When we think about giving help to developing countries, we often think about giving money so that these countries can build schools and hospitals, buy food and medicine, or find clean water supplies. These seem to be the most important basic needs of the people we are trying to help. However, it's far from enough. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got to come up with some better ideas to help them.
I was very surprised, then, when I read about a plan to make cheap laptop computers for children in developing countries. A man called Nicholas Negroponte invented a cheap laptop computer and he planed to produce a lot and sell them to the children in developing countries at a low price after he visited a school in Cambodia. The laptop will be covered in rubber so that it is very strong and won't be damaged easily. The idea is that these computers will help the children's education as they will be ab
le to surf the Internet. By improving children's education they should help people to find their own solutions to their problems in the long term.
Another idea to help children in developing countries is to recycle old mobile phones so that they can be used again. In the UK, and probably in many other countries too, millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year. The waste created by throwing away these old phones is very bad for the environment, so it seems to be an excellent idea to recycle them. In this way we will be able to achieve two important goals at the same time. We will reduce the waste we produce and help others. In other words, we will be able to 'kill two birds with one 
stone’, and that is always a good thing.
It's an excellent idea to recycle old mobile phones because .
| A．it reduces waste and can help others |
| B．it prevents waste and can earn lots of money |
| C．it can send the waste produced by developed countries to other countries |
| D．it is good for the environment and very educative for phone users |
The author gives the example of Mr. Negroponte’s 
cheap computers .
| A．to show what high technology can bring us |
B．to show the kindness of  people in the developed countries |
| C．to show how to find business opportunities in developing countries |
| D．to give an example of how to help developing countries |
Where does this passage probably come from? .
A．A newspaper . |
B．A magazine. |
| C．A lecture. | D．An advertisement. |
Nothing is as precious as one's freedom. Dreams, aspirations and ideals mean nothing if one does not have the freedom to pursue them.
A lot has been done in the name of freedom. A lot has been said and written about freedom. In the past six months, the world witnessed Tunisian uprising, Egyptian revolution and Libyan civil war. Thousands of people fought for freedom; hundreds of people lost their lives (for freedom); people are craving for freedom. But, what exactly is freedom? We are fighting for it, we are ready to die for it, we are craving for it, but, can we really define it?
Albert Camus thinks freedom is a chance to be better. Abraham Lincoln calls it best hope of Earth. Epictetus says it's the right to live as we wish. For Moshe Dayan it's oxygen for soul. According to Urban Dictionary it's everything. And going by Oxford Dictionaries, it's power of self determination attributed to the will.
Everyone has different views about freedom. But somehow I am still not convinced because we can't really be fighting for a chance or hope. And the concept of everything is full of uncertainties. I don't think we are fighting for power of self-determination either. And as for the right to live as we wish, if we have the right to fight, then, how can we be denied the right to live as per our wish?
But the question still remains unanswered, what is freedom?
For me, freedom has a deeper and greater meaning. I think freedom is much more than just a right. It's a responsibility of doing what you think is good, not only for you but even for society. It is a state when one realizes their duties and starts respecting others' freedom.
Freedom is when we realize that we can do absolutely anything except force another person to follow us in our madness or our desire for life. Freedom is when we are no longer slaves to our desires, society, its expectations, luxury or slaves to a life we did not choose.
Freedom is when we have the courage to speak out what we know is true, do what we feel is right, and fight for what we think is unfair. One shouldn't really fight for freedom; rather, they should try to achieve it.How many famous people’s definitions of freedom are mentioned in the passage?
| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
Paragraph 3 mainly tells us that _____________.
| A．Everyone longs for freedom |
| B．Everyone is fighting for freedom |
| C．People have different views about freedom |
| D．Famous people have a deeper understanding of freedom |
Which of the following will the author agree with?
| A．Freedom is a chance to live better. |
| B．Freedom is our best hope in the world. |
| C．Freedom is the right to live as we wish. |
| D．Freedom is a responsibility of doing what is good. |
What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To show different views about freedom. |
| B．To express his understanding of freedom. |
| C．To encourage us to pursue our dreams and aspirations. |
| D．To argue against some famous people’s understanding of freedom. |
After I made it to the city center, I started to feel it might be easy for a foreigner to deal with the great size of Beijing. With growing confidence, I decided to take the subway to the hotel, not realizing that the network didn’t go that far. Impressed with the cleanliness of the station, I bought a ticket and boarded the first train that came along.
After a few minutes I asked in English of course a young man seated next to me where I should get off closest to the Friendship Hotel. Wearing a smart business suit and tie, he would surely speak English, wouldn’t he? Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand me but seemed very friendly. I showed him the room card with all the information of the Friendship Hotel in Chinese characters. He looked at it, and then his eyes moved quickly to the carriage (车厢) subway map. Next, he raised three fingers of his right hand.
In Australia, raising fingers at someone is not usually nice, but this man wasn’t smiling. At the next station he showed me two fingers. Now in Australia, that’s really rude, but I got the message. When we stopped at the third station, he didn’t just point to the door, but got up, took me out of the train, and led me to the top of the stairs, and out onto the street. Then he stopped a taxi and told the driver where to take me.
All this came from a man who couldn’t speak my language, and I couldn’t speak his. I was now speechless, especially when he refused my offer of money. I felt a little embarrassed having even thought he would accept a tip.
This experience made it clear I had to learn some Chinese quickly or my adventures might start turning into bad luck.The author decided to take the subway because ________.
| A．he lived near the city center |
| B．the network covered most of the stops |
| C．he believed in his ability to deal with the trip |
| D．he had a good impression of its cleanliness |
Having been shown the room card, the young man_________.
| A．understood the author well |
| B．still remained puzzled |
| C．answered the author directly |
| D．pointed at the subway map |
Which of the following can’t be used to describe the young man?
| A．helpful | B．rude |
| C．warmhearted | D．caring |
The author’s purpose of writing this passage is mainly to ________.
| A．prove the importance of being careful |
| B．appreciate the kindness of the young man |
| C．complain some cultural misunderstanding |
| D．describe one of his adventurous experiences |
You may have noticed something different when you ate at your favorite restaurant. Or perhaps you picked up on it while looking through your social media apps (社交媒体软件) . You guessed it ---we’re becoming a foodie (吃货) culture.
For some, that means photographing every dish, but others are taking it one step further. Sophia Hampton, a senior at Staples High School in US, chooses to make her own food. She has been published in Future Chefs, a cookbook of recipes (食谱) by teens.
Hampton’s best advice for those who want to be foodies is to get in the kitchen.
“Start cooking,” she said. “There are so many resources online, like recipes and articles about food. Go to your local farmers’ market and start cooking with them.
Besides blogs and online resources, there are also hands-on cooking classes for students. The Chopping Block, a Chicago cooking school, offers many different classes for teens, including courses on chocolate and French food.
By attending cooking classes, surfing online and going to restaurants, you can find endless recipes. But sometimes becoming a real foodie means being behind a camera. As our food-loving culture becomes more popular and teen-friendly, social media apps like Facebook, have become major players in food culture.
“Getting involved in foodie culture is as easy as having a camera and a social media app,” one foodie said. “I always go to streets and farmers’ markets to take beautiful pictures of food. Wherever food prices are expensive, the photos are free.”What does Hampton advise those who want to be foodies to do?
| A．Post their recipes online. |
| B．Cook food by themselves. |
| C．Eat at their favorite restaurant. |
| D．Take photos of every dish they eat. |
Where can students find new recipes, according to the article?
① cooking classes ② online resources
③ new restaurant ④ public libraries
| A．①②③ | B．①③④ | C．②③④ | D．①②④ |
What has made foodie culture more popular, according to the article?
| A．People’s growing interest in traditional culture. |
| B．The convenience of getting different food. |
| C．The use of cameras and social media. |
| D．The drop in food prices. |
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina
For the first time ever, two little fairy tale (童话) characters meet in one fun-filled, action-packed musical adventure. Trying to find their way in a great big world, Tom Thumb and Thumbelina join forces and face difficulties in a great journey to find their true home.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Peter Gallagher
Runtime: 1 hour 16 minutes
Buy with 1 click
Uptown Girls
Carefree Molly Gunn loses her inheritance (遗产) and must do something she’s never done before---to get a job. She ends up as babysitter to an 8-year-old girl who teaches Molly to be a grownup, while Molly teaches her to be a kid.
Starring: Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning
Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
Buy with 1 click
Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story
Based on a true story, the movie Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story is about the British author’s rise to fame, from poor single mother to author of the popular Harry Potter books, and one of the wealthiest woman in the world.
Starring: Poppy Montgomery, Emily Holmes
Runtime: 1 hour 26 minutes
Buy with 1 click
The Book Thief
To everyone’s excitement, Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson star in this moving film based on the bestseller about a girl who changes the lives of those around her in World War II Germany.
Starring: Emily Watson, Geoffrey Rush
Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
Buy with 1 click Where can the passage be found?
| A．On the website. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a magazine. | D．On a poster. |
_______ will be interested in the passage.
| A．People who love books |
| B．People who enjoy films |
| C．People who are fond of stories |
| D．People who are crazy about music |
Which of the following will help you know about the writer of Harry Potter?
| A．The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina. |
| B．Uptown Girls. |
| C．Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story. |
| D．The Book Thief. |
According to the passage, which actor or actress may be the most popular?
| A．Poppy Montgomery | B．Emily Holmes |
| C．Brittany Murphy | D．Geoffrey Rush |
How often do you let other people like a bad driver, a rude waiter, or an angry boss, change your mood (情绪)?
Sixteen years ago I learned a lesson. I got in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane (车道) when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver used his brakes (车闸), the tires made a loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just 3cm from the back of the other car.
I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head around and he started shouting at us. I couldn’t believe it!
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. He said, “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger and disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump (倾倒) it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.
So I started thinking how often I let Garbage Trucks run right over me and how often I take their garbage and spread it to other people.
I began to see Garbage Trucks. I see the load people are carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally. I just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.What happened to the author on his way to Grand Central Station?
| A．He was caught in a traffic jam. |
| B．He had a fight with his taxi driver. |
| C．His taxi suddenly got a flat tire. |
| D．His taxi almost ran into another car. |
When the author saw his taxi driver smile and wave at the driver of the black car, he ______.
| A．got very angry |
| B．was deeply impressed |
| C．felt quite disappointed |
| D．praised him for his manners |
The underlined part “the load” in the last paragraph probably refers to _______.
| A．waste materials | B．poor habits |
| C．the bad mood | D．great pressure |
How did the author learn to deal with Garbage Trucks?
| A．Fight back immediately. |
| B．Call the police for help. |
| C．Smile and move on. |
| D．Dump it on someone else. |