“How was school, Ben?” I asked my grandson after he began kindergarten(幼兒園) this year. “The work is too long… and there’s not enough time to play,” he replied.
I couldn’t help but remember Ben’s own mother, my daughter, Jane, and her reaction(反應(yīng)) to the first day of school. Julie was also disappointed with the first day of school and so was her little sister. My three-year-old daughter announced angrily after her big sister got on the big yellow school bus, “I want to go ‘sool’ and you not let me!”
When Julie returned home that afternoon, I asked her the same question that I asked Ben, “How was school, Julie?” Julie replied, “I didn’t learn to read today.”
This year as the school bus passed my house, my mind went back to those school days again. I could almost smell the chalk dust in the air. I also wonder what the children these days manage to get chosen to do in order to get out of school for a few moments since there are no erasers to clean. It was fun to be “chosen” for eraser cleaning duty. This was a task finished by going outside and beating erasers together while sneezing and coughing. No wonder so many babies now have allergies(過(guò)敏癥), and it’s simply because we all have chalk dust in our lungs!
On the first day of school, the expectation was so great that I would be ready long before it was time to leave for school. We didn’t have backpacks because we had cigar boxes. We carried our small supplies inside a cigar box from one of the local stores. We saved the cigar boxes and used them from year to year until they fell apart.
The first day of school was exciting. It was a new beginning. The doors of knowledge had been opened. The first day of school is an event in our lives that most of us remember. It’s a big step for a small child toward leaving babyhood and so “there isn’t enough time to play”.
小題1:Why did Jane become angry according to the passage?

A．Because she didn’t learn to read on the first day of school.

B．Because there was too much work for her to do at school.

C．Because she had no time to play at school.

D．Because she was not allowed to go to school.

小題2:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 suggests that       .

A．the author was thinking of her school days jokingly

B．the author warned students against the harm of chalk dust

C．the author suffered from an allergy because of chalk dust

D．the author doubted whether her lungs had chalk dust

小題3:In the opinion of the author, the first day of school is        .

A．a(chǎn) day when a child is the happiest

B．a(chǎn) day when a child does much work

C．the beginning of great learning

D．the end of childhood full of toys

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day.“I was a clothes addict（有癮的人）”he jokes.“I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual（不經(jīng)意的，隨意的） clothes—khaki pants （褲子）and a sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie.“I am working harder than ever.”David says,“and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday（but only on Friday）.This became known as“dress-down Friday”or“casual Friday”.“What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.”said business Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code.” “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company,“so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative（保守的）dress code.”Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（心境，士氣）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative influence on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,”one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
小題1:David Smith refers to himself as having been“a clothes addict,”because      .

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

小題2:David Smith wears casual clothes now, because      .

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

小題3:According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 90s.

C．“Dress-down Friday”was first given as a favor from employers.

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.

小題4:In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT_______

A．saving employees’ money	B．making employees more attractive
C．improving employees’ motivation	D．making employees happier

OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING — especially compared with everybody else's (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value — because you are the boss.
1．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET
Here is a toy that doesn't need power — and the kids have to put it together themselves. This 50 - piece puzzle set is made of soft - edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X - ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver.  135; flaxart. com.
2．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL
Sure, it's cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic (磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months.  19. 95; tinylove. com.
3．ROBOSAPIEN
This small, remote - control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions, including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function, which, sadly, does not include doing windows.  99; robosapienonline. com.
4．MINI PEDAL CAR
Want a Mini Cooper but can't fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they'll be driving when they turn 16. For ages 3 to 5.  189; mininss. com (click on “gear up, ” then “Mini motoring gear”) .
小題1:Which toy is said to have the special design for children's safety?

A．ROBOSAPIEN

B．MINI PEDAL CAR

C．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET

D．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL

小題2:Which toys are fit for three - year - old kids?

A．1 and 3.

B．2 and 4.

C．1 and 2.

D．3 and 4.

小題3:Educational value is mentioned in all the toys EXCEPT ________.

A．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET

B．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL

C．ROBOSAPIEN

D．MINI PEDAL CAR

小題4:This passage is written for ________.

A．parents

B．children

C．the writer

D．the boss

I grew up in a small town and the main entertainment was Friday night high school football. It was just a sleepy little town where parents wanted to raise their children away from  36_  and danger of a big city, and where teenagers like me _37_ leaving to find something bigger and better.
All that  38 _ one summer night. My friend Lisa, Kim and Tyler held a party for my eighteenth birthday at Lisa’s house. As they kept  _39_ alcohol to me, I was pretty drunk. I asked Tyler to take me home. With some 40 _ , we made it out to his car and drove home. News came next morning. Kim, my friend   41__ we were five years old, was killed in a car accident. That night after Tyler and I left, Kim, who was _42__ more drunk than me, got into her car and  43_  towards the highway to go home, She was driving on the wrong side of the road and never saw the truck coming. The driver didn’t see her  _44_ to avoid the car. They hit head on. Kim died immediately, and the driver was thrown  45_ the truck windshield(擋風(fēng)玻璃)and died a week later.
Whenever I  46_ back on that day, I can’t help thinking that it was my  47 to drink so much that night, otherwise things would be different. I know Kim  48_ the choice to drink and drive that night , but a part of me will always feel  49 _for what happened.
I may not change the  50_ with my story, but I do hope that I can make people 51 the responsibility that they have to themselves and others by  52 it. Don’t ever think that your choices are yours  __53 .Every choice is like a stone dropped into  54  water-each ripple(波紋)represents someone who your choice  55 . That’s quite an influence, isn’t it?

小題1:	A．death B．fashion C．crime D．challenge

小題2:	A．succeeded in B．dreamed of C．a(chǎn)pplied for D．a(chǎn)pproved of

小題3:	A．happened B．continued C．changed D．remained

小題4:	A．sending B．delivering C．taking D．handing

小題5:	A．pleasure B．difficulty C．hope D．method

小題6:	A．before B．until C．when D．since

小題7:	A．constantly B．frequently C．clearly D．equally

小題8:	A．headed B．walked C．pushed D．fled

小題9:	A．in trouble B．in time C．in danger D．in place

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)bove B．below C．into D．through

小題11:

A．turn B．hold C．right D．get

小題12:

A．desire B．fault C．right D．chance

小題13:

A．faced B．a(chǎn)voided C．regretted D．made

小題14:

A．responsible B．disappointed C．embarrassed D．sensitive

小題15:

A．town B．party C．world D．environment

小題16:

A．explain B．escape C．limit D．realize

小題17:

A．remembering B．sharing C．declaring D．stopping

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)lone B．finally C．a(chǎn)part D．perhaps

小題19:A clean          B. deep            C. still           D. fresh

小題20:

A．a(chǎn)ffects B．inspires C．a(chǎn)ttracts D．benefits

English teenagers are to receive compulsory (必修的) cooking lessons in schools. The idea is to encourage healthy eating to fight the country’s increasing obesity (肥胖 )rate. It’s feared that basic cooking and food preparation skills are being lost as parents turn to pre-prepared convenience foods.
Cooking was once regarded as an important part of education in England---even if it was mainly aimed at girls. In recent decades cooking has progressively become a minor activity in schools. In many cases the schools themselves have given up cooking meals in kitchens in the schools. But the rising level of obesity has led to a rethink about the food that children are given and the skills they should be taught.
“What I want is to teach young people how to do basic, simple recipes like a tomato sauce, a bolognaise, a simple curry, a stir-fry---which they can use now at home and then in their later life”, said Ed Balls, the minister responsible for schools.
The new lessons are due to start in September, but some schools without kitchens will be given longer to adapt. There is also likely to be a shortage of teachers with the right skills, since the trend has been to teach food technology rather than practical cooking. Also the compulsory lessons for hands on cooking will only be one hour a week for one term. But the well-known cookery writer, Pru Leith, believes it will be worth it.
“If we’d done this thirty years ago we might not have the crisis we’ve got now about obesity and lack of knowledge about food and so on. Every child should know how to cook, not just so that they’ll be healthy, but because it’s a life skill which is a real pleasure”.
The renewed interest in cooking is primarily a response to the level of obesity in Britain which is among the highest in Europe, and according to government figures half of all Britons will be obese in 25 years if current trends are not stopped.
小題1:The passage mainly talks about        .

A．the reason for obesity	B．the lost cooking skills
C．the healthy eating	D．the compulsory cooking classes

小題2:Which of the following is NOT the purpose for English teenagers to receive cooking lessons?

A．To encourage teenagers to eat healthy food.

B．To reduce the country’s increasing obesity rate.

C．To stop parents from turning to pre-prepared convenience foods.

D．To prevent basic cooking and food preparation skills from being lost.

小題3:In what way will cooking lessons benefit the students?

A．They will be healthy and enjoy the pleasure of such a life skill as well.

B．They will be able to do some basic, simple recipes like a tomato sauce.

C．They will be able to make food experiments with the knowledge and skills.

D．They will be able to control the level of obesity in the whole country.

小題4:The well-known cookery writer, Pru Leith, thinks it        to offer compulsory cooking lessons in schools.

A．difficult

B．necessary

C．funny

D．timely

小題5:It can be inferred from the passage that       .

A．cooking has always been an important part of school education in England

B．the obesity rate in Britain has been rapidly growing in recent decades

C．English teenagers will have their cooking lessons twice a week for one year

D．the students will pay a lot of money to the school for the

小題1:Who is writing the postcard?

A．Fiona.

B．Janet.

C．Terry.

D．Jacqui.

小題2:Where are they staying now?

A．North of the Great Wall.	B．In the south of England.
C．In a big city.	D．In a village.

小題3:Which one is NOT right?

A．John is reading a newspaper.

B．The children are swimming in the river.

C．Terry is lying in the sun.

D．Janet is in the house.

小題4:How do they like the holiday？

A．enjoyable

B．terrible

C．boring

D．bad

When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall, they will be joined by a new face: Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost (教務(wù)長(zhǎng)) of Yale, who will become Oxford’s vice-chancellor –– a position equal to university president in America.
Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc. have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel (人員) tend to head in only one direction: Outward from America.
The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board finally picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a particularly American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student numbers. The decline in government support has made fund-raising an increasingly necessary ability among administrators (管理人員), and has made hiring committees hungry for Americans.
In the past few years, well-known schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2011, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen (監(jiān)督) “ a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position”.
Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind to promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective (視角) on established practices.
小題1: What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the text?

A．Institutions worldwide are hiring administrators from the U.S.

B．More international students are being admitted to American universities.

C．University presidents are paying more attention to fund-raising.

D．A lot of activists are being hired as administrators.

小題2: What do we learn about European universities from the text?

A．The tuition they charge has been rising considerably.

B．They are strengthening their position by globalization.

C．Their operation is under strict government control.

D．Most of their money comes from the government.

小題3: In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?

A．They can improve the university’s image.

B．They will bring with them more international personnel.

C．They will view a lot of things from a new angle.

D．They can set up new academic subjects.

小題4: Which of the following would make the best title of the text?

A．High Education Globalization

B．Global Headhunting in Higher Education

C．Global Higher Education Cooperation

D．Universal Higher Education Development

Kids Fishing Photo Contest
It certainly isn’t hard to “ picture it”, that is – smiles, laughs, looks of anticipation (期望) and excitement. So, join in the fun, catch the excitement of your child on film while fishing and enter his or her picture in the yearly Kids Fishing Photo Contest! The contest is sponsored by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) in celebration of National Fishing Week!
The winning pictures are those that best catch the theme “kids enjoying fishing”. Children in the first through third place photographs of each category will receive different fishing-related prizes. Winning pictures will also be posted on the VDGIF website and may be used in all kinds of VDGIF publications. There is no need to be a professional photographer. Any photo will do.
Contest Rules
·Children in the photographs must fall into one of the following age groups when the picture is taken: 1—4, 6—10.
·Photos must not be more than 1 year old.
·Photos must be taken in Virginia.
·Children in a boat must be wearing a life jacket.
·Only one photo submission (提交) per child.
·Submit the photo on photograph quality paper, no CD’s accepted.
·Photos must not be bigger than “4×6” size.
·Please stick a piece of paper to the back of the photo including: name, age, address, phone number and location where the photograph was taken.
·A Photo Contest Release Form (PDF) must be submitted along with the photograph.
·Photos must be postmarked on or before April 19, 2013.
·Judging will take place in May and winners will be posted on the VDGIF website.
·Prizes will be sent directly to the winning children.
·This contest isn’t open to immediate family of VDGIF employees and sponsors. Immediate family members refer to children, siblings (同胞) or others living in the same household with a VDGIF or sponsor employee.
To Enter:
Send your photo, with the child’s name, age, phone number and address, along with the Photo Contest Release Form (PDF), to:
Kids Fishing Photo Contest
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
P.O. Box 11104
Richmond, VA 23230–1104
小題1:The advertisement is intended for ________.

A．children who are below 11 years old

B．people whose children like fishing

C．those who are good at photos

D．those whose parents like fishing

小題2: The purpose of the contest is to ________.

A．encourage people to take more pictures

B．help people realize the importance of fishing

C．celebrate a national fishing-related activity

D．encourage people to go fishing with kids

小題3: Which of the following photos can enter the contest?
A. A photo which is in a CD.
B. A photo in which there is a 12-year-old girl.
C. A big photo which is “8×10” size.
D. A photo which was taken in Virginia on July 23, 2012.
小題4: What should be sent with the photo together?
A. A life jacket.
B. A quality CD.
C. A stamped addressed envelope.
D. A Photo Contest Release Form.

Some time ago, I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended , as there are a whole lot of antique (古董) shops near my home . So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and, the fourth-so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds.” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes I saw that, it’s nothing.”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” he said.  “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I’m sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, ‘Would you mend this chair for me’?” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a five?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.
小題1:We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer     .

A．was rather impolite	B．was warmly received
C．a(chǎn)sked the shopkeeper to buy his chair	D．a(chǎn)sked the shopkeeper to repair his chair

小題2:The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper     .

A．changed his mind	B．saw the writer’s purpose
C．a(chǎn)ccepted the offer	D．decided to help the writer

小題3:How much did the writer pay?

A．£5

B．£7

C．£20

D．£27

小題4:From the text, we can learn that the writer was         .

A．smart

B．careful

C．honest

D．funny

One year ago, I traveled 15,000 kilometers from Australia to the US. I am from a beachside town in the   16  of Sydney, and thought there would be almost no   17  differences between my home country and my 18  . I was surprised at how wrong I was, and at  19  different the two countries could be.
The United States is   20  in almost every aspect. The buildings are gigantic (巨大的) and so are the people who   21  and work in them. At mealtimes, the portions (份額) often   22  to me to be big enough for three or four people. I once   23  a baked potato which turned out to be bigger than my head! This was a big   24  for me.
The longer I spent in the US, the more I started to   25  smaller differences like the culture of   26  in restaurants. In Australia we don’t tend to give a tip   27  the service has been really excellent. In the US you tip for   28  everything, even at the hairdresser. Waiters and shop assistants   29  to be given 15 percent of the bill, although in places   30 New York or Washington DC, a tip can be as much as 20 percent.
  31 , I also became more wary (謹(jǐn)慎的) of believing the stereotypes (成見(jiàn)) I had heard at home as I traveled. Not all Americans are ignorant of geography, for example.
Despite this, certain stereotypes about places did seem to   32  true for me. There is an immense (強(qiáng)烈的) sense of speed in New York. Everyone   33  to and fro, and very seldom takes time to   34  the moment. This is very different from the Australian lifestyle. Australians are laid back. Even in a major city like Sydney, we “Aussies” take time to “stop and smell the roses”---very different from our American counterparts.
Navigating (駕馭) the culture divide between Australia and the US was challenging at times. But I took up that   35  and learned a lot from it. It was an adventure.

小題1:	A．heart B．city C．center D．suburbs

小題2:	A．cultural B．commercial C．economic D．scientific

小題3:	A．home town B．departure C．location D．destination

小題4:	A．how B．why C．however D．where

小題5:	A．big B．modern C．small D．fashionable

小題6:	A．travel B．survive C．live D．serve

小題7:	A．happened B．seemed C．proved D．managed

小題8:	A．brought B．ordered C．designed D．fetched

小題9:	A．laughter B．pleasure C．shock D．embarrassment

小題10:

A．prefer B．notice C．tell D．a(chǎn)ppreciate

小題11:

A．serving B．tipping C．donating D．toasting

小題12:

A．unless B．if C．when D．since

小題13:

A．rarely B．mostly C．a(chǎn)lmost D．hardly

小題14:

A．try B．wait C．think D．expect

小題15:

A．like B．a(chǎn)long C．for D．in

小題16:

A．So B．Therefore C．However D．But

小題17:

A．come B．become C．turn D．get

小題18:

A．walks B．drives C．wanders D．rushes

小題19:

A．depend on B．reflect on C．spy on D．watch on

小題20:

A．experience B．job C．challenge D．business