The rumors had been spreading for months but it still came as a shock when the hospital would be closing. It had served this poor neighborhood for nearly 100 years but it would close because of the health care crisis.
The day after the announcement co-workers found out that pretzels(椒盐饼干) had been eliminated. Soft pretzels are the lifeblood of this city. So losing access to soft pretzels is no small matter. 
I said, “I only have $6. I’m not sure how many pretzels I need. You see, I work at a hospital and it’s closing and they stopped selling pretzels.” The man’s smile disappeared. “What hospital?” “Oh, Northeastern Hospital.”
The guy looked deeply shocked. “I used to sell medical supplies and that was one of my hospitals.” Then he turned around and grabbed a box of 25 pretzels and slid them across the counter.
I was surprised by his generosity and started to reach for my wallet, “Oh I can pay. Please let me …” The guy smiled, “Just tell them Joe Sullivan said to do something nice for someone else.”
And so that day everyone in medical records was treated to a soft pretzel. Word spread fast as people came asking, “Is it really true?” It was as if I’d carried in a box of gold. It mattered to them that a stranger cared. The underlined word “eliminated” in Paragraph 2 means _____.
| A．highly priced | B．added | C．overcooked | D．removed |
Why did the author decide to buy pretzels for his co-workers?
| A．To show his generosity. | B．To make them feel less sad. |
| C．To show his thanks to them. | D．To encourage them to work hard. |
To buy 25 pretzels, the author should pay ____.
| A．$25 | B．$12.5 | C．$12 | D．$50 |
According to the passage, Joe Sullivan used to be a ____.
| A．cook | B．doctor | C．shopkeeper | D．salesman |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A nice treat |
| B．The rumor that came true |
| C．Tell them Joe cared |
| D．Northeastern Hospital is closing down |
Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son’s soccer team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my son’s team in the lead. Parents surrounded the playground, offering encouragement.
With less than ten seconds remaining, the ball suddenly rolled in front of my son’s teammate, Mickey O’ Donnel. With shouts of “Kick it!” echoing across the playground, Mickey turned around and gave it everything he had. All around me the crowd erupted. O’Donnel had scored!
Then there was silence. Mickey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the game in a tie. For a moment there was a total hush. You see, Mickey has Down syndrome（唐氏综合症）and for him there is no such thing as a wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mickey. He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mickey, his face filled with joy, hugged my son tightly and shouted, “I scored! I scored! Everybody won! Everybody won!” For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw up his hand in the classic high-five（致礼）salute and started chanting, “Way to go Mickey! Way to go Mickey!” Within moments both teams surrounded Mickey, joining in the chant and congratulating him on his goal.
Later that night, when my daughter asked who had won, I smiled as I replied, “It was a tie. Everybody won.”Which is the most correct description of the author’s son? He was _________.
| A．brave | B．sympathetic | C．honest | D．proud |
The underlined word “hush” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “_________”.
| A．cheer | B．laughter | C．silence | D．cry |
Why did the author hold his breath when Mickey scored and hugged his son?
| A．Because his son might get angry with Mike | B．Because Mickey cheated everyone |
| C．Because his son would accept the fact | D．Because the score was out of his expectation |
We can infer from the passage that Mickey .
| A．was hated by his own team |
| B．was excited when he realized the fault |
| C．was warm-hearted and played soccer for both teams |
| D．was cared about by his teammates |
There’s no shortage of web sites offering deals-everything from daily deals to members-only private sales. But when it comes to real jaw-dropping deals, there’s one company that seems to have figured out a way to really deliver.
The company is called Quibids and they auction（拍卖）the hottest, in-demand electronics like Apple ipads and ipods, as well as other items like gift cards from the top retailers（零售商）. Unlike other sites, the prices people pay are nowhere near retail. How low are the prices?
$ 33.84 for a new Apple ipad 32 GB（retail $ 600）
$ 22.10 for a new Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera（retail $ 1070）
Our first reaction on seeing these prices was disbelief. After all, how could Quibids possibly afford to sell these items for so little ---- surely they must be losing a lot of money.
That’s where its unique business model comes into play. You see, for every bid a buyer places for an item on Quibids, the company collects a small fee from the bidder. The fee to bid is only about 60 cents, but based on the volume of sales and bids, the company is able to collect enough to make up for the ridiculous prices the items sell for.
But best of all, participating in the Quibids auction is incredibly fun. Because each bid costs a little to place, shoppers can strategize when to place their bids. Each auction has a strict time limit. When you place your bid, the system adds a little time to the auction to see if any other bids come in. If you have the winning bid when the clock runs out ---- you win the item for that price.
But the best part of Quibids may be the “Buy-It-Now” feature. This allows bidders who did not win an auction to still buy the product they want and apply the cost of the bids they placed as a discount on the regular product price. So you still get the item and the bids you placed previously in the auction don’t cost you anything!According to the passage, the success of Quibids mainly lies in .
| A．how its buying and selling is conducted | B．the change in people’s shopping model |
| C．the quality of the goods and service | D．their willingness to risk losing money |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．other retailers will be out of business | B．winning a bid is not just a matter of luck |
| C．Quibids only sell popular electronics | D．the prices on Quibids are the lowest |
A buyer who bid twice for a $ 20 MP4 can get one from “Buy-It-Now” for .
| A．$ 21.2 | B．$ 20 | C．$ 19.4 | D．$ 18.8 |
Which might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Buy Products for Next to Nothing | B．How to Buy New Must–have Electronics |
| C．The Most Successful Shopping Website | D．Tips on Shopping Online |
Famous centenarians (百岁老人) still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others."
Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.
Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.
Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder (胆囊) operation he composed a samba tune (桑巴舞曲) in the clinic.
Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?" Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".
Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.
With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers. From the first two paragraphs, we can see ______.
| A．being active at 102 is achievable for everybody |
| B．Oliveira owes his long life to his mother’s help |
| C．being fit in old age is a matter of luck and character |
| D．social skills and wisdom are difficult for the senior |
How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage?
| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
By saying "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?” in Paragraph 5, Heesters shows us he ________.
| A．wants to sit or lie in comfort |
| B．is waiting for people to pick him up |
| C．is willing to work till he dies |
| D．prefers to give performance at home |
In the passage so many examples were given to show ________.
| A．old age is a big problem if you want to succeed |
| B．as a senior citizen, you have to be open-minded and optimistic |
| C．old people should never think of themselves as old |
| D．old age cannot prevent a great person from achieving a lot |
In the writer’s opinion, the architect Oscar Niemeyer is not ________.
| A．intelligent | B．pessimistic | C．positive | D．Diligent |
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex (反应), I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．We can learn from the first two paragraphs that____________________．
| A．the author regretted his act of prejudice |
| B．the blind woman needed the money badly |
| C．the author was as poor as the blind woman |
| D．the author was a native American |
According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably_____．
| A．rather hurt | B．very excited | C．deeply moved | D．greatly inspired |
According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should________．
| A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled |
| B．try to experience different kinds of life |
| C．treat others equally with love and respect |
| D．think about one’s past as often as possible |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Learn from Your Past | B．How My Dream Comes True |
| C．A Belief That Will Never Change | D．A Priceless Lesson in the Street |
The history of modern art begins with Impressionism, a movement started in Paris in the mid-1800’s. At that time many artists painted in a very traditional way that involved spending hours in a studio, painstakingly (辛苦地) creating paintings that were extremely detailed. These paintings were sometimes of people or landscapes or historical events. In 1863, Edouard Manet exhibited his painting “Dejeuner sur l’erbe” at the Salon des Refuses. The painting caused a commotion (骚动), thus starting the Impressionist movement. Although Edouard Manet is the declared leader and founder of the group, he was not present at the first group exhibition or any of the other eight collective Impressionist shows. The movement gained more attention in the April of 1874 when Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Jean-Frédéric Bazille formed Society of Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Engravers and began exhibiting outside of the official salon. The same year, the term Impressionism was invented by criticizing (批评的) journalist Louis Leroy to describe their paintings, who worked for the magazine Le Charivari.
The Impressionists often paint out of doors and want to show how light and shadow fall on objects at particular times of the day. Their works are sometimes described as “captured moments” and are characterized by short quick brushstrokes (笔) of colour which, when viewed up close looks quite messy and unreal. If we step back from the Impressionist paintings, the colours are blended together by our eyes and we are able to see the painters’ subjects which often show colourful landscapes, sunlight on water as well as people busy with outdoor activities.Before Impressionism, the works of artists were .
| A．quite abstract | B．very confusing |
| C．very detailed | D．quite controversial |
Who first started Impressionism? ___________
| A．Claude Monet. | B．Edouard Manet. |
| C．Auguste Renoir. | D．Alfred Sisley. |
The works of the Impressionists are best viewed .
| A．with imagination | B．at a distance |
| C．outdoors | D．in a studio |
The second paragraph is mainly about ______.
| A．the painting style of the Impressionists |
| B．how to describe the Impressionist paintings |
| C．the influences of the Impressionist paintings |
| D．the subjects of the Impressionist paintings |