We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget.Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP portable heater.With over one million satisfied customers around the world，the new EP heats better and faster，saves more on heating bills，and runs almost silent. 
The EP has no exposed heating parts that can cause a fire.The outside of the EP only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets.
The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room.With other heaters，you’ll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.
The advanced EP also heats the room evenly，wall to wall and floor to ceiling.It comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet.Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room.And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater.With the EP，the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.
The EP comes with a 3year warranty (保修) and a 60day，no questions asked，satisfaction guarantee.If you are not totally satisfied，return it at our expense and your money will be given back to you.
Now we have a special offer for 10 days，during which you can enjoy a half price discount and a free delivery.If you order after that，we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price.
Take action right now!What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?
| A．The heat of the EP. |
| B．The safety of the EP. |
| C．The appearance of the EP. |
| D．The material of the EP. |
From the passage，we can learn that the EP________.
| A．doesn’t burn up oxygen |
| B．runs without any noise |
| C．makes people get sleepy |
| D．is unsuitable for children and pets |
The underlined word“evenly”in Paragraph 4 probably means________.
| A．continuously | B．separately |
| C．quickly | D．equally |
The main purpose of the passage is to________.
| A．persuade people to buy the product |
| B．advise people to save on heating bills |
| C．report the new development of portable heaters |
| D．compare the functions of different heater brands |
It was the first day of school. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a little old lady smiling at me. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and said, “Of course!” And she gave me a big hug. “Why are you in college at such an age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have kids and then retire and travel.”
“No seriously.”
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!”
We became friends at once. Over the course of the year, Rose easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she was happy with the attention given to her from the other students. At the end of the term we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet（宴会）. I’ll never forget what she taught us in her speech.
“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one useful thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity to do productive things. Have no regrets（遗憾；后悔）. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but we regret for things we did not do.”
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral to honor the wonderful woman!While meeting Rose at the college for the first time, the author was curious about _______.
| A．her age | B．her life | C．her purpose | D．her dream |
By saying “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have kids and then retire and travel”, Rose was trying to be ___________.
| A．humorous | B．amazing | C．confident | D．smart |
What else did Rose most probably say at the football banquet?
| A．“It seems that my young days are over.” |
| B．“Don’t do much in order to stay young.” |
| C．“The people who fear death are those with regrets.” |
| D．“When we are old, we can do nothing.” |
The story of Rose in the text shows that ___________.
| A．it is good to make friends with old people |
| B．it is necessary to have a college education for old people |
| C．it is important to have a healthy body when people are getting old |
| D．it is never too late to be what you can possibly be |
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is one of the world’s greatest art museums. Millions of people have entered its doors to see paintings by the world’s fine artists. But if these priceless masterpieces are to be preserved, the Gallery must protect them carefully. The Gallery’s 135-man guard force has successfully prevented them from being stolen, but protecting the paintings from nature is a greater problem.
In past times, the owners of paintings did not protect them from damaging changes in humidity（湿度）and temperature. As a result, the life of these paintings were shortened. In the National Gallery, however, humidity and temperature are carefully controlled. The building is air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. The air-conditioning and heating system are so important to the life of the painting that the Gallery has two of each system. If one should fail, the extra one can take over.
Light is another enemy of paintings. Ultraviolet rays（紫外线）in light cause paintings to fade（褪色）. Long ago, paintings often hung in dark churches and palaces. A coat of varnish（清漆）was a protection from the weak light. But when museums took over the care of many paintings, they were often hung in brighter light than before. Soon they were in danger of fading. The damaging effects of light were increased when the museums removed the varnish coating, yellowed with age.
To protect its paintings, the National Gallery put a special kind of glass in its skylights. This glass allows visible lights to enter the building but it keeps out harmful ultraviolet rays. The Gallery has also developed new and better varnishes which help to keep paintings from fading. Thanks to these new precautions, many of the world’s greatest paintings are being well protected for future generations to enjoy.The text mainly tells us about_________________________.
| A．the guard force in the National Gallery |
| B．protecting great paintings from nature |
| C．priceless paintings of past times |
| D．the air-conditioning and heating systems in the National Gallery |
Which of the following is NOT an enemy of paintings?
| A．Varnish. | B．Temperature. | C．Light. | D．Humidity. |
The underlined word “precautions” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ____________.
| A．decorations | B．problems | C．suggestions | D．applications |
From the text we can infer that________________________.
| A．great artists painted in dark churches and palaces |
| B．you can touch these paintings while you are in the National Gallery |
| C．the care of the world’s greatest paintings is both a big responsibility and a great challenge |
| D．the guard force in the Gallery has not done a good job |
A Letter from Steve Jobs
August 24, 2011
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community,
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
So I resign（辞职）as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board feels fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly suggest that we name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple’s brightest days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
More Information:
Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955—October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, designer and inventor. He is best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Unluckily, in 2003, Jobs was diagnosed（确诊）with a pancreas neuroendocrine tumor（胰腺癌）. Although the cancer was treated in the first place, he appeared thinner as his health fell. On medical leave for most of 2011, Jobs finally made a decision to resign as Apple CEO in August that year. Shortly after that, on October 5, he died. He continues to receive honors and public attention for his influence in the technology and music industries.Why did Jobs resign as CEO of Apple according to the letter?
| A．He was found seriously ill in 2003. |
| B．He felt he could no longer meet the responsibilities as a CEO. |
| C．He would like to be Chairman of the Board rather than CEO. |
| D．He was on medical leave for most of 2011. |
Which of the following statement is NOT true?
| A．After receiving the medical treatment, Jobs was in good health again. |
| B．Tim Cook was a friend and co-worker of Jobs. |
| C．People will remember and honor Jobs for his influence in the technology and music industries. |
| D．Jobs believed that Apple would have a bright future. |
What is Jobs’ mood when writing this letter?
| A．Optimistic for the company |
| B．Sorry for himself |
| C．Grateful to his friends and co-workers |
| D．All the above |
A group of teenagers: they laugh and talk over each other, dance and make faces — you wouldn’t believe they had just played on the same stage as famous American singers Kid Cudi and Eminem.
These seven kids, all under the age of 20, are members of the band Kids These Days (KTD).
Fresh out of high school, the band already has done things that most teens couldn’t even imagine. They played at festivals including the recent SXSW in Austin and Lollapalooza in their hometown, Chicago, to crowds of loyal fans.
KTD uses a mix of hip-hop, jazz, blues and classic rock to make a sound of their own.
“KTD simply mixes most, if not all of my favourite music styles,” said Kamia Jones, as Chicago high school student.“I like that they aren’t afraid to be different and that their music is real and speaks to the soul.”
The band formed two years ago. Now, as well as local fans, they are becoming popular around the world. Their facebook page is filled with supportive posts from admirers from California to Tokyo.
“It’s really strange to me that people from London, Australia and Russia... They have heard
of us and they like our music because it’s really cool feeling,” says Marcie Stewart, who plays keyboard for the band.
Despite their recent fame, KTD is a group of normal teenagers and they remain very close to one another. While talking to the reporters, they dance and make fun of each other.
When asked what advice they would give to other teen musicians, Greg Landfair, KTD’s drummer, said, “Keep your heart in it. Never lose the music and what you are doing, because that’s what you’re here for. Let the music always be first.”KTD’s music is popular among teenagers mainly because ________.
| A．it is about the strange life of teenagers |
| B．it mixes many music styles teenagers love into their music |
| C．all the band members are young and handsome |
| D．the band members dance and make fun of each other |
What do we know about KTD?
| A．They are all of the same age. |
| B．They are as famous as Kid Cudi and Eminem. |
| C．There are five members in the band. |
| D．They have fans around the world. |
According to Greg, teen musicians should___________.
| A．make music close to their lives |
| B．always think of the needs of the fans |
| C．love the music they are playing |
| D．stay close to the group member |
The author wrote this article to___________.
| A．show the kind of music teenagers love |
| B．encourage young musicians to play music |
| C．describe a special music style |
| D．introduce a successful band of teenagers |
Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is on the Southern Hemisphere(半球)of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai.
Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish in the rivers. Plants grow very well.
Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flower exhibition. There we saw large numbers of wild flowers on show, most of which we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. Every year in spring Perth has wild flower exhibitions. After visiting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves very much. When we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill, we looked up, but what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to our car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us along the path.
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos(袋鼠). After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself among the white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere you can see sheep.Which country is the writer most possibly from?
| A．Japan | B．Canada | C．China | D．America |
Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
| A．Australia has enough laws to fight against pollution. |
| B．Perth is the biggest city in Australia. |
| C．The wild flowers in Perth must be different from what the author sees in his/her country. |
| D．The author enjoyed his/her visit in the countryside. |
The underlined word “exhibition” in the third paragraph probably means_______.
| A．a public show for people to visit |
| B．a market where you can buy all kinds of flowers |
| C．a place where all kinds of flowers are grown |
| D．a field where there are flowers and animals |
From the passage we know Perth is famous for ____
| A．its population | B．its size | C．its kangaroos | D．its wild flowers |