One day I took a bus with my girlfriend. It was so that we stood for several stops until a vacant seat was for her. 

Then a pretty girl rushed towards me, saying, "Hi, where are you going?"  I was so struck by the stranger that I had a hard time trying to her. Clearly she had taken me somebody else. I returned her greeting with politeness,  to give explanation to my girlfriend later. 

Noticing my dialogue with somebody else, my girlfriend her eyes and found she was pretty. She asked jealously, "Who's she?" The pretty girl, quite of the situation, spoke out first, "Hi, let me myself. I'm Nancy, used to be . Very glad to meet you." She behaved very .

  But I was to search in my memory for someone called Nancy among my neighbors. I was worrying how to explain this to my girlfriend the pretty girl again turned to me, "Will you give me your cell phone number so that we keep contacts later?" I had to submit to her . Then the girl got off the bus at the next stop. 

A minute later I got a short on my phone－from a stranger. My girlfriend my phone and read the note. It was from the girl, who said, "Just now, two thieves tried to your pocket. I had to act as an acquaintance to draw your attention. I should have left at the stop but gave up as I noticed these two thieves also to leave at the same stop. Because of the I delayed my departure. Now you' ll understand all I have done to you. Wish you luck."

1.A.tiring B．slowC．crowded D．messy

2.A.ready B．availableC．special D．suitable

3.A.identify B．realizeC．remind D．judge

4.A.on B．byC．with D．for

5.A.preferring B．planningC．managing D．promising

6.A.fixed B．openedC．raised D．focused

7.A.proud B．carefulC．afraid D．aware

8.A.explain B．enjoyC．introduce D．help

9.A.partners B．neighborsC．friends D．colleagues

10.A.naturally B．generouslyC．cautiously D．normally

11.A.in a hurry B．at a lossC．at ease D．in time

12.A.while B．beforeC．when D．until

13.A.would B．canC．should D．must

14.A.request B．questionC．command D．opinion

15.A.suggestion B．warningC．notice D．message

16.A.removed B．seizedC．found D．caught

17.A.steal B．reachC．get D．pick

18.A.terminal B．formerC．previous D．latter

19.A.pretending B．intendingC．demanding D．announcing

20.A.incident B．matterC．accident D．affair

Perfect Disaster

All around us buildings shook. We decided to leave the town. We stopped once we had left the buildings behind us. The carts were moving in opposite directions, though the ground was perfectly flat, and they wouldn't stay in place even with their wheels blocked by stones.

In addition, it seemed as though the sea was being sucked(吸) backwards, as if it were being pushed back by the shaking of the land. Certainly the shoreline moved outwards, and many sea animals were left on dry sand.

Behind us were frightening dark clouds that opened up to show fire—like lightning, but bigger. Not long after that the clouds reached down to the ground and covered the sea. Now came the dust, though still thin. I looked back. A dense cloud appeared behind us, following us like a flood pouring across the land. Then a darkness came that was not like a moonless or cloudy night, but more like being in a closed and unlighted room. You could hear women and children crying, men shouting. Some were calling for parents, others for children; they could only recognize them by their voices.

Darkness and ashes came again, a great weight of them. We stood up and shook the ash off again and again; otherwise we would have been covered with it and crushed by the weight.

At last the cloud became thinner and thinner until it was no more than smoke or fog. Soon there was real daylight. The sight that met our still terrified eyes was a changed world, buried in ash like snow.

                                       ―from Pliny's letter to a friend

1.Pliny left the town after _____.  

A. the eruption                        B. the sky became dark

C. the buildings began shaking        D. the sea went back

2.The carts wouldn't stay still because _____.

A. the earth was shaking

B. the sea sucked them backwards

C. the wheels had stones under them

D. the lightening frightened the horses

3.The reason why it was dark is that _____.

A. it was very late at night           B. clouds of ash covered the sun

C. there was a very bad storm     D. there was no moon that night

4.People tried to find their relations by calling out their names and      .

A. listening to their voices          B. running about looking for them

C. shaking the ash off people     D. watching people as they ran past

Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.

Here are some very important—and often ignored—guidelines to taking a test successfully.

Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident.

Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things.

Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse(沖動) means we know the answer and we don’t really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful!

If you don’t know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!

Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don’t help yourself in the long run.

1.In the first paragraph, the writer stresses the importance of ______.

A. better preparations for exams.

B. better understanding of English.

C. better skills at taking exams.

D. better results of taking exams.

2.When taking an exam, you are advised ______.

A. to first answer the questions which are easier to you.

B. to depend on your first impulse to answer the questions.

C. to search the test paper for all the answers to the questions.

D. to give up the questions whose answers you don’t know.

3.It is common that many students______.

A. pay much attention to their testing skills.

B. often give up a difficult test halfway.

C. often get higher results by cheating.

D. don’t believe in their first impulse.

4.What would be the best title of the passage?

A. Effective Studying Methods.B. Effective Test Taking Skills.

C. Getting Better Exam Results.D. Being Successful Students.

A NATIONWIDE BESTSELLER

It’s likely that everything you learned about America’s ancient history is wrong.

The new book,1491, completely changes our understanding of the America before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.

DID YOU KNOW?

When Columbus landed there were probably more people in the Americas than there were in Europe.

The peoples of North America had such healthy life-styles that as late as the 19th century they continued to be the tallest people on earth.

Facts have shown that the Americas were populated as long as 33,000 years ago. 4,000 years ago Mesoamerican farmers developed corn in a feat (技藝) of genetic engineering that still isn’t completely understood.

COMMENTS ON 1491

“In the tradition of Jared Diamond & John MePhee, a totally new view of pre-Columbian America”.

－Richard Rhodes

“Attractively written and really absorbing, Charles C.Mann has produced a book that’s part detective story, part epic(史詩)　and part tragedy(悲劇). He has taken on a vast topic: thousands of years, two huge continents, and cultures.”

－Charles Matthews,San Jese Mercary News

“Powerful and challenging”

－Alan Taylor,Washingto post

“A pleasure to read as well as a wonderful education”

－Howard Zinn

1.On the whole,1491 is a book mainly about America’s________.

A. life-styles              B. population           C. history         D. agriculture

2.Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the comments on the book 1491?

A. It is interesting and instructive. 

B. It is attractive and culturally related.

C. It is challenging and revolutionary.  

D. It is humorous and persuasive

3.From this passage, we can learn_________.

A. people settled in the America a little earlier than 1492

B. North Americans were the tallest in the 18th century in the world

C. Mesoamencan farmers knew genetic engineering 5,000 years ago

D. the population in the Americas was smaller than that in Europe in 1492

Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York，So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.

The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?

Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.

I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing （揭露） the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.

I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.

1.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?

A. They took a later flight.                                 

B. They had early bookings.

C. Their flight had been delayed.                       

D. Their flight had been cancelled.

2.What can we learn about the author?

A. She rarely misses a good deal.                

B. She seldom makes a compromise(妥協).

C. She is very strict with her children.          

D. She is interested in cheap products.

3.What does the author do?

A. She's a teacher.                                               B. She's a housewife.        

C. She's a media person.                                     D. She's a businesswoman.

4.What does the author want to tell us?

A. How to expose bad tricks.                            B. How to reserve airline seats.

C. How to spend money wisely.                         D. How to make a business deal.

Years ago, if a teenager had some problems in his or her life, he or she might write in his or her diary. Now a teenager with the same problems might go onto the Internet and write about them in a blog. In many ways, a diary and a blog are almost the same. So, what makes a blog different from a diary?

__1.__ Usually, a teenager treats his or her diary like a book full of secrets. Both diaries and blogs tell what happened to the writer that day.

I have a little sister, and sometimes I go online to read her blog. She writes about things like waking up early for swimming practice and not studying enough for her chemistry exam. __2.__ Then, after I finished writing, I would hide my diary in a secret place because I was worried that my sister might read it!

Because a blog is such a public way of writing, it has both good and bad points. __3.__ If I am angry with a friend during school and write something bad about her in my diary, she will never know. However, if my sister writes something bad about a friend, that friend may read her blog and get angry. __4.__.

A blog has good points, of course. __5.__ People choose to write in blogs because they know that their friends will read what they write. If I am feeling sad one day and write in my diary, “Nobody cares about me,” no one will know about it. However, if my sister writes the same words in her blog, her best friends will quickly reply and tell her how much they like her.

If People are careful about what they write, blogs are a very good way to write about everyday life. However, I still prefer my old diary!

A. So we have to be very careful of what we write.

B. When I was her age, I wrote about the same things, but only in my diary.

C. The biggest problem with a blog is that anyone can read what you write.

D. The biggest difference is that a blog is much more public than a diary.

E. Everyone intends to keep his own secret.

F. Blogs help people stay in contact with their friends and hear what the people around them are doing.

G. When we write a diary we usually write down what we have done or how we think of others.

按照提示完成下列句子。（注意使用正確的形式，每小題1分。）

1.Gaudi the project from 1882 until his death in 1926.(從事)

2. size and population, how big is the Europe Union compared with China? (根據……/ 依照……)

3. , the number increased during the second half of the twentieth century. (逐漸地)

4.The bottom ten countries are all African countries, with Sierra Leone (in West Africa)

the list.(在……底部)

5.The second important goal is to that all children have education up to the age of 11. (確保)

6. , there are 800 tornadoes in the US each year, causing about 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. (平均來說)

7.Tornadoes can the fur the back of a cat and the feathers off a chicken. (去掉)

8.The cemetery where Coghlan was buried was destroyed by the hurricane and Coghlan’s coffin in the sea. (結束，告終)

9.Hundreds of houses when the lava reached them. (著火)

10.During the Renaissance, some of the greatest painters lived and worked in Florence. (有史以來)

A man was walking along the street when he saw a woman struggling with a large package（包裹）. It was half in and half out of her car.

He was a kind of man so he went up to the woman and said, "Let me give you a hand with that package. It looks very ."

"That's very kind of you," the woman said. "I'm having a lot of with it. I think it's stuck."

"Together we'll soon move it," the man said. "I'll get into the and take the other end."

"Oh, that's very . Thank you so much," the woman said gratefully. He got into the back of the car and took hold of the other end of the package.

"Right," he said, "I'm ready." And he began to push with all his .

For several minutes the man and the woman struggled with the package. Soon they were both red in face and out of .

"Let's pause for a minute," the man said. "You're right. It really is ."

They paused for a few to wipe the perspiration from their faces and get their breath back.

Then the man said, "Let's try again. Are you ?"

They took hold of the package again.

"One, two, three!" the man said, and again they their struggle with the package.

At last, when they were both , the man said, "I'm sorry, but the package really seems to be stuck. I don't think there's any way we can get it out of the car."

"Get it out of the car!" the woman cried. "You fool! I'm trying to get it in!"

1.A. helpful B. careful C. useful D. hopeful

2.A. big B. small C. heavy D. light

3.A. problems B. trouble C. pain D. worry

4.A. seat B. package C. street D. car

5.A. sensible B. interesting C. possible D. moving

6.A. car B. box C. seat D. chair

7.A. power B. strength C. hands D. arms

8.A. mind B. air C. exercise D. breath

9.A. stuck B. taken C. shaken D. broken

10.A. times B. hours C. moments D. days

11.A. alright B. ready C. OK D. right

12.A. both B. all C. each D. every

13.A. stopped B. kept C. paused D. continued

14.A. interested B. excited C. exhausted D. surprised

15.A. mostly B. completely C. nearly D. greatly

閱讀下面短文，按照句子結構的語法性和上下文連貫的要求，在空格處填入一個適當的詞或使用括號中詞語的正確形式填空。

Everyone had a childhood. And childhood experiences are often very funny. Children often make us 1.(laugh). It’s true 2.children brighten up a home. They never turn off the lights.

I often recall my childhood, the years 3. many interesting things happened. When I was a two-year-old child, both my parents were always very busy with their work. My mother worked 4. a sales manager in a company while my father served in 5. army. So I lived with my grandma in a village. I was always waiting for my parents at home. Once my father 6. (send) us a photo of his in a soldier’s uniform, 7. was posted on the table reminding me of him.

Once my mother came to see me and we went 8. (shop) together. On the way we saw a group of soldiers. And when I saw them, I became very 9. (excite). I said in a ringing voice pointing to 10. , “This is my father, and this is my father, and that is my father, too!”

My mother said she would remember that moment all her life.

My grandmother often said to me, “You can count the number of your true friends on the fingers of one hand.” For a long time I thought this was true. However, I’ve now discovered my grandmother was only half right. Maybe we do only make a few “best” friends in our lifetime, but those aren’t the only people that we can call friends. There are many different types. Let me tell you about a few of them.

One type of friends is the type I call the “football mom friend”. My neighbor Sally is a good example. We both have kids who play football in a football club, and someone has to take them to practice and pick them up. Sally and I and two other mothers take turns to do this. We meet sometimes and have tea and talk about what our kids are doing, but those are the only times that we meet each other. I enjoy being with these women, but we don’t do anything else together.

Another type is called the “hobby friend”. That’s the person you share an interest or a hobby with. Michael and Cater, who are brothers, are a good example of this type. We’re all in a bird watching club. Every few weekends the members of the club go on a trip to watch different kinds of birds. There’s nothing romantic（浪漫的）about my relationship with Michael and Cater, of course. We just share interest in birds.

Then there’s the “other half of the couple” type of friends. Jim is married to Rose, a friend that I’ve known since college. When Rose married Jim, I realized that I would have to be Jim’s friend if I want to continue to be Rose’s. Jim and I don’t share so many interests, but we do have a friendly relationship.

1.What does the first paragraph tell us about?

A. We need true friends in our lifetime.

B. We have few best friends in our lifetime.

C. We should make new friends.

D. We must be friendly to all our friends.

2.Many people are mentioned in this passage. Who is the writer’s true friend?

A. Sally.B. Michael. C. Jim. D. Rose.

3.Which of the following statements is RIGHT?

A. Finally the writer agrees with her grandmother.

B. Michael and Cater both fall in love with the writer.

C. The writer herself sometimes takes her kid to the football club.

D. Sally and the writer are close friends.

4.How many types of friends are mentioned in the passage?

A. 2.B. 3.C. 4.D. 5

5.From the last paragraph we learn that ________.

A. the writer made friends with Jim only because of Rose

B. Jim was the writer’s good friend at college

C. Rose didn’t want the writer to be a friend of her husband

D. the writer made friends with Rose because of Jim