Her frozen fingers touched the flame trying to feel alive. She could feel the warmth but it was a cold heat, as if the candle was rejecting her.
Her arms turned red because of the cold, her short sleeved shirt not giving her enough warmth. The winter air grabbed(抓住) at her arms, causing her pain, but she didn’t mind. She knew she should put her jacket on, it was winter in Connecticut, but that would be giving up. Up here, in this tree she felt safe.
She looked at the candle, surrounded by hardening wax(蜡). She placed her fingers gently on the warm green wax. This candle was a reminder of her life inside that house, a life she would have to return to eventually.
As a child, she had gotten this candle. She spent all she had on it. The beautiful crystal box （水晶盒）had caught her eye. Five whole nickels（五分币）had brought her that candle.
She gave it to her mother for Mother’s Day. Her mother had managed a smile and put it on a shelf. “It’s very pretty, honey! I will put it right here.” Since then that candle had never been moved, never been lighted, sitting dusty on a cluttered shelf that no one could see. Later on, her parents got divorced.
By now the candle was colder than the air and the darkness was complete. The snow on the ground made the night lighter and less satisfying than it had been before the first snowfall. She liked the darkness because she felt safe in it. From the glances of her friends who liked the girl she used to be. From the boys who could never figure out who she was. From her guidance counselor(顾问) whose endless worried looks never made her feel any better.
No one was outside at this time of night. She was alone in the world, just how she liked it. Just as she was about to lean back against the branch, she heard a sound.
She heard footsteps breaking the ice in the snow, heading toward her. He was making his way toward the white fence at the edge of the building, right against the road. Normally she would have ignored this person and stayed on her branch faraway from human contact, but this figure had something with him. He trudged(吃力地走) toward the white fence carrying a case. The figure reached the fence, opened the case and took out a shiny object.[来源
She took her eyes off this figure only long enough to climb down the tree to get a better view of him. She reached the bottom and saw that the person had turned to face the street, sitting on the white fence that she and her friends once sat on. She stepped carefully on the ice, making her way toward him.
And then a beautiful sound of music came from the shiny object. She stopped and listened to it. She started walking towards the guy again. Just as she was about to step onto the snow banks, she slipped on the ice crashing to the ground. The figure turned around in surprise and a sudden recognition fell upon them both.The girl was hiding in the tree at deep night to ______.
| A．keep herself from the cold |
| B．wait for the boy to come |
| C．want to be left alone |
| D．seek safety from any hurt |
From the story, we can learn that ______.
| A．the girl suffered a lot in her life |
| B．the girl’s parents divorced because of her |
| C．teachers and friends treated the girl badly |
| D．the girl used to stay in the tree when feeling sad |
The underlined word “it” in the story refers to ______.
| A．leaning back against the branch |
| B．being alone in the world |
| C．not being disturbed at night |
| D．it being dark with snow around |
From the end of the story, it can be known that the girl _______.
| A．knew the person |
| B．knew what the object was |
| C．realized her wishes |
| D．would never feel alone any more |
Gary is teaching his students to play a game called “Word House” in the English class. Here is the way to play the game:
1. Get some pieces of paper that are cut into squares. Each Square is for writing one letter only.
2. Write a letter on one square. For example, write “i.”
3. Next, take another two squares. Make a two-letter word which contains the letter you have written, for example, “in” or “hi.” Put the new word (written on the two squares) below the first square.
4. Then make a three-letter word which contains the two letters you have written.Again, put the new word on the next line.
5. Keep making new words in the same way to build a “word house.” The person who builds the highest word house in twenty minutes wins the game. What does a “word house” look like?
Which is true about the game?
| A．It is about spelling. |
| B．It is a computer game. |
| C．There have to be five people in the game. |
| D．Students have to write four words in twenty minutes. |
Which of the following is the right order of playing the game?
a. cut the paper into squares
b. make a three-letter word which contains the two letters you’ve written
c. write a letter on one square
d. keep making new words in the same way
e. make a two-letter word and put it below the first square
| A．a-b-c-d-e | B．a-c-e-b-d | C．d -c-e-b-a | D．e-b-c-d-a |
Newcastle, one of the fastest developing cities in the United Kingdom, is beginning to draw tourists from all corners of Europe. It’s said most visitors come here to see the famous soccer team play. The mood of the locals is often changed by the success or failures of the local team.
Newcastle’s most popular place is the Gate, which is in the center of the city and has many attractions including bars, restaurants, sports bars, pubs and so on. During a home game it becomes a real home to happiness.
Culture and local history lovers can make their dreams come true by taking one of the local city tour buses. They come and leave every few minutes and stop at all the important historical sites in the city. Also the seats and the environment on the buses are comfortable. It’s the best way to see the city without tiring yourself out or getting cold. Places such as the Hancock Museum and Millennium Bridge are must-see attractions. But be careful if you’re short of time. Newcastle is a big place, so you should be prepared to kill a few hours on one of these buses.
If you want to watch the local team play soccer in the St. James Park, remember to book a ticket as early as possible. The locals are crazy soccer fans, and you’ll find it hard to get a ticket if you don’t wait in the queue early.
As you can see, Newcastle is a fantastic city with so much to be offered and so many things to see. You’re sure to have a wonderful time here!The purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．advertise the local soccer team |
| B．encourage people to visit Newcastle |
| C．introduce the lifestyle in Newcastle |
| D．describe the long history of Newcastle |
Most visitors come to Newcastle in order to ________.
| A．watch its soccer team play | B．take the local tour buses |
| C．visit the Hancock Museum | D．have a big meal in restaurants |
If you want to learn about the history and culture of Newcastle, you _______.
| A．should go to the Gate | B．can go on a city tour |
| C．must visit St James Park | D．must drive your own car |
The underlined word “They” in Para 3 refers to ______.
| A．history lovers | B．local people |
| C．city tour buses | D．local soccer teams |
Lexi Peters, a 14-year-old girl in New York, loves hockey. She’s not only good at playing on her after-school team, but also at playing hockey video games. But when Peters played the popular NHL (National Hockey League) games made by Electronic Arts, something really bothered her. The virtual (虚拟的) character in the game could only be a boy — not a girl.
She didn’t think that was reasonable. There must be many girls playing hockey in the US. So she wrote a letter to Electronic Arts.
“Being represented by a man is unfair to women and girl hockey players,” Peters wrote. “Women’s hockey is a fast-growing sport. I am confident that I’m not the only woman interested in the opportunity to create herself in the game.”
Several weeks later, Peters received an unexpected e-mail from the senior producer for EA Sports’ NHL games, David Littman. “Hi, Lexi,” the e-mail began. “We agree with you!”
Electronic Arts said it would create a female player in the game. “I was thinking you could be the model,” Littman wrote. Peters almost couldn’t believe it. Later, she sent photos of herself taken at all different angles (角度).
And so, when Electronic Arts released the newest version of their game, NHL 12, this fall, Peters was the face of the female player. She can now skate with the NHL’s great players. “It’s strange at first, but you get used to it,” said Peters. “It’s really funny and cool.”
For Peters, there is also an important lesson that she will take with her the rest of her life. “If you have something to say, and you think it’s important, go for it!” she said. What bothered Peters when playing NHL games?
| A．There was no girl character in the game. |
| B．The characters were not real at all. |
| C．No girls would like to play the game. |
| D．It was not like playing real hockey games. |
According to Peters’ letter, we can know that ________.
| A．girls were not allowed to play hockey in the past |
| B．female players can be represented by men |
| C．boys don’t like to play hockey with girls |
| D．more and more girls are interested in hockey |
What was David Littman’s opinion of Peters’ letter?
| A．He ignored it. | B．He disliked it. |
| C．He agreed to it. | D．He voted against it. |
Peters’ experience tells us that we should ________.
| A．enjoy the fun of being a model |
| B．do what you think important to do |
| C．work hard to get used to any new situation |
| D．think about problems from different angles |
There is an English saying :“laughter is best medicine .”Until recently ,few people took the saying seriously .Now however ,doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body .They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health .
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body .People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts ,blood pressure ,breathing and muscles .It was found that laughter had similar effects to physical exercise .It increases blood pressure ,the heart beating and breathing ; it also works several groups of muscles in the face ,the stomach ,and even the feet .If laughter exercises the body ,it must be beneficial .
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body .In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes .The group that tolerated(忍耐)the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny programme .The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain .
As a result of these discoveries ,some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics ,in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh .They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing ,making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter .Doctors have proved the following EXCEPT that .
| A．smiling does good to health |
| B．laughter can be tolerated |
| C．there is a way to reduce pain |
| D．laughter can work the muscles in the feet |
The main idea of the passage is .
A. laughter and physical exercise have similar effects on the human body
B smile can produce the same effects as laughter
C. pain can be reduced by laughter
D. laughter is the best medicine The students whotolerated the pain for the longest time .
| A．listened to different radio programmes |
| B．could produce a kind of chemical |
| C．don’t have stress of pain |
| D．listened to a funny programme |
The underlined word “diminish” is similar to .
| A．test | B．stop | C．reduce | D．increase |
Doctors hold laughter clinics _________.
| A．to give better condition to their patients |
| B．in order to improve patients’ health |
| C．to make patients smile |
| D．to prove smile and laughter have the same effect |
It was a quiet village in which there was a military camp. It was far from the towns and cities and there were some high mountains around. Of course it was a good place for training the new soldiers. But it was difficult for the young men to go outside. Mr. White, an officer of forty, was strict with them and he hardly let them leave the camp.
Once Mr. White was ill in bed. He couldn't work and a young officer, Mr. Hunt, began to train the new soldiers instead of him. He knew the young men well and let nine soldiers go to the nearest town to have a holiday. But night fell and none came back to the camp. He was worried about it and stood at the gate. It was five to twelve when Mr. Hunt decided to go to the town and see what was happening with the young men. He started the car quickly and set off. At that moment the nine soldiers came back. It seemed they were all drunk. Of course they found the officer was angry.
"I'm sorry, sir," said the first soldier. "I left the town on time. But something was wrong with my bus on my way here. I had to buy a horse and made it run fast. Bad luck! It died and I had to run back."
And the other seven soldiers said they were late for the same reasons. It was the last soldier's turn. He said, "I'm sorry, sir. I got on a bus on time, but…"
Having heard this, the officer became even angrier and stopped him at once. He called out, "If you say something was wrong with your bus, I'll punish you at once!"
"No, no, sir," said the young man. "My bus was all right, but the dead horses were in its way!"The military camp was built in the village to _______.
| A．stop the soldiers going to towns |
| B．stop the soldiers meeting their friends |
| C．train the new soldiers |
| D．make the young men live quietly |
Mr. Hunt let the nine soldiers have a holiday because _______.
| A．he was kind to them |
| B．they felt lonely |
| C．they had something important to do |
| D．they were the best of all |
The young officer was worried because _______.
| A．a traffic accident had happened |
| B．he was afraid something happened to the nine soldiers |
| C．the nine soldiers didn't come back on time |
| D．the nine soldiers drank too much in the town |
The nine soldiers returned to the camp late because _______.
| A．something was wrong with their buses |
| B．their horses died on the return way |
| C．it took them much time to run back |
| D．they all had drunk much in the town |
Which answer do you think right?
| A．I'll believe only the last soldier. |
| B．The officer believed the nine soldiers. |
| C．I'll believe none of the nine soldiers. |
| D．The officer won't punish his soldiers. |