Listening to music can help me focus better. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or to focus creatively. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.
I first noticed the good effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days before Christmas in 2005 and I was playing online video games. My parents had just given me a new MP3, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a great change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. The music relaxed me, and, to a certain extent, distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious (潜意识的) talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thoughts or actions.
Music can also have a great effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work, I’ll listen to some of Bob Marley’s and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer, I did a boring job collecting bottle openers by hand. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background, I would have hated life.
Listening to music with relaxing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts. But the results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. By trial and error you’ll finally discover your best choice. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music works best for me.

1. 1.

   We can infer that the passage was written in __________.

   1. A.
      2005
   2. B.
      2006
   3. C.
      2007
   4. D.
      2008
2. 2.

   The author first discovered the effects of music __________.

   1. A.
      from his parents
   2. B.
      by chance
   3. C.
      at work
   4. D.
      when he was a child
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements is NOT an effect of music for the author?

   1. A.
      It helps him block out the outside world.
   2. B.
      It arouses his subconscious talent.
   3. C.
      It helps his mind relax.
   4. D.
      It makes him work without any thought.
4. 4.

   The author mentions the experience of collecting bottle openers in Paragraph 3 to ________.

   1. A.
      tell us that life is dull
   2. B.
      prove that music affects mood
   3. C.
      tell us how to seek happiness
   4. D.
      tell us bad mood can affect work
5. 5.

   In order to get the greatest effect of music, you are advised to ________.

   1. A.
      listen to some of Bob Marley’s
   2. B.
      only choose relaxing music
   3. C.
      test all kinds of music
   4. D.
      listen to classic rock

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Last night, when I was driving back home, I noticed a hitchhiker(搭便车的人) who was having no luck getting a ride. I rolled down my  36  and signed to the man to my car. I asked him where he was  37  and he told me he needed a  38  to his doctor’s office which would close in 15 minutes. I told him to  39  and he gratefully did so.
40  he got in he told me that he was a  41  and went out to sea for weeks at a time. He took medicine for his nerves and  42  to get another prescription(处方) before he left on the boat. He said that he had prayed (祈祷) 43  would stop for him so he could be there before the  44     office closed. With some  45  driving we managed to make it there in about 10  46. I then asked him how he  47  on getting back home and he said he could walk. “I’ll patiently  48     for you and bring you back,” I told him. He  49  me and said he should only be about 15 minutes.
Afterwards he got back in my 50 and tried his hardest to pay me back: offering me dinner, gas money, even offering to ship me 40 lbs of scallops (海扇贝)! I  51  refused, gave him a smile card and asked him to help someone else the next time he had a  52. I drove him back to where I had picked him up and  53  one more “thank you” he was on his way.
I feel that the universe  54   provides us with what we need. In the man’s  55  it was a ride, in mine the opportunity to help someone else.

I watch her and her mother decorate her college dormitory room. Everything is in place organized and arranged. Her room nicely accommodates not only her clothes and bric-a-brac(小摆设), but her ___36___ as well. I begin to accept that her room at home is no longer hers. It is now ours, our room for her when she ___37___.
I ___38___ myself thinking of when I held her in the cradle of my arm, in the chair alongside my wife's hospital bed. One day old. So ___39___, so beautiful, so perfect, so ___40___ dependent on her new, ___41___ parents. Time marches relentlessly(不停地).
She looks up now, catching me ___42___ at her, causing her to say to her mother." Mom, Dad's looking at me ___43____”.
The last few days, I touch her arm, her face--- ___44___ that when my wife and I return home, she will not be ___45___ us. I have so much to say, but no ___46___ with which to say it.
My ___47___ changed from the day I drove this child home from the hospital. I saw myself ___48___ that day, and it has led to a lot of places that I would never have found on my own.
She says, “It'll be all right, Dad. I'll be home from school ___49___.” I tell her she will have a great year but I say little else. I am afraid somehow to speak and I only hold on to our good-bye hug a little longer, a little ___50___.
I gaze into her eyes and ___51___to go. My wife's eyes follow her as she leaves us. ___52___ do not. Maybe if I don't look, I can imagine that she really hasn't ___53___ ; I know that what she is embarking upon(开始) is exciting and wonderful. I remember what the world looked like to me ___54___ everything was new.
As I walk to the car with my wife at my side, my eyes are wet, my heart is sore, and I realize that my life is ___55___ forever.

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 53-56.

Important words to learn: E Essential I Improver A Advanced

shoot [ʃu:t]

▲verb (shot, shot) WEAPON→1 E to fire a bullet or an arrow, or to hit, injure or kill a person or animal by firing a bullet or arrow at them: If he’s not armed, don’t shoot. ⊙ The kids were shooting arrows at a target. ⊙She was shot three times in the head.⊙ He has a license to shoot pheasants on the farmer’s land. ⊙ A policeman was shot dead in the city centre last night. ⊙ The troops were told to shoot to kill. SPORT→2 A to try to score points for yourself or your team, in sports involving a ball, by kicking, hitting or throwing the ball towards the goal: He shot from the middle of the field and still managed to score. MOVE QUICKLY→3 A to move in a particular direction very quickly and directly: She shot past me several meters before the finishing line. ⊙ He shot out of the office a minute ago ─ I think he was late for a meeting. ⊙ They were just shooting off to town so we didn’t stop to speak.

shooter ['ʃu:tə] noun[C]He’s thought to be the best shooter in the league.

▲idioms have shot your bolt UK INFORMAL to have already achieved all that you have the power, ability or strength to do and to be unable to do more: He started off the game well but seemed to have shot his bolt by half-time.

• shoot yourself in the foot to do something without intending to which spoils a situation for yourself

• shoot your mouth off INFORMAL to talk too much in a loud and uncontrolled way: It’s just like Richard to go shooting his mouth off about other people’s affairs.

• shoot for the moon US to ask for the best or the most you could hope for: You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise.

• shoot questions at sb to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly, one after the other: He shot questions at me so quickly that I didn’t even have time to answer.

• shoot the breeze US INFORMAL to talk with someone or a group of people about things which are not important: We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze.

▲ phrasal verbs shoot sth down to destroy an aircraft or make an aircraft, bird, etc. fall to the ground by shooting at it: He was killed during the war when his plane was shot down.

shoot sb down to shoot and usually kill someone, showing no sympathy: I saw Tom shoot him down like a dog in the street.

shoot for/at sth US to try to do something: It’s worth taking chances when you’re shooting at a chance of fame and wealth.

shoot out If opposing groups or people armed with guns shoot it out, they shoot at each other until one of the groups or people is dead or defeated.

shoot through AUSTRALIAN INFORMAL to leave a place very quickly, especially in order to avoid having to do something

shoot up INCREASE→INFORMAL to grow in size, or increase in number or level, very quickly: David has really shot up since I saw him last. ⊙ Prices shot up by 25%.

▲ noun PLANT→1[C]the first part of a plant to appear above the ground as it develops from a seed, or any new growth on an already existing plant: Two weeks after we’d planted the seeds, little green shoots started to appear. ⊙ FIGURATIVE The first green shoots (=hopeful signs) of economic recovery have started to appear.

FILM→2[C USUALLY SINGULAR] when photographer take a series of photographs, usually of the same person or people in the same place: We did a fashion shoot on the beach, with the girls modeling swimwear. WEAPON→3[C]an occasion on which a group of people go to an area of the countryside to shoot animals

shooting ['ʃu:tiŋ] noun 1 A [U]when bullets are shot from guns or other weapons: We heard some shooting in the night. 2 A [C]when someone is injured or killed by a bullet shot from a gun: There have been a number of shootings in the capital this week. 3[U]the sport of shooting animals or birds: pleasant/grouse shooting ⊙ He goes shooting most weekends.

53. What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “You will be bound to see that the green shoots of your English level start to grow.”?

         A. Great efforts.                                                     B. Signs of improving.

         C. Learning ability.                                                 D. Change in method.

54. Fill in the blank in the sentence “When it is achieved, there will be other plans to _________.”

         A. shoot at                          B. shoot up                C. shoot down          D. shoot through

55. If you are suffering from the consequence of the plan without full consideration, we say you are __________.

         A. shooting the breeze                                         B. shooting your mouth off

         C. shooting yourself in the foot                          D. shooting questions at somebody

56. Choose a word to complete the sentence “__________ is one of the oldest sport events, which is popular with people both at home and abroad.”

A. Shooter                           B. Shoot                      C. Shot                        D. Shooting

第三部分  阅读理解 （共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

Social customs and ways of behaving changes. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behavior for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room. Customs also change from country to country. Does a man walk on the left or on the right in your company? Or does it matter? Should you have one hand in your lap(衣兜) or on the table? The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs. For example, in both countries people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time. Also most Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman and so will most Americans. Promptness is important both in England and America. That is, if a dinner is for seven o’clock, the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay（拖延）. The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make people feel uncomfortable especially if they are your guests. There is an old story about a man who gave a very formal party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to cut his peas with a knife. The other guests were surprised or shocked, but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guests feel foolish and uncomfortable.

56. If a man smoked in the room where a lady stayed, he would be considered as_____.

A. a gentleman      B , a boss      C. a fool      D. a worker

57. Which of the following is true?

A. A respected man usually behaves properly

B. social customs in some countries never change

C. English people open the door for women while Americans don’t

D. To eat peas with a knife is good manners

58. The underlined word “promptness” means _____.

A. to show respect for a lady     B. to apologize when you are late

C. to invite sb to dinner         D. to do things without delay

59. The writer tells us a story just to ______.

A. amuse the readers       B. tell us how to avoid making others uncomfortable

C. tell us how to eat peas   D. show that social customs and ways change

60. Which might be the title of the passage ?

A. American and British culture       B. Table manners

C. Change old customs              D. Social customs