One of my most unforgettable experiences is the day I finished my tough rowing and keep myself free of loneliness.
As the youngest female ever to row alone across the Atlantic Ocean, I was often asked the same question: How did you, a only 20-year old youngster row a 18-foot boat for 70 days through those strong winds and violent waves and survive?
Frankly speaking, for me, the physical challenge was not the greatest one. Before I made my mind to row across the Atlantic, I had already cycled 3,300 miles, run all by myself across the Mojave Desert, and swum the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. No, the hardest part would be mental: How would I cope with the terrible loneliness and the boredom on the vast sea for such a long time?
I set out on January 1 and my first object was to swim past the quarter-way mark, which would take about 20 days. I made it on January 20, a gray and cloudy day. I had thought to do something to celebrate my first goal such as treating myself to a chocolate bar or something else. But I didn’t. I was suffering from unbearable boredom and loneliness of the long sea journey. I hadn’t seen any landing at least more than two weeks. It seemed to feel the same every day. Eating, rowing, sleeping, staring at the sky, watching the ocean.
Then that day came! It was around dusk, I noticed something move on the horizon. Yes, some dolphins! They approached me and circled my boat. Suddenly I felt so blessed. They had arrived to accompany me and helped to celebrate, just when I needed them so badly! For the next 15 minutes, I did row at full speed with all my strength with those lovely dolphins around. By the time they were to leave me and we went our separate ways, I was no longer lonely.
After 70 days and five hours at sea, I finally reached my final destination. I was proud that I made it, all 2,817 miles, which helped to raise $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, an organization for funding drinking water. I’ve been told some athletes struggled to get through just by imagining the end during the whole process. But for me, what makes miracle is to focus your mind on the moment, where you experience the personal growth—those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, I had to admit those dolphins really freed myself from terrible loneliness.Which of the following belongs to part of preparation for the row?
| A．Answering the same question raised by people |
| B．Swimming the 325-mile length of the river |
| C．Running 3,300 miles cross-country |
| D．Biking across the Mojave Desert |
The underlined part means ___________.
| A．I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate my first goal |
| B．I didn’t have any chocolate bar for energy |
| C．It’s a pity not to celebrate my passing the quarter |
| D．It’s a pity not to treat myself to a chocolate bar |
What can be implied from the last two paragraphs?
| A．The Blue Planet Run Foundation helped me a lot. |
| B．The dolphins accompanied me to reach my destination |
| C．The unexpected dolphins swept away my loneliness |
| D．Imagination was a useful way to help me get through |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．The only challenge for a 20-year old |
| B．Tips on handling loneliness at sea. |
| C．How to row alone across the Atlantic |
| D．The day I stopped being lonely |
When a rabbit sees something dangerous, it runs away. Its tail moves up and down as it runs. When other rabbits see this tail moving up and down, they run too. They know that there is danger. The rabbit has told them something without making a sound. It has given them a signal（信号）.
Many other animals use this kind of language. When a bee has found some food, it goes back to its home. It cannot tell the other bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it does a little dance in the air. This tells the bees where the food is.
Some animals say things by making sounds. A dog barks, for instance, when a stranger comes near. A cat purrs （咕噜咕噜） when pleased. Some birds make several different sounds, each with its own meaning.
But human beings have something that no animal has ---a large number of words which have the meanings of things, actions, feelings or ideas. We are able to give each other information, to tell or inform other people what is in our mind or how we feel. By writing words down we can remind （提醒）ourselves of the things that have happened, or send messages to people far away. No animals can do this. No animals have the wonderful power of language.
No one knows how man learned to make words. Somehow he learned to make them. As centuries went by, he made more and more new words. This is what we mean by language.
People living in different countries made different kinds of words. Today there are about fifteen hundred different languages in the world. A very large English dictionary, for example, contains four or five hundred thousand words. But we don not know all these. The words we know are called vocabulary. We should try to make our vocabulary larger. Read as many books as possible. When we meet a new word, look it up in the dictionary. A dictionary is the most useful book.A rabbit moves its tail up and down in order to __________.
| A．tell other rabbits where the food is |
| B．warn other rabbit of danger |
| C．make itself look strong |
| D．help itself to run fast |
A dog can tell something by _________.
| A．singing | B．dancing | C．jumping | D．barking |
Only human beings are able to ______.
| A．give others information |
| B．tell others how they feel |
| C．express their feelings with words |
| D．make different sounds, each with its own meaning |
The underlined word “contain” in Paragraph 6 probably means ______.
| A．covers | B．checks | C．changes | D．catches |
According to the passage, how can we make our vocabulary larger?
| A．By talking much to others |
| B．By learning more languages |
| C．By looking up any word in a dictionary |
| D．By doing as much reading as possible |
Beach volleyball （沙滩排球）is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch. It’s really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.
Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people in each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible for covering and the more time they will have to recover between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get a lot of running for the ball after each volley (截球). If you are looking for a relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.
Beach volleyball is similar to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard surface, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a court. When an athlete trains for beach volleyball, he will focus on building lower body strength（力量）as well as upper body strength. Strengthening his legs is extremely important. This improves the player’s ability to move quickly and accurately on sand despite the resistance. The ability to jump high and land without injury is necessary for beach volleyball players.
Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be extremely exciting and fun. You may start out with friends and may soon fall in love with the sport.When playing beach volleyball, in which of the following situation will you feel most relaxed?
| A．Playing in a 2-person team. |
| B．Playing in a 4-person team. |
| C．Playing in a 6-person team. |
| D．Playing in an 11-person team. |
We can infer from Paragraph 3 that ______.
| A．experienced volleyball players know clearly it is hard to run and jump on sand |
| B．lower body strength is more important than upper body strength |
| C．a person must have strong legs if he wants to run and jump quickly on sand |
| D．the rules of beach volleyball are the same as those of regular volleyball |
Why is playing beach volleyball much slower than playing regular volleyball?
| A．Because it is not easy to move on sand. |
| B．Because beach volleyball has a larger court. |
| C．Because the teams of beach volleyball are larger. |
| D．Because beach volleyball players are not experienced. |
What does the author think of beach volleyball?
| A．It’s a difficult sport. |
| B．It’s an exciting and interesting sport. |
| C．It’s a sport which only a few people love. |
| D．It’s a sport which needs few skills. |
The passage mainly tell us ______
| A．the game of beach volleyball |
| B．how to become a good beach volleyball player |
| C．why beach volleyball is one of the exciting sports |
| D．what should be paid attention to when playing beach volleyball |
I know what you’re thinking: pizza? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the morning if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast (不吃早餐), and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it. Some say they don’t have time, others think they’re saving calories, still others just don’t like breakfast food.
But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking, R.D. , who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers --- it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it … you may save yourself some pre-bed-time calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.The word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means _______.
| A．food which is left after a meal |
| B．things left undone |
| C．meals made of vegetables |
| D．pizza topped with fruit |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry. |
| B．Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast. |
| C．There are some easy ways of cooking a meal. |
| D．Eating vegetables helps save energy. |
According to the last paragraph, it is important to _______.
| A．eat something for breakfast |
| B．be careful about what you eat |
| C．heat up food before eating it |
| D．eat calorie-controlled food |
The passage is written mainly for those _______.
| A．who go to work early | B．who want to lose weight |
| C．who stay up late | D．who eat before sleep |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Skipping breakfast can help you lose weight. |
| B．The author always has leftovers for breakfast. |
| C．Not eating breakfast can save you 300 to 400 calories. |
| D．Some women believe that they can save calories by skipping breakfast. |
信息匹配 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)
请阅读下列应用文和相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。首先请阅读下列书籍的封面及基本信息：
A. How to do just about anything on a computer
Make the most of your computer with this easy-to-follow guide packed with hundreds of valuable tips, practical projects, and problem-solving pointers. Organized in four sections, the book takes you from your initial computer set-up to creating your own iTunes account. Each chapter follows a similar step-by-step illustrated format so you will always feel as if you have an instructor at your side.
B. A Gate at the Stairs
"A Gate at the Stairs" is writer Lorrie Moore's first book in over ten years. It takes place in 2001 shortly after the terrorist attacks on America. It tells about a young girl named Tassie who attends college in the Midwest. She takes a job as a babysitter for a woman and her husband who have adopted a child of mixed race. It is a funny, sad and emotional story about marriage, race, family, terrorism and war.
C. The Magicians and The Magic King
Take one part Harry Potter, another part The Chronicles of Narnia, plus some new parts all the author’s own, season them liberally with adult themes — these are definitely not books for children — and you have this most readable, imaginative pair from author Grossman. Quentin Coldwater passes the entrance exam for Brakebills magic college and learns to master the art thereof, while also learning that “Fillory,” the fantasy world of his favorite book series as a child, is real. But there are demons within and without, and the life of magic and adventure isn’t always a happy one.
D. Bear
Few animals are as closely associated with humans as bears. Tracing the evolution of the bear family, the author discusses extinct types, such as the cave bear and the giant short-faced bear, as well as describing the eight species that exist. It explores the bear-human relationship and how human perceptions of bears have changed over time. Drawing from cultures around the world, it discusses the various legends and myths, including the ceremonies and taboos that surround hunting, killing and eating bears. "Bear" will appeal to all those interested in the past, present and future of these extraordinary creatures.
E. Cutting for Stone
"Cutting for Stone" was written by the medical doctor and writer Abraham Verghese. It is a powerful story about twin brothers born in a Catholic hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Their mother, an Indian nurse at the hospital, dies in childbirth. Their father, a British doctor, flees as soon as they are born. The brothers are raised by two Indian doctors who live at the hospital. One brother later moves to the United States. This is a story about the extremes of love, family, and medicine.
F. You Can't Teach Until Everyone is Listening
This book offers six simple, practical, and doable steps for managing your classroom! This concise guide shows teachers how to prevent misbehaviors—rather than react to them—and emphasizes the importance of: Establishing your role as a proactive classroom facilitator; creating a safe environment for learning; and, establishing a relationship of trust with your students. "You Can't Teach Until Everyone is Listening" is meant to strengthen every teacher's confidence and effectiveness in creating positive and productive classrooms and helping students to grow and learn to their greatest potential.
下面是一些读者的基本情况,请把相关读者和他们需要的书籍匹配起来。Zhang Ying is preparing for further study in the USA. Therefore, he is interested in reading some books about American life, including college life, family, cultural diversity and even terrorist attacks.
Charlie, who attends college in the Midwest, majors in medicine. He is fond of reading stories about family and love, especially those related to his future career.
Kate, who teaches children of mixed race in a primary school in the Midwest, finds it difficult to manage her class effectively. Now she is eager to find a book which helps improve her teaching.
Daisy is a nurse in an Indian hospital. She is an experienced nurse, but she is not skilled at using the computer. She wants to learn how to set up her computer, send and receive e-mail securely, share files, and scan documents.
Tired of reading magic novels like Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, Henry’s interest turns to animals that have a close relationship with humans, such as dogs, cats and even fierce animals.
Maurice Sendak’s children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963, has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year.
The book’s main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper. Before long, Max’s room magically becomes a forest, and he sails away to a land where monsters(怪物，怪兽) live. Max isn’t scared, though, and becomes king of the wild things, but after a while, he begins feeling homesick. Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom.
Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis, an education professor, said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. “This allows children to shape the story themselves,” she said.
The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children, but experts say those words help improve children’s reading skills and challenge them.
Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. “The book talks about what all children go through, like ‘I was naughty but my mommy still loves me’,” Davis said.
The book also encourages children to face their fears. “I think it’s really good to show that Max makes friends with the monsters,” Davis said. “Kids can find out monsters aren’t always the thing under the bed that’s going to scare them. I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience.”
Since the book has been successful throughout the years, a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it. Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children. “You don’t want bad dreams over a book that’s extremely wonderful,” Davis said.Teachers and professors like the book because it helps children ______.
| A．understand pictures | B．improve reading skills |
| C．face their fear bravely | D．become more imaginative |
Why does the book contain some larger words?
| A．To make the story more formal. |
| B．To help challenge the children’s reading skills |
| C．To encourage children to learn more new words. |
| D．To help children better understand the story. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The character Max is brave enough in the story. |
| B．Max was sent to the forest as punishment. |
| C．People of all ages are in favor of the book. |
| D．The movie based on the book proves to be a great success. |
What does Davis think of the movie?
| A．She thinks children of all ages will love it. |
| B．She encourages children to see it to fight against their fear. |
| C．She worries that it might be too frightening for some children. |
| D．She believes it will be a better choice for children than the book. |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To advise parents to help children to improve their reading skills. |
| B．To comment on a famous children’s book. |
| C．To encourage children to face their fear and become more imaginative. |
| D．To introduce a movie based on a children’s book. |