Friendship continues to remain central to our lives. Friends often affect our health and energy. More and more people are increasingly turning towards their friends for support and sharing rather than just communicating with their relatives. We may have a very unclear understanding of what makes a friend but we all want to have a good number of friends around us. There are certain things you do to help you make friends or at least help you get close to people whom you want to make friends with.
The first step to make friends with people is to make them like you. If they don’t like you in the first place, it is unlikely that they’ll be eager to become your friends. To let someone know that you are interested in him, simple gestures like a little smile and calling him by his name can help. To make the other person feel important, you need to be a good listener and to encourage him to talk. Give your honest and sincere opinion, but do not make fun of him.
The second step is to develop trust in each other. You need to share opinions with this person and it is necessary for you to develop a habit of seeing things from his point of view. To become the best of friends, you must show concern and consideration for your friends’ desires and opinions.
The third and final step is to show your support and encouragement towards your friend. Moreover, you also need to be very clear about your expectations from your friend. If what you expect from the person you want to be a friend matches with what that person can and wants to do in friendship, the developing friendship between you and your friend is sure to be easy and successful.What can we learn about friends and friendship?
| A．Friendship is not important in our life. |
| B．Friends have nothing to do with our health and energy. |
| C．Friends can provide us with support. |
| D．Relatives can not become friends. |
Which is the right order of making friends according to the writer?
① When you meet some problems, you ask him for help.
② When he is in trouble, you tell him your ideas.
③ You smile at him to let him know you like him.
| A．②①③ | B．①②③ | C．③①② | D．③②① |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．you can’t call your friend by his name |
| B．friends should understand each other |
| C．there should be no secret between friends |
| D．friends don’t need support and encouragement |
What is the main purpose of the writer?
| A．To tell us about the importance of making friends. |
| B．To tell us about the advantages and disadvantages of friendship. |
| C．To introduce the steps for making friends. |
| D．To tell us that friends are hard to make. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word gestures?
| A．身势语 | B．客人 | C．猜测 | D．表演 |
In New York, Ma witnessed the Alibaba Group opening on the New York stock exchange with the largest initial public offering (IPO，新股发行) in American history. “Alibaba, the world’s largest Internet commerce company makes China equal to the US in the rapidly increasing global competition for technological innovation (创新) and economic transformation ” commented the South China Morning Post.
It has also made Ma China’s richest man with a fortune of around $25 billion (153 billion yuan), reported Reuters.
It’s reported that Ma’s rags-to-riches journey is just as spectacular as his Internet empire. Ma failed the national college entrance exams twice before he was finally in Hangzhou Normal University on his third attempt and failed in finding a suitable job several times. Aslo, Mr Ma is a big believer in perseverance, which was proved in his English study experience.
However, it was his vision and goals that launched his career.
During a short trip to the US as an interpreter in 1995, Ma first experienced the Internet. He believed in the Internet’s business potential when few other Chinese people did. He started Alibaba in his Hangzhou apartment, with 17 friends and $60,000 of funds. At the time, when e-commerce was unheard of in China, “I called myself a blind man riding on the back of blind tigers,” he once said, according to The Guardian. His unusual ideas earned him the nickname “Crazy Jack Ma” .
Indeed, Ma is different. Although he is very thin and about 160cm tall, “Ma is yet animated and forceful, said The Guardian. “He is funny, creative, and a compelling (引人注目的) speaker.
Ma told Time magazine that he was “old for the Internet”. He started to slow down and looked around. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ma “plans to open a tai chi club with the actor Jet Li, build an entrepreneur (企业家) university in Hangzhou and continue to work on several environmental projects.”What made him into e-commerce industry?
| A．His English learning experience. |
| B．His foresight and ambitions. |
| C．His belief in perseverance. |
| D．His 17 friends and $60,000 funds. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Ma is a blind man riding on a blind tiger. |
| B．Ma had no confidence in his business future. |
| C．Ma knew little about e-commerce. |
| D．Ma had not enough money at that time. |
What’s the personality of Ma Yun according to the passage?
| A．Funny and competitive. |
| B．Determined and creative. |
| C．Rich and different. |
| D．Attractive and believable. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．The Development of Alibaba Group |
| B．Ma Yun’s Personal Life |
| C．Ma Yun’s Crazy Success |
| D．E-commerce in China |
The virus “Ebola” is named after the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That’s where the virus was discovered in 1976. A person can only get Ebola through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, for example, sweat or spit. Additionally, the virus can get into your body through your eyes and mouth if those areas come into contact with something that contains the bodily fluids of an infected person. That’s why health care workers are supposed to keep themselves completely covered while treating patients.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak is spreading fast in Western Africa, taking over 900 lives so far. The health systems in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are severely lacking in resources, and health care workers may not have access to adequate protective clothing when working in rural clinics, where the proper protections are lacking. Since Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia share a border; it’s easier for people to move from one country to another, increasing the risk for disease spread.
For now, all doctors can do is treat the symptoms and provide supportive care like monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing while making sure the patients’ fluids are supplied. Sometimes patients are given antibiotics(抗生素) to treat other possible infections. The hope is to make the patient pull through the infection so their immune system can eventually clear the virus. The people who survive Ebola have created enough antibodies to kill it.
There are several promising drugs and vaccines in development, but since Ebola is less common—and research about it is not well funded — there is no drug or vaccine that has been approved for use in humans. Many of the other drugs and vaccines have not yet been tested in humans. The WHO (World Health Organization) is meeting next week to discuss whether experimental treatments should be used during this outbreak.According to the passage, Ebola only spreads through _________.
| A．patients’ sweat | B．bodily fluids |
| C．people’s spit | D．your body |
Which is the possible reason why Ebola spreads in West Africa quickly?
| A．The Ebola river is polluted by the virus. |
| B．There aren’t any protections. |
| C．The protective clothing is adequate. |
| D．Three western countries share a border. |
Why have there been no cures used for Ebola in humans so far?
| A．There are not enough drugs for the infected people. |
| B．Ebola is rare and its research money is lacking. |
| C．The people have enough antibodies to kill Ebola. |
| D．The WHO has decided not to use them. |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．The Prevention from Ebola. |
| B．No Cure for the Virus “Ebola”. |
| C．The Deadliest Ebola in Africa. |
| D．Introduction to the Virus “Ebola”. |
Answering the Community Needs of Our City
The Silver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2014. The followings show how we have tried to make your life better.
Transport
☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.
☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.
☆50 per cent of city bus-stops have been upgraded.
Communication
☆Broadband cable is now available to all parts of the city.
☆All of the new Government buildings are smart-wired for better computer service!
Medical Facilities
☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.
☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.
☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.
Education
☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2014 !
☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.
Protection and Security
☆Extra police now patrol (巡逻 ) the tourist areas.
☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.
Entertainment / Recreation
☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.
☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.What is the purpose of the changes in Silver City?
| A．To satisfy all the needs of the citizens. |
| B．To better the citizens’ life. |
| C．To make public service upgraded. |
| D．To meet the needs of the Silver City Council . |
What’s the notice mainly about?
| A．The work carried out by the people of Silver City. |
| B．The facilities available in Silver City. |
| C．Some improvements in Silver City. |
| D．Information for interested tourists. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Travel books are provided in the new library. |
| B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City. |
| C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital. |
| D．There are more police officers on duty now. |
The public notice is from_______.
| A．the community | B．the local government |
| C．the Silver City Library | D．a travel agency |
(Reuters) --- A stampede killed at least 36 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, authorities said, but the police denied reports that it was caused by people rushing to pick up fake money thrown from a building overlooking the city's famous waterfront.
It was the worst disaster in the modern city since 58 died in an apartment building fire in 2010.
The cause of the crush has still to be confirmed, though state media and some witnesses have said it was at least partly aroused when people rushed to pick up coupons that looked like bank notes.
A man named Wu said the fake money had been thrown down from a bar above the street as part of the celebrations.
"This incident happened after the stampede," police said in a brief statement, without saying what the real cause was.
Another witness said there had been a problem away from the area where the fake bills were thrown, with people trying to get on to a raised platform overlooking the river.
Xinhua news agency said that people had been trampled on after falling down on the steps up to the platform.
Authorities had shown some concern about crowd control in the days leading up to New Year's Eve. They recently canceled an annual 3D laser show on the Bund, which last year attracted as many as 300,000 people.
On New Year's Eve, Beijing also canceled a countdown event in the central business district, Chinese media said, due to police fears about overcrowding.
The Shanghai government said on its official microblog that an inquiry had begun, and that all other New Year events had been canceled.
In 2004, 37 people died in a stampede in northern Beijing, on a bridge at a scenic spot, during the Lunar New Year holiday.According to the passage, why did people go to the Bund?
| A．To meet their old friends and relatives. |
| B．To pick up bank notes. |
| C．To watch an annual 3D laser show. |
| D．To celebrate the New Year’s Eve. |
Which of the following statements is true from the passage?
| A．The incident had connection with the throwing of fake money. |
| B．People got on the platform to watch a countdown event. |
| C．The cause of the crush is being looked into. |
| D．The disaster during the New Year’s Eve was the worst in Shanghai. |
What can be inferred according to the passage?
| A．The local government had shown their worry about overcrowding. |
| B．People like 3D laser show better than any other events. |
| C．Some possible measures had been taken by authorities. |
| D．The celebrations in Beijing were influenced by this stampede. |
What’s the passage about?
| A．A countdown event in Beijing. |
| B．A laser show on the Bund. |
| C．An apartment fire in Shanghai. |
| D．A stampede on New Year’s Eve in Shanghai. |
There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3: 00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle waved with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.The author had expected the train trip to be _________.
| A．adventurous | B．pleasant |
| C．boring | D．exciting |
What touched the author during the train trip?
| A．The mountains along the way. |
| B．The friendly country people. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “relish” in Paragraph 2?
| A．dislike | B．enjoy | C．release | D．choose |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Smiles brighten people up. |
| B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. |
| D．Comfort in traveling by train. |