(2013·高考北京卷)If we________a table earlier，we couldn’t be standing here in a queue.

A．have booked? B．booked

C．book? D．had booked

(2013·高考北京卷，A)We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget.Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP portable heater.With over one million satisfied customers around the world，the new EP heats better and faster，saves more on heating bills，and runs almost silent.

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The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room.With other heaters，you’ll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.

The advanced EP also heats the room evenly，wall to wall and floor to ceiling.It comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet.Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room.And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater.With the EP，the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.

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1.What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?

A．The heat of the EP.

B．The safety of the EP.

C．The appearance of the EP.

D．The material of the EP.

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

A．doesn’t burn up oxygen

B．runs without any noise

C．makes people get sleepy

D．is unsuitable for children and pets

3.The underlined word“evenly”in Paragraph 4 probably means________.

A．continuously B．separately

C．quickly D．equally

4.The main purpose of the passage is to________.

A．persuade people to buy the product

B．advise people to save on heating bills

C．report the new development of portable heaters

D．compare the functions of different heater brands

(2013·高考北京卷，C)Although being famous might sound like a dream come true，today’s stars，feeling like zoo animals，face pressures that few of us can imagine.They are at the center of much of the world’s attention.Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes，cameras ready.Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives.Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!

According to psychologist Christina Villarreal，celebrities－famous people－worry constantly about their public appearance.Eventually，they start to lose track of who they really are，seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them，not as the people they were before everyone knew their names.“Over time，”Villarreal says，“they feel separated and alone.”

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages.In the 4th century B．C.，painters followed Alexander the Great into battle，hoping to picture his victories for his admirers.When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century，his sold?out readings attracted thousands of fans，leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy.Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film?stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

Being a public figure today，however，is a lot more difficult than it used to be.Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras.When they say something silly or do something ridiculous，there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.

If fame is so troublesome，why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it.Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities.They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice.Still，even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are.They are tired of being famous already.

1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today________.

A．are often misunderstood by the public

B．can no longer have their privacy protected

C．spend too much on their public appearance

D．care little about how they have come into fame

2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.

B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

C．Well?known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?

A．Availability of modern media.

B．Inadequate social recognition.

C．Lack of favorable chances.

D．Huge population of fans.

4.What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?

A．Sincere.? B．Sceptical.

C．Disapproving.? D．Sympathetic.

（2011·北京卷）A

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this.I deeided to realize my dream,even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

56. What happened to the auther in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane

B. She entered a competition

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride

D. She moved into a retirement community

57. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. build up her own reputation

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health conditon

D. make her argument persuasive

58. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited    B. Scared    C. Nervous    D. Regretful

59. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A.The beautiful clouds     B. The wonderful view

C. The company of Jay     D. The one-minute free fall

（北京卷34）. ----The weather has been very hot and dry.

   ----Yes. If it had rained even a drop, things would be much better now! And my vegetables   .

  A. wouldn't die      B. didn't die       C. hadn't died          D. wouldn't have died