The world’s oldest person, Ms. Baines, died. She celebrated her 115th birthday with congratulations from Barack Obama, President of the United States. Over her life she lived through the terms of 21 US presidents.
Gertrude Baines passed away(去世) peacefully in her sleep at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had lived for her last ten years. Emma Camanag , the hospital’s leader ，said she was a respectable lady. "It is really an honor for the hospital to take care of her over the last 10 years and we will greatly miss her. It is just like we have lost a relative（亲戚）," said Emma.
Ms. Baines, who was born in Shellman, Georgia, in 1894, had no living relatives. She grew up in the southern US during difficult times. During that time, African American people were required to use separate, often poor, public services. She married young and later divorced (离婚). Her only child, a daughter, was born in 1909 and died of a terrible disease at the age of 18. Ms. Baines worked as a maid (女佣) in Ohio before moving to Los Angeles where she lived on her own until she was well over 100.
She once told an interviewer（记者）, "As for the secrets of long life, I do not have any disappointments（失望） in my own life."
She gained some fame when she voted for Mr. Obama in the US presidential election（总统大选）, saying she supported him "because he’s for the colored people". It was only the second time in her life she had voted, the first time being for John F. Kennedy.
Ms. Baines became the world’s oldest person in January. Japanese woman, Kama Chien, 114, has now taken over the title.It was an honor for the hospital to take care of Ms. Baines because ________.
| A．she was a respectable lady |
| B．she was a relative of the hospital’s leader |
| C．she lived in the hospital for years |
| D．she voted for Mr. Obama in the election |
Ms. Baines voted for Mr. Obama because he ________.
| A．was very popular in the hospital |
| B．did even better than John F. Kennedy |
| C．did good things for African Americans |
| D．congratulated her on her birthday |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Ms. Baines used to serve others in Ohio. |
| B．Ms. Baines died in a hospital in Los Angeles. |
| C．Ms. Baines and her husband had only one child. |
| D．Ms. Baines liked to live alone. |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．the world’s oldest person, Ms. Baines |
| B．why Ms. Baines voted for Mr. Obama |
| C．how Ms. Baines lived for so long |
| D．Ms. Baines and President Obama |
“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed(叹息), knowing that his life was to be unfortunate. He cried to his mum “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”
He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.
Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket棺材. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?
| A．Because her son had a tiny face. | B．Because she saw her son crying. |
| C．Because her son was born imperfect. | D．Because her son was in her arms. |
Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?
| A．Nervous. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Proud. | D．Angry. |
We can infer that the person who donate the ears is_____.
| A．A doctor. | B．His father. | C．His mother. | D．A stranger. |
From the passage we know the followings are True except________
| A．the mother felt sorry for the son without ears |
| B．the doctor didn’t like the baby |
| C．the boy meant everything to the mother |
| D．the father kept the secret until mother died |
The best title for the passage would be ________.
| A．Mother’s hair | B．An unforgettable memory |
| C．Who gave me the ears? | D．Who is my best respectable person? |
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles (肌肉) of your neck, or because an unexpected twist（扭曲）has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck”.
Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn (爆米花); he is chewing（嚼）loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”. They hate being watched secretly.Where can you find this passage?
| A．In a medicine dictionary. | B．in a kids’ story book. |
| C．In a social science book. | D．In a science textbook. |
According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
| A．disturbed. | B．bored. | C．ignored. | D．relaxed. |
A “rubber neck” often __________________ .
| A．says bad words behind people. | B．quarrels face to face with neighbors. |
| C．bargains with salespeople over the price | D．asks about other people’s business |
Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
| A．Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance. |
| B．Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles. |
| C．Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy. |
| D．Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies. |
What is the main purpose of the author?
| A．To tell people what might be bad manners in public. |
| B．To criticize (批评) the people who might be a “pain in the neck” |
| C．To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”. |
| D．To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck. |
Animals like the lion are known as carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. They feed on smaller animals. But many other animals eat grass or plants. They are called herbivorous (plant-eating) animals.
You may be surprised to learn that there are carnivorous plants as well as carnivorous animals. Plants that grow in poor soil need other food. They trap (catch by a trick) small insects (昆虫) and take their bodies as food.
The pitcher plant (猪笼草) is a common carnivorous plant. This plant has a clever trap like a pitcher or jar. It even has a lid to keep out of the rain. The mouth of the pitcher is covered with something sweet like honeydew(蜜露). Insects come to the plant to feed on the honeydew. When they have eaten all that is round the mouth, they go into the pitcher to look for more. There is more honeydew deep in the pitcher and they go down to feed on it. The inner wall of the pitcher is covered with fine hairs. These hairs point downwards so that the insects cannot climb out of the pitcher. They are trapped in it. They die there, and their bodies are taken as food by the plant.Animals are divided into two kinds.
| A．carnivorous animals and meat-eating animals |
| B．herbivorous animals and plant-eating animals |
| C．carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals |
| D．meat animals and plant animals |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Tigers, lions and other meat-eating animals are called carnivorous animals. |
| B．Zebras, elephants and common farm animals are known as herbivorous animals. |
| C．All plants get food only from the soil. |
| D．It is something like honeydew in the pitcher that insects come to food on. |
From this passage, we can mainly learn that .
| A．Not all plants are carnivorous |
| B．All plants are herbivorous |
| C．Not all animals are carnivorous |
| D．Carnivorous plants can also be found |
The text mainly talks about ___________________.
| A．carnivorous animals | B．herbivorous animals |
| C．small insects | D．pitcher plants |
What kind of magazine can we find the text?
| A．Biology | B．Geography | C．Physics | D．Chemistry |
As I was leaving to meet Lynne，my roommate told me that I’d better take some money，but I didn’t listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me.
I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I’d been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and a waitress came and took our order. The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed (尴尬) when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said，“Oh！I forgot my money! Can I call my roommate，please？” The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate.
In a few minutes he arrived with some money，but he couldn’t hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home.
Now，I think it’s funny too. But at the time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner meant the same thing in the United States as in my country. I guess you have to understand that your customs（习俗） are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country，you have to learn about their customs，too.Customs can be ________in different countries according to this passage.
| A．close to each other | B．entirely different |
| C．quite the same | D．very similar |
The writer’s roommate advised the writer to take some money with him to________.
| A．invite Lynne to dinner | B．pay for the table |
| C．share the cost of the meal | D．pay for the restaurant |
The writer and Lynne________.
| A．shared a successful dinner |
| B．had a talk for three hours |
| C．traveled to Saudi Arabia together |
| D．enjoyed their meal without talking |
Why didn’t Lynne pay the check for the writer?
| A．Because she thought it was natural for people to pay their own check. |
| B．Because she didn’t have the meal. |
| C．Because she wanted to embarrass the writer. |
| D．Because she didn’t have enough money with her. |
The roommate laughed all the way home because the writer________.
| A．was embarrassed when he couldn’t pay his breakfast |
| B．would not listen to him when he left the house |
| C．telephoned him to bring some books to him |
| D．hadn’t told Lynne the truth |
Dear Mr. Barton,
I am writing for the residents’ association (业主协会) to inform you of our feelings about your act. We’ve really had enough of you. Although we have tried to speak to you politely on several occasions, you have always answered with a stream of verbal abuse(辱骂).
Ever since you moved in three months ago, you have shown very little consideration for the other residents of this building, though many residents expressed their unhappiness with you. For the past six weekends, you have held very noisy parties, which have not finished until early the next morning. As you know, most of the people here are elderly or have very young children, and the noise keeps them awake all night. You don’t have to be so noisy, do you? Last weekend the situation deteriorated when two of your friends fought with each other on the first floor. The fighting was so bad that the police had to be called. What’s more, your friends left the stairs in a terrible state --- they even broke two windows on their way out! We feel that we can’t bear this type of act.
We strongly demand that you pay for this damage to the window soon. If you don’t and you carry on being a nuisance(令人讨厌的人或物). We will kick you out! Legal steps will be taken if necessary.
Yours sincerely What does the writer feel?
| A．Excited | B．surprised | C．Angry | D．Happy |
What does the word “deteriorated” mean?
| A．Changed | B．Improved | C．Moved | D．Worsened |
What is the main purpose of the letter?
| A．To ask Mr. Barton to leave the building for the peace. |
| B．To inform Mr. Barton of the noise he made. |
| C．To talk about what Mr. Barton did. |
| D．To give a warning to Mr. Barton. |
Why were the police called?
| A．Because Mr. Barton broke two windows. |
| B．Because Mr. Barton made too much noise. |
| C．Because Mr. Barton’s friends fought. |
| D．Because Mr. Barton beat a child and an old man. |
What is true according to the letter?
| A．Mr. Barton paid no attention to the others’ unhappiness. |
| B．Mr. Barton never replied to the others’ unhappiness |
| C．Mr. Barton always said sorry to those unhappy with him. |
| D．Mr. Barton never apologized to the other residents. |