Learning English is one of the few things I have been doing consistently over the past 16 years. Like most Chinese students, I started learning English because it was a compulsory (必修的) course in my middle school. More importantly, English was a central subject for the college entrance exam.

At that time , studying English was not a pleasant experience for me . There was no fun in the process of learning . The focus of our English education was getting a good mark in exams . And nobody told me that the real meaning of studying mother language was communication.

When I became a university student , I spent nearly half of my time on English . In fact , more than 90 percent of the job offer ads in Shanghai list “ proficiency (精通) as a main requirement.

How did I improve my English ? People told me that TOEFL was very helpful and useful. As a result, I took a TOEFL training course and studied like mad. After six months’ preparation, I took part in the exam and got a high score . Later on , I had a chance to further my study in Britain . I soon discovered that all of my past English learning had been futile (没用的) . When I first went shopping in a local supermarket , I really could not understand what the cashier was saying at all.

It was then that I realized I had totally missed the point . Instead of just passing exams , the main function of learning English or any other language is communication . What is more , lanuage does not exist independent of culture. Hence , mechanical memorization helps very little in communication. That’s why I was still unable to freely express myself after learning English for many years . By no means am I talented in any foreign language . I am still learing English . Why ?

First and foremost , my job requires me to use English everyday . Secondly , English helps me to have access to more information . Thirdly , as a bookworm , English gives me a chance to dive into the huge pool of inspiring English books . Last but not least , it is such a great experience to write in another language . Indeed , English has become part of my life .

How did the writer find English when he was a student?

A. He was interested in it .

B. He studied it because it was compulsory course.

C. He thought it funny to study English.

D. He often recited something when he studied English.

What is the purpose of studying English according to the writer’s idea ?

A. To get high marks in exams.

B. To prove that Englsih is very important.

C. Studying Eglish well can ehlp you get a good job.

D. To use English for communication with others.

According to the text , how is my English ?

A.I am good at English.

B.I can speak Englsih like natives.

C.I can master it but I can’t use it correctly.

D.I continued to study Englsih.

How can we master Englsih well ？

A.We need more mechanical memorization.

B.We should read and recite more books.

C.We should study Englsih as well as its culture and use it more .

D.We can study hard in classrooms and houses and get high marks in exams .

阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Big storms, high waves, technical failures, loneliness, After battling hard times and danger for over nine months. British teenager Mike Perham made history last month as the youngest person to sail solo (单独) around the world.

     The 17-year-old made the record after he cleared the Panama Canal ( 巴拿马运河) and then sailed through the Caribbean and home across the Atlantic.

     Mike is only three months younger than Zac Sunderland. the 17-year-old American boy who had taken the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor in July.

     The two youngsters met in Cape Town in South Africa as they crossed the globe in different directions. Mike insisted they were not rival (竞争对手). "No. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime." he said.

     Mike may be young, but he is no stranger to sailing adventures. He picked up the hobby at age 6 when his father took him out in a small boat on a local lake. Father and son sailed separate boats across the Atlantic when Mike was 14, making him the youngest person to cross that ocean solo. That record gave him the taste for this even greater challenge.

     On the recent journey. the scariest moment for Mike came when his sailboat was hit by storms in the southem Indian Ocean.

     "We were picked up by what felt like a 60-foot wave and threw down on our side at 90 degrees," he said.

     "It felt like I was going right over. Stuff was flying around and I just thought 'Oh no'".

     At other times, he had to dive into the Pacific and fix problems. He tied himself to the boat, jumped into the water and went to work with a knife in 30-second dives undemeath (在......之下) the boat to cut a rope away.

     Mike said he felt proud that he made his dream come true. "You've got to have confidence in yourself that you will make it." he said.

1.What's the main idea of the passage?  (No more than 15 words)

2.Which canal did Mike Perham cross? (No more than 3 words)

3.What does the underlined word "taste" in the fifth paragraph mean? (1 word)

4.What did Mike believe in? (No more than lO words)

5.What do you think of Mike Perham? (No more than 10 words)

PART THREE   READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Prague
Prague is an ancient European city, featuring one of the most magnificent Old Towns in Europe, along with delicious food, inexpensive shopping and friendly people. Prague is also famous as being home to one of the most famous 20th century writers, Franz Kafka. The famous Czech beer is also one of the reasons to visit Prague.
The narrow streets of the older parts of the town are appealing the visitors to take nice long walk and settle in some of the many restaurants, which offer top-quality foods at a low price. The buildings there are mostly tower-shaped，and so Prague is called “city of a hundred spires.”
Mauritius
Also known as the Paradise on Earth, Mauritius lies about 560 miles (900 km) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It is a place of magnificent natural beauty coupled with excellent customer service, which makes for an unforgettable romantic experience at the edge of the world’s warmest ocean.
There are lots to see and do in Mauritius: the coral reefs (珊瑚礁)surrounding the island offer stunning beauty and great underwater adventures to those who want to dive into the precious waters. The nature of Mauritius mostly resembles that of Paradise, allowing every couple visiting this island to feel like Adam and Eve. That is an experience nobody would want to miss!
Cyprus
The very name Cyprus, it has been said, glitters with an age-old myth. Today, history and hedonism (快乐论)are comfortably mixed on the island. Some five-star resorts within walking distance of well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins offer the convenience the modern traveler has come to expect.
Cyprus features a romantic history, as it was Anthony’s gift to his beloved Cleopatra during the glorious days of the Roman Empire. Maybe that is why you feel always a little special once you set foot on Cyprus.
For more information about many other most romantic places in the world, just log on at http://www.jurgita.com.
56. The underlined word “spires” in Paragraph 2 means        .
A. narrow streets                                                B. inexpensive restaurants
C. top-quality foods                                           D. tower-shaped buildings    
57. We learn from the text that Mauritius        .
A. is part of Madagascar                                     B. is an ideal destination for couples
C. is in central Indian Ocean                               D. is most famous for its good service
58. What makes Cyprus different from the other two places?
A. It is located on an island.                                B. It offers charming resorts.
C. It was given as a present.                                D. It has a very long history.
59. A common feature of Mauritius and Cyprus is that they are         .
A. old                     B. romantic            C. rich              D. mysterious
60. What is the main purpose of the author?
A. To attract more visitors.                                   B. To tell traveling experiences.
C. To sell information on line.                                 D. To introduce historical places.

Prague is an ancient European city, featuring one of the most magnificent Old Towns in Europe, along with delicious food, inexpensive shopping and friendly people. Prague is also famous as being home to one of the most famous 20th century writers, Franz Kafka. The famous Czech beer is also one of the reasons to visit Prague.

The narrow streets of the older parts of the town are appealing the visitors to take nice long walk and settle in some of the many restaurants, which offer top-quality foods at a low price. The buildings there are mostly tower-shaped，and so Prague is called “city of a hundred spires.”

Mauritius

Also known as the Paradise on Earth, Mauritius lies about 560 miles (900 km) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It is a place of magnificent natural beauty coupled with excellent customer service, which makes for an unforgettable romantic experience at the edge of the world’s warmest ocean.

There are lots to see and do in Mauritius: the coral reefs (珊瑚礁) surrounding the island offer stunning beauty and great underwater adventures to those who want to dive into the precious waters. The nature of Mauritius mostly resembles that of Paradise, allowing every couple visiting this island to feel like Adam and Eve. That is an experience nobody would want to miss!

Cyprus

The very name Cyprus, it has been said, glitters with an age-old myth. Today, history and hedonism (快乐论) are comfortably mixed on the island. Some five-star resorts within walking distance of well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins offer the convenience the modern traveler has come to expect.

Cyprus features a romantic history, as it was Anthony’s gift to his beloved Cleopatra during the glorious days of the Roman Empire. Maybe that is why you feel always a little special once you set foot on Cyprus.

For more information about many other most romantic places in the world, just log on at http://www.jurgita.com.

1.The underlined word “spires” in Paragraph 2 means         .

   A. narrow streets                                                              B. inexpensive restaurants

   C. top-quality foods                                                           D. tower-shaped buildings      

2.We learn from the text that Mauritius         .

   A. is part of Madagascar                                                 B. is an ideal destination for couples

   C. is in central Indian Ocean                                           D. is most famous for its good service

3.What makes Cyprus different from the other two places?

   A. It is located on an island.                                            B. It offers charming resorts.

   C. It was given as a present.                                          D. It has a very long history.

4.A common feature of Mauritius and Cyprus is that they are         .

   A. old                                                                            B. romantic

   C. rich                                                                                    D. mysterious

5.What is the main purpose of the author?

A. To attract more visitors.                                             B. To tell traveling experiences.

C. To sell information on line.                                        D. To introduce historical places.

I’m glad to find this comment which has some sort of support in this quest（寻求）I have to eat raw（未煮熟的）foods. I’m an unhealthy 49 years old and have come to the conclusion that it’s now or never, so I am taking a dive into the raw eating lifestyle.
I have to cook for my family and prepare what they want to eat. I’m trying to plan out this better so I have some of these unusual foods ready for myself.
I’ve read several books written by Ann Wigmore and like her approach to the living foods.
Last week I attempted fasting（禁食）and failed. I lasted five days by having carrots, spinach, apples and other vegetarian diets I could get my hands on. I was doing fine until I drank some coffee. I kind of proved it in my mind to have the coffee but it only made me excited and then I couldn’t sleep well and felt hungry and weak. So I stopped and went back to the old way of eating with the family.
This week I started to make a drink called rejuvelac made of sprouted wheat（芽麦）. This is fairly new to do for me and the drink smelled sort of musty（发霉的）and tasted kind of like a musty lemon. The kids tasted it and almost threw up but surprisingly it tasted good to me. It is supposed to help in digestion（消化）.
I’ve made some attempts to grow wheat grass. I think I have figured that out as long as I keep it away from birds and our horses. I have two habits to get rid of, drinking coffee and smoking. I quit smoking last month but something happened, so I started up again. I’m very frustrated(受挫的) with the smoking and really have a desire to quit for good. Anyhow I will keep this updated on my progress.
【小题1】The author must have ________ before she wrote this article.

A．hesitated at whether she should eat raw foods

B．never eaten raw foods

C．made up her mind to eat raw foods instead of cooked ones

D．been discouraged by her family from fasting

A．the author has given up

B．the author will never give up

C．it’s hard for the author to quit

D．it’s easy for the author to quit