A large number of women in Western European countries wish that they were born men. The number is said as high as 60% in Germany.
“Women often wish that they had the same chance as men have, and believe it is still men’s world.” Said Dr James Holden, one of the scientists who did the study. Anne Harper has a very good job for an international oil company. She also believes in“Women’s Liberation(解放)”.
“I don’t wish that I were a man,” she says, “and I don’t think many women do .But I do wish that people would stop looking down upon us women. At work, for example, we often do the work that men do but we get less paid. There are still a lot of jobs that are usually the best ones that open only to men. If you’re a man, you have a much better chance of leading an exciting life. How many women pilots are there or engineers or scientists?”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．There are more Western European women wishing to be born men. |
| B．Women in Western European countries wish to deliver boy-babies. |
| C．60%women in Germany wish that they were born men. |
| D．60% Western European women wish that they were born men. |
“it is still men’s world.” means “______.”
| A．There’re more men than women in the world |
| B．There’re more men scientists or engineers in the world |
| C．Women cannot live on themselves without men |
| D．Women have not been given the same chance as men |
The “believes in” in paragraph 2 can be explained as _______.
| A．feels sure of the value of | B．is sure of the existence of |
| C．has some trust in | D．learns something from |
Anne Harper considers that women should ______.
| A．be really liberated | B．live a better life than men |
| C．be well paid | D．get better jobs than men |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Usually the best jobs are open to men not to women. |
| B．Women are less paid than men for doing the same job. |
| C．Men pilots, engineers and scientists are more than women ones. |
| D．Women are looked down upon as the second-class citizens. |
Little Robby, our neighbour’s nephew, carefully drew some water into a bowl and started for the door. How I hated this water rationing (定量供应). We were forced to bathe in the deep little pond we shared with Jessie, our cow. Wells were dry, and crops transformed to dust.
I watched Robby sitting down onto the steps to my house. Bees buzzed circling his hair, and he buzzed with them. I remembered his aunt’s words: I don’t know what I was thinking when I took him in. The crash killed my sister, and he wasn’t hurt, but he can’t talk. He’s in a world of all his own.
Why couldn’t she see the wonderful gifts this boy possessed? He was blessed with a loving nature and a deep admiration for all living things, and I knew he could talk to animals. My heart ached for Robby, who was to stay with us for the summer, and had already been the dearest part of our world, eagerly tending the garden with me and my husband, Tom.
On a string around Robby’s neck hung a whistle, in case he was ever lost or in danger. After all, he could not call out for help. But he knew perfectly well that the whistle was not a toy. Blowing on it would bring us both running. I had told him the story of the boy who cried wolf, and I knew he understood me.
I sighed as I cleared up the last supper dish. Every ounce of recycled water was saved for a tiny vegetable garden Robby had planted. Tom turned to me. “You know, honey, I’ve been thinking about...”
Before he could continue, a scream from the yard made us jump. My God! It’s Robby’s whistle! When we reached him, he was pointing excitedly to the sky. Looking up, we saw the most magnificent sight: Rain Clouds! “Robby! Quick! We need all the pots and pans!”
Robby raced with me to the house. A drop of water fell on my pot and then another. Soon the yard was enveloped in soaking, glorious rain. We all stood with faces held upward to feel the comfort of it. Tom picked up Robby and danced about the pots, shouting and whooping, “Rain for Robby!” Tom swung about to show me Robby’s face: he was laughing right out loud, “W-W-Wobby’s!” “Wobby’s … wain … Mom,” giggling（咯咯地笑）, and stretching out one tiny hand in the shape of a cup to catch the rain.
I hugged them both, tears of joy mixing with the rain.The underlined phrase “the wonderful gifts” in the 3rd paragraph refers to Robby’s ______.
| A．love for nature and all living things |
| B．kindness to help others around |
| C．independence since his childhood |
| D．readiness to accept what happened to him |
It was because ______ that the author and her husband would run on hearing the whistle.
| A．it was going to rain |
| B．Robby often surprised us with his whistle |
| C．something bad might happen to Robby. |
| D．Robby might find something special |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Robby was old enough, but still couldn’t speak. |
| B．Robby’s aunt regretted bringing Robby home. |
| C．Robby didn’t accept the author and Tom as his parents. |
| D．Robby happened to find the rain cloud and was terrified. |
It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
| A．we should show mercy for the disabled children |
| B．every child has his own talent however young he is |
| C．children from poor families take responsibilities earlier |
| D．children’s sensitive hearts are worthy to be taken care of |
Apple has entered the textbook market. The tech giant（科技巨头） introduced iBooks textbooks a couple of weeks ago when it announced its iBooks 2 platform. They are digital books in many subjects taking in science, maths, history and geography.
Apple developed its iPad-based textbooks in conjunction with（连接）major textbook publishers. The company offers a collection of textbooks for high school students.
Apple says it offers a “new textbook experience” and suggests its iBooks textbooks are “the next chapter in learning”. It sounds like good news for pupils and students. Think of it. No more carrying heavy backpacks full of textbooks. Every textbook you require can be stored on your iPad. No more having to buy expensive textbooks which you will only use for a year or two and then sell or give away.
Of course there’s a catch. You need to own an iPad and as you know, it is not cheap. You also need to buy digital textbooks, mostly priced each at $14.99 (94.74 yuan) or less. Textbook publishing was worth $ 8.7 billion in the US alone last year. And the rest, as they say, is history. Will Apple revolutionize learning? Will digital books take over completely in education? That remains to be seen.What is the best title of the text?
| A．Apple Enters New Market | B．A Different Way of Learning | C．Experience Digital Texbooks | D．Say Good-bye to Tradition |
iBooks textbooks will do good to pupils and students because ________.
| A．they are free to get | B．they are easy to carry |
| C．they are ipad-based | D．they are favorite gifts |
The underlined words “a catch” in Paragraph 4 are closest in meaning to “________.”
| A．an advantage | B．a surprise |
| C．a problem | D．an order |
What can we know from that last paragraph?
| A．iPad-based textbooks have changed our learning. |
| B．Traditional textbooks will be replaced sooner or later. |
| C．Apple has earned a lot from the textbook market. |
| D．Digital books have disadvantages and advantages. |
Gary is teaching his students to play a game called “Word House” in the English class. Here is the way to play the game:
1. Get some pieces of paper that are cut into squares. Each Square is for writing one letter only.
2. Write a letter on one square. For example, write “i.”
3. Next, take another two squares. Make a two-letter word which contains the letter you have written, for example, “in” or “hi.” Put the new word (written on the two squares) below the first square.
4. Then make a three-letter word which contains the two letters you have written.Again, put the new word on the next line.
5. Keep making new words in the same way to build a “word house.” The person who builds the highest word house in twenty minutes wins the game. What does a “word house” look like?
Which is true about the game?
| A．It is about spelling. |
| B．It is a computer game. |
| C．There have to be five people in the game. |
| D．Students have to write four words in twenty minutes. |
Which of the following is the right order of playing the game?
a. cut the paper into squares
b. make a three-letter word which contains the two letters you’ve written
c. write a letter on one square
d. keep making new words in the same way
e. make a two-letter word and put it below the first square
| A．a-b-c-d-e | B．a-c-e-b-d | C．d -c-e-b-a | D．e-b-c-d-a |
Newcastle, one of the fastest developing cities in the United Kingdom, is beginning to draw tourists from all corners of Europe. It’s said most visitors come here to see the famous soccer team play. The mood of the locals is often changed by the success or failures of the local team.
Newcastle’s most popular place is the Gate, which is in the center of the city and has many attractions including bars, restaurants, sports bars, pubs and so on. During a home game it becomes a real home to happiness.
Culture and local history lovers can make their dreams come true by taking one of the local city tour buses. They come and leave every few minutes and stop at all the important historical sites in the city. Also the seats and the environment on the buses are comfortable. It’s the best way to see the city without tiring yourself out or getting cold. Places such as the Hancock Museum and Millennium Bridge are must-see attractions. But be careful if you’re short of time. Newcastle is a big place, so you should be prepared to kill a few hours on one of these buses.
If you want to watch the local team play soccer in the St. James Park, remember to book a ticket as early as possible. The locals are crazy soccer fans, and you’ll find it hard to get a ticket if you don’t wait in the queue early.
As you can see, Newcastle is a fantastic city with so much to be offered and so many things to see. You’re sure to have a wonderful time here!The purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．advertise the local soccer team |
| B．encourage people to visit Newcastle |
| C．introduce the lifestyle in Newcastle |
| D．describe the long history of Newcastle |
Most visitors come to Newcastle in order to ________.
| A．watch its soccer team play | B．take the local tour buses |
| C．visit the Hancock Museum | D．have a big meal in restaurants |
If you want to learn about the history and culture of Newcastle, you _______.
| A．should go to the Gate | B．can go on a city tour |
| C．must visit St James Park | D．must drive your own car |
The underlined word “They” in Para 3 refers to ______.
| A．history lovers | B．local people |
| C．city tour buses | D．local soccer teams |
Lexi Peters, a 14-year-old girl in New York, loves hockey. She’s not only good at playing on her after-school team, but also at playing hockey video games. But when Peters played the popular NHL (National Hockey League) games made by Electronic Arts, something really bothered her. The virtual (虚拟的) character in the game could only be a boy — not a girl.
She didn’t think that was reasonable. There must be many girls playing hockey in the US. So she wrote a letter to Electronic Arts.
“Being represented by a man is unfair to women and girl hockey players,” Peters wrote. “Women’s hockey is a fast-growing sport. I am confident that I’m not the only woman interested in the opportunity to create herself in the game.”
Several weeks later, Peters received an unexpected e-mail from the senior producer for EA Sports’ NHL games, David Littman. “Hi, Lexi,” the e-mail began. “We agree with you!”
Electronic Arts said it would create a female player in the game. “I was thinking you could be the model,” Littman wrote. Peters almost couldn’t believe it. Later, she sent photos of herself taken at all different angles (角度).
And so, when Electronic Arts released the newest version of their game, NHL 12, this fall, Peters was the face of the female player. She can now skate with the NHL’s great players. “It’s strange at first, but you get used to it,” said Peters. “It’s really funny and cool.”
For Peters, there is also an important lesson that she will take with her the rest of her life. “If you have something to say, and you think it’s important, go for it!” she said. What bothered Peters when playing NHL games?
| A．There was no girl character in the game. |
| B．The characters were not real at all. |
| C．No girls would like to play the game. |
| D．It was not like playing real hockey games. |
According to Peters’ letter, we can know that ________.
| A．girls were not allowed to play hockey in the past |
| B．female players can be represented by men |
| C．boys don’t like to play hockey with girls |
| D．more and more girls are interested in hockey |
What was David Littman’s opinion of Peters’ letter?
| A．He ignored it. | B．He disliked it. |
| C．He agreed to it. | D．He voted against it. |
Peters’ experience tells us that we should ________.
| A．enjoy the fun of being a model |
| B．do what you think important to do |
| C．work hard to get used to any new situation |
| D．think about problems from different angles |