One day a man found a cocoon（茧）of a butterfly in the forest. He sat there for several hours and watched the butterfly. Suddenly a small opening appeared, and the butterfly made its great effort to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the butterfly could come out easily. But to his surprise, the butterfly got a heavy body and very small wings when it came out of the cocoon.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that the body would grow smaller at any moment and the wings would become larger and be able to fly. But neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling（爬）around with a heavy body and small wings. It was never able to fly.
The man was in his kindness, but he did not understand the nature rules. Before the butterfly came out of the cocoon, fluid（流体）from its body must be forced into its wings, and then it would be ready for flying. It must have a hard struggle to get through the small opening to get its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any difficulties, it would make us fail. We would not be as strong as we could have been; we could never fly.What was the butterfly doing at the beginning of the story?
| A．It was trying to make a cocoon for itself. |
| B．It was struggling to get out of its cocoon. |
| C．It was flying among the trees in the forest. |
| D．It was crawling around quietly on the ground. |
What do you think of the man?
| A．Patient but cruel. | B．Careful and wise. | C．Kind but unwise. | D．Brave and funny. |
What does the last paragraph tell us?
| A．Struggles are sometimes necessary in our life. |
| B．Nothing is difficult if we put our heart into it. |
| C．Every good deed will come back with a good result. |
| D．The greatest happiness in the world is to help others. |
What is the best title for the story?
| A．The love for the cocoon. | B．The joy of helping each other. |
| C．The lesson of the cocoon. | D．The expectation for the butterfly. |
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized(强调)the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be surprised. Gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an proper topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic. “ So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was stopped again by his words: “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, ‘You don’t say.’ actually means ‘really’! It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know how foolish I had been. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.At first, on hearing “You don’t say”, I thought the foreigner meant_______.
| A．He was not interested in the topic |
| B．He was only interested in the Great Wall |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking |
The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means_______.
| A．interesting | B．important | C．terrible | D．unlucky |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall. |
| B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
| C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
| D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth (值得) visiting. |
After the Englishman explained the idiom, ________.
| A．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool |
| B．The Englishman became a real fool |
| C．I felt very foolish |
| D．I became more careful in everything |
Dear Editor,
I’m a Senior I student in a middle school. This term, my favorite teacher, Miss Mao, no longer teaches us. I want to see her, but I’m afraid that she no longer likes me and I don’t want to trouble her. I really miss her. What should I do?
Tian Yan
Dear Tian Yan,
It’s bad luck that you have lost your favorite teacher. But, if she is still in your school, nothing can stop you going to see her. When she isn’t busy, ask her if she minds having a quick chat. You can then tell her she was your favorite teacher—everyone is happy to know that they are liked!
If she has left the school, it will be more difficult to meet her. It will be hard, but remember people always come and go in their lives. We can’t rely on them to be with us all the time.
You may be sad to say goodbye to her, but we can remember and learn from her. Think of her best qualities.
You could also try looking for similar qualities in your other teachers. Study hard and give your new teacher a chance. In time, you might start to see that he or she has different qualities to learn from.
Finally, you can not completely rely on other people to get you through your studies, or even your life.
EditorTian Yan ______.
| A．is a troublemaker |
| B．likes Miss Mao very much |
| C．is happy these days |
| D．doesn’t like to tell her secret to anyone |
Which of the following does the editor advise Tuan Yan NOT to do?
| A．Find a time to see Miss Mao |
| B．Have a short chat with Miss Mao |
| C．Tell Miss Mao she likes her |
| D．Keep quiet about the thing |
According to the passage, students can make progress in their studies _______.
| A．completely by their favorite teachers |
| B．completely by their favorite classmates |
| C．mainly by their parents |
| D．mainly by themselves |
You are probably busy preparing for the College Entrance Examination at the moment，but do you have a plan for the three months after？Perhaps you're thinking of traveling. If so，take a look at these three destinations on The New York Times.
 Pingyao，Shanxi Province，China The town has remained traditional, banning cars within its 10metertall Ming Dynasty walls and preserving the traditional architecture of courtyard houses and 19th century bank buildings. But the city is becoming known for more than its history. Its yearly photography festival，which takes place in late summer, has attracted enthusiasts and professionals from across the globe for a decade. |
 London，The UK There is never a bad time to go to London.But this year may be better than most：the 2012 Summer Olymipic Games provide the greatest appeal to the whole world, and you'll have an unforgettable astonishing experience in London. Besides,travelers can also enjoy special art exhibitions about the Olympics. |
The Danube(多瑙河) The blue Danube threads its way through four capitals(Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade)and touches 10 countries, passing by majestic scenery, great wine regions，castles and ruins dating back centuries. What better way to see all these treasures than from the water? |
Which of the following doesn't belong to the features of Pingyao?
| A．Traditional architecture. | B．19th century bank buildings. |
| C．Various cars. | D．Photography festival. |
London of this year is more attractive than most years because________.
| A．Olympics are going on here |
| B．you can experience a completely different culture |
| C．London's National Portrait Gallery is open to the public |
| D．you can attend art exhibitions this year |
From the last paragraph,we know that the Danube________.
| A．runs through four countries |
| B．provides a good way to enjoy beautiful scenery and ancient castles and ruins. |
| C．is the most valuable river in Europe |
| D．originates in Viena, Austria |
The underlined word“majestic”is closest to ________ in meaning.
| A．magnificent | B．significant | C．sensitive | D．unattractive |
Which column do you suppose this passage belongs to?
| A．Society | B．Economy | C．Tourism | D．Entertainment |
What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology(生物技术). With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today’s leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells(细胞) are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond l20 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs ( The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on—in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.)
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.According to the passage, human death IS now mainly caused by____.
| A．diseases and aging | B．accidents and war |
| C．accidents and aging | D．heart disease and war |
In the author’s opinion, today’s most important advance in technology lies in____.
| A．medicine | B．the Internet | C．brain cells | D．human organ |
Humans may live longer in the future because_____.
| A．heart disease will be far away from us |
| B．human brains can decide the final death |
| C．the basic materials of cells will last forever |
| D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．human life will not last more than 120 years in the future |
| B．humans have to take medicine to build new skin cells now |
| C．much needs to be done before humans can have a longer life |
| D．we have already solved the technical problems in building new cells |
What will people in 2113 mainly die of /from?
| A．Aging | B．Accidents | C．Cancer | D．Heart disease |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually did. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．The man’s job was bike racing. |
| B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．They used it for work and daily life. |
We can infer from the text that _________.
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week |
| B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike |
| D．life was hard for the young family |
How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
| A．From radio broadcasts. | B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a stranger. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
Which one do you think is NOT TRUE according to the text?
| A．The couple will never steal bikes in revenge. |
| B．The couple will try their best to help others in trouble. |
| C．Trevor bought a new Kona immediately after someone stole his old one. |
| D．The couple got some help from several people in their area. |