What separates me from everyone else? The difference is not what clothes I wear or the music I listen to, but what I feel inside.
Ever since I was young, I have loved professional wrestling（摔跤）. I woke up every Saturday to watch my favorite "Superstars." As I grew older, I got a lot of flak for watching this "fake" sport. My peers（同龄人） would laugh at me for following what was called a "man's soap opera." So, I put my love for wrestling on the shelf. Like everyone else, I wanted to be associated with the cool clique. I yearned to be invited to the parties of the in-crowd and hang out with the popular kids. I became pretty successful. Although my Friday evenings were busy with parties, I would still wake up early Saturdays to watch wrestling. It wasn't until freshman year that I realized I wasn't being myself.
That year, I tried many new things and activities and made new friends. In my town, football was the sport, so I decided to play football, thinking it might give me a head start in popularity. The team started with 48 athletes. At the end, there were 14 of us left. I stuck it out not because I liked it, but because I am not a quitter. That long season taught me a lesson: I wasn't a football player. More importantly, it taught me to be myself.
After that season, I went back to being a wrestling fan. I watched it religiously, no matter what insults were thrown my way. I came across a quote: "Don't Dream It, Be It." When I read this, my friend Dan had the same idea I had.
"What if we build a wrestling ring（拳击场）?" we asked. We acquired the necessary wood and equipment for its construction. The following weekend, we met at his house. We saw our dream in a pile in his backyard. We worked from dawn to dusk to build our great establishment. By Sunday night, our mission was complete. Our hard work (combined with a little creativity) had paid off. We had a real ring. We decided to hold an "event." We practiced for hours, trying to improve every aspect of our wrestling ability. The date was May 24th. Our show had a start time of 9: 00 p.m. To our surprise, about one hundred family, friends and fans showed up to support us. It was the most important night of my life and a complete success. Since that time, we have held five shows with as many as two hundred and fifty people turning out. We continue to live this dream. We accomplished what we set out to do. We are now well known throughout school. When I walk down the halls, I am respected by my peers. Some are the same peers who ridiculed me for watching wrestling when I was younger. When they approach me, they often say, "Good match, Chris." I humbly say, "Thank you," knowing I did something I believed in.
As my senior year winds down, I'll remember all of my high school memories. But what will stick out most is the memory that I did something I loved, despite what everyone said or thought. I accomplished my goal. I lived my dream. What makes the writer different from the others is __________.
| A．the different sports he loves |
| B．the different clothes he wears and the different music he listens to |
| C．that he is younger than the others. |
| D．the different ideas he has |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．I practiced wrestling secretly in my spare time. |
| B．I put the clothes for wrestling on the shelf. |
| C．I decided to quit following wrestling. |
| D．I began not to watch wrestling on TV. |
When the writer was a freshman, he ___________.
| A．knew he couldn’t be a good football player | B．realized he was being himself |
| C．was still sociable | D．built a wrestling ring |
The writer built the wrestling ring in order to ________.
| A．play football there | B．make his dream realized |
| C．be a professional player | D．have parties there. |
What is the writer’s attitude towards his experience in high school?
| A．Optimistic | B．Pessimistic | C．Doubtful | D．Surprised |
It was reported last week that developers could take photos from Apple mobile and Google Android devices without the phone owners knowing that the images were being taken. In Apple’s case, developers can also obtain the location information for each photo.
Senator(参议员) Charles Schumer said in a telephone interview that his office had spoken with officials at both Apple and Google on Monday.
“We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent Apple from having access to private information,” Mr. Schumer said. “They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed.”
On Sunday, Mr. Schumersaidthat he planned to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate Apple and Google after the privacy concerns came to light.Claudia Bourne Farrell, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency had received the letter but she could not comment further.
“It worries people to think that one’s personal photos, address book, and who knows what else can be obtained and even posted online without permission,” Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to the F.T.C. “If the technology exists to open the door to this kind of privacy invasion（入侵）, then surely technology exists to close it, and that’s exactly what must happen.”
Mr. Schumer said if Apple and Google could not come to an agreement to fix the problem, then he would be forced to take the issue further.
He said other companies had been willing to work with his office to fix issues. “I’m optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation,” he said. “If it’s not changed, then we’ll turn to the F.T.C., and if that doesn’t work then we’llconsider legislative approach.”
The F.T.C. has warned companies to try to be morevigilant(警醒的)in their efforts to protect consumers when it comes to privacy.The senators spoke with officials at both Apple and Google___________.
| A．to discuss whether it is illegal to have access to private information. |
| B．to urge them not to invade consumers’ privacy. |
| C．to stop them from developing the technology of taking photos. |
| D．to keep them from obtaining the location information for each photo. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Privacy invasion from Apple has existed for a long time. |
| B．Privacy invasion from Google has existed for a long time. |
| C．Mr. Schumer takes the privacy concerns caused by Apple and Google seriously. |
| D．Apple and Google have decided to make a change. |
Mr. Schumer’s letter to the F.T.C. mainly shows that the technology to open the door to privacy invasion___________.
A. causes privacy invasion to happen frequently.
B. can be used if permitted.
C.causes personal information to be posted online without permission.
D.causes people to worry about the safety of their personal information . If the privacy concerns can’t be solved with the help of the F.T.C., ___________.
A.The senators will turn to legislation.
B. The companies will be closed.
C.The companies will be fined.
D. The senators will force the companies not to invade privacy.Where can we read about the passage?
| A．In a science report. | B．In a magazine |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．In a textbook. |
Many people influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments, and values. I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligent. There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.
As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be “Daddy’s little girl”. While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives. In every aspect of my life my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but you should make sure you are not taken advantage of by others. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, compassion for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very reserved man, but to everybody’s surprise, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.
Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are involved in. What is the best title for the passage?
| A．How my father loved me |
| B．My father—the one who influenced me most |
| C．I am the apple on my father’s palm |
| D．My father—the person I admire most |
Which of the following could not be used to describe the author’s father?
| A．Knowledgeable and sociable |
| B．Affectionate and open-minded |
| C．Considerate and humorous |
| D．Energetic and helpful |
Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “excel”?
| A．Be cleverer than others. | B．Show off. |
| C．Do better than others. | D．Keep healthy |
According to the underlined part, the father was telling the author to ___________.
| A．try to be good to those who were worth making friends with |
| B．think about others and help them, but not to be made use of in a negative way |
| C．think about others and help them, so that she could make them serve her |
| D．try to take advantage of those who were friendly to her |
What can we infer about the author?
| A．She had sympathy for the fatherless. |
| B．She considered her father humorous and was often made to laugh by him. |
| C．She appreciated her father because he solved all the problems for her. |
| D．She was outstanding in work because her father pushed her hard |
In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ is about, It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich life—style of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories, He called it ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ because ‘Jones’ is a very common name in the United States.’ Keeping up with the Joneses’ came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are ‘Joneses’ in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ________.
A. want to be as rich as their neighbors
B. want others to know or to think that they are rich
C don’t want others to know they are rich
D. want to be happyIt can be inferred (推断) from the story that rich people like to ________.
| A．live outside New York City |
| B．live in New York city |
| C．live in apartments |
| D．have many neighbors |
Arthur Momand used the name “Jones” in his series of short stories because “Jones” is ________.
| A．an important name |
| B．a popular name in the United States |
| C．his neighbor’s name |
| D．not a good name |
If a person who keeps up with the Joneses, he would _________.
| A．do as the poor persons around him do |
| B．do everything he likes to do |
| C．do as his neighbors do |
| D．do as the rich people around him do |
According to the writer, it is ___________ to keep up with the Jonese.
| A．Good | B．correct | C．interesting | D．impossible |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish（清漆）, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Secrets of Cremona Violins |
| B．The History of Italian Violins |
| C．Special Musical Instruments |
| D．How to Make the Best Violins |
The main purpose of the first paragraph is to_______________
| A．list some facts | B．raise a question |
| C．give an opinion | D．offer an answer |
What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?
| A．The shape． | B．The size． | C．The wood． | D．The varnish． |
Which of the following words can best describe Cremona violins?
| A．Light． | B．Shining． | C．Valuable． | D．Modern |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Modem things are always better than ancient ones |
| B．Ancient things are always better than modem ones |
| C．Once a cultural relic is lost．it Can never be recovered |
| D．Varnish for violins will become more and more precious |
On March 28th, the New York Times will begin charging all but the most infrequent users to read articles online.
In a letter to readers, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., the publisher of the paper, laid out the details of the paywall, which he said will go into effect immediately in Canada and on March 28th for the rest of the world. He called the move “an important step that we hope you will see as an investment in the Times, one that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world and on any platform.”
Sulzberger said that readers will be able to read 20 articles per month at no charge. Once they click on the 21st piece, however, they’ll be presented with three payment options: $ 15 for four weeks of online and mobile application access, $ 20 for access to the site and the iPad application, or $ 35 for access to everything. People who already receive the printed paper through home delivery will enjoy free and unlimited access to the Times on all platforms.
These details largely agree with earlier reports on how the paywall would work. The Times had made it clear that it did not want to imitate the total paywalls put into effect by papers such as The Times of London and Newsday, which block access to all contents unless the reader pays.
The paper also signaled that it wants to stay relevant in the social media world. According to Sulzberger's announcement, people who come to the Times site from Facebook, Twitter or from blogs will be able to read those articles even if they have gone over their monthly limit.
However, Sulzberger said that a limit will be placed on “some search engines”, meaning that after readers have accessed a certain number of articles from search engines, any further articles they access from there will be added to their monthly count. It was reported that the only search engine that will be affected this way is Google, where there will be a five-article limit. This marks a clear attempt by the Times to close what could be a giant loophole （漏洞）, since so much online traffic is directed through Google. But it also presents a risk for the Times for the same reason.
Sulzberger seems well aware of the risk. “The challenge now is to put a price on our work without walling ourselves off from the global network,” he said, adding that the Times must “continue to engage with the widest possible audience.”The author’s main purpose in the text is to _______.
| A．describe research findings | B．report a piece of news |
| C．make advertisements | D．suggest a solution |
Why will the Times charge their online readers?
| A．It wants to stay relevant in the social media world. |
| B．It has too many readers coming from the other sites. |
| C．It is seeking new financial sources for its development. |
| D．It is trying a way to offer better service to its readers. |
Who will be limited to the New York Times articles?
| A．Those subscribing to the printed newspapers |
| B．Readers clicking through from Facebook. |
| C．Those using Google research engine |
| D．Readers paying $ 35 a month. |
What challenge may the paywall bring to the New York Times?
| A．It may bring the Times more competition with the other media |
| B．It may stop the Times connecting to the global network |
| C．It may block the readers from the other websites |
| D．It may result in huge drops in papers' online readership |