Steve knew he'd been adopted as a baby, and when he turned 18, in 2003, he decided he'd try to track down his birth mother. The agency from which he'd been adopted gave him his mother's name: Tallady. But online searches didn't turn up any results about it, and Steve had to let it go.

In 2007, though, he searched for the name again online. This time, the search results included a home address near the Lowe's store where Steve, then 22, worked as a deliveryman. When he mentioned the coincidence to his boss, his boss said, “You mean Tallady, who works here？”

Steve and Tallady, a cashier, had said hello to each other a few times at the store, but they'd never really talked. He hadn't even known her name. Steve thought there was no possible way she was his mother though they shared the same name. For a few months, Steve avoided Tallady. “I wasn't sure how to approach her，” he told a local reporter. Finally, the agency volunteered to arrange their reunion.

When Tallady realized that the nice guy she'd been waving at was his son, she sobbed. She'd always hoped to meet her birth son one day. Later that day, mother and son talked for almost three hours at a nearby bar. She'd given him up for adoption in 1985, when she was 23. “I wasn't ready to be a mother，” she told him. Married with two other children, Tallady says, “I have a complete family now.”

1.Steve gave up the on­line search for his birth mother in 2003 because ________.

A．the agency didn't give him any help

B．there was no information about his mother

C．his mother didn't turn up online

D．he missed the information about his mother

2.．What did Steve find about his mother online in 2007?

A．Her home address. B．Her full name.

C．Her boss's name. D．Her new job.

3.Why Steve avoided Tallady for months?

A．Because she didn't want to talk to him.

B．Because he wasn't fully prepared for the reunion.

C．Because she was very difficult to approach.

D．Because he didn't think she was his birth mother.

4.The best title for the text is ________.

A．The Love of Mother

B．An Unexpected Meeting

C．The Power of the Internet

D．An Unusual Reunion

To Friend or Not to Friend

We all love our parents and turn to them when we're in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?

In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to educate themselves about social networking sites.

These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there's also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don't get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.

It's a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don't want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.

A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn't take it personally if their child ignores their request: “When a teen ignores a parent's friend request, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be independent.”

Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list.

1.From Paragraph 2, we learn that ________.

A．parents feel secure about their privacy online

B．social networks successfully fill the generation gap

C．parents have realized the importance of social networks

D．social networks offer a platform for parents to communicate

2.Teenagers may refuse a parent's friend request because ________.

A．they hide something from their parents

B．they are unwilling to be watched by parents

C．their parents tend to fall behind in technology

D．their parents make negative comments on them

3.The passage is mainly about ________.

A．privacy online

B．social networks

C．the generation gap

D．parents' friend requests

4.The passage is written mainly for ________.

A．parents B．teenagers

C．teachers D．researchers

Music to My Ears

Robby was 10 for his first piano lesson in my class. Much as he tried, he ____ even the basic rhythm. However, he dutifully reviewed the pieces that I required.

Over the months he tried and tried while I ____ and encouraged him. At the end of each lesson he'd always say, “My mom's going to hear me play some day.” ____ it seemed hopeless.

I only knew his mother from a ____ as she waited in her aged car to pick him up. Then one day Robby stopped coming. I was secretly ____ that he stopped because of his lack of ability.

Weeks later I informed the students, including Robby, of the coming recital(獨奏). To my ____， Robby asked me if he could be included. I told him he really did not qualify because he had ____ out. He said his mom had been sick and unable to take him to lessons but he was still ____ .

“I've just got to play！” he ____. Something inside me let me allow him to.

Then came the recital night. The gym was ____ with parents. I put Robby up ____， thinking that I could save his poor performance through my “curtain closer(謝幕)．”

The recital went off smoothly. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was ____. “Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night？” I thought.

Robby pulled out the piano bench and began. I was not ____ for what I heard next. His fingers were ____ on the keys. Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people of his age. After he ended, everyone was ____ their feet in wild applause.

In ____ I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby. “I've never heard you play like that, Robby! How did you ____ it？”

Robby explained, “Well, Miss Hondorf…remember I told you my mom was sick? …____ she had cancer and passed away yesterday. She was born deaf, so tonight she could hear me play in heaven. I wanted to make it special.”

There wasn't a ____ eye in the house. That night I felt he was the teacher and I was the pupil, for it was he who taught me the meaning of perseverance and ____.

1.A.lacked B．had

C．showed D．got

2.A.listened B．learned

C．checked D．played

3.A.And B．But

C．So D．Or

4.A.conversation B．performance

C．distance D．picture

5.A.guilty B．sad

C．a(chǎn)nxious D．glad

6.A.relief B．surprise

C．pleasure D．satisfaction

7.A.stepped B．worn

C．run D．dropped

8.A.acting B．performing

C．practicing D．recording

9.A.insisted B．suggested

C．complained D．threatened

10.A.lined B．packed

C．piled D．covered

11.A.least B．most

C．first D．last

12.A.messy B．cool

C．neat D．dull

13.A.eager B．concerned

C．prepared D．grateful

14.A.hesitating B．dancing

C．touching D．crawling

15.A.over B．under

C．in D．on

16.A.chaos B．tears

C．silence D．return

17.A.find B．feel

C．make D．like

18.A.Gradually B．Suddenly

C．Frequently D．Actually

19.A.dry B．curious

C．bright D．wet

20.A.regret B．talent

C．love D．courage

Sweetest Day in America is always the third Saturday in October. This holiday is much more important in some regions than in others (Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo being the biggest Sweetest Day cities). It is a holiday that is gaining in popularity every year throughout the country.

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged, and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago, a man in Cleveland, believing that the city's orphans and shut­ins (臥病在床的人) too often felt forgotten and neglected, thought of the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this through the distribution of small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he distributed these small remembrances on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to participate in the celebration ceremony, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. In time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small remembrance. And soon the idea spread to other cities all over the country.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious affection or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.

Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift­giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a practical way.

1.We can learn from the first paragraph that Sweetest Day is ________.

A．sometimes the third Saturday in October

B．hardly celebrated in Detroit

C．of equal importance in every part of the USA

D．getting increasingly popular in the USA

2.Sweetest Day was intended to remember ________.

A．the young and disabled

B．friends and relatives

C．orphans and shut­ins

D．the sick and aged

3.We can infer from the passage that the birthplace of Sweetest Day is ________.

A．Detroit　　　　 　　　B．Cleveland

C．Buffalo D．Washington

4.Now on Sweetest Day gifts are given to those ________.

A．we care B．we admire

C．in need of help D．in trouble

(London)­If it really is what's on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.

Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.

“Being thin doesn't surely mean you are not fat，” said Dr Jimmy Bell at Imperial College. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.

According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.

Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.

According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.

Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes. They want to prove that internal fat damages the body's communication systems.

The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no short cut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle，” Bell said.

1.What is this piece of news mainly about?

A．Thin people also have troubles.

B．Internal fat is of no importance.

C．Internal fat leads to many diseases.

D．Thin people may be fat inside.

2.Doctors have found ________.

A．being slim doesn't mean you are not fat inside

B．internal fat is the cause of heart disease and diabetes

C．being slim is not dangerous at all

D．the exact dangers of internal fat

3.According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?

A．People with heart disease all have internal fat.

B．People can get rid of internal fat by improving diet.

C．Men are more likely to have too much internal fat.

D．Exercise can help to reduce the internal fat.

This message is to inform all the children that Santa's post office in Himmelpfort, Germany, is open to receive your holiday wishes. That means you can mail your letters to Santa about 6 weeks sooner than that last year. Santa knows you've been good and wants to make sure he and his helpers receive your wish list earlier.

Eight post offices are organized across Germany to answer all letters children send. This year they plan to receive over 250,000 letters. Though the letters fly from over 80 different countries, Santa and his helpers can understand and make sure to answer all the letters.

In 1984, two children from Berlin sent their wish lists to Himmelpfort after spending vacation there. Their letters were answered by postal employees and later Himmelpfort increased its helpers to meet the needs of increased mail traffic. Year after year, Santa and his crew use an eco­friendly powered vehicle to collect the thousands of letters he receives from young boys and girls. The great news for this year is that if you come to the beautiful town of Himmelpfort, you can drop off your letter and visit Santa in person, from Tuesdays to Thursdays until Christmas Eve.

Santa does not currently have an e­mail, Twitter or a Facebook account. He believes in old­fashioned communication. So get out your paper and write your wish list. Just make sure your letter is clear so you can receive an official response, send your letters to：

Santa

Christmas Post Office

Himmelpfort, Germany 16798

1.This year Santa and his helpers ________.

A．a(chǎn)re eager to receive more wishes

B．keep traveling around 80 countries

C．a(chǎn)re able to receive kids' letters earlier

D．a(chǎn)nswer most of the letters from kids

2.From the 3rd paragraph, we know that ________.

A．post offices send kids all the presents they ask for

B．children from Berlin like spending holidays in Himmelpfort

C．Santa uses a powered vehicle because of the heavy mail traffic

D．children can visit Santa in the flesh before Christmas Eve this year

3.Santa doesn't have social communications online probably because he ________.

A．is not sure about the online security

B．trusts traditional ways of communication

C．prefers official and formal letters

D．thinks written letters are clearer than e­mails

4.This text is intended for ________.

A．tourists coming to Himmelpfort

B．teenagers preferring writing letters

C．parents preparing for Christmas

D．children planning to write to Santa

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus (金星). Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.

The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan, named after the great Venusian astronomer Professor. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20000 light years ago.

Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility (可行性) of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.

“We have come to the conclusion, based on last week's satellite landing，” Prof. Zog said, “that there is no life on Earth.”

“How do you know this？” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.

“For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is made up of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide (一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”

“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned？”

“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than originally planned.”

“Are there any other dangers that you discovered in your studies？”

“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud hovering (盤旋) over the surface of Earth? We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”

“Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicates it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink. This means we shall have to carry our own water, which will add even greater weight to the saucer.”

“If all you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years？”

“Yes, but we shall continue as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds(資金)．” Profession. Zog replied.

1.According to the passage, the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information about ________.

A．the feasibility of landing a satellite on Earth

B．the possibility of making a first­rate flying saucer

C．the feasibility of sending a Venus Being to Earth

D．the possibility of directing a flying saucer into Manhattan

2.Why will the Venusian have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because ________.

A．they need it in their way to the planet of Earth

B．the Earth's atmosphere is filled with deadly gases

C．there is a low level of oxygen for Venusians

D．there is no air on the planet of Earth

3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．landing a manned flying saucer on Earth will be carried out soon

B．Venusians will land on Earth to help to stop serious pollution

C．it's unnecessary to land a manned flying saucer on Earth at present

D．pollution on Earth makes it impossible for Venusians to survive there

4.Where can you probably read such a passage?

A．In a popular magazine.

B．In a fairy tale.

C．In an observation journal

D．In science fiction

Peter Wiggins grew up in a poor family. He worked diligently at his ____ job as teaching assistant in a private kindergarten and put in three more hours at night as a part­time cashier at a ___. By the time Peter walked home with slow and heavy steps every day，it was often close to ____.

Peter worked very hard in order to ____ his aged parents who had retired as restroom cleaners with ____ savings left after putting Peter and his sister through school. Peter was the only ___， for his sister, Beth, was often in poor health.

One day, as Peter was walking home from ACE Supermarket where he ____， he stumbled(絆腳) upon a small brown packet on the pavement. The package was slightly ____.

So he picked it up to examine it more closely. To his ____， it contained fifty­dollar bills. Peter knew it was not his to keep and that the ____ might urgently need the money.

Without ____， Peter walked quickly to the nearest police station and handed it over to Mr. Roberts who was the police officer ____ for that night. Surprised to see someone hand in such a large amount of cash ____，the police officer said that Peter was indeed a role model others could ____.

“It's nothing really...I was doing what ____ would have done，” Peter's face turned red as the officer continued to ask for his name and contact number so that the owner could ____ thank him. The next day, Peter received a ____. The owner of the lost money was none other than Peter's ____ at the ACE Supermarket! He had found out about Peter from Roberts and had decided to ____ Peter to the position of manager with a handsome increase in salary. He had also decided to pay for Beth's ___.Peter was overjoyed.

1.A.any­time B．short­time

C．day­time D．night­time

2.A.supermarket B．night school

C．restaurant D．hotel

3.A.morning B．noon

C．evening D．midnight

4.A.settle B．impress

C．support D．treat

5.A.more B．some

C．little D．much

6.A.son B．breadwinner

C．one D．a(chǎn)ssistant

7.A.stayed B．shopped

C．worked D．visited

8.A.old B．torn

C．familiar D．heavy

9.A.joy B．disappointment

C．shock D．relief

10.A.leader B．a(chǎn)ssistant

C．boss D．owner

11.A.success B．fear

C．hesitation D．doubt

12.A.on behalf B．on duty

C．on watch D．on purpose

13.A.unfinished B．unused

C．untouched D．unexpected

14.A.look at B．look up to

C．look down on D．look forward to

15.A.few B．none

C．a(chǎn)nybody D．policemen

16.A.independently B．personally

C．cautiously D．regularly

17.A.letter B．notice

C．call D．packet

18.A.colleague B．boss

C．consumer D．enemy

19.A.introduce B．expose

C．promote D．lead

20.A.university education B．travel costs

C．holiday parties D．medical treatment

“I will never marry，” the future Elizabeth I declared at the age of eight, and, to the terror of her people, the Great Queen kept her word.

For four centuries, historians have guessed why Elizabeth never married.In her own day, her decision to remain single was considered absurd and dangerous.A queen needed a husband to make political decisions for her and to organise and lead her military campaigns.More important, she needed male heirs to avoid a civil war after her death.

There was no shortage of suitors for the Queen, both English courtiers (朝臣) and foreign princes, and it was confidently expected for the best part of 30 years that Elizabeth would eventually marry one of them.Indeed, although she insisted that she preferred the single state, she kept these suitors in a state of permanent expectation.This was a deliberate policy on the Queen's part, since by keeping foreign princes in hope, sometimes for a decade, she kept them friendly when they might otherwise have made war on her kingdom.

There were, indeed, good political reasons for her avoiding marriage.The disastrous union of her sister Mary I to Philip II of Spain had had an unwelcome foreign influence upon English politics.The English were generally prejudiced against the Queen taking a foreign husband, particularly a Catholic one.Yet if she married an English, jealousy might lead to the separation of the court.

There were other, deeper reasons for Elizabeth's unwillingness to marry, chief of which, I believe, was her fear of losing her autonomy as Queen. In the 16th century, a queen was regarded as holding supreme dominion(統(tǒng)治權(quán))over the state, while a husband was thought to hold supreme dominion over his wife.Elizabeth knew that marriage and motherhood would bring some harm to her power.

She once pointed out that marriage seemed too uncertain a state for her. She had seen several unions in her immediate family break down, including that of her own parents.

Some writers, based on very fragile evidence, have argued that Elizabeth was frightened or incapable of the sex act, but it is more likely that she feared childbirth. Two of her stepmothers, her grandmother and several acquaintances had died in childbed.

Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, had had her mother, Anne Boleyn, killed; her stepmother Catherine Howard later suffered the same fate. When Elizabeth was 14 she was all but attracted by Admiral Thomas Seymour, who also went to the prison within a year. Witnessing these terrible events at an early age, it has been argued, may have put Elizabeth off marriage.

Elizabeth had to decide her priorities. Marriage or being single? Elizabeth was far too intelligent.The choice she made was courageous and revolutionary, and, in the long run, the right one for England.

1.To the suitors including English courtiers and foreign princes，Elizabeth ________.

A．held back the truth

B．gave a definite answer “no”

C．kept them expecting deliberately

D．said she preferred the single state

2.If Elizabeth had married a foreign prince, there might have been ________.

A．prejudice against her

B．separation of the court

C．jealousy among English courtiers

D．a(chǎn) negative impact on English politics

3.Which of the following implications is right according to the passage?

A．Queen Elizabeth was not a Catholic.

B．Some foreign princes made war on Britain.

C．Catherine Howard was killed by Anne Boleyn.

D．Admiral Thomas Seymour was killed by Henry VIII.

4.What is the attitude of the author towards Queen Elizabeth never marrying in her life?

A．Pitiful.　　　　　　　　B．Approving.

C．Negative. D．Neutral.

Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images areused in lessons，research suggests.They are quicker to learn andabsorb new concepts，and display higher levels of concentration.

Professor Anne Bamford，of the University of the Arts，London，studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries，including the UK.Pupils in 3D classes can remember more than those in the 2D classes after four weeks，improving test scores by an average of 1 7 percent compared with eight percent for 2D lessons.They gave more detailed answer to the tasks and were more likely to think in 3D, using hand gestures and mime(模仿動作) to answer the test questions successfully.

The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding，increased attention span, more motivation and higher engagement in the lessons.

Children are used to 3D with the rise of computer games that use the technology­90 percent of those in the study had seen a 3D film.Schools would need 3D­enabled projectors(投影儀)，laptops with good picture capabilities,3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations(動作) into classrooms.

But Danny Nicholson，an educationist，said the technology would be impractical to use inschools and could be costly.He said，“While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting，I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick(小玩意兒)．There are a few cases where a true3D image might help，but most of the time，good 2D models that can be moved would be just aseffective.”

In the US，one school district in Colorado is already in the process of having 1,000 3Dprojectors fixed in classrooms.And the University of Caledonia, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tabon Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils.Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engrossed and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version.

1.What is the main idea of the first three paragraphs?

A．There are slight differences between 3D and 2D images.

B．Pupils perform better when 3D images are used in classes.

C．Schools have difficulties in making full use of 3D technology.

D．3D technology is always more effective than 2D technology.

2.Danny Nicholson holds the view that 3D ________.

A．is of no help in classes

B．has a bright future in classes

C．is more practical than 2D models

D．may not be affordable for schools

3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．3D technology will replace 2D models in the future.

B．Many pupils are now more Interested In science than before.

C．Teachers will use the 3D technology through specific training.

D．3D will soon be put into use in one school district in Colorado.

4.The underlined word “engrossed” in the last paragraph means ________.

A．a(chǎn)bsorbed B．a(chǎn)nnoyed

C．relaxed D. confused