(C) Have you ever run out of coffee or tea? Found no eggs in the fridge and the nearest shop is too far away? Well all that can change in the future.

If all goes well,intelligent (智能的) kitchens will soon help solve all your problems. The kitchen of the future will give wise advice on planning your menu for the day. Do you care about your weight? It will tell you the right diet and what is good for your health. It will even keep in mind your likes and dislikes!

If you are all thumbs (笨手笨腳) in the kitchen,the kitchen-mate computer system will spell out the ingredients (酉己料) needed for each dish according to the diet and tell you how to mix them!The diet is downloaded by the smart kitchen from the internet after checking the ingredients in the larder (食物櫥) . Want to bake the rich,creamy chocolate cake? The kind that mother or grandmother makes? You have it.

With the help of the kitchen's computer system,this smart kitchen will promise to keep a weather eye open for all your needs and plus some in the larder I So what happens if the larder is empty like old Mother Hubbard's? The kitchen will automatically (自動(dòng)地) call and place an order at the local supermarket.

() 7. What is the correct order of the following events the smart kitchen does?

(I) It spells out the ingredients needed for each dish. (2) It tells you how to mix them.

(3) It downloads the diet from the Internet. ④ It checks the ingredients in the larder. A.④③①② B①②③④ C.②④③① D.③①②④

() 8. Which of the following about the smart kitchen is NOT mentioned in the passage?

   A. It can advise you to plan your menu for the day.

   B. It can help you bake the rich,creamy chocolate cake.

   C. It can refuse the dirty water after washing the dishes.

   D. It can remember your favourite foods.

() 9. If you have run out of coffee in smart kitchen,what will happen?

   A. You will have to go to the nearest shop yourself.

   B. The computer system will spell out what you need.

   C. The kitchen can place an order at the local supermarket.

   D. The kitchen can give advice on how to buy coffee.

Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child,his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn,New York. As a teenager,Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City,Even at age 18 ,Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict) , and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school,which Rock says was terrible.

Famous comedians (喜劇演員) went to see Flock's performances. One comedian ( Eddie Murphy ) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies,but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him,comedy is more important. It makes people 

Today,Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called “Everybody Hates Chris. ” It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006,it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.

() 4. What is this passage mainly about?

   A. How to tell a good joke.

   B. Where the best comedy clubs are.

   C. One comedian's life.

   D. The funniest people in the United States.

() 5. Chris Rock tells a lot of jokes about .

   A. South Carolina   B. Brooklyn

   C. Los Angeles   D. Texas

() 6. Which sentence about Chris Rock is true?

   A. As a teenager,he was not funny.

   B. He started working in clubs after he graduated from college.

   C. He loved going to high school.

   D. A famous comedian helped him get work on TV and in the movies.

A little girl stood near a small church. She had to leave because it was too crowded. “I can't go to Sunday School”，she cried to the pastor (牧師) as he walked by. The pastor guessed the reason,and took her by the hand,took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place in the school.

Some years later,this child was dying in one of the poor buildings. And the parents sent for the kindhearted pastor to meet their daughter. As her poor little body was being moved,they found a worn purse. Inside was found 57 cents and a note which read, ⁴⁴This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School. ”

For two years she had saved for this offering of love. Carrying this note,the pastor told the story of the little girl's unselfish love.

A newspaper learned of the love story and published it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a part of land worth many thousands. When he was told that the church could not pay so much,he offered it for 57 cents.

Church members made a large donation. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $ 250,000,a large sum for that time.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia,look up Temple Baptist Church,with 3,300 seats in it. Have a look,too,at a Sunday School building. It's so big that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday School time.

() 1. Why did the girl have a purse with 57 cents?

   A. To save money for her future career.

   B. To build a large building for more children to live in.

   C. To help build a church big enough for every child to go to.

   D. To gave it to her parents as a present.

() 2. What can we learn according to the story?

   A. Church members donated because they needed a big church.

   B. The girl's unselfish love was rewarded (獎(jiǎng)賞) at last.

   C. The pastor found 57 cents saved by the little girl.

   D. Temple Baptist Church is a small church the girl went to.

() 3. Which is the best title of the passage?

   A. 57 cents   B. A Little Girl's Wish

   C. Pastor and Girl   D. A Bigger Church

(D) These days haze (霧霾) is around us here and there. In fact,everyone has the power to change their living habits to help reduce it. Many local governments call on their people to take action to make the air cleaner.

Transport is one of the biggest contributors (促成物) to haze. When,where,how,why and what you drive all influence air quality. When one drives to work for one year,he uses as much energy as a bus rider uses in 10 years. So walk or ride your bicycle to work or school whenever possible. If it is necessary,you can use public transport instead of your car. Each person using public transport for a year instead of a car can save nearly a tonne of pollutants,including C0₂， from going into the atmosphere.

Carpooling is another way to reduce carbon emissions (排放) .Carpooling is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car. It immediately reduces your car's emissions by half.

What you do inside your living space can have a big effect on the air quality outside it. You can do a lot of things inside and around your home that will help you pollute less and save some money.

A large amount of our energy supply comes from burning coal (煤) ，another contributor to haze. By cutting down your electricity use,you are cutting down on haze. So you may try to reduce your use of electricity by turning off lights,using your air conditioner wisely during the summer months,or updating some of your electrical appliances to low-energy models. For example,you can use energy-saving lamps that require less energy and last 10 times longer than common ones.

() 10. Which does the writer think should play an important role in reducing haze?

   A. City cleaners. B. Haze producers.

   C. Local governments. D. Common people.

() 11. We can infer (推斷) from the passage that the writer thinks .

   A. cars can be used only when people have to

   B. cars should be given up as soon as possible

   C. cars must be improved to reduce air pollution

   D. cars may cause the most serious pollution of all

() 12. We should reduce the use of electricity mainly because .

   A. we can save a lot of money by using less energy

   B. coal is now becoming rarer and rarer on our planet

   C. harmful things come out while electricity is produced

   D. electrical appliances send out something harmful to our air

() 13. Which can be the best title for the passage?

   A. What are causing haze around us

   B. What you can do to reduce haze

   C. How dangerous haze is to our life

   D. How important it is to reduce haze

(C) The cost of medical care in the United States is very high. More time and money that doctors spend on their medical education is probably one reason for this problem.

A visit to a doctor's office costs from 15 to 50 dollars. It is almost impossible for people to pay for the medical care they need. Many people in the United States think that doctors are overpaid. Most doctors,however,disagree. They say that they were required to study medicine for a long time. Tuition for many years of medical education costs a lot of money. Doctors say that it is necessary for most medical students to borrow money from bank to pay their tuition. Because their money must be repaid to the bank,young doctors need to receive a lot of money for their work. So,they charge (收費(fèi)) people high prices for medical care.

Therefore,it is possible that the high cost of medical care in America is unnecessary,because high tuition is one cause of high costs. One way to lower costs would be to have medical schools that are free or have low tuition.

() 7. The word “tuition” in the passage probably refers to .

   A. teaching the students   B. studying the courses

   C. payment (付款) for education   D. living at school

() 8. In the passage,the reason for the high medical cost is that .

   A. tuition in medical schools is high   B. the price of medicine is high

   C. doctors are overpaid   D. doctors must pay money to the banks

() 9. The main idea of the article is that .

   A. a visit to a doctor's office may cost as much as $ 15 to $ 50 in the United States

   B. the cost of medical care is the main reason for the high costs in the United States

   C. medical care in the United States costs a lot of money because doctors want to be rich

   D. the high cost of tuition in medical schools is one reason for the high cost of medical care in America

In a small village in England about 150 years ago,a mail coach was standing on the street. Around the coach many people were talking to one another about it.

Mail coach did not come to that village so often in those days. People had to pay a lot of money to get a letter. The person who sent the letter did not have to pay. The person who got the letter had to pay the money.

“ Here's a letter for Miss Alice Brown ,” said the mailman. Everyone turned to a girl of about eighteen who was standing by the coach. “I'm Alice Brown ,” she said in a low voice. The mailman gave her the letter.

Alice looked at the envelope for a minute,and then handed it back to the mailman.

“I'm sorry I can't take it, ” she said. “I don't have enough money to pay the postage. ”

The people standing around were very sorry for the girl. They were silent for a while. Then a gentleman came up to the mailman and paid the money for Alice's letter.

When the gentleman gave her the letter,she said with a smile, “Oh,thank you very much， sir. This letter is from the young man Pm going to marry. His name is Tom. He went to London to look for work. He has to get enough money for our marriage. I've waited a long time for this letter， but now I don't need it. I don't have to open the envelope because there is nothing inside. ”

“Really?” the gentleman said in surprise. “ How do you know that?” “ He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope. Look,sir,this cross in the comer means that he is well,and this circle means he has found work. That's very good news. ”

The gentleman was Sir Rowland Hill. He did not forget Alice and her letter.

“ The postage to be paid by the receiver has to be changed”’ he said to himself. He thought and thought for many years. At last he had a good plan.

“The postage has to be much lower”’ he said. ‘‘What about a penny (便士) for a letter? And the person who sends the letter pays the postage. He has to buy a stamp and put it on the envelope. ”

“A good idea!” people said when they heard of his plan.

The Government decided to accept the plan. The first postage stamp was put out in 1840. It was called the “ Penny Black” . It had a picture of the Queen on it.

() 4. The first postage stamp was made .

   A. in England   B. in America   C. by Alice   D. in 1910

() 5. When the girl returned the letter to the mailman,   .

   A. the people around her felt sorry for her

   B. the people thought that the girl was too poor

   C. none of them wanted to pay the money for her

   D. the people were angry with the girl

() 6. Alice knew how Tom was getting from the signs on the envelope because .

   A. Tom had told her what the signs meant before leaving for London

   B. Alice was clever and could guess the meaning of the signs

   C. Alice had put the signs on the envelope herself

   D. Tom had put the signs as Alice had told him to

Part H

(A)

I often hear some students say English is difficult,and it gives them a headache. So they can't learn it well. But English is very easy for me. Pm good at it. Pm very glad to tell you something about how I study English.

First,I think an interest in English is very important. When I was in Grade One,we had a new subject—English. It was fresh for me. I was interested in it'so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got very good marks. How happy I was! After that,I learned English harder and harder. Our English teacher often teaches us English songs,and the songs sound nice.

I often think how interesting English is!

Second,as English is a foreign language,I think I should learn it well in the following ways ： listen to the teacher carefully,speak bravely,read aloud and have a good vocabulary. Then practice again and again,never be tired. And I also have a good habit ： Asking whenever I have a question. I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand!

Besides this,I often read English stories,jokes and easy novels. From these I know English is not only interesting,but also useful. They help me understand a lot of things. So to do more reading is an important way to learn English well.

And I also do some exercises from our class magazines,and I often write English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine.

Now I have learned English for more than two years. I always came first in the exams in our school. From these words,I hope every student can learn English well.

() 1. The write tells us that we should be in English if we want to learn it well.

   A. interest   B. interested   C. interesting   D. strict

() 2. The writer thinks English is interesting because .

   A. English is full of stories

   B. English is full of jokes

   C. his teacher often teaches them nice English songs

   D. of nothing

() 3. Which of the following is not the way the writer studies?

   A. Speaking bravely. B. Writing to foreign friends.

   C. Reading aloud. D. Writing English diaries

“ I hate school,and I'm not going back! ”

Have you ever had that thought? Lots of kids do. Usually this feeling doesn’t last long. But what will happen if you feel this way too much? School is a fact of life and getting an education can help you build the kind of future life you want. So let's talk about school and what to do when you don't like it.

If you don't like school,the first step is finding out why. You might not like school because a bully is bothering (打擾) you,or because a kid you don't like wants to hang around with you. Or maybe you don't get along with your teacher. You might feel different or worry that you don't have enough friends.

Sometimes it's a problem with your classes and schoolwork. Maybe the work is too easy and you get bored. Or maybe the work is too hard,or you don't feel as smart as the other kids. Reading may be difficult for you,but youVe expected to do a lot of it. You may be getting farther and farther behind,and it may seem like you’ll never catch up.

It's a good idea to talk to someone about your problems with school. If you feel you can't keep up with your schoolwork,your teachers and school teachers want to help. If all of your subjects seem really hard,a teacher can help you sort things out. Special help is available if you need it. Try not to let the problems go on too long. It's easier to catch up on one chapter than the whole book!

It's especially important to tell an adult if the problem is that you’re being bullied or someone hurts you physically.

Another good idea is to write down your feelings about school in a diary. It's a great way to let out feelings that may be stuck inside you. And you don't have to share what you’ve written with others.

() l0. How many suggestions does the passage make to deal with the problem of hating school?

   A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five

() 11. The underlined word “bully” in Paragraph 3 probably means .

   A. a person who frightens or hurts the weak

   B. a way of putting the ball into play

   C. a person you don't like

   D. a teacher who always punishes you

() 12. In paragraph 5 ,the passage says ‘‘It's easier to catch up on one chapter than the whole book !”，which means .

   A. trying to let the problems go on too long

   B. if you fall behind by one chapter,it is easy to catch up with the others

   C. trying to ask the teachers for help as soon as possible

   D. it is never too late to learn

() 13. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   A. It is a good idea to share what you’ve written in your diary with others.

   B. If all your subjects seem really hard,a teacher cannot help you sort things out.

   C. You’re expected to do a lot of reading difficult for you in school.

   D. When the work in school is easy,you won’t hate school.

In 2013,sherlock(神探夏洛克) will return for a third TV series because it's so popular in England. But to many people, Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective in the world.

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was created by Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle,who wrote many stories about the detective between 1887 and 1927.

Holmes lived in a flat at 221b Baker Street in London. He wasn^ a tidy man and left things everywhere in his room. He had the habit of smoking heavily,which was not considered bad at that time. Holmes had a strong sense of humor and enjoyed “doing the right thing”. He would lie to the police or break into houses when he believed it was the right thing to do. In his time,such actions were not bad if they were done for good reasons. It is not clear how much money Holmes made. He admitted having enough money to buy a large house and live a rich life. He would refuse to help the wealthy if their cases did not interest him,while he would spend weeks helping the poor.

Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes. Holmes was a big hit in Doyle's day and remains so popular that he is often mistaken for a real figure. Each year thousands of fans write to this British gentleman.

() 7. What did people think of smoking in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?

   A. It looked cool while smoking.

   B. It did harm to health.

   C. It was not bad for health.

   D. It was necessary for a detective.

() 8. Why do thousands of people around the world write to Holmes?

   A. They think Holmes is a real person.

   B. They want to learn to write novels from Arthur Conan Doyle.

   C. They want to get some ideas about writing novels.

   D. They need Holmes’ help.

() 9. The passage is mainly about .

   A. famous writer of detective stories

   B. a fictional but famous detective in the world

   C. a helpful detective in the world

   D. a helpful writer who often helps others

(B) Chinese pianist Lang Lang arrived at the 56th Grammy Awards (格萊美獎(jiǎng)) at Staples Center on Sunday,January 26,2014,in Los Angeles. And Lang Lang received International Artist of the Year 2013,at London's Royal Albert Hall. He has been called “the most popular pianist on the planet. ”

Like every successful person, Lang went through years of hard and lonely practice before he became famous. Lang grew up in a Chinese family with a strict father and a kind mother. He began to take piano lessons at the age of three. With great talent,he won his first competition at the age of five. When he was nine,Lang went to learn music in Beijing. His father even gave up his job and moved to Beijing with his son. Then came the difficult time. “I got fired by the piano teacher six months later. My piano dream was destroyed ,” Lang said. Learning the son's failure， Lang Lang⁹s father was so angry that he even told Lang to jump off a building!Of course Lang didn't jump. The pressure (壓力) changed into power. He became famous around the world at the age of 17 at “Gala of the century”，a well-known concert in Chicago,US.

Lang said it was his true love of music and the piano that made him keep working. “I fell in love with the piano when I was watching Tom—the cat playing it in the cartoon of TOM AND JERRY. Today playing music on the piano is still the happiest thing in the world for me. ”

When he talks about his success,Lang says ,‘‘ Apart from his love of music and the time and effort he puts into practice,musical friends have shown him the right way! ”

() 4. According to the passage,what was the difficult time for Lang Lang?

   A. He became famous all around the world when he was only 17.

   B. His true love of music and the piano made him keep working.

   C. His father gave up job and moved to Beijing with him.

   D. He got fired by the piano teacher and his father asked him to jump off the building.

() 5. The happiest thing in Lang's life is .

   A. living with his parents in Beijing

   B. playing music on the piano

   C. playing at “Gala of the Century”

   D. watching Tom playing the piano

() 6. The best title for the passage is .

   A. A Hard Way to the Top

   B. Musical Friends Show the Right Way

   C. Lang Lang and His Father

   D. How to Play the Piano Well