When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a clerk in San Francisco. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend on but my brain and a clean reputation.
My time was my own after the afternoon board on Saturdays, and I would spend the time on a little sailboat on the bay. One day I sailed too far, and was carried out to sea. At nightfall, when hope was almost lost, I was picked up by a small boat, which headed for London. It was a long and stormy journey, and they made me earn my passage as a common sailor. When I stepped on land in London, my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I only had a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me for 24 hours. During the next 24 hours I went without food and shelter.
About ten o’clock on the following morning, tired and hungry, I was walking along Portland Place, when a passing child, threw a big pear into the rubbish can. I stopped, of course, and stared at that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it. My whole body begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it, some passing eyes noticed my purpose, and of course I straightened up, looked calm, and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. The same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear. I was just getting desperate enough to face all the shame and get the pear, when a window behind me was opened, and a gentleman said, “Step in here, please.”
1. According to the passage, the young man _______.
A. had a great reputation for his good work
B. worked as a common sailor during the journey
C. was carried out to sea on purpose by a small boat
D. had nothing left in his pocket after landing in London
2. Why didn’t the man pick up the pear at once?
A. Because a gentleman stopped him and let him in.
B. Because he was not so hungry that he could wait.
C. Because the child was watching the pear.
D. Because he didn’t want others to take him as a beggar.
3. The underlined word “desperate” means “_______”.
A. driven by great need or pain to do something
B. being afraid of doing something for a certain reason
C. enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure or joy
D. feeling sorry or sad about something
There are many colors in nature. But do you know if a color has weight? I think you’ll say “no”. But I am afraid you are wrong. If you don’t believe, you may do a small experiment.
First, put two objects with the same weight into two boxes. Then cover the box. Third, wrap one box with a red piece of paper, the other with a white piece of paper. OK. Now hold the boxes with your hand one by one. It is certain that you will think the red one is a little heavier.
Why do you think so? A scientist found that different colors have different weight in a man’s mind. So he did man tests and at last he got the result. That is to say, every color has its own weight in our mind and their order is the same. The heaviest color is red, then blue, green, orange, yellow and white.
The scientist told us that colors also have smell. Can you smell the color? Of course not. Then why did the scientist say so? That is because every color stands for a kind of light with a certain wavelength. It reaches our brain through sense organs (感觉器官).
According to this discovery, scientists say that people accept the colors they like, and refuse the colors they hate. So your body and mind will be healthy by using the colors you like. Or you’ll be nervous or even get ill. For example, if you stay in a room with red windows, wallpapers and furniture for two hours, you’ll feel you have been there for four hours. But if the room is blue, you’ll feel you have been there for only an hour. Another example, if a person walks out of a red room and into a blue room, his temperature will fall. That means our body temperature will change with different colors.The purpose of the second paragraph is to tell us ___________.
| A．a red box is heavier than a white one |
| B．a color has weight in one’s mind |
| C．white paper is lighter than red paper |
| D．you can know the weight of a color by holding it |
Why did the scientist say colors have smell?
| A．Because people can sense the light from colors. |
| B．Because we can smell colors with our nose. |
| C．Because every color has its own sweet smell. |
| D．Because every color can give off light of the same length. |
If a person walks from a blue room to a red room, his body temperature will ___________.
| A．rise | B．fall | C．stay the same | D．change now and then |
It can be implied from the text that ___________.
| A．colors have orders in weight |
| B．colors can change the weight of an object |
| C．people would stay longer in a room with red windows |
| D．colors can affect our mood and health |
This passage is probably a ___________.
| A．book review | B．fiction novel | C．fairy tale | D．science report |
One of the most exciting and attractive fields of work today is the fashion industry. Some of the most well-known people in this industry are the fashion designers with unbelievable financial (金融的) Kingdoms. But most of the clothes that you wear have been designed by people that the world has never heard of. Although these unknown fashion designers will never make a very large amount of money as their famous workmates, most still would not think of changing their careers. They are doing what they love.
If you spend hours looking through fashion magazines and like making your own clothes, a career as a fashion designer might be right for you. You do not have to go to design school to become a fashion designer, but many people who want a career in this field do. One of the most famous places to study is the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. It is located in the heart of the “garment” district on Eighth Avenue, also known as Fashion Avenue.
Becoming a fashion designer is not just a matter of classroom education. Students know that they cannot just leave school and start designing on their own. Many think that they need at least four years’ experience working for someone else after they graduate. The best schools encourage students to work closely with the fashion industry while they are still studying.
You need ambition (抱负) and hard work to get a career in fashion. Students often work 12 hours a day. They are encouraged to have realistic ambitions and not to expect success overnight, if ever. Success means finding a job in the fashion industry and more years of hard work.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Some famous fashion designers can make a lot of money. |
| B．Most of the clothes are designed by famous designers. |
| C．Most fashion designers don’t like their own jobs. |
| D．Unknown fashion designers can earn a large amount of money. |
In order to have a career in fashion design, one had better ___________.
| A．look through magazines |
| B．go to New York City |
| C．study in a design school |
| D．graduate from high school |
The following can lead to the success of a fashion designer EXCEPT___________.
| A．working with the fashion industry | B．realistic ambitions |
| C．hard work | D．expectation of success overnight |
Which of the following old sayings shows the writer’s opinion about learning fashion design?
| A．Better late than never. |
| B．Experience is the best teacher. |
| C．Well begun is half done. |
| D．Seeing is believing. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．To be a fashion designer, design school education is a must. |
| B．All famous design schools are located in New York City. |
| C．Design school students had better do some practice while studying. |
| D．All students have to work with famous designers first. |
Singapore Flyer was launched in 2008 and states to hold the current title for the world’s biggest observation wheel, full 30 meters taller than the London Eye observation wheel in London! Soaring 165 meters, Singapore Flyer offers a whole view of Singapore’s important tourist attractions including the scenic Marina Bay.
Singapore Flyer is also popular for providing an attractive range of shopping and dining choices. Among its greatest dining choices is the Singapore Flyer Sky Dining, one of the most exciting dining experiences you will ever come across.
Singapore Flyer Sky Dining is the first ever in the world to offer a full service in the sky. To top it all you are presented with best menus created by award-winning cooks from all over the world.
The sky dining doesn’t stop from there. You will gain fast boarding flights, in other words, no more waiting in line to board an observation capsule (机舱). You can enjoy the service of an in-flight host along with a nice three-course fine dining menu.
Be ready to enjoy yourself in the air-conditioned glass capsule where you will be served a welcome drink, an appetizer (开胃品) along with the main course. From the capsule you will see the night skyline of Marina Bay, Merlion Park, Raffles Place, Empress Place and Padang, bathed in exciting colors. And not just once but you will get to see these very interesting sights twice, during your almost one hour long special dining experience.
Up to five couples can book a small room and there are even choices to book an entire room for you and your partner. The sky dining experience begins from the VIP waiting room where you will be served with tasty desserts and drinks of your choice. You can see the Singapore Flyer conveniently from one of the top hotels in Singapore like M Hotel Singapore. 
At Singapore Flyer, tourists can ___________.
| A．do some shopping and have dinner |
| B．enjoy some interesting sights just once |
| C．enjoy a wonderful 30-minute dining experience |
| D．get a whole view of all the Singapore’s tourist attractions |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Singapore Flyer?
| A．It is the second biggest observation wheel in the world. |
| B．The menus are created by native cooks. |
| C．It provides fast boarding service. |
| D．There are no special rooms for couples. |
The underlined phrase in the third paragraph probably means “___________”.
| A．What’s more | B．At the top of it |
| C．What’s worse | D．From top to bottom |
The three-course dining menu at Singapore Flyer usually includes the following EXCEPT___________.
| A．a welcome drink | B．the main course |
| C．an appetizer | D．tasty desserts |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
| A．Virtual Tourism | B．A Guide to Singapore Flyer |
| C．Eating at Singapore Flyer | D．The future of Singapore Flyer |
At a primary school Manning， Carolina， second-grade teacher David Chadwell believed that segregating(隔离) elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement—in both genders. “Although this is a tendency， we can teach boys and girls based on what we now know.”
“They see differently. Literally，” he begins. Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way， he explains. The composition of the male eye makes it attuned(协调) to motion and direction. “Boys interpret the world as objects moving through space，” he says. “The teacher should move around the room constantly and be that object.”
The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver， blue， black， grey， and brown. It’s no accident boys tend to create pictures of moving objects like spaceships， cars， and trucks in dark colors instead of drawing the happy colorful family， like girls in their class.
The female eye， on the other hand， is drawn to textures and colors. It’s also oriented toward warmer colors—reds， yellows， oranges—and visuals with more details， like faces. To engage girls， Chadwell says， the teacher doesn’t need to move as much， if at all. Girls work well in circles， facing each other. Using descriptive phrases and lots of color in overhead presentations or on the chalkboard gets their attention.
Boys and girls also hear differently. “When someone speaks in a loud tone， girls interpret it as yelling，” Chadwell says. “They think you’re mad and can shut down.” Girls have a more finely tuned aural structure； they can hear higher frequencies than boys and are more sensitive to sounds. He advises girls’ teachers to watch the tone of their voices. Boys’ teachers should sound matter of fact， even excited.
A boy’s autonomic nervous system causes them to be more alert when they’re standing， moving，and the room temperature is around 69 degrees. Stress in boys， he says， tends to increase blood flow to their brains， a process that helps them stay focused. This won’t work for girls， who are more focused seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees. Girls also respond to stress differently. When they are exposed to threat and confrontation， blood goes to their guts(内脏)， leaving them feeling nervous or anxious.
“Boys will rise to a risk and tend to overestimate their abilities，” he says. “Teachers can help them by getting them to be more realistic about results. Girls at this age shy away from risk， which is exactly why lots of girls’ programs began in the private sector. Teachers can help them learn to take risks in an atmosphere where they feel confident about doing so.”
Title： Primary students learn
David’s belief ,Once we segregate elementary-age students， they will have the tendency to learn . Differences between boys and girls, Sight ,Boys’ eyes are sensitive to
. and are drawn to cooler colors.
It is textures and of objects that attract girls. Hearing ,Comparatively speaking， girls can hear
and are more sensitive to sounds. They would interpret a loud tone as
.Nervous system, Stress in boys tends to increase blood flow to their
， which helps them keep
. Boys often overestimate their abilities and are brave in face of the risk.
When girls are exposed to ， blood goes to their guts， leaving them feeling
. Girls at this age in many cases will shyly avoid dealing with risk. SECTION B (10 marks)
LEEDS， England ─ A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.
“The hatred we hold within us is a cancer，” Professor Ken Hart said， adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become members in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in London ─a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out， but they end up drinking it themselves， said Canadian-born Hart.
The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.
The course， ending in July， is expected to get rid of the cancer of hatred in these people. “People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness，” he said， “People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.”
Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.
“The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you， and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with，” said Norman Claringbull， a senior expert on the forgiveness project.
Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught， as these people “want to get free of the past”. From this passage we know that .
| A．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred |
| B．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors |
| C．without hatred， people will have less trouble connected with blood pressure and heart disease |
| D．people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies |
People going to Hart’s first 20-week workshop .
| A．enjoy the professor’s speech |
| B．learn how to quarrel with others |
| C．are aware that their hatred is a poison that could finally end up harming themselves |
| D．meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop every night and learn how to relax |
. According to Professor Ken Hart， .
| A．most people are living with hatred |
| B．people should attend his courses to forget the past |
| C．forgiveness means forgetting the bitterness |
| D．people with a bitter memory can learn to have a positive attitude towards the past |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？
| A．Hatred means living a positive life. |
| B．People will be taught how to look at various kinds of angers in the workshop. |
| C．Hart and his team enjoys high popularity among Londoners these days. |
| D．People who are sick of living with a bitter memory have to pay a lot to Hart’s course. |
. Which could be the best title for the passage？
| A．Britons learn to forgive | B．Hart and his team |
| C．Forgive and forget | D．Hatred， a poison to you |