A middle-aged stranger visited us late on a dark rainy night when my father was working the night shift (a job for a period during the night). The stranger asked if he could wait under the eaves of our roof for the rain to stop. Then he disappeared, and we started hearing footsteps and creaking boards in the attic(the space or room at the top of a building, under the roof, often used for storing things). Was the stranger inside our house? My whole body couldn’t help but stiffen. In my mind’s eye, I could imagine the stranger pu
shing through the attic door and approaching us.
We immediately called Jerry, our neighbor, for help. He searched everywhere, but the visitor was nowhere to be found. As Jerry looked in the garage, he found the stranger lying underneath the car. Jerry exclaimed with fright, “You are not allowed to enter the house. Get off the property right now.”
We were determined to leave the house immediately. As we drove away, we saw the man blocking our way on the road and staring at us. We had to swerve to miss him. After that, I never saw the stranger again.The text is mainly about .
| A．the neighbor Jerry | B．a strange dream |
| C．a strange visitor | D．footsteps in the attic |
Based on the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．The family h it the stranger with their car. |
| B．The stranger pushed through the family’s door. |
| C．Jerry was hurrying back from the night shift. |
| D．The author’s father wasn’t at home that night. |
Why did the family leave their house on a late, dark night?
| A．It was raining hard and the eaves of their roof were broken. |
| B．There was a ghost wandering around the house. |
| C．They did not feel safe in their house. |
| D．The stranger was still somewhere inside the house. |
The text was written in order of .
| A．time | B．space | C．importance | D．age of the family |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中由两项为多余选项。
Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness?The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.
lMake a plan for achieving goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.
lSurround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively(消极地) when you are surrounded by people who think that way.
lWhen something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow setbacks(挫折) to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the things back to their favor.
lThese few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.
lWhether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously(下意识地) putting yourself in a better mood.
lFinding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.
lKeeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness.
| A．What makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy. |
| B．On the contrary, if you are around people who are happy， their emotional state will be easily passed to you. |
| C．Being overweight or not eating foods containing nutrition have a negative effect on your mood. |
| D．These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves. |
E.Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy.
F.There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.
G.It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.
A2 and AS Level Revision at Easter 2012
Course Dates
Courses run from Monday to Friday each week.
◆One Week Courses
Monday 6 April—Friday 10 April
Monday 13 April— Friday 17 April
◆Two Week Courses
Monday 6 April—Friday 17 April
Students may arrive a day earlier （Sunday） and/or depart a day later （Saturday） at extra cost.
Number of Students per Class
The average number of students is usually between 1 and 4 per class. As the numbers increase in a class, the number of “contact hours” is suitably increased to allow extra time. Many students will find themselves in privately tutored（指导） classes giving them ultimate flexibility（灵活性） and attention of the Revision Tutor.
Fees
One Week Boarding Fees: 1,495 GB Sterling （5 days/4 nights）
Two Week Boarding Fees: 2,895 GB Sterling （12 days/11 nights）
One Week Day Fees: 1,095 GB Sterling （5 days）
Two Week Day Fees: 2,165 GB Sterling （10 days）
Optional Extra Elements
Extra Night’s Accommodation（住宿）: 70 GB Sterling （including meals）
Additional Private Tutoring: 60 GB Sterling per hour
How to Apply
We provide you the majority of A2 and AS subjects. Before you apply, please contact us to tell us which subject areas you would like to cover. We will then be able to check whether a space is available. Once a space has been confirmed as available, you will need to apply online or via the PDF, and also compete the Additional Information PDF. After you apply, we will require you to fill in a detailed form explaining your requirements. If you have any question, don’t hesitate to ask us.Before you apply for the course, you must _______.
| A．explain your requirements in a form in detail |
| B．make sure that they have the area you want |
| C．go to the school to get the application form |
| D．complete the Additional Information PDF |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．If you need the tutor’s extra help, you need to pay more money to them |
| B．If you apply for the 2-week courses, you will have classes on the weekend in between |
| C．Tutoring hours are fixed no matter how many students there are in a class. |
| D．You can take the course on weekdays all the year around in 2012. |
This passage most probably is a （an） _______.
| A．arrangement for the Easter 2012 | B．timetable for a new school |
| C．advertisement for vacation courses | D．instruction on how to apply |
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sister. And day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy’s tummy(肚子).
Everything was normal for Karen. But she had difficulty giving birth to the baby. Finally, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in serious condition and was sent to hospital at once. The days went by. The little girl got worse. The doctor told the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.”
Karen and her husband had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby—now they planned a funeral. Michael, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister, “I want to sing to her,” he said.
Karen knew if he didn’t see his sister now, he would never see her alive. She led Michael to his sister’s bedside. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy when skies are gray…”
Immediately the baby girl responded. Her breath became calm. “Keep on singing, Michael!” ‘You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away…” Tears ran down Karen’s face.
Funeral plans were cancelled(取消). The next day, the little girl was well enough to go home! The doctors just called it a miracle(奇迹). Karen called it a miracle of God’s love!Before his sister’s birth, Michael _____ .
| A．often whisper to her | B．often sang songs to her |
| C．helped with the housework | D．decorated her room beautifully |
The new baby was in serious condition because ______ .
| A．the doctors were not skillful |
| B．she was not taken good care of |
| C．her mother Karen was in poor health |
| D．Karen had trouble in giving birth to the baby |
We can know from the text that ____ .
| A．singing often has magical power |
| B．Michael saved his sister by singing |
| C．doctors often use songs to help treat patients |
| D．the song Michael sang was made by himself |
The passage is mainly written to _____ .
| A．show sometimes songs can cure disease |
| B．introduce a funny way of saving life |
| C．show readers that God’s love is powerful |
| D．tell people a moving and interesting story |
Machu Picchu is considered to be a truly extraordinary archaeological(考古学的) discovery and is one of South America’s largest tourist sites. As many as one thousand visitors visit the ancient Incan（印加文化的） ruins daily. What draws vacationers and adventurers to this remote location high in the Andes Mountains of Peru（秘鲁）? A large part of the attraction is the mysteries that surround Machu Picchu. For example, Machu Picchu is considered “the lost city” of the Incas because it was never found by Spanish invaders and was known to only a few local peasants for almost four hundred years.
The “city in the clouds”, Machu Picchu’s lasting beauty comes from the careful blending of its striking architecture with its mountaintop environment. Its greatest skill shows are in the stone structures, which equals that of the ancient Egyptians. The stone blocks were so appropriately cut that they fit together without the need for mud. The largest stones at Machu Picchu weigh as much as fifteen tons! It has been difficult to explain how the huge blocks were transported. The buildings, including many that have survived lots of earthquakes, contain stones which interlock so perfectly that a knife cannot be forced between them. When compared to other ancient civilizations, it is difficult to understand how Machu Picchu could have been missed by the Spanish and lost from history for four hundred years.
For many of the mysteries of Machu Picchu being unsolved, it is clear why Machu Picchu remains “the most famous ruins in all of South America”. Which of the followings is NOT a mystery of Machu Picchu?
| A．Machu Picchu is called the “city in the clouds”. |
| B．Machu Picchu remains “the most famous ruins of South America”. |
| C．Machu Picchu is “the lost city” of the Incas. |
| D．Machu Picchu is the largest stone city of the world. |
The underlined word “interlock” probably means _________
| A．put | B．fit | C．meet | D．lie |
From the passage we can learn that __________.
| A．Machu Picchu has gone through lots of earthquakes |
| B．all of the mysteries of Machu Picchu have been solved |
| C．the city has never been discovered by people outside |
| D．Machu Picchu is the most valuable ruins in history. |
The purpose of writing the passage is to __________.
| A．ask us to pay a visit to Machu Picchu |
| B．show us the beauty of Machu Picchu |
| C．introduce Machu Picchu’s mysteries |
| D．make the ancient Incan ruins known |
There once lived a rich businessman who had a lazy son. The businessman wanted his son to realize the value of labour and said: “Today, I want you to go out and earn something, failing which you won’t have your meals tonight.”
He went crying straight to his mother. Her heart melted at her son’s eyes. She gave him a gold coin. When the father asked his son what he had earned, the son presented him the gold coin. The father asked him to throw it into a well.
The next day, he asked his son to earn something. This time he went crying to his sister who gave him a coin. When he showed it to his father he again asked him to throw it in a well. Then the father asked him to earn more money.
This time since there was no one to help him, the son was forced to go to the market. One shopkeeper told him he would pay him two coins if he carried his trunk to his house. He did so and sweated plenty. As he returned home he was asked to do the same. The son almost cried out. He could not imagine throwing his hard-earned money like this. He cried, “My entire body is aching. You are asking me to throw the money into the well.”
At this moment, the businessman told him one feels the pain only when the fruits of hard labour are wasted. On the earlier two occasions he was helped and therefore had no pain in throwing the coins into the well. The son had now realized the value of hard work. He promised never to be lazy and to safely keep the father’s wealth. The father handed over the keys of his shop to the son and promised to guide him through the rest of the life.Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．At first the son was hard-working and responsible. |
| B．The father taught his son a lesson in a good way. |
| C．The father didn’t like his son at all. |
| D．The businessman was a little lazy. |
According to the passage, the father wanted his son to realize ______.
| A．the importance of helping others |
| B．the importance of money |
| C．the value of hard labour |
| D．the value of money |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．the mother was very generous |
| B．the sister was very warm-hearted |
| C．the father was very strict |
| D．the shopkeeper was very cruel |
According to the last paragraph, we can guess the boy was likely to ______.
| A．look for a good job |
| B．use up his father’s wealth |
| C．become a successful guide |
| D．follow his father’s career |