When, after a year of being alone on his island, Robinson Crusoe sees a footprint in the sand, the reader of Robinson Crusoe trembles. Will Crusoe find another human being to end his loneliness? Is the footprint the sign of an enemy? Since 1719, when Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe, thousands of people who enjoy English novels have thrilled to this great adventure story. But few know how the story came to be written. Robinson Crusoe was the first English novel. Its birth brought together the misadventures of a Scotch “failure” and the untapped imagination of an aging English scribbler.
Near the end of the Seventeenth Century, the hot-tempered Alexander Selkirk was charged with bad conduct while in church. Rather than face this charge, he ran away to sea. Several years later, Selkirk found himself on the ship of an English privateer. The privateer was preying on Spanish shipping. But Selkirk quarreled bitterly with the Captain. So, when the ship came to the island of Juan Femandez in the South Seas, Selkirk asked to be put ashore. When he saw that there were no people on the island, he begged to be taken back on board. But the Captain refused—Selkirk had gone too far. Over four years later, Selkirk was rescued by another ship.
When Selkirk got back to England, the story of his life on the island fired the imagination of Daniel Defoe. Defoe had been earning a living by his pen since he was thirty. He was amazingly hard-working. He wrote a whole newspaper three times a week. He also made part of his living from politics. He supported both political parties. He told each party that it had his sole support.

【小题1】Alexander Selkirk spent four years on a desert island because        .

A．he sought adventure

B．he was hot-tempered

C．he was afraid to face charges

D．his ship was wrecked

【小题2】Daniel Defoe         .

A．made his living as a writer

B．got his start as a writer with the writing of Robinson Crusoe

C．was very “straight”-he was hardworking and honest

D．had little power of imagination, but succeeded with his novel because he worked hard

【小题3】This passage is mainly about           .

A．how Alexander Selkirk was able to survive on the island.

B．why people enjoy English novels

C．what the footprint in the sand meant

D．how Robinson Crusoe came to be written

【小题4】According to this passage , which of the following statements is not true?

A．Robinson Crusoe was a successful novel.

B．Even if Alexander Selkirk had not lived on the island of Juan Femande, Robinson Crusoe would still have been written.

C．Daniel Defoe lived partly by hard work and partly by his “ wits ”.

D．With the writing of Robinson Crusoe , the English novel was born.

【小题5】The author’s attitude towards Daniel Defoe is          .

A．critical

B．supporting

C．both A and B

D．opposing

Inland waters may be grouped into two general classes: standing waters and flowing waters. As is often the case, the boundary between these two classes is not sharp and clear. A pond is an example of standing water. But most ponds are fed by springs or brooks and most have an outlet. Thus some current of changing water flows through them. On the other hand, a river is an example of flowing water. In some places, however, a river may have such a slow current that it is very difficult to detect.
Standing inland waters differ in size, in age, and in many abiotic environmental characteristics. They range in size from roadside puddles to the Caspian Sea. Puddles may last for only a few days or weeks; ponds, for a few hundred to a thousand years. In general, lakes are older, though the waters of some tropical “lakes” disappear completely during each dry season. Standing waters vary from very shallow to very deep, from clear to muddy, from fresh to salty.
In flowing waters we roughly distinguish between brooks, creeks, and rivers. The size and age of flowing waters are unimportant. Speed of flow, clearness, oxygen content, and other chemical characteristics are used by scientists in studying flowing-water ecosystems.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following characteristics of flowing waters is unimportant?

A．Clarity.

B．Size.

C．Speed of flow.

D．Oxygen content.

【小题2】The word “abiotic” in paragraph 2 can best be replaced by ______.

A．nonliving

B．living

C．coastal

D．inland

【小题3】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Usually the water in a river flows into a pond.

B．Scientists only study flowing-water ecosystems.

C．Usually ponds last much longer than puddles.

D．The Caspian Sea is considered as an example of flowing water.

【小题4】From this passage we may know that the distinction between standing waters and flowing waters ______.

A．depends on how people name the waters

B．is clear

C．depends on the seasons

D．is hard to make

【小题5】This passage mainly tells us that ______.

A．there are two major classes of inland waters

B．lakes and rivers are flowing waters

C．age and size of flowing waters are important

D．ponds and brooks are standing waters

During the 1800s, African Americans worked long days in the fields of the American South．To ease their labor, they sang "field hollers" that they had brought from Africa．One person sang a line．Then a group of workers repeated it．The songs' words told of the hardships that people suffered．African Americans sang "shout spirituals", or joyous religious songs．They clapped their hands and stomped their feet to the music．
After the Civil War, the music changed dramatically．African American music, from ballads to church music, took new forms．It also adapted dance music, called "jump-ups"．which had great rhythm． Banjos became popular．A blues singer usually played a call and response with the banjo．By the early 1900s, the guitar had replaced the banjo as the main blues instrument．
Northern Mississippi - called the Delta - was the center of the blues tradition．By the 1920s, the Delta had many clubs, so-called juke joints．African Americans listened and danced to music in these clubs．Some of the greatest blues men and women performed there．
Blues have a soulful sound that is easy to recognize．The musical notes are often "bent"．That is, they are changed slightly to give a song more strength．Whatever their origin, these bent notes most often define the blues．
Lyrics are the words of a song．Blues lyrics describe everyday life．The lyrics, often about relationships between men and women, are often very intense and personal．They tell about sorrow and overwork．They tell about finding or losing love, having money or being broke, being happy or sad and lonely．The lyrics may use humor to describe life's trials and joys．They almost always use the rhythms of everyday speech．A typical blues stanza, or group of lyrics, has three lines．The second line repeats the first line．The third line has different words．
By the 1940s, large numbers of African Americans had left the Delta and moved north to work． Many settled in Chicago．There, a new kind of "electric", or "Chicago" blues began．Many of its themes were the same, but these blues had "wailing" electric guitars and harmonicas．The music had a steady, strong drumbeat．The loud, driving Chicago blues was excellent dance music．Chicago blues led to the birth of a new music style-rock and roll．
【小题1】The "field holler" is a kind of music that came from ___．

A．the American South．	B．Africa．
C．Chicago．	D．Asia．

【小题2】"Shout spirituals" and "field hollers" are similar in that both_____．

A．used banjos．	B．were sung in church．
C．included call and response singing．	D．expressed sadness．

【小题3】A typical blues Stanza is made up of____．

A．three lines．	B．a harmonica．
C．a driving beat．	D．four lines．

【小题4】One can conclude from the passage that the blues ___．

A．would have widespread without the juke joints of the Mississippi．

B．served as a form of communication and self-expression．

C．was successful only in the American South．

D．there were only greatest blues man performed in these clubs．

【小题5】African Americans probably moved to Chicago because ____．

A．the South was too hot in summer．

B．they liked the Chicago blues．

C．there were more jobs there．

D．they wanted to create a new music style．

Governments all over the world make public reports about the condition of their economies. Most countries, including the United States, have used a measure called the gross national product (国民生产总值)or GNP. It includes all goods and services produced by citizens of the country anywhere in the world.
Recently the American Commerce Department has started using a new method to measure production. It is known as the gross domestic product（国内生产总值）or GDP. It counts only goods and services that have been produced within the nation’s borders. Money earned by foreign companies operating in the United States is included in the GDP, but money earned by American companies operating in other countries is not.
Economic experts generally approve of the change. They say that the gross domestic product provides a truer measure of the economy. They also note that most other industrial countries use this method. Therefore it will be easier to study the economies of different countries. Some officials also hope the new system will help them make better economic policy decisions. It will provide them with a clearer understanding of economic activity in the U.S. . The new measure is less likely to be affected by sudden changes in foreign oil prices or in the value of the American dollar in other countries.
Economic experts believe that the change from GNP to GDP will immediately reduce the value of American production by at least 40,000 million dollars a year. But that is really a very small change in the American economy – less than 1% . The Commerce Department reports the unofficial gross domestic product once every three months. The government also continues to report GNP as it has four times a year since 1941.
【小题1】To report the American GNP, the government should not consider goods and services produced _______.

A．by American companies at home

B．by American companies in China

C．by American companies in Singapore

D．by Japanese companies in the United States

【小题2】To report the American GDP, the Commerce Department should count money earned ________.

A．by both American and foreign companies in America

B．by American companies within its own borders

C．by foreign companies in the United States

D．by American companies in its foreign markets

【小题3】GDP is considered better than GNP by some economists because ________.

A．it is something new

B．it is used by most countries

C．it is easier to calculate

D．it is less likely to be affected by the foreign market

【小题4】What will happen to the value of American economy if GDP is used to replace GNP?

A．It will be seriously affected.	B．It will not be affected.
C．It will come down a little.	D．It will slightly go up.

【小题5】How often are the reports of GDP issued by the American Commerce Department?

A．once every four months	B．once every three months
C．once every six months	D．once a year

Do you ever wonder why the English have one word for some animals and a different one for their meat? Why do they use pig and pork, cow and beef, and sheep and mutton? To find it out, we have to go back to 1066, when the Norman French invaded England and put a French king on the English throne (王位), which not only changed the government but also changed the language. French became the language of the upper classes of society. And it remained that way for 300 years. Only these high society people could afford to eat meat. As a result, French words like porc (pork) and beouf (beef) came into the English language. However, poor English farmers raised the animals. So the English language retained the words pig and cow from the Native Anglo-Saxon.
The Norman French added about 10,000 French words to the English language. Seventy-five percent of them are still in use today.
In French grammar, nouns have either a male or female gender (性别), so adjectives (形容词) take different forms for each. English has only one adjective that does this, and it came from French. The word “blond” describes someone with light-colored hair. “Blond” is used for men, and “blonde” describes women. And they are also nouns.
Some French words that entered the English language have taken on completely different meanings. The French phrase “a la mode” means “in style”. In English, the phrase means “with the ice cream”. Someone must have decided something eaten with ice cream was in style!
Now, as you learn English, you’re on your way to learning French!
【小题1】French was once popular among the upper classes of the UK because_____.

A．too many French moved to Britain

B．French brought animals with them

C．the king and his officials spoke French

D．the king allowed French to be spoken

【小题2】Which word can replace the word “retained” in Paragraph 1?

A．Chose

B．Kept

C．Introduced

D．Give up

【小题3】Why does an English speaker find French easy to learn?

A．Because English and French share similar pronunciations.

B．Because English grammar and French grammar are similar.

C．Because a large number of English words have French origins.

D．Because English has great influences on the French language.

【小题4】French grammar is very different from English grammar because ______.

A．no words have the same pronunciation

B．all words have the same pronunciation

C．English nouns have a male or female gender

D．French nouns have different adjective forms

【小题5】What conclusion can we draw from the text?

A．Language is closely related to history and culture.

B．French and English words have nothing in common.

C．Language is controlled by the upper classes of society.

D．English combines French and the Native Anglo-Saxon.

Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
【小题1】Thanksgiving Day is celebrated      .

A．in spring

B．in summer

C．in autumn

D．in winter

【小题2】The first to celebrate thanksgiving were      .

A．some people from England	B．the American Indians
C．Sarah Josepha Hale	D．Governor Bradford

【小题3】We can infer from the passage that New England must be      .
A. in the U. S. A.  B. in Great Britain   C. in Canada   D. on some island off the Atlantic
【小题4】The passage mainly tells us      .
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

I used to think of myself as a fairly open person, but my bookshelves told a different story. Apart from a few Indian novels and the Australian and South African book, my literature collection consisted of British and American titles. Worse still, I hardly ever read anything in translation. My reading was limited to stories by English-speaking authors.
So, at the start of 2012, I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country in a year to find out what I was missing. As I was unlikely to find publications from nearly 200 nations on the shelves of my local bookshop, I decided to ask the planet’s readers for help. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English.
The response was amazing. Before I knew it, people all over the planet were getting in touch with ideas and offers of help. Some posted me books from their home countries. Others did hours of research on my behalf. In addition, several writers sent me unpublished translations of their novels, giving me a rare opportunity to read works otherwise unavailable to the 62% of the British who only speak English. Even so, selecting books was no easy task. With translations making up only around 4.5 percent of literary works published in the UK and Ireland, getting English versions (版本)of stories was difficult.
But the effort was worth it. I found I was visiting the mental space of the storytellers. These stories not only opened my mind to the real life in other places, but opened my heart to the way people there might feel.
And that in turn changed my thinking. Through reading the stories shared with me by bookish strangers around the globe, I realised I was not alone, but part of a network that spread all over the planet. 
【小题1】Which of the following might be found on the blog A Year of Reading the World?

A．Lists of English version books.

B．Research on English literature.

C．Unfinished novels by British writers.

D．Comments on English literature.

【小题2】Why was it hard for the author to select the right books to read?

A．The author had a busy schedule.

B．The author was only interested in a few topics.

C．The author could only read books written in English.

D．Most books recommended are not available in local bookshops.

【小题3】The author is probably from_________.

A．America

B．the UK

C．Australia

D．Canada

【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe the author’s experience?

A．fast and effortless	B．challenging but rewarding
C．hopeless but beneficial	D．meaningful but fruitless

“Hi，howareya.” some people say when they see a familiar face.The words run together into a mass，all sense and meaning lost. All the same，people do care how you are.After they greet you，it’s likely you will greet them back，with an equally meaningless phrase like，“Can’t complain，can’t complain.”You could probably complain，at length，or share a brilliant thought you were just beginning when a greeting interrupted you.You don’t though，you say，“Great，you？”
You are not giving each other information about your health and well­being.All the same，you are sharing information.You’re acknowledging each other’s positions as acknowledged friends，or at least as accepted acquaintances.And you are reestablishing the ties that may have lapsed(衰退) since yesterday，when you last met at the elevator or the entrance to the train station.
It’s what anthropologist(人类学家) Bronislaw Malinoski called a phatic(交流感情的) communication.Its message is not in the words you use，but in the fact that you speak ritually(仪式上地) accepted words.In Asia，for example，people may ask one another if they have eaten，or if they are busy.They’re not really asking for their lunch menu or their agenda，they are saying hello.A phatic signal merely says, “I see you there.” It says hi.
There’s embarrassment of being near people without acknowledging them.That uncomfortable feeling is one reason why lonely passengers in the subway may behave as if they cannot see anyone around them or may escape their uncomfortable situation with a book.Some people read all the way home，and never turn a page.
Your friend isn’t asking how you are，and you aren’t telling him.However，he is recognizing your existence，and when you answer，you are recognizing his.In addition，the set speech you have shared opens the door to closer communications if both agree.Someday，you may come to real close friendship，and really tell one another how you are.
Meanwhile，people who greet one another this way do care.They care enough to recognize someone’s essential humanity(人性)．They send a signal across the space between，to share，very briefly and lightly，in awareness of one another.
Your greetings prove that neither of you has become a social outcast.How are you？You are still a member of society in good status.You are still the one who knows the rituals and secret passwords necessary to get to work each day.
【小题1】When people greet，they ________.

A．want to show their different educational backgrounds

B．show nothing related with the words themselves

C．want to know other people’s privacy

D．express something special

【小题2】According to Bronislaw Malinoski，a phatic communication ________.

A．is rarely used by Asian people

B．is too complex to be used often

C．helps establish or keep certain relationships

D．often ruins the normal relationships between friends or acquaintances

【小题3】Some people seldom greet strangers because ________.

A．they want to be polite to others

B．they feel uncomfortable to do it

C．they don’t know when to greet them

D．they want to do something meaningful

【小题4】What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Greetings should be given better expressions.

B．Greetings convey different meanings to different people.

C．Greetings help prove an individual’s social independence.

D．Greetings help an individual be connected with the society.

Art is everywhere in our lives.Every man­made object is linked with art—a house，a motor car，a bridge，a chair，a teapot，or a piece of cloth.Throughout history，humans have made articles for a wide variety of purposes；generally for everyday practical requirements.The style of practical objects reflects the outlook and the spirit of the times in which they are made and in consequence style is constantly changing.
It seems that humans possess a natural urge to improve constructed objects with decoration：sometimes for beautification，sometimes for religious reasons，sometimes to show off their wealth and power，and sometimes to tell a story.Decoration is not art in itself.Unnecessary decoration can ruin the form and perhaps the function of an object，but when decoration is used with care，it can beautify，produce variety，and add interest.
The first essential(要点) in every creation is that it should properly fulfil its purpose；for instance，a teapot should pour perfectly，an easy chair should provide comfortable relaxation，a block of flats should be a pleasant place in which to live，and a factory or commercial building should be a suitable building in which to work.
The second essential is that an object should please the eye with its form，line，proportion(比例)，colour and texture(质地)，and it should be capable of inspiring the emotions.For example，contemporary furniture designers must think of form，function and structure，and have taken their lead from the outstanding Scandinavian designs of Denmark，Finland and Sweden，whose preference was for simple functional furniture to suit the architectural environment of the day.Heavy furniture is no longer desirable，and by contrast，modern furniture is often characterised by its good proportion，pleasing lines，simple fittings and attractive structures.
Motor vehicles are a perfect example of how design has changed to suit function.Early car design was greatly influenced by the horse­drawn carriage，but today we find functional design satisfying every requirement of practical use and good appearance.Designs in the 1980s and 1990s included streamlining(流线型) to reduce wind resistance in fast­moving vehicles，and，at the same time，satisfy an important art principle—rhythm.But the cars of today，often half size of their predecessors(前身)，have taken the concept of industrial design way beyond simple strength，comfort and beauty.They now include safety and ecological characteristics，reflecting the need to be environmentally friendly through，for example，reduced fuel consumption，while at the same time satisfying the need to be stylish，and appealing to the eye.For many people，the 21st­century car represents the greatest work of art.
【小题1】What point does the writer make about decorating objects?

A．It is something people have always done.

B．It can show the object has a range of functions.

C．It always improves the appearance of an object.

D．It is usually done to make the object more noticeable.

【小题2】The underlined word “fulfil” in Paragraph 3 means “________”．

A．keep	B．find
C．change	D．realize

【小题3】What is the best title for the text?

A．Form Follows Function

B．Life Is Art，Art Is Life

C．Art in Everyday Life

D．The Best Work of Art

Women nowadays do not just want to work to help meet the rising costs of living and education for their children. They also want a career that will enable them to bring out their skills and use their potentials so that they can experience a sense of fulfillment and pride that come from achievements and success. Some careers that have been traditionally dominated(支配)by the male species have been made open and filled up by women as well. It is no longer a surprising occurrence today to see many women working as pilots, astronauts, engineers, in construction sites, and in the printing business that operates high­tech machines.
Many women are also taking their chances on managerial and executive positions that mostly men are the ones sitting on. Many of them also do well in the line of education as teachers, deans and even presidents of universities. You can also see many women as lecturers and reviewers of different businesses. One example is that of the online printing company reviews where women usually have a say on what is the best choice for online printers for any marketing needs.
From the income that women are getting from their work, they are able to maintain a family and able to provide a better education for their children and able to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.
However, there are still pronounced biases (偏见) against women in high leadership positions. There still exists the so­called gender­role stereotyping. Women need help to cope with and manage the typical stereotyping of women workers and managers. Those who look for jobs advertised in the classified sections of the newspaper often discover that many corporate positions are closed to women. And most often than not, many give preference to men by indicating in their ads phrases such as “male preferred” or “male applicants only”. Even in some family run or owned corporations, seldom can you see women managers and presidents.
Surveys show that although a man and a woman have the same level or handle the same position in an organization, the man would get a higher or bigger compensation package(薪酬) compared to women.  Because of this, many women are just contented，to be in subordinate positions in finance, human resources, sales, manufacturing and other supportive roles.
There are still other barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potentials in the world of employment. Our culture does not encourage women to excel in government and in business­related jobs. Women who are able to make it on top and handle leadership roles are sometimes regarded merely as tokens. The abilities and skills of women are normally questioned by their own peers, and sadly even by other women.
If you are a woman who have the interest, ability and drive to pursue management careers，career counseling is of great help to help you find direction and increase motivation to pursue your career goals. It will help you have the self­confidence to get you in the same career opportunities open to men in this society that still prefers men for top level positions.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we know that women________.

A．work mainly to help meet the rising costs of living

B．want to provide their children with better education

C．also want to take some more challenging jobs

D．have taken up some work that men can do well

【小题2】It can be inferred that in the past it was surprising to see women________.

A．taking jobs outside home

B．working as pilots or astronauts

C．educating their children at home

D．operating machines at home

【小题3】The underlined word “subordinate” in the 5th paragraph has a similar meaning to“________”．

A．higher	B．lower
C．more rewarding	D．less demanding

【小题4】What's the best title for the passage?

A．Women working out of houses

B．Women fighting against biases

C．Women getting larger income

D．Women aiming high in careers