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A Smashing tradition: MIT Students Drop Piano
One of the highlights of the school year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology only lasts a few seconds but has a big influence. Residents of an MIT dormitory dropped an upright piano from their roof on 26^th April to celebrate the last day students can drop classes without having them appear on their college report.
About 200 onlookers watched as the piano crashed into a second piano, a baby grand, positioned on the ground six stories below for a better smash. People scrambled (争先恐后) for souvenir pieces-keys, hammers, strings and splinters. The tradition began in 1972 at the Baker House dormitory and has been observed irregularly until 2006 when it became an annual event.
Crafton Family Comes Back Home after 7 Years at Sea
While most of us will love to go on a vacation for a week or two on a small private sailboat, without doubt, spending seven precious years on sea is something most of us will never imagine or dare to do. However, that is what an American family has done. Tom Crafton and Kathy Crafton along with their three children have traveled across the world on their 43-foot sailboat named Nueva Vida. Over the past seven years the family had sailed 30,000 miles and visited more than 20 different countries. The family has recently come back to their homeland.
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Living in the limelight（聚光灯）can be difficult but as these splendid pictures show for one bear the tourist train never stops. This arctic animal loves nothing more than an audience and will even climb out of his snowy bed to give the crowd a wave. The funny poses(姿态) of the friendly polar bear were caught on camera by Swedish photographer, Hams Strand.
Which of the following is true about the first incident?

A．The typical style of celebration has been kept alive every year since1972.

B．Another small piano on the ground is meant to hold the falling one.

C．The students dropped the piano in celebration of their graduation.

D．The tradition became an annual event for MIT students several years ago.

The writer thinks Crafton family’s seven-year sailing is ______.

A．unusual

B．strange

C．common

D．doubtful

What would be the best subtitle for the third incident?

A．The Limelight Makes Polar Bear Live Hard

B．Splendid Pictures of Polar Bear Attract Tourists

C．The Tourist Train Would Stop without Polar Bear

D．Polar Bear Says Hello to Tourists with a Friendly Wave

The passage is probably taken out of ______.

A．a novel

B．a magazine

C．a diary

D．a report

This year the selfie earned its place as the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2013 Word Of The Year. It has taken over our culture --- and our smartphones. The rise of the selfie has become universal–between presidents, celebrities(名人) and citizens alike–and the trend is only continuing to grow.

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 54 percent of Internet users have posted original photos online. And of those hundreds of millions of photos, many are of selfie photos.
For example, currently there are nearly 62 million posted selfie photos on Instagram, the social media tool that has significantly contributed to the personal photo’s popularity. That figure, which continues to rise every day, doesn’t even begin to include the selfies shared on Facebook and Twitter.
What makes the selfie so attractive -- and why do we feel it a must to take one? According to Dr. Pamela Rutledge, psychologist and director of the Media Psychology Research Center, the desire to take, post and get “likes” on selfies goes back to a biological behavior of all humans.
“I think it influences our sense of social connection in the same way as it does when you go to a party and people say ‘Oh I love your dress,’” Rutledge told The Huffington Post. “Biological, social recognition is a real need and there is even an area of the brain that contributes to social activity.”
There is a way to adapt to the growing selfie culture. Whether you’re a selfie novice or an advanced poster, there are always things to be mindful of when you’re posting, Rutledge advises.
She offered two main principles to follow when it comes to posting on social media:
1. The Grandmother Rule
“Don’t post anything online, whether text or visual, that you don’t want grandmother or future employer to see,” Rutledge said. “Selfies especially.”
2. The Elevator Rule
“You wouldn’t say something in an elevator that you or no one else wants to hear -- the whole world of social media is an elevator,” Rutledge said. “Be aware of the breadth (宽度) of platform. It’s easy to think you’re sharing a photo with a few people, but Instagram is public and people can come across things.”
What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．The selfie is taking the lead.

B．Many people are fond of smartphones.

C．The selfie will take over everything.

D．The selfie is an important new word.

According to the passage, people like “selfie” so much, because they ___________.

A．want to show off their new dresses

B．need to be acknowledged in social life

C．desire to share good things

D．mean to amuse the public

The underlined word “novice” in Paragraph 6 probably means “________”.

A．greenhand

B．publisher

C．novelist

D．celebrity

When it comes to posting on social media, Rutledge advises people to ______.

A．share photos only on Instagram

B．talk about your photos in an elevator

C．be cautious in posting things online

D．follow rules set by your grandmothers

The kindly “Chinese Fortune Grandpa” wearing Han Chinese clothing and holding a fortune bag debuted(亮相) at the Imperial Ancestral Shrine in Beijing on the day after Christmas. The final image of the Chinese gift-giver was selected through a global design competition that cost millions of yuan. Its debut seems to be a sign of competition against “Santa Claus”, according to a report by Guangming Daily.

Many Chinese cities have been filled with Christmas neon lights, Christmas songs, Christmas trees, and the images of “Santa Claus” in recent days. As a matter of fact, foreign festivals are becoming more popular than certain traditional Chinese festivals among the Chinese people, particularly the youth. “Certain traditional festivals have died out because people have forgotten their spiritual meanings,” said noted writer Feng Jicai. More and more Chinese people are beginning to exchange gifts on Valentine’s Day and Christmas. However, many of them know nothing about Chinese New Year pictures or sugarcoated figurines(小糖人), and have never heard suona music. Certain folk customs on the Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, and other traditional festivals have gradually disappeared. Under such circumstances, even the “Chinese Fortune Grandpa” is unlikely to defeat “Santa Claus”.
However, it is not a bad thing to some extent. It constantly reminds people to restore the “true face” of traditional festivals. China has listed traditional Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival as legal holidays, which brings more paid leaves to the public, and helps to awaken the public awareness of traditional festivals.
In modern society, festival is a carrier of culture and its meaning largely depends on their understandings and usages by people. Compared with foreign festivals, traditional Chinese festivals are not inferior(次于) in cultural meanings, but lack of fashion sought by modern people. If people do not appreciate the historical culture contained by traditional festivals, and only take pleasure-seeking as the most important, the significance of traditional festivals will fade away and the inheritance(继承) of fine traditional culture will be cut off.
The second paragraph implies that______________.

A．traditional festivals should co-exist with foreign festivals

B．all the Chinese festivals are disappearing in the near future

C．western festivals are constantly impacting on our festivals

D．Chinese people have the public awareness of traditional festivals

We can learn from the passage that _________.

A．an image design by Chinese people will be displayed

B．many foreigners know nothing about Chinese Festivals

C．the Chinese gift-giver was intended to symbolize traditional culture

D．the Chinese are beginning to exchange gifts on the Mid-Autumn Festival

Many Chinese youth dislike traditional festivals because they think _________.

A．traditional festivals are out of fashion now

B．the historical culture is more difficult to understand

C．western festivals contain more cultural meanings

D．the inheritance will cut off their contact with western festivals

What would be the best title of the passage?

A．Gone are Chinese Traditional Festivals

B．True Face of Chinese Traditional Culture

C．Foreign Festivals Popular with Chinese

D．Chinese Fortune Grandpa VS. Santa Claus

“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”
“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”
“Why do I have to study so hard?”
“It is what your mother would have wanted!”
She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.
“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”
“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”
He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.
“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”
She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.
“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”
He listens without uttering a single sound.
“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”
Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”
The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”
“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.
“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”
“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.
“She asked me to take care of you.”
“You promised her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”
She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.
“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”
He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”
“Mother said you would understand things better.”
“Wise woman, your mother.”
He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.
“I love you.” she looks up at his face.
He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.
“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”
He kisses her head.
“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.
He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.
Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.
Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”
He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.
“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”
“You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.
She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.
The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.
Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”
Why isn’t the mother with her family?

A．She has already died.	B．She is ill in hospital.
C．The couple is divorced.	D．She lives in another city.

What can we know about the couple’s relationship?

A．They understood each other very well.

B．They quarreled a lot and are separated.

C．They used to have misunderstandings.

D．They were quite sure of each other’s love.

What can we learn from the story?

A．The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth.

B．Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone.

C．The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted.

D．Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him.

Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?

A．Because he was too busy with his work

B．Because he didn’t know he was wanted

C．Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees

D．Because he didn’t know she was in hospital

What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?

A．You want another cup of water?

B．Are you kidding me?

C．Are you trying to make me cry?

D．Are you thinking about the water factory?

Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?

A．Regretful

B．Satisfied

C．Confused

D．Doubtful

LONDON, Feb. 18，2014 （Xinhua News agency） —Britain will send experts to East China's Shanghai to learn from the city's experience in maths teaching in an attempt to raise the teaching standards.
British Education Minister Elizabeth Truss is to lead a delegation of experts on a fact-finding mission to Shanghai's schools next week to see how children there have become the best in the world at maths, to get a first-hand look at maths classes and teaching methods there, and particularly to investigate why the performance of almost all children in Shanghai is high, regardless of gender or income.
Britain was last year placed 50th out of 148 countries and regions in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking in quality of maths and science education. Two years ago, Shanghai topped the 2012 international PISA tables for maths, while England was ranked in 26th place. The top five were all in Southeast Asia, with 15-year-olds in Shanghai judged to be three years ahead of their peers in maths.
The education department said: "England's performance in maths has lagged behind while other countries have improved and overtaken us, including Poland and Germany." Actually, it is the latest step in the government's drive to raise standards in maths, looking at what has made schools in the far East the most successful in the world in teaching the subject.
"Shanghai is the top-performing part of the world for maths—their children are streets ahead. Shanghai and Singapore have teaching practices and a positive mind that make the difference. They have a belief that diligence makes up for lack of ability," Truss said. "Our new curriculum has borrowed from theirs because we know it works—early learning of key arithmetic, and a focus on times tables and long division（长除法）, for instance."
She was determined to change the situation as performance in maths is weakening the country's skills base and threatening the productivity and growth. The government is emphasizing maths because of the importance of good grades in the subject to young people competing for good jobs in a global labor market and to the economy more generally.
An education and skills survey released by the Confederation of British Industry last year showed that 30 percent of employers reported dissatisfaction with the standard of school and college leavers' numeracy. More than two-thirds of employers said they wanted both maths and science promoted more in schools.
Why does the British government send a delegation of experts to Shanghai?

A．To see how children from rich families have become the best at maths.

B．To investigate why the performance of almost all children in China is high.

C．To get a first-hand look at science classes and teaching methods there.

D．To raise the teaching standards in maths in Britain.

Which of the following statements is true according to the two international competition results?

A．British students performed better in 2013 than in 2012.

B．British students did better than the students from Poland in 2013.

C．The students from Singapore did better than the students from Germany.

D．The students from Germany did better than the students from Poland.

What has made schools in Shanghai the most successful in teaching maths in the eye of Truss?

A．Curriculum and teaching methods.

B．Teaching practices and a positive mind.

C．Early learning of key arithmetic and times tables.

D．A focus on times tables and long division.

How will students’ poor performance in maths affect the country eventually?

A．By threatening the country's competitiveness of economy.

B．By weakening the country's political system.

C．By losing international competitions in education.

D．By failing to find jobs in a global labor market.

What can we infer from the news?

A．The students in Britain don’t work hard at Maths.

B．The students in shanghai are the smartest in the world.

C．The education of science in Britain is no better than that of maths.

D．Most British citizens are dissatisfied with teachers’ work.