The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited (not lived by people). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.
| A．brave | B．cruel | C．strange | D．kind |
In the desert _______.
| A．it rains in spring only |
| B．it rains for a short time every month |
| C．there is some rain, but far from enough |
| D．the rainfall is just enough for the plants |
People live _______.
| A．only inside the oases |
| B．only outside the oases |
| C．both inside and outside the oases |
| D．in places with regular rainfalls |
A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.
A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle (再利用). Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic, but overtime it can break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow. “We’ve only put sunflower seeds into the cover so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers will perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means producers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists. “The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don’t have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan, the leader of the research team.After you have finished using the new type of mobile phone, _______.
| A．the sunflower seed will come out and flower in the pot |
| B．the phone cover will break down very soon in the soil |
| C．it will be recycled by the producers |
| D．it can charge itself with electricity in a green way |
This type of research is done because ________.
| A．the technology of making phones is changing rapidly |
| B．too many waste mobile phones may lead to environmental problems |
| C．nobody has ever thought of recycling mobile phones |
| D．producing mobile phones uses a lot of energy |
We can infer from the story ________.
| A．the new type of mobile phones is already on the market |
| B．the new type of mobile phones will sell extremely well |
C．the material of the new type of phones is  harmful |
| D．other flowers may be used in the new type of mobile phones |
The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities in the world. But to those who are new to it all, it can be something confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar (学习日程表). Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be uneasy. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you are worried about starting their university social life. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next thr
ee years.
Here are some top tips from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week:
·Make sure you know something about the British social customs. Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
·Sometimes cups of tea or even sweets can give you a head start in making friends.
·The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his rooms.
·Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive 
messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning, Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your wisdom to next year’s newcomers.Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage?
| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities. |
| B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your door. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week. |
We can infer from the 4th paragraph that ______.
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy?
| A．To pass the busy university life. | B．To help make friends with other freshers. |
| C．To show yourself a drinker as others. | D．To pass the time in a happy way. |
The main purpose of writing this passage is to ______.
| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
| B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK |
| C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
| D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning |
For years I wanted a f
lower garden. I spent hours and days thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.
But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.
Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I’d have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”
Finally, all five children got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.
I wasn’t sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty poor, no-frills budget (预算).
Then, one spring morning, on Mother’s day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on—and I couldn’t believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, tied all over the tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: “IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin.”
Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, a trellis (绷架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.
That was three years ago. My garden’s now very pretty, just like what I wanted. When I go out to weed or tend my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they are right there with me.
I live up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out of my window and think of the flowers I’ll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes---every time.
I’m still not sure that money grows 
on trees. But I know love does. By saying “Do you see a money tree outside?”, the mother actually means _____.
| A．Observation is the best teacher | B．Seeing is believing |
| C．The outsider sees the most of the game | D．It is not easy to gain money |
The underlined word “no-frills” in the fifth paragraph is similar in meaning to _____.
| A．wasteful | B．tight | C．deserted | D．helpful |
From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the mother is _____.
| A．divorced when she was young | B．not caring for her kids any longer |
| C．alone but not at all lonely | D．prouder with her garden than with her kids |
The best title for the passage would probably be _____.
| A．My flower garden | B．Marvin helps to realize my dream |
| C．Love in Michigan | D．Money grows on trees |
NEW YORK CITY?A hurricane warning has been given for New York City．Forecasters say Hurricane Irene could cause widespread flooding, power failure and billions of dollars in damage．About 65 million Americans live in Hurricane Irene's projected path —many of whom have been evacuated．
In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered the city's first-ever evacuation． Roughly 250,000 people have been told to leave their homes in low-lying areas, including the Wall Street financial district．
WASHINGTON D．C．—On Aug．24, 2011, Apple announced that Mr．Steve Jobs, who has battled cancer for several years, was stepping down as the CEO but would serve as chairman．
In January, he had announced that he was taking a medical leave of absence from Apple．In announcing his leave, he turned daily oversight of the company over to the chief operating officer, Timothy D．Cook, and it was Mr．Cook whom Apple named to succeed him as the next CEO of the company．
TRIPOLI—Opposition forces in Libya say they control more than 90 percent of the country．It is still not clear where Moammar Gadhafi is．The opposition has offered more than 1,600,000 dollars for his capture （逮捕）．The head of the opposition forces said his group supports a decision by local businessmen to provide the money in an effort to speed up the capture．Earlier Wednesday, government forces fired onto the former headquarters （总部） of Mr．Gadhafi, which is now controlled by opposition forces．Heavy fighting also continued near Tripoli's airport and in a town of Zuara．The underlined word "evacuated" probably means ________．
| A．sent away to safer places | B．gathered around to higher positions |
| C．flooded off to lower reaches | D．left behind to dangerous situations |
Who has been appointed as the new CEO of Apple?
A．Steve Jobs．B．Michael Bloomberg．
C．Moammar Gadhafi． D．Timothy D．Cook．From the news above, we know that in Libya _______．
| A．the local businessmen have offered money to catch hold of Gadhafi |
| B．the opposition forces suffered a thorough defeat near Tripoli's airport |
| C．the government forces are defending the headquarters of Mr．Gadhafi |
| D．the town of Zuara is the place where Moammar Gadhafi probably hides |
Most recently, it's very common in students who need a parent present for job interviews． Naturally, it's easy to blame the students in these situations, but the bigger problem is us． We—as parents—are so eager to shelter our kids that we fail to realize that this in itself is harming them．As the mother of two young sons, I have to remind myself constantly that the biggest responsibility I have as a parent is to help them develop the skills needed to live in, to live without me．So, I'll let them fail．
I'll let them fail because as long as they are safe and warm inside their comfort zones, they will never grow．And failure is along with loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc．—will be part of growth for them．Call me the anti-tiger mom, but leaving them alone is my way of helping them become equipped to fit in this world as we know it today．From terrorism and seemingly endless natural disasters, to our national debt and beyond, if we expect the next generation to stand up to the very real problems of our time, we need to stop feeding them and start teaching them how to fish．
My children now are becoming little masters of compromise, but they try to negotiate （协商） everything now．It's a small price to help them learn a skill they'll use for the rest of their lives, including when I don't accompany them on job interviews．Why do parents accompany their kids on job interviews?
| A．Because they want to protect their kids from difficulties． |
| B．Because they think they can help them on the questions． |
| C．Because their kids are too shy to attend interviews． |
| D．Because their kids strongly request them to do so． |
According to the author, what is beneficial to kids' development?
A．Sheltering them． B．Keeping them safe．
C．Leaving them alone． C．Blaming them．Why does the author stress failure in kids' life?
| A．To make them stronger than other kids． | B．To help them grow in this tough world． |
| C．To help them develop all social skills． | D．To make them learn to compromise． |
Which of the following might be the best title for die text?
| A．Never Shelter Your Kids | B．Let Your Kids Fail |
| C．Be Eager to Grow Up | D．Live Without Parents |