I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens,   and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.

Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister  and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth. ”

I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and    daughter.

They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface(表面)”.

As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me.

I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.

My hope turned to disappointment(失望), then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was    pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found    some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times.

Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

1.The writer began to love her mother’s desk ______.

2.The passage shows that ______.

3.The word “gulf” in the passage means ______.

4.What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

6.选A。由But she lived “on the surface ”. 和全文内容可知，作者的母亲表面上很冷漠，但心里充满了对作者的爱，正确

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一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。
Congratulations! You are about to start a multi-faceted(多面的) journey of exploration. You are about to enter high school as a freshman. And here are some tips on how to start a new year at a new school.
As a high school freshman, choose courses that suit you. I encourage you to take a few courses with the title “Honors”, because they are meant to be challenging and intellectually exciting. If you are hungering for knowledge, see if you can take Advanced Placement (AP) course（大学预修课）---courses that may allow students to earn college credit(学分) for performing satisfactorily in the AP exams held nationally every May. AP classes such as AP Environmental Science and AP Human Geography are well-known for being easy, so taking either of them would be a perfect way of getting yourself into the AP program deeply.
Try to find a balance between in-school activities and out-of-school activities. An imbalance will surely cause you to be stressed. If you love sports, consider trying out for the various sports teams your school offers. Exercise is a great way to stay in shape, learn proper time management, gain new friendships, and keep your mind away from school day stress. Also consider joining your school’s band or some other clubs your school offers. Most importantly, be a part of activities that you are fond of.
If you’re a high achieving student, you’re probably asking yourself, “ What should I do to get into a top college?” The truth is that when most colleges judge your college application, they don’t focus on your freshman year grades or extracurricular activities. Freshman year of high school is supposed to be a time of exploration—a time to find out your favorites and to develop them in the future. However, the method to apply to (申请)colleges is sometimes confusing, so you would benefit yourself by at least knowing the types of standardized tests you need to take before applying to college. The best resource for this is “ The College Board”, the company that creates the college entrance exams you will take in the future.
Your high school experiences will undoubtedly be very important to you. It is the last step before you begin your life as an adult. Freshman year of high school is the time to make your interests and activities to fit who you are. As a freshman, challenge yourself in and out of classroom. Stay positive , work hard and remember to have fun!

Beautiful cars surrounded by even more beautiful models—it’s no secret why the 2012 Beijing Auto Show was popular．

The exhibition was held between April 23 and May 2．Although renowned companies showed off their top models，it wasn’t just their expensive sports cars that grabbed people’s attention．

Concept cars are a way for designers to test out their ideas on the public with complete freedom．They can try out cars with special features that could not be massively（批量）produced easily．

Designers don’t have to follow industry rules；they don’t even need to worry about whether their cars would be followed on the roads．

At the Beijing Auto Show，the@Ant by Chery was one concept car to draw a lot of attention．China Daily called it‘‘the very definition of a concept car”．

The vehicle is powered by electricity and is capable of driving itself．But the magic doesn’t end there．

The@Ant was inspired by actual ants．According to Car News China，with the help of automated telemetric systems，@Ants are able to“see” other@Ants and compare  destination information. If two are heading the same way for a while, the vehicles connect, with one car’s rear (后面的)wheels matching up with the front wheels of another car．Up to 10@Ants can be put together and will automatically connect to form a“train"．This  will help save energy while traveling, as well reducing traffic jams.

The car sounds like a great idea．Further research will be needed to turn this concept  car into something for the market，but concepts like Cherry’s  show how carmakers are  working for cleaner and greener vehicles．It’s like what the@Ant motto says，“Exploring future human beings’lifestyles”．

1.The concept car is getting popular because          .

A．it looks like an ant

B．it is beautifully designed

C．it is exhibited as a top model

D．it conveys a new idea for the future

2.How can the@Ants help save energy while travelling according to the passage?

A．By connecting each other and running together

B．By driving themselves without man’s control

C．By comparing their destination information

D．By reducing traffic jams on the roads

3.What the designers of the concept car need to do at the Auto Show is          .

A．to test the safety of the concept car

B．to follow the rules in the car industry

C．to show their unique idea of complete freedom

D．to see if concept cars can be massively produced

4.The best title of the passage is          .

A．Concept Cars Are Driving to the Future

B．The@Ant Draws a Lot of Attention

C．The@Ant Is a Top Model of Concept Cars

D．Concept Cars Are Cleaner and Greener

Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there’s no doubt Napoleon was a major influence. The French have used the right since at least the late 18^th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition.

The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand drivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic travelled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift（改变）to the right. A driver would sit on the rear（后面的）left horse in order to wave his whip（鞭子）with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they travelled on the right.

One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20^th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason, stated in 1908: the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially… if there is a lady to be considered). Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the Western world’s few remaining holdouts(坚持不变者). Several Asian nations, including Japan, use the left as well--- though many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars.

1.Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right?

A.They had used the right-hand traffic since the 18^th century.

B.Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right.

C.Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country.

D.Hitler ordered them to go against their left-hand tradition.

2.Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is_________.

A.Austria

B.England

C.Japan

D.Australia

3.Henry Ford produced cars with controls on the left __________.

A.in order to change traffic directions in the U.S.

B.so that passengers could get off conveniently

C.because rules at that time weren’t perfect

D.though many countries were strongly against that

4.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A.Before the French Revolution, all the French people used the right.

B.People in Britain and the U.S. travel on the same side nowadays.

C.The Burmese began to travel on the right in 1970.

D.All the Asian nations use the left at present.

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

A.Who made the great contribution to the shift of traffic directions?

B.How cars have become a popular means of transportation?

C.How Henry Ford produced his cars with controls on the left?

D.Why don’t people all drive on the same side of road?

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一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。

Congratulations! You are about to start a multi-faceted(多面的) journey of exploration. You are about to enter high school as a freshman. And here are some tips on how to start a new year at a new school.

As a high school freshman, choose courses that suit you. I encourage you to take a few courses with the title “Honors”, because they are meant to be challenging and intellectually exciting. If you are hungering for knowledge, see if you can take Advanced Placement (AP) course（大学预修课）---courses that may allow students to earn college credit(学分) for performing satisfactorily in the AP exams held nationally every May. AP classes such as AP Environmental Science and AP Human Geography are well-known for being easy, so taking either of them would be a perfect way of getting yourself into the AP program deeply.

Try to find a balance between in-school activities and out-of-school activities. An imbalance will surely cause you to be stressed. If you love sports, consider trying out for the various sports teams your school offers. Exercise is a great way to stay in shape, learn proper time management, gain new friendships, and keep your mind away from school day stress. Also consider joining your school’s band or some other clubs your school offers. Most importantly, be a part of activities that you are fond of.

If you’re a high achieving student, you’re probably asking yourself, “ What should I do to get into a top college?” The truth is that when most colleges judge your college application, they don’t focus on your freshman year grades or extracurricular activities. Freshman year of high school is supposed to be a time of exploration—a time to find out your favorites and to develop them in the future. However, the method to apply to (申请)colleges is sometimes confusing, so you would benefit yourself by at least knowing the types of standardized tests you need to take before applying to college. The best resource for this is “ The College Board”, the company that creates the college entrance exams you will take in the future.

Your high school experiences will undoubtedly be very important to you. It is the last step before you begin your life as an adult. Freshman year of high school is the time to make your interests and activities to fit who you are. As a freshman, challenge yourself in and out of classroom. Stay positive , work hard and remember to have fun!