Vivek opens up the window of his room and feels the fresh air of the morning. This is a very special day in his life. He is enjoying himself, recollecting all the efforts he has taken to see this day in his life.

    Vivek, an engineering graduate, was rejected from selection 12 times. After every attempt he learned something new about his personality and corrected his mistake. He believed that his failure was not defeat but an important step to achieving his goal. He prepared and practiced well and got through in his 13^th attempt (the number which everyone believes is unlucky). Vivek has proved that there is nothing called luck but sincere effort is what takes one to success.

    Vivek, from all his previous experience he had faced during the selection process, had taken it as a challenge to perform well during his training period. He believed in himself and completed his training in style.

    Vivek wears white uniform and is ready for the Passing Out Parade. He has marched all his life to perform at the Indian Naval Academy. Vivek’s parents are present to see their getting commissioned as an officer. They are also proud of their son for his achievement.

    Now vivek marches up the stage to receive the Sword of Honor Award from the Naval Chief. Vivek’s achievement is something really great and the whole crowd becomes delighted and excited when Vivek’s story is narrated to the world. Vivek has given this moral（寓意）to the world: After every dark night there is bright sunlight.

[写作内容]

   1. 以约30个词概括上文的主要内容。

   2. 以约120词就“坚持与成功”这个主题谈谈你的看法，内容包括：

           (1) 坚持与成功的关系；

(2) 简述你或者你周围的人因为坚持而最后取得成功的例子；

(3) 如何才能做到坚持下去。

 [写作要求]

1. 在作文中可以使用自己亲身的经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；

2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。

[评分标准]

概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。

    In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fighters. We’re pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I’ve twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids’ college background as a prize demonstrating how well we’ve raised them. But we can’t acknowledge that our obsession(痴迷) is more about us than them. So we’ve created various justifications（辩解）that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn’t matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.

We have a full-developed panic; we worry that there won’t be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. What causes the hysteria(歇斯底里) is the belief that scarce elite（精英）degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All seems right but mostly wrong. We haven’t found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don’t systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures—professors’ feedback and the number of essay exams selective schools do slightly worse.

By some studies, selective schools do enhance（提高） their graduates’ lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-point increase in a school’s average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke(偶然). A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.

Kids count more than their colleges. Getting into Yale may signify intelligence, talent and ambition. But it’s not the only indicator and, surprisingly, its significance is declining. The reason: so many similar people go elsewhere. Getting into college is not life’s only competition. In the next competition—the job market and graduate school—the results may change. Princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D. program. High scores on the GRE helped explain who got in; degrees of famous universities didn’t.

So, parents, take it easy（lighten up）. The stakes (利害关系) have been vastly exaggerated. Up to a point, we can rationalize our pushiness. America is a competitive society; our kids need to adjust to that. But too much pushiness can be destructive. The very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment. One study found that, other things being equal, graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction. They may have been so conditioned to being on top that anything less disappoints.

1. Why does the author say that parents are the true fighters in the college-admissions wars?

         A. They have the final say in which university their children are to attend.

         B. They know best which universities are most suitable for their children.

         C. They have to carry out intensive surveys of colleges before children make an application.

         D. They care more about which college their children go to than the children themselves.

2. Why do parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever?

         A. They want to increase their children’s chances of entering a prestigious college.

         B. They hope their children can enter a university that offers attractive scholarships.

         C. Their children will have a wider choice of which college to go to.

         D. Elite universities now enroll fewer student than they used to.

3. What does the author mean by “kids count more than their colleges” Line1, para.4?

         A. Continuing education is more important to a person’s success.

         B. A person’s happiness should be valued more than their education.

         C. Kids’ actual abilities are more important than their college background.

         D. What kids learn at college cannot keep up with job market requirements.

4. What does Krueger’s study tell us?

         A. Getting into Ph.D. programs may be more competitive than getting into college.

         B. Degrees of prestigious universities do not guarantee entry to graduate programs.

         C. Graduates from prestigious universities do not care much about their GRE scores.

         D. Connections built in prestigious universities may be kept long after graduation.

5. One possible result of pushing children into elite universities is that______

         A. they earn less than their peers from other institutions　　

         B. they turn out to be less competitive in the job market

         C. they experience more job dissatisfaction after graduation　

         D. they overemphasize their qualifications in job application

完形填空（共10小题；每小题2分，共20分）　   阅读下面短文，
掌握其大意，然后从21～30各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Many people of my generation(代，一代) say that there is no hope for the future because of the way that   21       people behave today.
Their first argument（论点） is that when we were young we used to look after the  22     people in our community and help them. They also say that young people today don’t   23      about anything or anyone. However, I think the reason why we looked after older people was that we had no   24     . People had to live with their   25     and grandparents because they had no money. Young people today earn more and have more   26      to live where they want.
Their second argument is that in our day we didn’t expect to be given jobs ---and that young people now don’t look for jobs, but just complain（抱怨） about   27    . On the other hand, things were easier in the past and it was always easy to get a job if you had friends and contacts（关系）. It is really   28      today.
In conclusion I think there is hope for the   29      . This generation, like generations before them, has new   30       as well as old problems. If they learn from our mistakes the world will be a better place in future.
21. A. young                       B. old                                C. other                       D. our
22. A. old                    B. older                    C. elder                        D. eldest
23. A. know                         B. care                              C. complain                D. look
24. A. money             B. freedom                      C. choice            D. help
25. A. friends            B. children                        C. grandchildren       D. parents
26. A. freedom                   B. money                         C. reasons                  D. hope
27. A. future                       B. wages                           C. work                        D. unemployment
28. A. easier                       B. harder                         C. impossible    D. possible
29. A. young                       B. old                                C. future            D. generation
30. A. opportunities         B. hopes                           C. future            D. world

完成句子(共10小题每小题2分，满分20分)阅读下列各小题，根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末括号内的英语单词完成句子，井将答案写在答题卡上的相应题号后。

1.It wasn’t a good thing; ______________it was a huge mistake.(contrary)

这不是件好事，相反，是个错误。

2.It is so wet there that the trees are extremely tall, _______________________over 90 meters. ((measure)

这儿很湿，树木极高，一些高达90多米。

3.It is acceptable to___________________________ your friends on April 1^st.(trick)

在愚人节捉弄一下你的朋友是可以接受的。

4._____________________________________the exams mostly depends on whether you study hard.(succeed)

你能不能成功地通过考试主要依靠你是否努力学习。

5.I find it ___________________________this problem.(deal)

我认为这个问题很难处理。

6.He___________________ his teacher entering the classroom, for he was still chatting with his desk-mates.(catch)

因为他一直在和同桌聊天，一定没看到老师进来了。

7.It is reported that the population of China is approximately______________________. (as)

据报道中国的人口大约是美国的4倍。

8.It is harmful for those who are still teenagers ________________in order to lose weight. (diet)

对青少年来说，为减肥而节食是有害的。

9.Not until he failed in the exam __________________________hard. (settle)

直到考试失败，他才静下心来努力学习。

10.Could you tell me how to improve my English?

---My suggestion is _______________________________your teacher. (seek)

我的建议是，你向你的老师征求意见

阅读下文，完成文后各题。

“进化”不了的爱

孙君飞

进化论包含着残酷的丛林法则，也隐含着生命的自私自利性。一个生命个体要想很好地生存下去，必须要将自己变得更优秀，学会“排他”，否则优胜劣汰的只能是自己。不过，人们在观察工蜂时，惊讶地发现，它们并未受到进化论的影响，它们混沌若当初，或者说它们完美地保持着一种纯粹而崇高的精神，这使它们成为生命进化中的另类。

工蜂属于生殖器官发育不完善的雌性蜂，即便能够产卵，也只是没有受精的卵，因此它们自身没有繁殖能力。这种缺陷可怕而又不幸，然而工蜂对此无动于衷，甘愿终身携带着缺陷而生，从未奢望将自身进化得更完美更强悍。值得称道的是，工蜂的适应性反而很强大，它们拥有相当厉害的武器——毒刺，刺上长有倒钩，一旦“亮剑”就不能回收利用。工蜂的毒刺是不折不扣的双刃剑，在伤及侵害者的同时，自己的生命也面临着终结。

蜜蜂家族中令人难以置信的社会结构更加震惊着世人的心灵，在这里一切都那么井然有序，合乎“法则”，一切又那么一往情深，合乎“生命之爱”。蜜蜂的利他主义行为也许会让达尔文难以理解，失去繁殖能力却能够将各种特征和习性一代代传承下去的工蜂可能更让达尔文目瞪口呆吧。答案其实很简单，一切都源于蜜蜂与众不同的遗传结构。换言之，存在于工蜂体内的遗传基因极其顽强，只有它们才会驱使工蜂去鞠躬尽瘁地照顾其它跟自己具有相同基因的生命，甚至为对方牺牲自己，却无怨无悔。

蜂后产下的受精卵天生高贵，常常会孵化出雌性幼蜂，而延续高贵的办法只有一个：它们只有食用了工蜂分泌的蜂王浆之后，才能发育成具有生殖能力的小蜂后，否则它们在长大后依然属于工蜂——从出生时开始，便将生命献给蜂群、终日辛劳的工蜂！

由于小蜂后的基因与工蜂的基因几乎相同，从身形外貌上看，彼此也几乎一模一样，这也许使工蜂顿感一阵甜蜜而幸福、神圣而自豪的恍然：站在我面前的，莫不是又一个“我”？我由此获得了新生，得到了永恒……工蜂在含辛茹苦喂养小蜂后的过程中，彼此的血缘关系升至最亲密最牢固。它们原本不是毫不相关的两个，而是见证生命延续、利他友爱的两个。因为相同的基因存活在它们的生命之中，工蜂在潜意识里将蜂后看得比自己的生命更为重要，为了对方、也为了另一个“我”和“我们”，它们可以在必要时完全放弃自己现实的生命及其未来。

（选自在《思维与智慧》有删节）

下列关于“工蜂”的表述，不符合原文意思的一项是

  A．作为生命个体，工蜂的生命隐含着自私自利性，要想不被淘汰，它必须将自己变得更优秀，学会“排他”。   

  B．工蜂之所以成为生命进化中的另类，是因为它们完美地保持着一种纯粹而崇高的精神，并未受到进化论的影响。   

  C．工蜂的适应性很强，尾部长有倒钩的毒刺是相当厉害的武器，在伤及侵害者的同时，工蜂的生命也意味着终结。   

  D．从出生开始，就为蜂群而终日辛劳的工蜂，能把各种特征和习性一代代传承下去，靠的是与众不同的遗传结构。

下列有关“蜜蜂繁殖"的表述，符合原文意思的一项是

  A．蜂后是具有生殖能力的雌性蜂，产下的受精卵天生高贵，孵化出雌性幼蜂，幼蜂长大以后就成为新一代蜂后。

  B．工蜂自身没有繁殖能力，属于生殖器官发育不完善的雌性蜂，即便能够产卵，也只是没有受精的卵，不能孵化幼蜂。

  C．存在于工蜂体内的遗传基因极其顽强，它驱使工蜂分泌蜂王浆，鞠躬尽瘁地照顾和自己具有相同基因的“孩子”。

  D．蜂后负责产卵，工蜂负责喂养幼蜂，因而小蜂后的基因与工蜂的基因几乎相同，身形外貌上也几乎一模一样。

下列根据原文信息所作的推断，不正确的一项是

  A．采粉、酿蜜、饲喂幼虫的工蜂是蜂群的主体，儿歌唱的“小蜜蜂，整天忙，采花蜜，酿蜜糖”，指的就是工蜂。

  B．蜜蜂家族一切都井然有序，合乎“法则”，合乎“生命之爱”，人类如果借鉴了这种社会结构．可能会更有利于社会和谐。

  C．为了蜂后和后代，工蜂不惜牺牲自己，是因为它们有奉献精神，潜意识里将蜂后和后代看得比自己的生命更重要。

  D．工蜂一生从事的是利他的事业，而不是优化自己的结构来繁衍后代，从这一点来看，    达尔文的进化论“适者生存”不科学。