When I was sixteen years old, I made my first visit to the United States. It wasn’t the first time I had been abroad. Like most English children, I learned French at school. I had often been to France, so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn’t understand French. But when I went to America, I was really looking forward to having a nice and easy holiday without any language problems.
How wrong I was! The misunderstandings began at the airport. I was looking for a public telephone to give my American friend Daisy a call and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man saw me looking lost and asked if he could help me.
"Yes, "I said, "I want to give my friend a ring. "
"Well, that's nice, "he said. "Are you getting married? But aren't you a bit young?"
"Who is talking about marriage?" I replied. "I only want to give my friend a ring to tell her I've arrived. Can you tell me where there's a phone box?"
"Oh! "he said. "There's a phone downstairs. "
When at last we met, Daisy explained the misunderstanding to me.
"Don't worry, "she said to me. "I had so many difficulties at first. There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from the British. You' ll soon get used to all the funny things they say. Most of the time, British and American people understand each other!"
56. The writer thought ______ in America.
A. he wouldn't have any language difficulties
B. he would not understand the Americans
C. the Americans might not understand him
D. he would have difficulty at the airport
57. The writer wanted to _____.
A. buy a ring for his friend
B. make a call to his friend
C. go to the telephone company
D. see his friend off
58. From the passage we can see that "give somebody a ring" ______.
A .means the same in America as in England
B. means "call somebody" to the old man
C. has two different meanings
D. means "be going to get married" in England
59. In the last paragraph the underlined word "they" refers to ______.
A. the old man and the boy B. the Americans
C. the British D. the French
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to make money for my schooling.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt（缝被子）. I silently sat beside her.
“Mum, is there love between you and Dad?” I asked in a very low voice.
With surprise in her eyes, she stopped her work for a while. The she said, “Susan, look at this thread（线）. It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there. It makes the quilt strong. If life is a quilt, love should be a thread. Love is inside.”
I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month.
After they were back, may mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road every day. They were so kind to each other and it seemed they were the happiest couple.
After two months my father still couldn’t walk by himself.
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.
“Susan, don’t worry about me.” he said. “I just like walking with your mum. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes, I knew he loves my mother deeply.
Now I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.Why are Susan’s parents busy trying to make money?
| A．To send Susan to school |
| B．To get to see the doctor |
| C．To buy a strong quilt |
| D．To show their love |
Susan’ father stayed in hospital for ______.
| A．one day | B．one month |
| C．two months | D．three months |
Susan came to understand her mother ______.
| A．while her mother was sewing a quilt |
| B．before her father was in hospital |
| C．when she was sitting beside her mother |
| D．after her father was seriously sick |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Susan’s father is very lazy |
| B．Susan’s mother is a nurse |
| C．Susan’s parents love each other |
| D．Susan doesn’t like her father |
Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to make a Quilt Strong |
| B．Love is just a Tread |
| C．Walking on the Country Road |
| D．A Seriously Sick Father |
On March 3, 1887, the lives of two amazing women were changed forever when Anne Sullivan, a poor university graduate, arrived at the home of the wealthy Keller family to teach their six-year-old daughter Helen. It was a difficult job as Helen was unable to see, hear or speak because of illness.
Anne had been suggested to the Kellers by her university professor, a close friend of Mr. Keller. Before she arrived, Anne expected her new pupil to be a quiet, weak child. But Helen was nothing like that. When Anne first walked through the Kellers’ door, the energetic Helen nearly knocked her over in her hurry to feel Anne’s face, clothing and bag.
Helen was used to visitors bringing her sweets, and angrily tried to force open Anne’s case to take her candy. But Anne calmed her down by allowing Helen to play with her watch. So began one of the most successful student-teacher relationships in history.
Anne Sullivan was only twenty years old when she began teaching Helen. She had to not only teach the child all the usual school subjects, but also control Helen’s sometimes wild behaviour. Her well-meaning parents allowed Helen to do as she liked at home. Realizing that such an environment was unsuitable for learning, Anne requested that she and Helen live in a small house nearby.
As soon as Helen began learning, it became clear that she was especially intelligent. She quickly learned to read and write, and by the age of ten she could also speak.
In 1900, Helen started studying at Radcliffe University, and graduated first in her class in 1904. She was the very first blind and deaf person to get a university degree. How did she do it? Anne Sullivan read all of Helen’s books and then signed the information into her hand. Anne remained at Helen’s side until her death in 1936. Helen became a world-famous writer, and fought for disabled people’s rights until her death on Jun 1, 1968.How did Anne come to work at the Kellers’ home?
| A．She replied to a job advertisement. |
| B．She was introduced by her family friend. |
| C．she was recommended by her university professor. |
| D．She met Mr. Keller while studying at university. |
What surprised Anne most about Helen when they first met?
| A．How intelligent Helen was. |
| B．Helen gave Anne a gift. |
| C．The way Helen’s parents treated her. |
| D．How forceful Helen was. |
According to the passage, Helen’s parents______.
A.allowed her to do as she wished
B. gave her too many gifts and sweets.
B.did not spend much time with her
D. cared little about her education.Which of the following is NOT true about Helen’s university studies?
| A．She was greatly helped by Anne. |
| B．She was the best student in her class. |
| C．She was able to graduate in three years. |
| D．She was the first deaf and blind university graduate. |
According to the passage, both Anne and Helen_____.
| A．died in their 60s |
| B．were well educated |
| C．came from rich families |
| D．fought for human rights |
Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself ? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so lazy that they’d catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers in the Britain’s largest health center. The results were very surprising.
About one in six people who were asked said if their control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those asked said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of 654 respondents (离婚被告) with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
We know that it’s no wonder that one in six children in the UK are very fat before they start school.
Dr Sarah, Dauncey, medical director of the center, said, “People need to get fitter, not just for their own health, but for their families, friends and pets, too.”
“If we don’t start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most basic tasks.”
And Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the laziest city in the UK, with 75% asked thinking they do not get enough exercise, followed by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
So there are some problems for the National Health Service, where fatness-related (相关的) illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on an increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.What does the underlined word “quizzed” mean?
| A．questioned | B．answered |
| C．listened | D．heard |
Of 654 respondents with children, 64% said _____.
| A．they were often too busy to play with their children |
| B．they were often so tired that they couldn’t play with their children |
| C．they were often so sad that they didn’t want to play with their children |
| D．they were often ill and they couldn’t play with their children |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．All the adults in the UK are very lazy. |
| B．Half of the children are very fat before they go to school. |
| C．Pets will be in trouble if their owners don’t keep healthy. |
| D．All people in Glasgow feel ashamed because they don’t get enough exercise. |
From the last paragraph, we can learn ______ if they keep lazy.
| A．people may have heart disease |
| B．people can work at home all the time |
| C．people like shopping online |
| D．people don’t like climbing the stairs |
What does the passage mainly talk about ?
| A．The health service in the UK. |
| B．A study of British people’s lifestyles. |
| C．A study of British people’s laziness. |
| D．The fatness problem in the UK. |
Flow like the river of change
Little stream ran down from a high mountain through many villages and forests. Then it reached a desert. “I went through so many difficulties. I should have no problem crossing the desert,” she thought. As she started, she found herself slowly disappearing into the sand. After many tries, she still failed. “Maybe I can’t reach the ocean,”she said sadly to herself.
At this time, a deep voice said, “If a breeze（微风）can cross the desert, so can a river.” It was the voice of the desert. But the little stream answered, “That’s because a breeze can fly, but I cannot.”
“That’s because you can’t give up what you are. Let yourself evaporate（蒸发）into the breeze, and it can take you across,” said the desert. “Give up what I am now? No! No!” The little stream could not accept this idea. “The breeze can carry the vapor（蒸汽）across the desert and let it leave as rain. The rain will form a river again,” said the desert. “And whether you’re a river or vapor, your nature never changes.” Hearing this, the little stream went into the open arms of the breeze. It carried her to the next stage of her life.
The course of our lives is like the experience of the little stream. If you want to go through difficulties in your life to head for success, you should also change the way you are.he little stream aimed to reach _____.
| A．the forest | B．the ocean |
| C．the desert | D．the river |
he little stream _____ before she got to the desert.
| A．didn’t meet much difficulty |
| B．was worried about herself |
| C．knew well about the desert |
| D．was confident about herself |
At first, the little stream didn’t accept the desert’s advice because _____.
| A．she failed many times |
| B．she was afraid of the breeze |
| C．she wasn’t able to fly |
| D．she wouldn’t give up what she was |
he little stream finally crossed the desert by _____.
| A．evaporating into the breeze | B．forming a river |
| C．disappearing into the sand | D．changing her nature |
What does the story mainly tell us?
| A．The road to success is not always easy and smooth. |
| B．Whatever others say, we should always be ourselves. |
| C．To succeed, we should change the way we are if necessary. |
| D．We may experience difficulty in life just like the little stream. |
The material above is a _____ for Expo Milano 2015.
| A．poster | B．guidebook |
| C．webpage | D．noticeboard |
Expo Milano 2015 lasts _____ and is open for _____ every day.
| A．half a year; 13 hours |
| B．5 months; 13 hours |
| C．six months; 10 hours |
| D．5 months; 23 hours |
_____ kinds of tickets are introduced here for Expo Milano.
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
SPECIAL DISCOUNT isn’t suitable for _____.
| A．the disabled |
| B．children aged 13 or less |
| C．students over 26 years |
| D．old people aged over 65 |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．Visitors are able to save money if they buy SEASON PASS. |
| B．Parents with children may probably choose FAMILY PACKAGE. |
| C．Visitors with EVENING TICKET can enjoy delicious food. |
| D．Visitors with FAMILY PACKAGE can enter through a special gate. |