, Modern Languages, Social Sciences, English Law, Arts, Science, Mathematics, Education and Health & Social Welfare.

Whether you want to study to improve your career prospects or for your own personal interest, there’s almost certainly a course for you. If you haven’t studied for a while, we will help you get started. No previous training or degrees are required. All that is required is a willingness to learn. The OU is great value for money and you can pay monthly.

The OU leads the world in the use of new technology for learning, and a number of courses provide source material on CD-ROM. What else can the Open University offer you?

☆ The OU is in the top 15% of all UK universities for teaching quality.

☆ 25% of all British MBAs come from the OU.

☆ Over 30,000 employers have offered chances for their staff to study OU courses.

☆ 40,000 OU students study online from their home.

☆ There are 9-month courses and diplomas as well as degrees.

Send for your free instructions now.

Post to: The Open University, PO Box 625, Milton Keynes MK76 AA, U99LX.

1.The purpose of writing this passage is to _________.

A．introduce the best university inBritain

B．let the readers know the OU Support Open Learning

C．describe the new technology for learning in the Open University

D．attract students to the Open University

2.If you want to study in the Open University, you need ________.

A．a good study habit

B．some previous training

C．a willingness to learn

D．a degree from a good university

3.The Open University can offer you all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A．an MBA degree

B．high-quality teaching

C．a computer so you can study online from home

D．9-month courses and diplomas as well as degrees

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends.  Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health.  There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools.  Such changes often leaves us without a friend 1.  51 .  But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

Start a conversation

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.  2.  You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3.   

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

Let it grow.

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.   4.  .  The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

Enjoy your friendship

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.  5.  Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A． Be cheerful.

B． Do things together.

C． Do not wait to be spoken to.

D． Try not to find fault with your friends.

E.  Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F.  For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G.  So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

短文改错

文章共有10处错误。每句最多两处。多者从第11处起不计分。

1. 增加：缺词处加∧，并在下面写出该词。

2. 删除：多余的词用╲划掉。

3. 修改：错词下面划一横线，并在下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一次；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Li Ming is a student who have been living in Shanghai since he was born．But his grandfather lives in Taiwan, because he went to Taiwan after Shanghai was liberated．He is a merchant．For about half a century, Li Ming’s family have no idea where she lives．They miss him very much．Fortunate, a letter from his grandfather reached them this October, which said that his grandfather would be back Shanghai on December 24th．Li Ming’s parents were such excited about the news that they didn’t sleep well for several nights．So did Li Ming．The day finally came．In December 24th, the family of Li Ming are on their way to the airport．When they met at the last, they gave his grandfather a big hug, tears in their eyes．They got together．

书面表达。

假如你是一名导游，陪同某外国旅游团游览长城。车抵长城，下车前你准备对大家作必要的介绍和交代。请拟一份讲话稿。讲话稿必须包括以下内容：

　　1.简单介绍长城（世界上最长的城墙，有两千多年的历史 ，是世界奇观之一）；

　　2.在长城逗留两个半小时，11点离开；

　　3.游览车在入口处等候，记住车号，准时返回；

　　4.贵重物品随身携带，下车前关上车窗；

　　5.游览时注意安全，祝大家玩得愉快。

　　注意：不要逐句翻译，字数100个单词左右。

Ladies and gentlemen,

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________

Yours                                        

Li Hua

Radcliffe , known to _____ most movie-goers as _______ boy wizard Potter , says it felt very natural to move away from that character and start the next phase of his career.

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

--- How can I use iPhone 4S ?

--- Just refer to the _______.

A．expressions                           B．explanations

C．preparations                           D．directions

He has drunk too much tonight. We should try to ________ him from driving back home.

A．ban              B．forbid            C．discourage        D．promote