It's not easy to be an astronaut's son. Everybody expects you to be special or perfect. I often wonder how my father ever had a son like me. I mean he's so special and so good at everything he does. Even in middle school he was class monitor and captain of the football team.
Well, to be honest, I often dream about being some kind of hero or doing something special-like saving a child from a burning building or discovering a new star. I was daydreaming at school one morning when my teacher said there would be a Father's Day writing competition for the whole school. "I hope we have a winner right here in my class."
When I got home, I started to think about what to write. My father is an astronaut. No, :I wouldn't start like that. That was the way others saw him. How did I see my father? Hmm...
I saw him sitting with me in the dark when I had a terrible dream. I remembered how he hugged(拥抱 ) me for hours when my dog Spotty was killed by a car. Yes, these were the things I was going to write. To me, he wasn't just a world-famous astronaut. He was my dad.
My parents and l went to school Thursday night. There were so many people in the big hall! My dad looked at me, and I shrugged(耸肩 ).
The third prize was announced and it was not me. I was relieved and disappointed at the same time. The second prize was announced. It was me.
I went up to the stage and read what I had written, "My father's son". When I finished, the people stood up and cheered. I saw my father blowing his nose. Tears (眼泪 ) were running down my mother's face. Dad cleared his throat and put his hand on my shoulder.“Son, this is the proudest moment of my life."
It was the proudest moment of my life, too. Maybe I'll never be a great hero or win a Nobel Prize, but it was enough just to be my father's son.
| A．to become an astronaut's son |
| B．to have a class monitor |
| C．to meet the captain of the football team |
| D．to do something special |
| A．save the child from a burning building |
| B．buy his father a gift for Father's Day |
| C．have the competition winner in his class |
| D．take part in the speech competition |
| A．It was very interesting to be an astronaut's son. |
| B．His father was special and could do everything well. |
| C．His father's experiences as a very famous astronaut. |
| D．The unforgettable time he spent with his father. |
| A．Because the result of the competition would be announced. |
| B．Because they were asked to give a speech to the students. |
| C．Because there was an important football match at school. |
| D．Because the writer did something wrong at school. |
| A．The writer was very disappointed at the result. |
| B．The writer's achievement made his father feel proud. |
| C．The writer's mother cried because he didn't win first prize. |
| D．The writer's father had a sore throat because he talked too much. |
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you. Well, ni-hao. (Laughter) It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you at this great university, so thank you so much for having me. I’m here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among young people like you across the world.
That’s why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don’t just visit palaces and parliaments(国会) and meet with heads of countries. We also come to schools like this one to meet with students like you, because we believe that relationships between countries aren’t just about relationships between governments or leaders — they’re about relationships between people, particularly young people. So we view study abroad programs not just as an educational chance for students, but also as an active part of America’s foreign policy(政策).
Through the wonders of modern technology, our world is more connected than ever before. Ideas can cross oceans with the click of a mouse. Companies can do business and compete with companies across the world. And we can text, email, skype with people in the world.
So studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to spend a time of learning; it is quickly becoming the key to success in our times. Because getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about getting good grades or test scores in school, which are important. It’s also about having real experience with the world beyond your borders — experience with languages, cultures and societies very different from your own. Or, as the Chinese saying goes: “It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.” Where did the speaker probably give the talk to the audience?
| A．In a university. | B．In the Parliament Hall. |
| C．On the Internet. | D．In a tourist attraction. |
The passage shows that the world’s future depends on .
| A．getting good grades |
| B．traveling abroad |
| C．connections among young people |
| D．texts and emails |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “compete” in Paragraph 3?
| A．完成 | B．比较 | C．竞争 | D．抱怨 |
In the speaker’s opinion, what is the key to success in our times?
| A．Going to a university. |
| B．Doing more exercises. |
| C．Studying abroad. |
| D．Getting good test scores. |
Where may the passage come from?
| A．A story. | B．A news report. |
| C．A scientific magazine. | D．A speech. |
Birthdays are celebrated all over the world. Some ways to celebrate birthdays are rather similar from county to country: candles, cakes, and birthday wishes. But there are also different ways to celebrate birthdays. Here are a few:
Denmark  A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in the house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child’s bed while he is sleeping so he will see them at once when he wakes up. |
 IndiaUsually Indian children wear white to school. However, on their birthdays, children wear colored clothes to school and give out chocolate to everyone in the class. Their best friends help them to do this. |
Japan  The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the special time. Certain birthdays are more important than others. These are the third and seventh for girls and fifth for boys. |
Holland  The birthday child receives an especially large present. The family also puts flowers on the birthday child’s chair to make it beautiful. |
When someone is having a birthday in Denmark, you can see _____outside the
window.
| A．flowers | B．presents |
| C．a flag | D．a chair |
In _______, only birthday children wear colored clothes to school.
| A．India | B．Holland |
| C．Denmark | D．Japan |
In Japan, the birthday is more important for boys when they are ________.
| A．15 | B．7 | C．5 | D．3 |
What does the birthday child usually receive in Holland?
| A．A present and a flag |
| B．A present and some flowers |
| C．A present and new clothes |
| D．Colored clothes and chocolates |
The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．similar ways of celebrating birthdays in some countries |
| B．different ways of celebrating birthdays in some countries |
| C．children’s birthdays in western countries |
| D．the importance of children’s birthdays |
Swimming and English Learning
Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I’m afraid you’ll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It’s the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.
Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English-speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just understand a few words. It doesn’t matter. Just be relaxed, try to catch every word.
Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He’s afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don’t be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important when there’s nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It’s interesting and also a good way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you’ll make.
Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we’re interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.
Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English magazines. Don’t be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.
Easier said than done. Well, let’s do more practice from now on. I’m sure you’ll learn English well in this way.You can learn to swim by_______.
| A．reading books about it |
| B．looking at others swimming |
| C．having lessons on it |
| D．going into the river and learning |
We should learn English by _______.
| A．listening and speaking |
| B．reading and writing |
| C．A and B |
| D．swimming |
What will you do with mistakes when you speak?
| A．Don’t make mistakes. |
| B．Study hard |
| C．Try not to speak English |
| D．Don’t be afraid. |
What’s more important for senior school students?
| A．listening | B．speaking |
| C．reading and writing | D．learning |
We can listen to English ______, according to the passage.
| A．by train | B．on the radio |
| C．every minute | D．now and then |
If you could see a movie of your life before you lived it, would you want to live it? Probably not. The excitement of living is that you don’t know what’s coming.
Sure, it’s hard to see uncertainty(不确定) in such positive（积极的）light when you’re out of work, or when you feel like you’re failing. But uncertainty is really another word for chance.
When Allison graduated from Harvard, she had chances all over the place but had no idea what she wanted to do. She took a job in consulting（咨询）, but she knew she wouldn’t stay there. She took the GRE and scored so high that she was able to increase her income（收入）by teaching students. Still, she didn’t think she wanted to go to graduate school（研究院）. Allison knew she wasn’t doing what she wanted, but she didn’t know what she wanted.
She worried. All her friends were going to graduate school or starting their own businesses. She was lost and felt that she would never find anything out. After six years, Allison, by having a general（全面的）plan in mind, got married, moved to the Midwest and used her consulting experience to get a great job. Allison realized that she spent her years finding her way: time well spent.
The only way to lead an interesting life is to face uncertainty. Otherwise your life is not your own—it is a path someone else has chosen. Moments of uncertainty are when you create your life, when you become who you are. Uncertainty usually begins with a job hunt, but it doesn’t end there. Every new role we take on means another round of uncertainty. Instead of fearing it, you should find some ways to deal with uncertainty.From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that.
| A．being out of work is a sad thing |
| B．uncertainty is what makes life interesting |
| C．life in a film is more exciting than real life |
| D．chance never appears when we need it |
What troubles Allison after graduation?
| A．She couldn’t find a well-paid job. |
| B．She had no money to start a business. |
| C．She was not sure what to do. |
| D．She didn’t score high enough for graduate school. |
How did Allison feel about her six years’ working experience?
| A．Uncertain. | B．Amazed. |
| C．Sorry. | D．Satisfied. |
What may be discussed in the following paragraph?
| A．How to deal with uncertainty. |
| B．What role uncertainty plays in life. |
| C．Why people fear uncertainty. |
| D．Whom to go to when facing uncertainty. |
When a cake is brought to the table at a birthday party, it is usually decorated with candles. It is said that the tradition of lighting birthday candles was invented by the ancient Greeks; it has taken on different meanings through the years. Today, one of the most popular birthday traditions is to blow out the candles all at once to make a secret wish come true.
In order to please Artemis, the goddess of the moon, the ancient Greeks arranged something special for birthdays. A moon-shaped cake was baked and decorated with lit candles. They thought the smoke from the candles would carry an offering(祭品) up into the sky, where they believed Artemis lived.
The tradition of lighting birthday candles continued in Europe, where candles were sometimes kept burning all day on a person’s birthday, partly as celebration and partly to keep away evil spirits. It was believed that the blowing out of candles represented one’s prayers(祈祷) to the gods. Some cultures believe it is a bad luck to blow out the candles until after the evening meal is eaten.
Traditionally, one candle represents a year of the person’s age. Some families prefer to add an extra candle for good luck. But that practice is improper when a very young child is celebrating a third birthday. Generally, older people’s birthdays are celebrated by placing just a few candles to represent, such as an eight for 80th birthday.
Today’s birthday candles are made in different shapes, like animals or flowers. One or two candles in the shape of numbers are sometimes used instead of lots of candles; for example, a four-shaped and a zero-shaped candle would represent 40.Why did the ancient Greeks arrange something special for birthdays?
| A．To make their dreams come true. |
| B．To celebrate a person’s birthday. |
| C．To protect themselves from evil spirits. |
| D．To please the goddess of the moon. |
What is the tradition of lighting candles for birthdays like in Europe?
| A．The candles were always kept burning all day on a person’s birthday. |
| B．The blowing out of candles represented one’s prayers to the god. |
| C．Some cultures believe it is right to blow out the candles before the evening meal. |
| D．The Europeans sometimes keep burning the candles all day just as a celebration. |
What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
| A．In some families, people would add an extra candle without any special meaning. |
| B．It is common to see a cake with four candles on a three-year-old child’s birthday. |
| C．Traditionally, people can use an eight-shaped and a zero-shaped candle to represent 80. |
| D．Usually one candle is placed on a cake for each year of the person’s age. |