I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn’t think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.

I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.

It takes confidence to make a new start — there’s a dark period in-between where you’re neither one thing nor the other. You’re out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you’re too ashamed to say, “Well, I’m writing a novel, but I’m not quite sure if I’m going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside.

Then I met an agent（代理商）who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.

The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal — that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.

It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck — of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there’s no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract（合同）of the publisher — to be a published writer — is unbelievably rewarding（有回报的）.

1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

2.The author decided to write a novel ______ .

3.How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?

4.What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph?

Barditch High School decided to hold an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hands to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.

Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔声)when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.

Then Ms. Yates started to speak:

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination.”

Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:

“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path.”

“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”

There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.

1.What activity was organized for the school reunion?

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2? 

3.We can learn from Ms. Yates’ speech that she _____________.

4.What was Ms.Yates’ belief in teaching teenagers?

Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.

“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer.” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”

“He won’t find out.” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”

Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.

“It was a strange-looking machine –one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the center of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”

“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead.” A new message appeared on the screen:

“ENTER NAMES

VOYAGER 1: …

VOYAGER 2: …”

Mark’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.

“INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED（自动回收程序已启动）.”

The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.

“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.

But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow (光芒), until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.

“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION: MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025.”

1.Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?

2.Where did the boy’s father most likely work?

3.Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of          .

4.Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?

5.What happened to the boys at the end of the story?

In Asia, there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are fitted with instruments that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them. Although all kites have a similar structure （结构）, they are widely different in size and shape. Kite-fighting competitions are also held, in which competitions us their kites to attack and bring down their opponents’（对手）kites or cut their strings（线）.

For more than 15 years, the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kite-making and kite flying classes for the children on an island in Hawaii. In its kite-making lessons, students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes! Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite. Jonathan Socher and his wife Daphne started the kite factory in 1980. Their kites are made of nylon（尼龙）.Their designs are Hawaiian themes created by Daphne. The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges and then fastened directly onto the kite. 

The kite that is used to give lessons is regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern. The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a two-string controllable kite. Big Wind employees fly the kite and for a few minutes show students how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in. Then the controls are given to the students.

Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites. Even the simplest structure can work, and can give hours of fun. Go on, give it a try!

1.Which of the following is true according to the text?

2.What is different about the kite used for flying lessons?

3.According to Jonathan, what do you need to have fun with kites?

4.What is mainly described in the text?

Most drinks stating that they are fruit­ flavored (水果味道的) contain no fruit at all, while most of the rest contain only a small quantity of fruit, according to a study carried by the British Food Commission.

“Shoppers need to check the labels (标签) before buying drinks, though sometimes the actual content can be non­existent，” said Food Commission spokesperson Ian Tokelove. “Food production is highly competitive. __1__ It will increase profits, and consumers won't always realize they are being tricked.”

Flavorings are focused on the flavors of natural food products such as fruits, meats and vegetables, or creating flavor for food products that do not have the desired flavors. Researchers analyzed the contents of 28 strawberry­ flavored products sold in stores.    __2__  Of the 11 products that did contain strawberries, five of them contained less than one percent real fruit. In addition, each juice box contained nearly eight teaspoons of sugar.

__3__ Let's take jam as an example. Some strawberry­ flavored jam was labeled as containing no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, but it contained absolutely no strawberries at all.

__4__ Consumers have the rights to know clearly about what they have bought. Under current UK law, food packages do not have to distinguish between natural and artificial flavoring. “Describing a product as strawberry flavor and covering the surface of the packet with pictures of strawberries is misleading.   __5__ Unfortunately, it is also legal and widespread，” Tokelove said. “It's time to take measures to protect the consumers' rights.”

E. It is important and necessary to demand a small amount of flavoring in the products.

F. Actually the product contains just a tiny percentage of strawberry or even no fruit at all.

G. The Food Commission suggested all flavors used in a product should be listed on the packaging.

下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写上该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

One day I hurried home for lunch after school because of there would be an exam in the afternoon. I expected get back early to prepare for the exam. But when I got home, the lunches was not ready yet. I am unhappy. When the dishes were served, I found none what I liked. I ran out of the house angry, and then walking in the street for a while. When I got into the room, I saw the lunch box on my desk. One classmate told me my mother had brought them for me. Before opening the box, I found my favorite food inside. My eyes quickly filled with tears.

假设你是星光中学的张红，将参加主题为“Let’s Ride Bicycles”的英语演讲比赛。请撰写一份演讲稿，主要内容包括：

1.  目前汽车带来的空气污染和交通堵塞等问题。

2.  骑自行车的益处，如能环保有利健康等。

3.  参考词汇：低碳生活(low-carbon life)

注意：1. 词数：120 词左右；

4.  演讲稿开头和结尾已给出，请将其抄写在答题卡上且该部分不计入总词数。

Good morning, everyone,

I am Zhang Hong from Xingguang Middle School. The topic of my speech is “Let’s Ride Bicycles________________________________________________________________        _

 — Can I have a day off tomorrow, Mr. Johnson?

—  ________. I can manage without you.

 ________ with care, one tin will last for six weeks.

 ________ at the door before you enter my room, please.